Monday 13 October 2014

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar Biography

Source (google.com.pk)
Shoaib Akhtar is a former Pakistani right arm fast bowler in cricket, who is regarded as the fastest bowler in the history of cricket. He set an official world record by achieving the fastest delivery, when he clocked in at 161.3 km/h (100.2 mph) in his bowling speed, twice at a cricket match against England. His ability to bowl fast yorkers and quick bouncers have made him one of the best fast bowlers in cricket.

However, he has been involved in several controversies during his career, often accused of not being a team player. Akhtar was sent home during the Test match series in Australia in 2005 for alleged poor attitude. A year later, he was embroiled in a drug scandal after testing positive to a banned substance. However, the ban imposed on him was lifted on court appeal. In September 2007, Akhtar was banned for an indefinite period for his fight with Pakistan team mate and fast bowler Mohammad Asif. On 1 April 2008, Akhtar was banned for five years for publicly criticizing the Pakistan Cricket Board. In October 2008, the Lahore High Court in Pakistan suspended the five year ban and Akhtar was selected in the 15-man squad for the Twenty20 Quadrangular Tournament in Canada. Pakistani judge, Rana Bhagwandas stated once that, Akhtar is a legend of Pakistan cricket. He retired from international cricket after the 2011 World Cup.

Early years
Akhtar was born at Morgah, a small town near Rawalpindi, Punjab in Pakistan. His father was a plant operator in Attock Oil Refinery, Morgah. Akhtar started his studies at Elliott High School, Morgah and then took admission in the Asghar Mall College, Rawalpindi.

Career

International career
Akhtar's run of impressive performances started in the 1990s. In 1999, during a pre-World Cup series against India, he rose to prominence. It was followed by outstanding bowling performances in Sharjah and later in 1999 Cricket World Cup. His most significant performance was in India in 1999 when he captured eight wickets in the Asian Test championship match at Calcutta – including the wickets of Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid off successive deliveries. This was Akhtar's first encounter with Sachin Tendulkar, in which Akthar bowled him off the first delivery he delivered to the batsman.

In 2002, he was selected for the Pakistan team against Australia and achieved success. However he performed poorly during the 2003 Cricket World Cup and after the tournament he was dropped from the Pakistan squad. He was selected back into the Pakistan squad in the 2004 Test match series against New Zealand, but struggled in a losing Test series against India in 2004. The series ended with a controversy when he left the field citing an injury leading to suspicions by former Pakistan captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, about his commitment to the team. As a result, his relationship with Inzamam-ul-Haq and former Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer deteriorated. A medical panel was set up by the Pakistan Cricket Board to investigate the nature of his injury, however Pakistan officials dispelled all suspicions.

In 2005, Akhtar regained his reputation as a fast bowler for his side. Playing in a three Test home series against England, he made a series of impressive bowling performances. His effective use of slower deliveries proved to be unplayable by the English batsmen. Akhtar emerged as the highest wicket taker of the series with seventeen wickets. His comeback was also remarkable as prior to his return, he had been criticized from all corners-such as by the Worcestershire chairman John Elliot for his celebrity attitude and lack of commitment to team. His performance was also acknowledged by the English captain Michael Vaughan, who remarked "I thought he (Shoaib) was a big difference between the two teams". He is also known as the only bowler ever to break the 100 mph barrier in cricket bowling history, with a delivery of 100.2 mph, and this delivery at stands as the fastest recorded to date.

Struggle for form and consistent injuries (2007–2009)
On 29 October 2007, Akhtar made his return to cricket, from his 13 match ban and performed well, taking 4 wickets for 43 runs against South Africa in the fifth and deciding One Day International series in Lahore in Pakistan. Subsequently, he was included in the 16 man Pakistan squad for the 2007 tour of India, which he completed successfully without further incident and injury.

Rehabilitation and final years (2010–2011)
Akhtar made a return to international cricket albeit in the shorter format of the game. In May 2010, PCB named him in a list of 35 probables for the Asia Cup. On 15 June 2010, Akhtar made his return, taking 3 wickets for 28 runs in the first match of the Asia Cup against Sri Lanka. He narrowly missed out a spot in the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 in place of the injured Umar Gul.

In July 2010, he was selected for the Twenty20 series against Australia but the selectors decided not to play him in the Test squad so that he would not get injured. He was subsequently selected for the ODI and Twenty20 series against England in September 2010.

Akhtar returned to the national side representing the country against England in the Twenty20 International. He bowled an impressive spell and returned with figures of 2 wickets for 23 runs. He continued to bowl well in the ODI series in the absence of regular fast-bowlers, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, who were suspended by the International Cricket Council amid allegations of Spot-fixing. Despite his relatively good bowling form, Pakistani coach Waqar Younis insisted that the bowling attack must not become reliant on Akhtar, as he is 35 years of age and fitness troubles continue to affect him. Akhtar was selected for the tour of New Zealand and started his campaign off well with 3 wickets on Boxing Day in the first of two Twenty20 Internationals against New Zealand.

Akhtar was selected in Pakistan's 15-man squad to play in the 2011 World Cup hosted by Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka in February to March. During the tournament, he announced that he would retire from international cricket at the end of the World Cup.

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

 

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar

Ahmed Shahzad

Ahmed Shahzad Biography

Source (google.com.pk)
Ahmed Shehzad is a Pakistani cricketer. He plays domestic cricket for Habib Bank Limited. He made his One Day International debut for Pakistan on 24 April 2009 against Australia.

Domestic Career
In limited-overs domestic cricket Ahmed Shehzad plays for Lahore Lions and in June 2011 during the Faysal Bank T-20 Super Eights Shehzad top scored the innings by scoring 74 of 47 balls imposing a mammoth total of 218 against the opposition Sialkot Stallions who in turn were bowled out for 173 Shehzad took two-catches and a wicket as well he was rewarded man-of the match for his superb performances.

International career
Shehzad made his debut for Pakistan in a one-day international against Australia on 29 April 2009. In his maiden match he scored one boundary before he was run-out. The following match he scored 40 in an innings that included 4 fours. The third match he scored 43 but this time just scored 2 fours and in the final match of the series he scored 19 with 1 boundary to his name before he was given out leg-before.

These consistent performances meant that Shehzad made his Twenty20 debut against Australia scoring a single boundary before being caught in the deep. Despite a failure in the Twenty20 Shehzad was selected for the Pakistan squad in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 he only played one-game which was the opening game against England being caught by Paul Collingwood Pakistan changed their combination removing Shehzad and his partner Salman Butt and replaced them with Shahzaib Hasan and Kamran Akmal.

The big break vs New Zealand (2010-11)
After spending most of the sidelines on the fringes of national selection Shehzad played in the three-match Twenty20 series against New Zealand scoring 14 runs of just 7 balls in an innings that included 2 fours and 1 six. Shehzad showcase his ability to time the ball and to score runs at a quick pace therefore in the following match he started to feel comfortable on New Zealand wickets scoring a watchful 15 of 14 balls in an innings that included 1 four, this time he showcase his ability to remain calm in a situation where the middle order was collapsing around him. After batting at number 3 for these two matches Shehzad replaced Shahid Afridi as opener and scored his maiden Twenty20 half-century scoring 54 of just 34 balls in an innings that included 10 fours. After performing well in the three Twenty20's the Pakistan selectors selected Shehzad for the six-match ODI seri es against New Zealand with a potential place as a World Cup opener also available. After scoring 115 an ODI against New Zealand during the series, Shehzad was given a place in the Pakistan world cup squad.

Ahmed Shahzad

Ahmed Shahzad

Ahmed Shahzad

Ahmed Shahzad

Ahmed Shahzad

Ahmed Shahzad

Ahmed Shahzad

Ahmed Shahzad

Ahmed Shahzad

Ahmed Shahzad

Ahmed Shahzad

Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik Biography

Source (google.com.pk)
Malik was ranked second, behind teammate Shahid Afridi, in the ICC ODI all-rounder rankings in June 2008.
International career
He started his career as just an off spinner, and is now regarded as a useful bowling all-rounder with a batting average in the mid 30s in both Test and ODI cricket.
Malik is regarded as a flexible player. He is capable of hitting big shots but is also capable of rotating the strike with good placement. He has a strike rate of 77.23 runs per 100 balls, which compares favorably to players such as Rahul Dravid and Inzamam ul-Haq. His most brazen display of "power hitting" came in 2003 against South Africa when he scored 82 from 41 balls.
As is required of most modern players he also has displayed good defensive batting at times. He has taken over 100 ODI wickets at an average under 35 and economy rate below 4.5. His bowling action has come under scrutiny (particularly his doosra) but he has had elbow surgery to correct this.
In Tests, he has a better batting average against Sri Lanka and South Africa than other nations. In ODIs he has a better batting average against India, South Africa, and the West Indies than his overall career average.
During his Test career, Malik has batted at 5 different positions and he has the unusual record of batting at every position except 11th in ODIs. Pakistan's problems in finding a reliable opening pair have led to Malik being used as an opener in Test and ODI matches.
CaptaincyFollowing Inzamam-ul-Haq's resignation as Pakistan captain after the 2007 World Cup, Shoaib Malik was put forward as one of the names for the captaincy along with Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf.
After Younus Khan's rejection, Malik was the popular choice as a younger captain and was seen to represent a fresh start after the Inzamam era.
Former skipper Imran Khan, who led the team to World Cup glory, backed Malik for the role, stating, "He appears to have a good cricket brain and could turn out to be a very good choice for Pakistan cricket."
Malik was appointed Captain on 19 April 2007 by the Pakistan Cricket Board, his experience considering his relatively young age and consistent performances are cited as other reasons for his appointment. His vice-captain was initially Mohammad Asif, followed by Salman Butt, although Younus Khan was recently appointed his deputy when Butt was dropped from the team.
In Malik's first series as captain, Pakistan beat Sri Lanka 2-1 in an ODI series in Abu Dhabi. His next assignments were home Test and ODI series against South Africa which Pakistan lost 1-0 and 3-2 respectively. 3-2 was the score in favour of India when Pakistan subsequently played an ODI series against their arch-rivals. Malik hit 89 and took three wickets in the final match, which Pakistan won by 31 runs.
Younis Khan took over as captain on 27 January 2009.
In 2010, Malik was given a one-year ban from the national team by the PCB, who charged him with causing infighting within the team.
Notable performances
In Test cricket he made a big impression with his match-saving innings against Sri Lanka, in which he batted for the whole day and finished with 148 runs not out. His bowling has been effective at times, especially in one-day cricket where his best bowling figures are four wickets for 19 runs (4/19) in addition to many 3-wicket hauls.
ControversyMalik came under criticism in India for his statement after losing the final of the 2007 ICC World Twenty20.After the match he stated, "I want to thank you back home [in] Pakistan and where the Muslim lives all over the world."
The mother of India's man of the match, Irfan Pathan, a Muslim, said: "Shoaib must have said that for his own countrymen, how can he speak for all the Muslims of the world? The way Irfan and [half-brother] Yusuf played for India, that's all that matters to us.
They have made us proud of the way India won the Cup." He was also criticised by some Pakistani fans for his comments, while others stated that the Indian media was creating a controversy by misinterpreting his statement
Personal life
Malik married Ayesha Siddiqui of Hyderabad India through a telephone Nikah on June 3, 2002. But, in a statement in Karachi on January 21, 2008, Malik claimed that no Nikah had taken place.
Malik said his marriage plans with Siddiqui ended because both families could not reach an understanding on certain issues. "Yes, I had a long relationship with her and we planned to get married". Malik was forced by Siddiqui's family to give divorce after he claimed that there was no formal Nikah between the two in 2008.
Siddiqui's father, M A Siddiqui, had then said that the family would move court if his daughter did not get a divorce. In April 2010, Siddiqui's family released Shoaib-Ayesha 'marriage' certificate (Nikahnama). On April 2, 2010, Malik said he plans to sue Siddiqui's family for indulging in "character assasination".
On April 5, 2010, Malik admitted taking part in a telephone Nikah (marrriage) ceremony and signing the marriage certificate, but said that they are invalid because he never knowingly met her and she sent him photographs of another, more attractive, woman claiming they were her own. On April 7, 2010 Malik confirmed his marriage with Siddiqui and signed the Talaq (divorce) papers.
In 2008, there were media reports that Malik was dating former Miss India and Bollywood actress Sayali Bhagat However, Bhagat later strongly rebuked these media reports as "gossip" and "speculation".
On 29 March, 2010, Pakistani media reported that Sania Mirza, an Indian tennis player, will wed Malik in April, 2010. This news was confirmed to the media by Imran Mirza, the tennis player's father. Later, Malik also confirmed on his Twitter page that they will get married in April 2010.
On 12 April, 2010, Malik married Mirza in a Muslim ceremony at a hotel in Hyderabad, India for a mahr of Rs. 6.1 million (US$137,500).

Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik


Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik

Misbah ul Haq

Misbah ul Haq Biography

Source (google.com.pk)

Misbah-ul-Haq Khan Niazi is a Pakistani cricketer and the captain of the Pakistan national cricket team for Tests and ODIs.

Early career
Misbah was initially noticed for his technique and his temperament in the Tri-nation tournament in Nairobi, Kenya in 2002, as he scored two fifties in the three innings in which he played, however, over the next three Tests he played against Australia, he failed to score more than twenty runs and was soon dumped from the team. Having witnessed Pakistan being eliminated in the opening phase of the 2003 Cricket World Cup, Misbah was part of the changes made to the team in the aftermath of these results, but failed to make much of an impact and was soon dropped again.

Comeback
At the age of 33, Misbah was chosen to play in the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in 2007, filling the middle order spot vacated by Inzamam-ul-Haq. He had been regularly making runs in Pakistani domestic cricket and in the years before his recall he was consistently one of the top run scorers at each season's end, with his first-class average briefly climbing above 50.

Misbah was one of the stars of the tournament, playing a large part in many thrilling run chases. The first was in the group stage against India where he scored a half century in a tied match. He was run out attempting the winning run off the last ball of the match. In their Super 8s encounter with Australia he was named Man of the Match with an unbeaten 66 off 42 deliveries to see his side home with 5 balls to spare. Another unbeaten innings in the semi final against New Zealand saw Pakistan book a spot in the final against India.

He played an instrumental role in Pakistan's recovery in the inaugural 2007 ICC World Twenty20 final against arch-rivals India, with three sixes. He hit the first legitimate ball of the last over for six. With 6 runs needed to win off 4 remaining balls, Misbah tried to scoop the ball over short fine leg, but was caught out by Sreesanth. He repeated for the 3rd time against India in the semi final of the 2011 World Cup where India won by 29 runs.

Misbah scored his maiden Test hundred against India at Kolkata in the 2nd Test of the 2007 series. After India managed 616 in their first innings, Pakistan were at 5 for 150 in reply and in danger of following on when Misbah and Kamran Akmal put together a match saving 207 run stand. Misbah finished on 161 not out. In the 3rd & final Test of the series, Misbah made another fluent century this time finishing on 133 not out.

2008 began with some high points for Misbah as he was elevated to the post of Vice - Captain of the Pakistan team and was awarded a Grade A Contract. Since returning to International Cricket for Pakistan, Misbah has gone through a sustained patch of prolific run scoring. In his last 5 Test Match innings for Pakistan, he has notched up 458 runs at a very high batting average of 152.67 against India. In his last 5 ODIs as well, Misbah has made 190 Runs at an average of 63.33 & in Domestic Cricket for Punjab, he has amassed an astounding 586 runs at an average of 195.33 with 2 centuries and his highest first-class score of 208*.

Dropping out and the captaincy (2010-2011)
Misbah was dropped from the team after the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 and missed the team's controversial tour of England in August 2010 Due to the batting-collapses that Pakistan suffered during that tour Misbah was recalled for the subsequent tour against South Africa in the UAE to lead as a captain of the team for test series. Many people expressed there surprise at the appointment of Misbah as captain. Wasim Akram stated that although the decision was surprising if Misbah bats and fields well everything else will go according to plan. Former Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson stated that he believed Misbah has the best cricketing brain within Pakistan and he will do incredibly well in the plans for the captaincy Misbah hit back at those who criticised the decision to appoint him captain and stated that he should be given a chance to prove himself In his first match as test captain he set an example for his team when he scored 71* in a 168 run partnership with Younus Khan this helped Pakistan salvage a draw from the match

Two-test series in New Zealand (2011)
After Three Twenty20's in which Misbah did not play as Pakistan lost the series 2-1. He returned to captaining the test side and during his third test as captain he claimed his first victory when Pakistan beat New Zealand by 10 wickets. New Zealand were bowled out for 275 and during Pakistan's first innings Misbah reached a half-century before being trapped in front on 62, however Asad Shafiq top-scored in the innings with 83. Pakistan took a slender lead of 92 and bowled New Zealand out for 110 needing just 19 runs for victory and Pakistan sealed a crushing win when Taufeeq Umar sealed the winning run as Pakistan won by ten wickets and took a 1-0 lead in the series. The following match Misbah stated that the team's main focus was on improving themselves and that winning the series was a side focus. In the second and final Test of th series, Misbah yet again impressed with the bat. He was trapped in front just one short of a century in the first innings, with Pakistan taking a slender first innings lead. New Zealand posted 293 in their 2nd innings leaving Pakistan needing 274 to win on the findal day. An opening barrage from New Zealand's seamers left Pakistan struggling at 42-3, with Misbah joining Younis Khan at the crease. The two put on 118 runs and Misbah remained undefeated as Pakistan held out for a draw, finishing 226-5. This secured Pakistan's first Test series win since 2007 and helped raise Misbah's average as Captain to 112.75.

Misbah ul Haq

Misbah ul Haq 

http://i3.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article158100.ece/alternates/s2197/misbah-ul-haq-590154586.jpg

Misbah ul Haq 

Misbah ul Haq

Misbah ul Haq

Misbah ul Haq

Misbah ul Haq

Misbah ul Haq

Misbah ul Haq

Misbah ul Haq

Misbah ul Haq

Inzimam ul Haq

Inzimam ul Haq Biography

Source (google.com.pk)
Inzamam-ul-Haq (born 3 March 1970) is a Pakistani cricketer. He is considered to be one of Pakistan’s best batsmen.He is currently the captain of the Pakistani team.Test Debut: Pakistan v England at Birmingham, 1st Test, 1992. His career highlights are:

Scoring 60 in 37 balls against New Zealand in the semifinal of the 1992 World Cup to win the match that was nearly lost.
Scoring 329 against New Zealand in Lahore during a Test in the 2001-02 season (the twelfth highest score by a batsman)
Scoring 138* to deny Bangladesh victory at Multan.
Becoming the second batsman to score 10,000 runs in one-day inernationals (behind Sachin Tendulkar)
Scoring 184 in his 100th Test, against India at Bangalore in 2005.

Inzamam ul-Haq is well-known for his poor running between the wickets (as of May 2005, he has been run out a record 38 times in one-day internationals) and his ability to play shots around the ground. He has been described as looking “like a passenger in the field”.
also known as Inzamam or Inzy, is a former Pakistan international cricketer who was national captain between 2003 and 2007. He is a right-handed batsman who has been regarded as one of the leading cricketers in modern times.
On October 5, 2007, Inzamam retired from International cricket following the second Test match against South Africa, falling three runs short of Javed Miandad as Pakistan's leading run scorer in Test cricket. Following his retirement, he joined the Indian Cricket League, captaining the Hyderabad Heroes in the inaugral edition of the Twenty20 competition. In the ICL's second Twenty20 competition he captained the Lahore Badshahs, a team composed 
Nickname     Inzy
Height     6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Batting style     Right-hand
Bowling style     Slow left-arm orthodox
Role     Batsman
International information
National side     Pakistan
Test debut (cap 124)     4 June 1992 v England
Last Test     8 October 2007 v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 158)     22 November 1991 v West Indies
Last ODI     21 March 2007 v Zimbabwe
ODI shirt no.     8
Domestic team information
Years     Team
2008     Lahore Badshahs (ICL)
2007     Hyderabad Heroes (ICL)
2007     Yorkshire
2006–2007     Water and Power Development Authority
2001–2002     National Bank of Pakistan
1998–1999     Rawalpindi
1996–2001     Faisalabad
1988–1997     United Bank Limited
1985–2004     Multan
Career statistics
Competition     Test     ODI     FC     LA
Matches     120     378     245     458
Runs scored     8,830     11,739     16,785     13,746
Batting average     49.60     39.52     50.10     38.07
100s/50s     25/46     10/83     45/87     12/97
Top score     329     137*     329     157*
Balls bowled     9     58     2,704     896
Wickets     0     3     39     30
Bowling average     –     21.33     33.20     24.66
5 wickets in innings     0     0     2     0
10 wickets in match     0     n/a     0     n/a
Best bowling     0/8     1/0     5/80     3/18
Catches/stumpings     81/–     113/–     172/–     128/–

Inzamam-ul-Haq (born 3 March 1970) is a Pakistani cricketer. He is considered to be one of Pakistan’s best batsmen.He is currently the captain of the Pakistani team.Test Debut: Pakistan v England at Birmingham, 1st Test, 1992. His career highlights are:

Scoring 60 in 37 balls against New Zealand in the semifinal of the 1992 World Cup to win the match that was nearly lost.
Scoring 329 against New Zealand in Lahore during a Test in the 2001-02 season (the twelfth highest score by a batsman)
Scoring 138* to deny Bangladesh victory at Multan.
Becoming the second batsman to score 10,000 runs in one-day inernationals (behind Sachin Tendulkar)
Scoring 184 in his 100th Test, against India at Bangalore in 2005.

Inzamam ul-Haq is well-known for his poor running between the wickets (as of May 2005, he has been run out a record 38 times in one-day internationals) and his ability to play shots around the ground. He has been described as looking “like a passenger in the field”.

He averages just over 50 runs per innings in tests and nearly 40 runs in one-day internationals with a strike rate of 53.65 and 74.20 respectively (figures current as of May 2004). He is called the best batsmen in the world against pace by Imran Khan. Inzamam is a giant that has a very soft touch for a man of his bulk. He usually bats at number three with his sidekick Yousuf Youhana.

He plays shots all round the wicket, is especially strong off his legs, and unleashes ferocious pulls and lofted drives.
He averages just over 50 runs per innings in tests and nearly 40 runs in one-day internationals with a strike rate of 53.65 and 74.20 respectively (figures current as of May 2004). He is called the best batsmen in the world against pace by Imran Khan. Inzamam is a giant that has a very soft touch for a man of his bulk. He usually bats at number three with his sidekick Yousuf Youhana.

He plays shots all round the wicket, is especially strong off his legs, and unleashes ferocious pulls and lofted drives.
Inzamam-ul-Haq is a symbiosis of strength and subtlety. Power is no surprise, but sublime touch is remarkable for a man of his bulk. He loathes exercise and often looks a passenger in the field, but with a willow between his palms he is suddenly galvanised. He plays shots all round the wicket, is especially strong off his legs, and unleashes ferocious pulls and lofted drives. Imran Khan rates him the best batsman in the world against pace. Early on he is vulnerable playing across his front pad or groping outside off stump. He uses his feet well to the spinners, although this aggression can be his undoing. Inzi keeps a cool head in a crisis and has succeeded Javed Miandad as Pakistan's premier batsman, but his hapless running between wickets is legendary and most dangerous for his partners. There were no such problems against New Zealand at a boiling Lahore in 2001-02, when Inzamam belted 329, the second-highest Test score by a Pakistani and the tenth-highest by anyone. However, he was then dogged by poor form, scoring just 16 runs in Pakistan's ill-fated World Cup campaign in 2003. He was dropped from the team briefly, but then roared back to form, scoring a magnificent unbeaten 138 and guiding Pakistan to a thrilling one-wicket win against Bangladesh at Multan. He was rewarded with the captaincy of the team, and despite leading them to victory in the Test series in New Zealand, question-marks about his leadership qualities surfaced when Pakistan were beaten in both the Test series and the one-dayers against India. But the selectors persevered with him and this bore results when he took a team thin on bowling resources to India and drew the Test series with a rousing performance in the final Test, Inzamam's 100th. After scoring a magnificent 184, Inzamam led the team astutely on a tense final day and took Pakistan to victory. Since that day, Inzamam has gone from strength to strength as captain and premier batsman. By scoring a hundred against West Indies in June 2005, he kept up a remarkable record of matchwinning centuries, amongt the best of modern-day batsmen. A magnificent year ended with Inzamam leading his team to triumph over Ashes-winning England; personally the series was arguably his best ever. He never failed to make a fifty, scored twin centuries at Faisalabad for the first time, going past Miandad as Pakistan's leading century-maker and joining him as only the second Pakistani with 8000 Test runs. As captain, he never looked more a leader, uniting a young, inexperienced team and turning them, once again, into a force to matter globally. The turn of the year brought contemplation; he missed the Test victory over India at Karachi with a persistent back injury. The subsequent ODI thrashing also raised concerns about Inzamam as ODI captain, none of which were entirely wiped away during ODI and Test wins in Sri Lanka. Pakistan were then beaten comprehensively in the Test series in England though all was forgotten - including Inzamam's own poor form - by events at The Oval. There, Inzamam, astonishingly for a man perceived as so insouciant, became the most controversial figure in cricket for a week, leading his side off the field in protest at charges of ball tampering made by umpires Billy Doctrove and Darrell Hair. They refused to come out at first, then delayed the start before eventually forfeiting the Test, the first time in the history of the game. In Pakistan, he became a national hero, saviour of a country's pride and honour. Though nobody is saying it just yet, the World Cup 2007 is likely to be his last act.
In the old city of Multan, near the Ghanta Ghar, a winding lane leads to Mohalla Toia Alam Shah. It was in the courtyard of a house in this Mohalla, that young Inzamam-ul-Haq learnt to hold a bat. A door at the back of the courtyard leads to a place where Inzamam played cricket with his neighbors. Inzamam had a nice childhood. He was youngest of the 5 brothers and one sister. His elder brothers took care of all his needs. Inzamam did his schoolings in the Muslim School in Multan. Across that school was a small ground where Inzamam joined a cricket coaching camp and started an interest in cricket. The same cricket ground is now a Pakistan Cricket Board Coaching centre.

And about Inzamam, "He has always been a calm and reserved person. He was different from the others. He belonged to a religious family; he never watched movies or listened into music. He eats and sleeps a lot though," says Hussain, who first captained Inzamam in the under-19s and then later for Multan

Inzi, as he is mostly known in his team and by his supporters, is Pakistan's main middle order batsmen, if he clicks then on most occasions Pakistan either wins or leads the charge, like most leading batsmen in the world, the team tries to bat around him. His appearances may be deceiving. With his slow walk and bulky appearance he may be considered as a dormant player. But Inzamam has the ability to launch brutal attacks at times. He displays a perfect blend of power and timing. Power is no amazing thing for a man of his size, but his timing of the ball is fascinating. He can play shots all around the wicket and is very strong especially on his leg side. Inzamam is the captain and a key player of the Pakistan team. Imran Khan was the one who identified the potential of this man. Once he saw Inzamam play fluently against the pace attack of Wasim and Waqar in the nets. Imran was so impressed by his batting that, he decided to make Inzamam play in all the matches of the 1992 World Cup, no matter how he performs.

Inzamam plays fast bowling extremely well. Though there is no much flaw in his techniques, he has a tendency to throw away his wicket by the silliest mistakes. A very poor runner between the wickets, he makes himself and his partner uncomfortable with his running. Inzamam also has the tendency to move his foot across when playing fast bowlers, which at times makes him judged out for leg before wicket. But against the spinners he uses his feet well.

Inzamam is very cool and composed and has succeeded Javed Miandad as a premier batsman for Pakistan. With a huge responsibility of building a strong team, he seems to perform well as a captain.

Inzamam-ul-Haq is a symbiosis of strength and subtlety. Power is no surprise, but sublime touch is remarkable for a man of his bulk. He loathes exercise and often looks a passenger in the field, but with a willow between his palms he is suddenly galvanized. He plays shots all round the wicket, is especially strong off his legs, and unleashes ferocious pulls and lofted drives. Imran Khan rates him the best batsman in the world against pace. Early on he is vulnerable playing across his front pad or groping outside off stump. He uses his feet well to the spinners, although this aggression can be his undoing. Inzi keeps a cool head in a crisis and has succeeded Javed Miandad as Pakistan's premier batsman, but his hapless running between wickets is legendary and most dangerous for his partners. There were no such problems against New Zealand at a boiling Lahore in 2001-02, when Inzamam belted 329, the second-highest Test score by a Pakistani and the tenth-highest by anyone. However, he was then dogged by poor form, scoring just 16 runs in Pakistan's ill-fated World Cup campaign in 2003. He was dropped from the team briefly, but then roared back to form, scoring a magnificent unbeaten 138 and guiding Pakistan to a thrilling one-wicket win against Bangladesh at Multan. He was rewarded with the captaincy of the team, and despite leading them to victory in the Test series in New Zealand, question-marks about his leadership qualities surfaced when Pakistan were beaten in both the Test series and the one-dayers against India. But the selectors persevered with him and this bore results when he took a team thin on bowling resources to India and drew the Test series with a rousing performance in the final Test, Inzamam's 100th. After scoring a magnificent 184, Inzamam lead the team astutely on a tense final day and took Pakistan to victory.

 Though not having the reputation of being the world's best runner, Inzamam has firmly cemented his position in the Pakistan side due to his consistency, versatility and powerful batting. He has effectively proven his worth in both styles of the game and has earned himself the top position in the Coopers and Lybrand's rankings. He has shown himself to be an adaptable player switching from heavy powerful hitting in the one day game to playing sensible and solid innings in Tests. This young man, hailing from Multan, an ancient cultural town in the lower Punjab, has the style, the technique and, most importantly, the calm and collected manner, which are the makings of an all time great.

His batting is consistent, versatile and powerful. He is adaptable, switching from powerful hitting in ODI's to playing sensible and solid innings in Tests. This young man hailing from Multan, an ancient cultural town in the lower Punjab, has the style, the technique and most importantly, the calm and collected manner which are the makings of an all time Great. An explosive batsman, capable of fast scoring or digging in as necessary. Once he is set, becomes very hard to dismiss.

 Though not having the reputation of being the world's best runner, Inzamam has firmly cemented his position in the Pakistan side due to his consistency, versatility and powerful batting. He has effectively proven his worth in both styles of the game and has earned himself the top position in the Coopers and Lybrand's rankings. He has shown himself to be an adaptable player switching from heavy powerful hitting in the one day game to playing sensible and solid innings in Tests. This young man, hailing from Multan, an ancient cultural town in the lower Punjab, has the style, the technique and, most importantly, the calm and collected manner, which are the makings of an all time great.

A well experienced and an explosive batsman, capable of fast scoring or keeping his wicket when his team needs him the most. One of his great achievements includes, his highest score of 329, the second-highest Test score by a Pakistani and the tenth-highest by anyone. One of Pakistan's leading match winners in difficult circumstances. Inzamam has led his team out of difficult situations numerous times. Once he is set, becomes very hard to dismiss.

Inzimam ul Haq

Inzimam ul Haq

Inzimam ul Haq

Inzimam ul Haq

Inzimam ul Haq 

Inzimam ul Haq

Inzimam ul Haq

Inzimam ul Haq

Inzimam ul Haq

Inzimam ul Haq 

Inzimam ul Haq