It is here again!

The time to - wear your greens, calculate your if and but scenarios, go through high level thrills and some heartbreaks, build your fantasy teams, place your bets, tune into your favorite sports channel, follow The Pavilion religiously, participate on numerous forums on whatsapp and all other social media, wave your flags, and support team Pakistan - is here again!

This time comes every 4 years and it is here again.

It is time for the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup!

It seems like yesterday that a few of us were gearing up to fly down to London to follow Pakistan at the World Cup. The 4 years since have flown by.

There have been two T20 World Cups between the last edition in 2019 and this ODI World Cup.

But this time that comes every 4 years is when the cricket frenzy reaches its peak.

Pakistan's cricketers landed in Hyderabad last night and received a very heartwarming welcome with fans out in big numbers cheering them from the airport all the way to the hotel.

Pakistan's campaign starts tomorrow with a warm up match against New Zealand, followed by another warm up game against Australia next week.

A week from now is when the actual World Cup starts with a repeat of the World Cup 2019 Final.

Whatever has happened over the past 4 years is now irrelevant. All teams have done their preparations and they all now start off with a clean slate.

It doesn't matter who is ranked #1, who was ranked #1, who won what when, nothing really matters.

All that matters is the performance on the day and Pakistan is ready for the challenge.

I reckon this is Pakistan's strongest World Cup team since 1999.

This century has not been too good for Pakistan in ODI World Cups with only one semi final appearance out of 5 World Cups. In 2019 they missed out narrowly due to Net Run Rate.

I know I said that all the past is irrelevant and nothing really matters now, but one thing that I and many other Pakistan fans continue to relate to is 1992 - the only time Pakistan won an ODI World Cup.

It has been over 30 years now, but those memories are still fresh in my mind.

Every World Cup campaign a number of similarities are floated around by Pakistan fans comparing the now to what happened in 1992.

Already there are a few regarding the 2023 World Cup!

So since no one has really dared to initiate this list, here goes ...

1. Babar Azam is the first unmarried captain to lead Pakistan at a World Cup, since Imran Khan in 1992.

2. 1992 was Imran Khan's third World Cup as captain, following 1983 and 1987. This is also Babar Azam's third World Cup as captain, following T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022.

3. In 1992, Pakistan's premier right arm fast bowler - Waqar Younis - got injured and had to miss the entire tournament. In 2023, Pakistan's premier right arm fast bowler - Naseem Shah - is injured and has to miss the entire tournament.

4. Pakistan entered the 1992 World Cup as the #2 ranked ODI team. Pakistan are entering the 2023 World Cup as the #2 ranked ODI team.

5. In 1992, the host nation - Australia, was the #1 ranked ODI team and tournament favorites. In 2023, the host nation - India, is the #1 ranked ODI team and tournament favorites.

What else?

Feel free to add to the list ...

Because, 1992 me bhi ...

PAKISTAAAAAAAAAAN ZINDABAAAAAAD !!!

Ireland took the field on Saturday 12th May for the first time ever for a test match. It was a historic day that marked the entry of the world's 11th test playing nation.

If it was not for rain, the historic day would have been a day earlier on 11th May, when Ireland's first ever test match, against Pakistan, was actually supposed to start.

Rain and cricket have a long standing relationship. It has been a savior for some teams, while it has played spoilsport for many others. It has left spectators wanting more, it has denied teams glory, and it has spoiled the day for TV channels, producers, and advertisers.

But I doubt that rain has ever changed the course of history books the way it did for Ireland. It moved their first steps into Test cricket forward by an entire day!

There is an interesting article on Betway about cricket and climate change, where the author discusses how climate change has impacted cricket in England over the years. Here is an infographic summarizing the contents of the article.











































Here are two incidents where rain changed the course of cricketing history.

1. Pakistan vs England, World Cup 1992
With 9 points in the group stages, Pakistan edged out Australia and the West Indies (both with 8 points, to qualify for the semifinals of the World Cup in 1992. Pakistan's 1 point more than the Aussies and the Windies was on the back of a rain interrupted match against England.

Batting first, Pakistan were blown away for 74 runs. With the form that England had displayed during the tournament, they would have chased that total down without any fuss; however due to rain only 8 overs were possible in England's innings and both teams shared a point.

It was only because of that 1 point that Pakistan qualified for the semifinals and eventually went on to win the World Cup. Had it not been for rain, 1992 may have seen a different World Cup winner.

2. South Africa vs England, Semi Final, World Cup 1992
In the second semifinal of World Cup 1992, South Africa required 22 runs off 13 deliveries when rain came pouring down the SCG. Brian McMillan and Dave Richardson were at the crease and seemed to have the target within sights before the rain interruption resulted in a farcical end.

Strangely, once the rain ended, their target off 22 runs remained the same; however instead of getting the 13 deliveries that they were supposed to, they were told that the rule required them to face only 1 more delivery.

And thus ended the most farcical match ever in the history of World Cup cricket. Rain denied a true fairy tale ending for South Africa, who were taking part in their first ever World Cup after returning to international cricket after over two decades.

Pakistan's victory in the Champions Trophy has brought so much joy to Pakistanis in all corners of the world that even two days later we can't stop talking about it. It is such a historic moment that everyone is talking of Ramzan miracles, making analogies to past World Cup wins and Pakistan-India encounters, and simply expressing their elation.

The final was so good that it almost felt like a dream. As Ahmer Naqvi described it, we were truly transported back to the 90s when such victories over India used to be the norm.


Rehan Ul Haq went a step further and said that this was redemption for Bangalore. It truly was!

And the best of them all, Osman Samiuddin, tried to make sense of every thing that happened. And even he admits that not much sense can be made out of what Pakistan did.


There are so many articles on the internet that it is impossible to mention all of them, but one writer that deserves a mention and an award for describing the way Pakistanis feel during their team's matches and their team's fluctuating fortunes in a tournament is Jarrod Kimber. I don't know any non-Pakistani who can describe our feelings that way Jrod does. What am I saying, he describes them better than we do ourselves!

If you have not read the master pieces by Jrod during the Champions Trophy, you can find them all here.

While all these analogies to past Pakistan vs India encounters and "Haal" are apt, the best message I received talking about similarities between the ICC Finals Pakistan has played over the years was:

1992: in Ramzan
1999: in England
2007: in Ramzan
2009: in England
2017: in Ramzan in England

Deadly!

For me, this victory over India wiped away all the heartbreaks, particularly Bangalore, Johannesburg, and Mohali.

It truly is redemption for all of Pakistan's fans.

1992, 2009, and 2017 will forever be engraved in our memories and for those like me who have watched each of those finals ball-by-ball, what a time to be alive!

The world is coming down
The flags are up
Whose gonna be number one
Whose gonna take out the cup
Who will it be?
Who will be the King?
It is a once in a lifetime chaaaaance
Who'll rule the world
Gotta see who'll rule the world


25th March 1992.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of that magical World Cup win for Pakistan. After all these years, I have that day (and the days leading up to it) engraved in memory.

No one expected Pakistan to be in the Final in 1992, let alone win it. It was a typical Pakistani comeback and win, a win against all the odds, a win when no one expected it, a win that placed Pakistan at the top of the world.

Around the middle of the World Cup 1992, I remember Newspaper headlines saying "Pakistan going home early", "Pakistan's World Cup chances over", "Imran Khan's dream ends". Everyone thought Pakistan's World Cup campaign was over.

Except Imran Khan. He kept saying that this World Cup was Pakistan's.

It is quite possible that because of that improbable World Cup win (and Miandad's 6 in 1986) that some Pakistan cricket fans today still believe that the impossible is achievable in every game Pakistan plays.

The passion still burns with abundance fire!

I remember the day before the final in 1992. After coming back from school, I begged my parents to let me skip school the next day, a Wednesday (25.03.1992) so that I could watch the final.

I don't think I have ever asked my parents to let me skip school with an honest reason. It was always "pait ka dard"!

But this was cricket. It was the World Cup. It was the Final. And it was Pakistan!

My parents firmly said no.

The match was supposed to start in the morning around the time I would leave for school.

I begged and cried to no avail.

I went to bed that night sulking thinking I'll miss Pakistan's most important cricket match ever.

As on every other school day, my mother woke me up on the morning of 25th March 1992.

As I glanced towards the wall clock, it was past the time that school would start.

I don't think I have ever woken up happier.

I don't know which one of my parents decided that I could skip school that day, but I did. As did my brother.

My father skipped work. As did many of his friends, a lot of whom were over at our place in Abu Dhabi, ready for Pakistan's biggest game ever.

We were all glued to Channel 33, the lifeline of Television in the UAE in those days; it provided all of our entertainment from cartoons, to soap operas, comedy shows, Bollywood movies, Wimbledon finals, and now the final of the World Cup 1992.

All the way from Imran Khan sporting a white t-shirt with a tiger on it to what he said at the toss ...


... the quick loss of Rameez Raja and Aamer Sohail, Imran Khan and Javed Miandad's partnership, Imran's six, Miandad's reverse sweep, Inzamam Ul Haq and Wasim Akram's aggressive finish ...


... Botham's dismissal and Aamer Sohail's finger pointing, Mushtaq Ahmed's spell, Aaquib Javed's catch, Wasim Akram's two magical deliveries ...



... Moin Khan's catch and run-out, Rameez Raja's catch, Aamer Sohail and Zahid Fazal's sajdas, Imran Khan's raised arms ...


... Imran and Miandad's hug, Wasim Akram's man of the match award ...


... Imran Khan lifting the World Cup and his speech ...


... everything, absolutely everything is engraved in memory even today.

I even remember the scorecard of the match!

What a day it was.

When it all ended, the evening was spent rejoicing. Even more so because Thursday and Friday was the weekend so school was far far away :-)


There was no internet back then so we had to wait the next day for the newspaper to land at our doorstep to read all the coverage.

I still have the front page of Khaleej Times from the morning after, 26th March 1992.


Pakistan was indeed on top of the world.

It has been 25 years, but the memories are still fresh.

25th March 1992.

It was an unforgettable day! Pakistan's most memorable day of cricket!

There was a time when host nations just could not win the ICC World Cup. That trend was disrupted by India who held aloft the World Cup trophy in Mumbai in 2011, and now Australia have joined them after doing the same at the MCG in 2015. And while doing so, Australia also achieved numerous other remarkable distinctions

It is an unprecedented 5th ICC World Cup win for Australia. They have now won the World Cup in every continent that has hosted one, and probably every continent that will ever host an ICC World Cup.

They have appeared in an ICC World Cup Final in every decade since the inception of the World Cup in the 70s and have won at least 1 World Cup in every decade besides the 70s.

11 World Cups. 7 Finals. 5 Titles. Talk about dominating a sport. There is absolutely no cricketing nation like Australia.

Interestingly however, Australia is the only ICC World Cup Champion that did not win the World Cup in their first ever appearance in a Final. All the other champions - West Indies, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka - won the World Cup when they appeared in the Final for the first time.

There was an achievement for Darren Lehmann too, who became the first person to win an ICC World Cup as a player (1999) and as a coach (2015). Given the number of World Cups Australia wins, there might be some more players who will join Lehmann in achieving this feat in the future.

The build up to this World Cup for Pakistan fans was all about repeating the feat of 1992, the last time the World Cup was held in Australia & New Zealand when Imran Khan led Pakistan to an unlikely first ever win.

The hashtag #LetsRedo92 trended all over social media networks and fans went crazy citing similarities between 1992 and 2015.

What they probably forgot was that other teams may also be looking to do the same! i.e. #Redo92 !

Now that the ICC World Cup 2015 is over, one can easily look back and see why in fact it was like 1992 all over again.

1. In 1992, 89,000+ spectators at the MCG for the final broke the world record for attendance on a single day of cricket in Australia. In 2015, 93,000+ spectators at the MCG for the final broke the world record for attendance on a single day of cricket in Australia.

2. In 1992, Pakistan's captain Imran Khan top scored for his team with 72 and led Pakistan to victory in the World Cup Final in his last ever ODI appearance. In 2015, Australia's captain Michael Clarke top scored for his team with 74 and led Australia to victory in the World Cup Final in his last ever ODI appearance.

3. In 1992, Wasim Akram, a left arm paceman, picked up 3 wickets in the Final and was declared Man of the Match. In 2015, James Faulkner, a left arm paceman, picked up 3 wickets in the Final and was declared Man of the Match.

4. In 1992, Javed Miandad was Pakistan's top scorer in the World Cup with 437 runs at an average of 62.42 and he scored a 50 in the Final. In 2015, Steve Smith was Australia's top scorer in the World Cup with 402 runs at an average of 67.00 and he scored a 50 in the Final.

5. In 1992, New Zealand's Martin Crowe was the leading run scorer in the World Cup. In 2015, New Zealand's Martin Guptill was the leading run scorer in the World Cup.

6. In 1992, Wasim Akram, a left arm fast bowler and part of the World Cup winning team, was the leading wicket taker of the World Cup. In 2015, Mitchell Starc, a left arm fast bowler and part of the World Cup winning team, was the leading wicket taker of the World Cup.

7. In 1992, New Zealand dominated the World Cup beating every opposition except the eventual World Cup Champions, Pakistan. In 2015, New Zealand dominated the World Cup beating every opposition except the eventual World Cup Champions, Australia.

8. In 1992, Wasim Akram, Pakistan's left armer, came back for another spell in the middle of the innings and took two wickets in one over to take Pakistan ahead in the Final. In 2015, James Faulkner, Australia's left armer, came back for another spell in the middle of the innings and took two wickets in one over to take Australia ahead in the Final.

9. In 1992, Pakistan's Captain and Vice Captain were involved in a century partnership for the 3rd wicket. In 2015, Australia's Captain and Vice Captain were involved in a century partnership for the 3rd wicket.

10. In 1992, the 3rd highest run scorer of the World Cup was Peter Kirsten of South Africa. In 2015, the 3rd highest run scorer of the World Cup was AB De Villiers of South Africa.

11. In 1992, South Africa lost in the Semi Final to England who lost the Final. In 2015, South Africa lost in the Semi Final to New Zealand who lost in the Final.

12. In 1992, Pakistan reached their first ever World Cup Final after completing an improbable chase in the Semi Final at Eden Park. In 2015, New Zealand reached their first ever World Cup Final after completing an improbable chase in the Semi Final at Eden Park.

I'm sure we can find many more similarities if we keep looking, but it wasn't like 1992 the way we wanted it for Pakistan. It sure was for Australia, who are absolutely the best cricket nation this world has seen.

I don't think any other team has dominated a sport the way Australia has dominated cricket. Brazil comes to mind. They have also played in 7 FIFA World Cup titles, won 5 of them, and won them across 4 continents. However, that has come over 20 tournaments, as compared to 11 for Australia. If anything, Australia has been twice as dominant in cricket than Brazil has in Football. Australia's run also includes three consecutive World Cup wins, something Brazil has not managed.

Talk about dominating a sport. Salute to Australia!

Every Pakistani fan out there is desperate to grasp on to some sign with a similarity to 1992 and dream about Pakistan lifting the ICC World Cup once again.

In reality the similarity between the World Cup in 1992 and the one about to start in 2015 ends with the fact that both tournaments had the same host nations, Australia and New Zealand.

But for the overzealous and ever optimistic Pakistani fans, the similarities only begin with that fact.

There is so much desperate hope among the fans that even the sad news of Junaid Khan missing out due to injury was met with optimism with fans referring to 1992 when Waqar Younis was ruled out on the eve of the World Cup due to injury.

1992: Strike bowler injured and ruled out, yet Pakistan won. 2015: Strike bowler injured and ruled out, so Pakistan must win.

The references to the 1992 World Cup don't end there.

1. A 40 year old Niazi from Mianwali captained Pakistan in his last World cup in 1992. A 40 year old Niazi from Mianwali is captaining Pakistan in his last World Cup in 2015.

(Anyone thought about the fact that one of them is the greatest cricketer ever produced by the country?)

2. Nawaz Sharif was the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1992. Nawaz Sharif is the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2015.

(Does it matter that he was useless then and he is useless now?)

3. Pakistan wore bright green jerseys in 1992. Pakistan are wearing bright green jerseys in 2015.

(You know, they wore bright green jerseys in 1999 too; remember what happened then?)

4. Pakistan's squad had two leg spinners in 1992. Pakistan's squad has two leg spinners in 2015.

(And I am also a leg spinner; so?)

5. Moin Khan was there in 1992. Moin Khan is there in 2015.

(There's some difference between what one can do on the field and off it, isn't there?)

6. Javed Miandad was not part of the initial plans for 1992. Younis Khan was not part of the initial plans for 2015.

(And what about the fact that one is arguably the best batsman produced by the country while the other is a mediocre ODI player at best?) 

7. Pakistan had a left handed batsman named Sohail who bowled handy left arm spin in 1992. Pakistan have a left handed batsman named Sohail who bowls handy left arm spin in 2015.

(Hey wait a second... we have a fast bowler named Sohail as well this time!)

8. Pakistan's pace attack was led by a left arm fast bowler in 1992. Pakistan's pace attack is led by a left arm fast bowler in 2015.

(Do you not know that we have a left arm fast bowler named Wahab Riaz as well?)

9. Pakistan had a relatively new hard hitting batsman from Multan in 1992. Pakistan have a relatively new hard hitting batsman from Multan in 2015.

(I guess it counts for little that Imran Khan had full faith in Inzamam's abilities and that Misbah doesn't even think that Sohaib warrants a place in the starting XI.)

10. Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital was under construction in Lahore in 1992. Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital is under construction in Peshawar in 2015.

(It probably doesn't matter that the man behind building the hospital was also the man behind Pakistan winning the World Cup in 1992.)

Can someone please wake the Pakistan fans up from their 23-year old slumber and knock some sense into them and bring them back to reality that is 2015. We are not in 1992 people, we do not have the Javed Miandads, Inzamams, or Wasim Akrams in the team, and we are not being led by the greatest captain the country has had in its entire cricket history.

We are in 2015, where Pakistan is a below average ODI team, which has not won an ODI series all season. We are in 2015, where Pakistan is the number 7 ranked ODI team in the world; their lowest ranking ever in the history of the game.

I'm not saying that Pakistan cannot win the World Cup.

The format is such that they can. A quarter final entry is all but guaranteed for the top 8 ranked teams and from thereon it is anybody's game.

So Pakistan is definitely in with a chance. But it is definitely not because there are so many similarities with 1992.

If Pakistan do go all the way and win the title once again, it will be due to a number of other reasons.

1. It will be because it will be the ultimate achievement for a captain that took Pakistan out of the scary depths it had emerged into in 2010.

2. It will be because Misbah will play more than one match saving innings and guide Pakistan home from dire situations.

3. It will be because Shahid Afridi is having one of his most consistent streaks with the bat; he has scored 272 runs in his last 6 ODI innings at an average of 45.33! That is almost double his career average.

4. It will be because it will be the cherry on top of the cake that is Shahid Afridi's glorious career. It will be because Shahid Afridi will single handedly win at least a couple of games for Pakistan.
5. It will be because of all the effort Mohammad Hafeez has put into building this team along with Misbah and Afridi over the past 5 years. It will be because Hafeez has been Pakistan's most consistent opener since Saeed Anwar. It will be because Mohammad Hafeez will happily bash the minnows and take that form with him into the knockouts.
6. It will be because Ahmed Shehzad will continue on from where he left off in 2014, which was by far his best year in international cricket. It will be because Ahmed Shehzad will deliver what he was expected to deliver in 2011.

7. It will be because it will mean redemption for Younis Khan who was so desperate to play this World Cup. It will be because Younis Khan will live up to his word of emulating Javed Miandad. It will be because Younis Khan will play at least one crucial match winning knock for Pakistan.

8. It will be because Umar Akmal will finally shut the critics up once and for all and show the world that he can transform his talent into match winning knocks for Pakistan.

9. It will be because Haris Sohail will put in a few brilliant allround performances and make sure that Pakistan doesn't miss Hafeez the bowler.

10. It will be because Sohaib Maqsood will perfectly script a chase or two for Pakistan.

11. It will be because Sarfraz Ahmed will play some audacious strokes and take a few games away for Pakistan.
12. It will be because batsmen from other teams will have no answer to Mohammad Irfan.

13. It will be because Yasir Shah will spin a web around batsmen.

14. It will be because Sohail Khan, Ehsan Adil, and Wahab Riaz will find the perfect rhythm in favorable conditions.

15. It will be because Pakistan will play like a united team on a mission to provide the perfect send off to its senior players.

So yes, we can win it again. We can be champions again. But its not because of the "similarities" with 1992.

Its because we have the players who can rise to the occasion and bring out their best to once again bring glory for Pakistan!

Admittedly it's a combination of statistics and opinion that leads me to this conclusion – Inzamam-ul-Haq is the greatest batsman Pakistan has seen. I won't pretend there's no debate on this one but I'll stay the course and show why this is a more than a sound position, even if it's not the only option!



























Via junaidrao on Flickr

Firstly, the numbers. Inzamam is in an excruciatingly close second in total Test match runs scored to legendary Javed Miandad, with 8830 to the latter’s 8832. Realistically, with three runs in it, that was a single innings' work, or even a single ball's work. You'd have to think, if he wanted, it was a record he could have yanked some strings to get past. In his final innings he needed just six runs to match it, and ended up with three. The moment itself will go down in history, but he stuck to his guns and went out when he said he would. He was a player who could have carried on and made more runs for his country, but he'd made his decision and that was that.

That final choice kept the consistent air of selflessness that 'Inzy' always had about him; he was a team player, and it wasn't his personal achievements that meant so much to him. A more conceited player would have gone out again to reach the top, but he was happy in his career and the runs he had posted to date. It was a noble thing, and that's why he was consistently a fan favourite. His laidback attitude hardly makes you think he'd have batted an eyelid at not reaching the total in front of him, although there would undoubtedly have been real pressure.

Of the top ten Pakistan runscorers, he had the third best average with an exceptional 50.16. Only Younis Khan (53.37), Miandad (52.57) and Mohammad Yousuf (52.29) bested him on that score. 
Centuries? He's second with 25, only behind Younis’ 28. He has the highest amount of fifties with 46, and comes in at second on the highest score, hitting a mammoth 329, not too far behind Hanif Mohammad's 337.

In One Day Internationals of course there is only one king, and that is Inzamam. His 11,701 runs in the shorter format have him head and shoulders above Yousuf in second with 9,554. A 39.53 average over 348 innings is a great total for any batsman, although there are a couple that managed to narrowly usurp him on that score. Saeed Anwar and Yousuf's centuries were more plentiful, too, but the reliable big man always led from the front. Again, his consistent fifties (83) are the most captivating, boasting 21 more than his nearest rival in Yousuf.

All of these achievements show why he was such a colossal figure for Pakistan during his time at the crease, and give plenty of ammunition to the argument of why he'll always be heralded as one of the greats. He's not at the top of every table, but he's never too far away either. 

The numbers don't unequivocally place him as the top choice, though, so why, I hear you ask, is he? 

Well, there's a few reasons I can put together to illustrate my point here. 

World Cup 1992
As a young and fresh-faced 22-year-old, Inzamam was a wildcard choice for the team. En-route to picking up the winner's trophy that year, he put in some spellbinding performances that endeared him to cricket fans the world over. That 60 from 37 against New Zealand was a vital innings, and a rapid 42 from 35 in the final contributed to their 249 total. It was very much needed from Inzamam and his team-mate Saleem Malik, who put in great run rates to up the ante after a shaky start. He says this was his proudest moment, and it's easy to see why. Even though not many knew who he was when he first entered the tournament, he left it as a part of cricketing history. With Pakistan at a particularly low ebb at the moment, as betfair have them just seventh favourites at 10/1 for the upcoming World Cup, memories of more successful days will always linger with the fans.

A big man, with big heart
Inzamam was a stoic figure and held together many Pakistan batting orders when things were crumbling around him. Unlikely to be fazed by anything, he had an innate ability to keep his cool, steady the ship and collect the runs when the going wasn't great. You'd never rush the man - in fact he couldn't be rushed as a famously bad runner between the wickets - but often that was his best quality. Standing solid as a rock, anchoring the Pakistan batting line-up and showing you there was always somebody you could rely on. 

His size was part character, part attribute, and part frustration for fans, whether bettors or supporters. He was never an out-and-out athlete and at times he seemed like he needed an extra push to motivate him. But as with most great talents there's always something imperfect and human about what they bring to the table. There's no doubt if Inzamam had more enthusiasm between the wickets at some points in his career he'd be the top runscorer by far, but such was his demeanour that it isn't the case. Many have commented on how he could have been one of the world's greatest, including his captain, Imran Khan, who noted, "He did not realise his true potential and he could have done better than he did."

His style
He was a big man, but he was also deft. The technicality of his shots was something to admire, it wasn't forced or muscled, but often subtle. That was all due to his timing. He had a true eye for the game and this let him see the ball early and therefore position himself and give himself time to play his strokes. This was why, in particular, he was such a great player against fast bowlers. A nerve you couldn't break and a cricketing brain that gave him time to play - it was a lethal combination. Playing off his legs and with one of the greatest pulls the game has ever seen, his seemingly effortless run-building is one of the real reasons he ranks at the top.


Inzamam-ul-Haq will now be a part of creating some of Pakistan's future batsmen who could learn a lot from this all-time great. He can talk about the shots and play the ball without ever having to pick up his stride. Though the prospects aren't looking the best, hopefully the work with start to pay off in the coming years if a batsman with Inzy's skill combines that with a real work ethic. Scary.