Inzamam-ul Haq a colossal in frame
In a nutshell; Inzamam-ul-Haq is the most successful batsmen for Pakistan, scoring over 20,000 international runs and 35 centuries. In overall Pakistan ratings he stands only third after Hanif Mohammad and Javed Miandad, and he was arguably one of the best
batsmen against pace bowling. He has been a lynchpin of Pakistan batting line-up throughout the 16 years of his illustrious career.
Inzamam was hybrid of brutality and elegance. His powerful shots were backed up by sweet timing and placement. Sublimity of touch and remarkable strength had been the hallmark of his game. He galvanized electrifying power in order to generate brutal strokes.
Inzi played his shots all-around the park and was particularly strong off his legs. His lusty on-drives, extravagant pull shots and flicks of the wrists are salient features of his on-side play. His brilliant cut shots, measured cover-drives and elegant
straight drives were like three dimensions of his one painting.
He was proficient playing on the back-foot, but coming hard on the bowler displayed his quality as a great front-foot willower. Imran Khan rates him as the best batsman against fast bowling. One can only judge a batsman that how much time he had against
quick bowler. And, Inzamam had ample time to play any sort of fast bowing. His battles with Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh were enthralling. A couple of times they grabbed his prized scalp. And, then it was Inzi’s turn and he dominated every other moment.
But what made Inzi great, was his ability to stand as solid as a rock when his well-reputed fellow batsmen fell around him in demanding situations. In difficult circumstances, he was always stable, and he never felt any pressure under difficult circumstances.
His determination, iron-will and calmness enabled him to bring his team out of dire states and even win matches for them.
Visualize of your cherished Inzamam moment, but none was special than his semi-final knock against New Zealand in 92, where he scripted a fantasy, striking 60 of 37 balls to surprise the Kiwis and earning Pakistan a birth in the final. His unbeaten 138-run
knock against Bangladesh where he rescued Pakistan from a humiliating defeat. His 92-run knock on his last tour of South Africa, where he set a remarkable five-wicket win.
He is one of the three Pakistan batsmen to score a triple-century in Test cricket. His 329-run innings against the Kiwis, apparently is the second highest score by a Pakistani. He was in supreme touch that day. His timing was immaculate and placement was
precise. He displayed his strokes to all parts of the Ghadaffi Stadium Lahore. It was boiling in Lahore and New Zealand bowlers felt that heat.
In his 100th Test match he announced his legendary status by scoring 184 against India, and then led his side to a resounding victory on the final day of the same Test. His tally of 17 match-winning hundreds is one of the best among modern day
batsmen.
His statistics are dazzling and substantial. In the longest format of the game, the right-hand batter has amassed 8830 runs at an impressive average of 49.60, including 25 centuries, appearing in 120 matches. In 378 One-day games, he collected 11739 runs
at a brilliant average of 39.52, posting 10 tons.
For more than a decade, the mast craftsman held the Pakistan middle order together. He was a natural successor to Javed Miandad and he emerged as country’s best batsmen in the mid 90’s.
Nevertheless, his running between the wickets was woeful and his partners also suffered due to his poor assessment of a close singles. And his hapless sprinting between 22 yards earned him the legendary status of ‘Run-out King’.
Inzamam-ul-Haq will remain in the hearts of the Pakistani people as their hero, one who was always there for his country when the chips were down. He is being missed today, because he might have been a successor to Miandad, but there is no one who can fill
in the great man’s boot.