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Rediff.com  » Sports » 8000 runs not enough for Inzamam

8000 runs not enough for Inzamam

December 03, 2005 10:27 IST
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Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, who became the 14th player in cricketing history to score 8,000 Test runs on Friday, is keen to carry on playing for another two years.

"I am very happy to reach this milestone of 8,000," the 35-year-old said.

"It is a good feeling and I want to continue adding more runs to my tally for my team until the 2007 World Cup."

Two years ago Inzamam, struggling for form, decided to retire from cricket but a century against Bangladesh and the chance to captain his country persuaded him to play on.

Since then he has become his country's most prolific centurion and fell just three runs shy of extending his record to 25 on Friday as his side turned the screw on England.

Inzamam was run out for 97 on the fourth day of the final Test, the seventh time he has been dismissed within 10 runs of a century in his 105 Tests.

But his innings gave him more than 1,000 runs in a calendar year and round off a fantastic series against England with earlier scores of 53, 72, 109 and 100 not out.

Inzamam was disappointed at missing out on a third hundred of the series but said the mix-up with Rana Naved that led to his run-out was part of the game.

"We were looking for quick runs and there was a misunderstanding and it is not the first time it has happened to me," he said.

Inzamam said he is happy that his side, 1-0 up and with a huge first innings lead, would be dictating terms to England on the final day of the series.

"Before the series started lot of people didn't believe we could beat England owing to the Ashes series hype," he said. "But we were always quietly confident we could do it as we had played two good series ourselves."

Inzamam admitted that bowling out England a second time on the Lahore pitch would not be easy as there is nothing in it for the spinners.

"We got a total of 636 on it so you can imagine how good it is for batting," he said.

Coach Bob Woolmer said Pakistan would have to find some very good deliveries to take the remaining eight English wickets.

"We have still not given up hope of a win although the pitch is very good for batting," he said. "We will keep working hard on it on the final day even though we are leading in the series."

Inzamam also said all rounder Abdul Razzaq would fit for the five-match one-day series against England after recovering from an elbow injury which cost him his place in the Test side.

 

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Source: REUTERS
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