Inzamam hungry again](BBC SPORT | Cricket | Inzamam hungry again)
Inzamam-ul-Haq has put his nightmarish performance in the World Cup to the back of his mind as he makes a belated return to the Pakistan side.
For the rebuilding team I want to transfer my skills to the youngsters
The 33-year-old from Multan, Pakistan’s City of Saints, managed a feeble 19 runs in six matches in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
But now he is preparing for what should be an easy re-introduction to international cricket with a home series against Bangladesh.
After a four-month lay-off, he is keen to get cracking again.
"I have come over the World Cup fiasco, which is exactly what it was for both me and the team.
“But I feel bad times are made for better times to follow and I am back at the crease,” Inzamam told this website.
“Even now I can’t make out what happened to me in the World Cup. It was sheer bad touch and never in my career had I encountered such difficult times.”
But one thing he has ruled out already.
Shedding 22 pounds from his distinctive burly physique had not thrown his stance out of balance, he insists.
Pakistan’s selectors ditched Inzamam and seven other players from the team following the early World Cup exit.
But Inzamam never felt his career was over.
"I never felt threatened, never thought of leaving cricket. I am lucky in the sense that I got support from Imran Khan and Wasim Akram who both advised me to play my way out of trouble.
“When a cricketer is out of favour people treat him differently but I got calls from all over the country and fans even mailed me from England saying they missed me.”
Young all-rounder Hafeez is highly rated by Inzamam
The Pakistani selectors initially claimed Inzamam was merely being rested.
But pundits were astonished the country’s top run-getter in one-day history was left out of the squad for the NatWest Challenge in England in June.
“Inzamam has a lot of cricket left in him and Pakistan could have won in England with him in the team,” said Imran.
It was under Imran’s captaincy that Inzamam burst onto the international scene during Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup win.
But the man whose last Test innings resulted in an epic 329 against New Zealand last year, refuses to be drawn on the controversy.
“What is really important for me is that I have regained my place and I want to play as long as I am fit and performing.”
So what is left to achieve after playing 95 Tests and 290 one-dayers?
“My personal aim is to make 10,000 runs in both forms of the game and for the rebuilding team I want to transfer my skills to the youngsters.”
Inzamam believes Pakistan has a large pool of gifted players.
“We have no dearth of talent and new players like Mohammad Hafeez and Yasir Hameed have tremendous potential.”
“Pakistan cricket has a bright future and once the rebuilding is done our team will be a force to reckon with whether we seniors remain part of it or not.”
