When Inzamam-ul Haq appeared on the big stage in the early 1990s, as a burly batsman with a penchant to attack the ball savagely, few expected him to go on and become one of the subcontinent's all-time great cricketers. But he achieved virtually everything in Tests and One-Day Internationals; his outstanding record is testimony to his genius with the willow.
One of the most elegant batsmen in the history of cricket, Inzamam made batting look easy. The 'sleeping giant' of Pakistan cricket made many bowlers the world over pass sleepless nights. Extremely religious, he is essentially an Allah-fearing man, although he often found it hard to steer clear of controversy. But, then, very few Pakistani cricketers have had spotless careers.
The former Pakistan captain granted Haresh Pandya an exclusive interview at Hotel Mountview in Chandigarh during the Indian Cricket League tournament in Panchkula.
Your career did not end the way it should have, especially considering your skills with the bat and stature in international cricket. Obviously, you must have wanted to sign off on a brighter note. How does it feel when you look back at your Pakistan career?
To tell you frankly, I have mixed feelings. I am happy and satisfied at the end of my career; but not much. Yes, I would have loved to leave the stage in a better way. I wanted to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket. But I could not. So it is one of the few regrets. But, then, there are many things in life which you cannot do. Nor can you achieve everything that you wish to. And you have to feel content with whatever you have achieved at the end of it all. When I look back and think about it, I feel my career was fairly good but, certainly, not tremendous.
Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and you appeared on the international scene almost simultaneously. While Tendulkar is still there and going strong, Lara and you have stopped playing active cricket despite being fit and capable of lasting a couple of years more. Don't you think you should have continued to entertain cricket enthusiasts?
It depends on many factors. It depends on your fitness, form and performance. Yes, Sachin Tendulkar is still going great guns, which is not surprising, given his genius. Brian Lara must have his own reasons to call it a day. Of course, he could have continued, as you rightly said, if he had wanted to. As far as I am concerned, I do not think I should have continued playing. I feel I have taken the decision to retire from active cricket at the right time. I think this is the right time to make room for youngsters.
Were you prompted to quit the game after the way you were treated by the people and Pakistan cricket authorities following your team's dismal performance in the World Cup in the Caribbean earlier this year?
Not really. But, then, it is a tradition in the subcontinent to treat its sporting heroes harshly when they do not perform well or fail to live up to people's expectations. If you return home with an early loss in a major tournament, the public always reacts strongly. So the people were definitely upset and angry with us after our poor performance in the World Cup in the West Indies, and after whatever actions the Pakistan Cricket Board took against me. But it happens. The very people who love you so much can also go against you if you disappoint them or hurt their feelings.
How prepared were you and your team for the quadrennial showpiece in the West Indies ?
We were fully prepared and confident of doing well in the World Cup. Our coach, Bob Woolmer, too, had worked very hard and we were all very keen on dominating the tournament. Unfortunately, we performed far below par and disappointed all those who had pinned hopes on us. It was one of the most frustrating moments of my life when we were thrown out of the World Cup.
You were often described as a laidback captain, one who would not go all out to try and enforce a win. Was it true?
No, it was not true. Critics tend to praise as well as crucify you. It depends. But you have to take into consideration many factors when judging a cricket captain of a demanding nation like India and Pakistan, and also the circumstances in which he leads the side. I was, of course, privileged to lead my country and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I tried my best as a captain with the players and the resources I had. I could not possibly have done better. I may not have achieved much as a captain, but I think I did bring some laurels for Pakistan.
What made you forfeit the fourth Test against England at The Oval last year?
It was never our intention to forfeit that Test. We were just not happy with some of the bizarre decisions that the umpire Darrell Hair gave against us. We delayed our return to the pitch simply because we wanted to convey a message that we were not happy with Hair, who docked us five runs. He should have informed me before taking such a decision. But he did not. It left a bitter taste. It is a pity some umpires and match referees tend to be a bit too harsh when dealing with the players from the subcontinent in particular.
Don't you think you should have led the Pakistan team a bit longer?
Actually, I began to captain Pakistan pretty late in my career. So, obviously, I did not have a chance to lead the side for a longer period. But again it is an honour to captain your country regardless of whether your tenure is longer or shorter. Cricket being what it is in the subcontinent, it is not easy to lead your national side, for people always expect you to win matches for your country, and that in itself puts enormous pressure on you than many other factors which go along with captaincy. But I did lead Pakistan from 2003 to 2007, which was fairly long enough, wasn't it?
Imran Khan was said to have tremendous influence on your career. It was he who brought you to international cricket when you were quite unknown. What role did he play in your rise as a cricketer?
I learnt a lot from him in the initial stage of my career. But I could not play much with him. I think I played only two tournaments with him. But he was a very great player and an equally great captain as well. He was a source of inspiration for many youngsters like me in those days. Yes, he supported me so much when I had been trying to find my feet and establish myself in international cricket.
He has now become a prominent political leader in Pakistan. Do you harbour any political ambition now that you have called it a day?
No, not at all!
Which particular moments of your long and distinguished career would you like to cherish the most?
Actually, there were too many good moments to mention here. But I think winning the World Cup final against England in Australia in 1992 was the best moment of my career. In fact, the semi-final win against New Zealand was also very special for me and my team. I was also very happy to score a triple hundred in Test cricket. It was also very exciting to win many a close game for Pakistan.
How do you look at the current Pakistan team?
It is a good team, full of promising young players. They need some time to prove themselves and produce the desired results. If people are expecting this team to start winning matches regularly, it is not fair. The captain himself is very young and so are many other members of the team. It will take at least six to seven months for them before they can start truly living up to public expectations. Give them some time.
What do you think of Shoaib Akhtar, who continues to be Pakistan's trump-card when fit and in form?
He has proved his ability more often than not. He has it in him to win matches on his own or turn the complexion of a game in a jiffy. But he has to remain fit and keep performing. It would not be a bad idea if he keeps his aggression in check a bit. A fully fit Shoaib Akhtar can always make a huge difference.
