Despite initial speculation that Inzamam-ul-Haq would not lead Pakistan in next year’s World Cup, the cricket board has sensibly confirmed his appointment. I confess that I am one of the many who have often despaired at Inzamam’s moribund captaincy - and it is something that might still cost Pakistan dear - but he is the obvious choice. Younis Khan, who retains the potential to succeed him, showed with his antics before Pakistan left for the Champions Trophy and his tactically suspect performance during the tournament that he was unready.
Inzamam, though, is on a mission, and that mission is to win the next World Cup and surpass his former captain, Imran Khan.
You might think that surpassing the Great Khan is something not worth contemplating but he is. And he believes he has the team to do it. Moreover, Inzamam has launched a campaign to build a hospital in his hometown, Multan. I’m sure that rings a few bells. Inzamam may not have Imran’s leadership skills but he does have a dominant presence in the team, a persona whose moods dictate the mindset of his charges. Pakistan will need Inzamam to be exuding postive energy between now and the end of the World Cup. A return to the dark mood that engulfed the second half of Pakistan’s tour of England will be a disaster.
The second piece of good news to emerge from Pakistan is that Bob Woolmer’s position is secure until after the World Cup. Woolmer believes Pakistan had a good series against West Indies and he is upbeat about his team’s chances in next year’s tournament. He has always held this positive outlook even in the depths of the Hair incident when he considered resigning his post.
But PCB has still got a long way to go to answer its critics. Particularly when it believes that the creation of a fielding award will improve the team’s fielding, and then awards the prize to Inzamam. And perturbingly appoints a friend of the chairman of the cricket board and the president of Pakistan as its media manager for the World Cup. I don’t think the PCB has ever understood how the media works - this is an organisation that pays for journalists to go on tours but who barely write a word - and I don’t think it ever will. As long as friendship is more important than merit, Pakistan will never realise its talent in cricket or anything else.
In the true Pakistani way, one step forward and one step back. But the step forward is the one that matters for Pakistan’s World Cup chances and it is the players who will create the memories to treasure and not the legion of hangers-on desperate to see their names in lights.
Good luck to Inzamam Ul Haq that he wants to win the world cup and wipe Imran Khan's name. But Australia has high amount of chances to win the world. I think they probably will win this one too because Australian team is getting stronger and stronger.
Well, its nicely written.
Inzamam has done a great job keeping all the "boyz" together. Atleast, we can see some discipline in the team. We got that proof during the trauma caused by Hair.
Regardless of the result in the WC, there is one thing for sure i.e. we would see Pakistan team like a Real Team.
As far as the fielding is concerned, I don't think, it was great when we won the WC (atleast thats what I've heard). What I know, we always have average (or below average) fielding.
Then we will not just consider Imran Khan. We will be also considering Inzamam Ul Haq and if somehow Pakistan wins the world cup then Inzamam may have more fans than Imran Khan. That’s what it means u munda.
I think Inzimam can really do this. If you can go back in '92 WC Imran Khan was the only dada of the team and rest of the team was either relatively new faces or could'nt stand Imran. Therefore there was no rift as such at that time.
Plz dont mention Javed Miandad here becuz at that time he himself was fighting for his place in team. And I am not talking bout his performance.
I don't think Inzamam will earn more fans if he wins the world cup, it is possible that criticism on his captaincy will come to a dead stop. Imran had support from different corners of world whether they were into cricket or not ;)
i think it would be better titled by just saying that "Inzi on the mission to bring back" the trophy than saying that Inzi surpassing Imran Khan.. I mean they are not two competiting entities but two different people at two different time...
Please keep the unity as the Inzi has kept in the team so far without any major rift.
Imran Khan will always be remembered as the greatest cricketer ever to come from Pakistan. Inzi would never be given the same status as Imran Khan by Pakistanis and cricketers around the world alike. So please don’t compare the two. Inzi is no doubt a very good batsman but personally I think Miandad was a better batsman than Inzi. He was a rock in Pakstan’s batting line-up in the late 70s and 80s and had this tremendous ability to get under his opponent’s skin. Miandad was street smart, mastered all the basics of cricket like running between the wickets, had a good knowledge of all the basic rules and regulations of cricket and earned the respect of his opponents incl. Gavaskar, Border and Viv Richards. Inzi is too dopey…he will always be remembered as a goof and one of the worst runners between the wickets. Whenever cricket pundits and ex-cricketers sit down to discuss the greatest batsmen of this era, they will I am afraid always put Lara, Tendulkar and Ponting above Inzi.
‘‘Miandad was the greatest Test run-scorer and scrapper Pakistan has ever produced. His street-fighting qualities indeed almost led to a fight with Dennis Lillee at Perth in 1983-84, when Miandad raised his bat to strike in anger. Normally he used it like a maestro to work the ball into space or play big shots, and there was a touch of genie or genius about his finest innings, like his two hundreds in successive Tests in the West Indies in 1987-88. As a captain he was too abrasive to get on with all of his players, but nobody can touch his record of being the only cricketer to play in the first six World Cups, starting as a legspinning allrounder in 1975 when he had just turned 18. As Pakistan’s coach, he had his ups and downs. After three stints in charge, he parted company with the team in 2004 to make may for Bob Woolmer after being blamed for Pakistan’s one-day and Test losses to India.’’ Scyld Berry http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/40879.html
Inzamam having more fans than Immee is a likelihood that is comparable to Below Zero degrees F in Karachi. Which can happen but, it would be an aberration. And would require a major change in the regional climate.
People who dislike INZI, really don't like "him". If he wins the WC they will find something else to say about him. Although I agree to some when they say that most of the criticism might stop.
Can we please not turn this thread into Inzi V Imran. Both have given valuable service to Paksitan and both are great in their own right. Lets not compare them. Both have their own qualities and drawbacks.
He did misfield on the odd occasion near the boundary but I don't remember him dropping many catches though. He never stood in the slips or gully area where you have the greatest chance of taking (and dropping) catches. Being so very smart he would always field at positions where the ball was least likely to travel!
Well, it might be a dream if Pakistan wins the world cup. Australia has the high amount of chances of winning the world cup. They won the ICC and they have improved day by day.
*BUT. Glen McGrath is retiring, **the rest of the world has the **advantage. *
Absolutely dead straight; bull's eye; fire in the hole, exactly. A truest and most ceremonious, abrupt and to-the-point statements ever to be written in any article, period!
Useful discussion, as always. I would like to add a bit that individual performances will be on the line than a team performances, and whoever's destiny is chosen to be lit on that particular day will bring our country one step closer to the milestone. We have been riding on individual performances for far too long, and World Cup will be no different.
Mohammad Sami has the potential and talent to win us the World Cup (and no, don't you dare quote, darnit)!
