Inzamam-ul-Haq is arguably one of Pakistan’s most well-known and appreciated cricketers. In the cricketing world, he is known as Inzy, having been born on March 3rd, 1970.
He was mainly a right-handed batsman, but he also bowled in the medium left-arm orthodox style on occasion. In one-day internationals, he is Pakistan’s leading run scorer, and in Test cricket, he ranks eighth.
He was the captain of the Pakistan national cricket team for a long time and is regarded as one of the greatest leaders in the sport’s history.
Background
Inzamam began his career in 1985, when he was fifteen years old, with his hometown club, Multan. This was the first of several domestic cricket clubs for which he appeared in Pakistan.
Debut
Inzamam made his One-Day International debut against the West Indies in 1991, and he put in a strong showing, scoring a half-century in one of the two matches he played.
Following that, he had another good series against Sri Lanka, in which he put in incredible performances, scoring two hundreds and a half-century in four matches.
Inzamam made his Test debut against England at Edgbaston in 1992, scoring an unbeaten eight. His first Test series was a letdown, as he only scored 13.2 runs per innings on average.
Pakistan was defeated 2-1 by England in that series. By 1994, he had turned his Test form around and was making significant contributions to Pakistan’s test cricket victories.
Rise to Glory
Imran Khan, Pakistan’s cricketing legend, hand-picked nzamam for the 1992 ICC Cricket World Cup, which was hosted in Australia and New Zealand. At the start of the tournament, the comparatively unknown player disappointed.
However, he began to deliver pivotal results at vital moments. He scored 60 runs in 37 balls to lead Pakistan to victory in the semi-finals. This was followed by another side-saving 48-run innings, which contributed to Pakistan’s first World Cup win.
He scored 58 not out with the tail in a test match against Australia in Karachi in 1994, helping Pakistan to a one-wicket victory and a 1–0 series win. In 1995, he gained personal success by becoming the top-ranked batsman in the World Cricket Committee.
Club Career
In his native Pakistan, Inzamam represented United Bank Limited, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, the National Bank of Pakistan, and the Water and Power Development Authority.
At the age of 37, he joined Yorkshire County Cricket Club and made his debut in English county cricket. He had a bad start to the season, scoring less than 10 runs in each of his first three matches.
Captaincy
From 2003 to 2007, Inzamam was the captain of the Pakistan cricket team. In 30 Tests as Pakistan’s captain, he won eleven, drawn nine, and lost ten.
Inzamam’s batting improved as a result of his captaincy, as he frequently led by example in high-pressure circumstances. As a captain, he has a higher average (52) than as a normal player (50).
Inzamam’s second term as Pakistan captain was less fruitful, with the team entangled in several scandals, resulting in a humiliating early exit from the 2007 Cricket World Cup at the hands of poorly rated Ireland.
Records
After Ricky Ponting and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Inzamam has the third highest average in ODI cricket as a captain. After Imran Khan, he was Pakistan’s captain for the longest time.
Inzamam set the record for most half centuries in One Day Internationals with 83, while Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, and Kumar Sangakkara have now surpassed him.
He was also the second batsman in one-day international history to cross 10,000 runs.
Retirement
After Pakistan’s early exit from the 2007 World Cup, Inzamam drew on his ODI experience. He also announced his retirement from Test cricket later that year, playing his last test against South Africa in October.
He has worked as a bowling analyst for the Pakistan cricket team as well as a mentor for the Afghan national team. Inzamam is currently the Pakistan cricket team’s chief selector.