Inzamam-ul-Haq - The Sultan from Multan

A Special Tribute to Inzamam-ul-Haq by Karthik Narayan

Right from the streets of Multan, a small sleepy town in Pakistan known for its horrendously hot weather, came trudging into the cricket ground a big boy, a chubby, cheeky boy carrying the bat like a bludgeon, he strode the aisles way back in 1991-92.

Now that boy has become the BIG MAN of Cricket. And its time to compose the odes, the praises for this chocolate faced burly Sultan; for he has treaded the grounds of Cricket unlike no other! Ten Thousand Runs in ODIs! My god, that’s a tad too many, right? Who would have thought he was creeping up to the mark? While all eyes are on the bog shots like Sachin and Lara, Inzamam is a player who likes to play the Sleeping Giant.

Ten thousand runs, and imagine if he had run them in singles. Well, that would have been the diet prescription for this burly big man, but Inzamam happens to be a free scoring stroke maker. So sadly that prescription did not help at all, in reducing his belly size!

And mind you, Inzy is only the second ever batsman to cross the massive mark after Sachin Tendulkar. It has taken 322 matches for Inzamam-ul-Haq. The road to this landmark has not been easy! His test ventures may not be something you can talk of all day, but in the One Dayers, one can’t pass over a World XI without this burly and cheeky player.

Inzy was one of those street cricketers in the gallis of Multan, spotted by that great Pakistani Sportsman Imran Khan. He did a Nostradamus by predicting that this bright young lad of 17 would one day strike Gold and become one of the best batsman of all time! And the prophecy did indeed hold good!

Who would forget his great one-day knocks, especially the way he pulverizes the opposition bowlers making a total mockery as though they were mere club bowlers? With his stepping out to the spinners with his splendid footwork… he would make many a Dancer proud. His commanding personality, the towering sixes and the fours hit with such class, timing and power that one would associate with only him. He is an unique combination of aggression and style. His confidence when he walks in to bat is too good.

Every one of his knocks was a true Gem of its Own! Each one would be studded with his trademark square cutes, the fierce pulls, the dance down the track sixes, the odd risky single now and then, and of course the comical running between the wickets. He is on his day, the best batsman in the Pakistani team.

The reason he took more matches to reach this landmark is outrageously simple: mostly he caused his own downfall. Suicidal run outs, disastrous strokes; laziness and lapse of concentration were the main reasons for him getting out more rather than the bowler bowls a great ball. Self-destructive he was; had he been more careful in his approach, we certainly would have seen more blows from the willow of this cricketer. In order to change this look, of late he has gone in for the rugged look, sporting a beard. Whatever he does, he is still our Prankish Big Boy of Cricket.

Truly a player whose record is to be commended and salutations from me and all the fans of cricket for a truly fabulous effort. I wish Inzamam-ul-Haq all the very best with his captaincy and batting.