Watch: Inzamam beats a spectator with bat

Watch: Inzamam beats a spectator with bat: In this era of match referees and all-invasive TV coverage, player behaviour has generally improved, even allowing for the occasional over-the-top sledge and tantrum. But in Toronto in 1997, Inzamam-ul-Haq was guilty of an offence which, were it to happen today, would almost certainly have seen him banned for a very long time.

The incident took place during a match between Pakistan and India in the Sahara Cup in 1997 in Toronto, Canada.It was the second Odi of the series and India had bowled out Pakistan for a mere of 116 runs,with Inzamam scoring a 10 of 34 balls.

When India batted, the crowd were on the Pakistanis’ backs from the off, with Inzamam singled out for attention. Shiv Kumar Thind, a Canada-based Indian, who had been allowed into the ground armed with a megaphone, taunted Inzamam. What exactly was said is still a thing of debate but according to a Pakistan newspaper,”O mote, sidha khara ho [O fatso, stand straight], mota aaloo, sara alloo [fat potato, rotten potato].” words were used by the fan.

As India cruised on 45 for 1, the teams took a drinks break. It was then that the trouble started. Again, as with much of the whole affair, the story is muddled, but it seems that a bat was brought to the third-man area by Pakistan’s 12th man and almost immediately Inzamam, who had been in the slips until then, was sent down to the boundary by his captain.

As the taunting continued, Inzamam snapped and jumped into the crowd. Another eyewitness told The Guardian that Inzamam grabbed the bat and headed for the man with the megaphone. “If not for the spectators and security staff curbing him, he would have broken the head of that guy. The guy with the megaphone was no match for Inzamam and got mauled. Even when Canadian police took Inzamam back onto the field, he was trying to get back to the stands.”

Watch: Inzamam beats a spectator with bat: