The Inzamam factor

Since the 46-year-old's arrival, things seemed to have moved in a positive direction for Pakistan cricket

“Don’t expect miracles from me,” were the first words that former captain Inzamamul Haq uttered when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) introduced him to the media as the new chief selector. But since his arrival, things seemed to have moved in a positive direction. A fitness camp organised by the PCB under the army’s guidance tested the players’ mettle and forced them to push their limits and move out of their comfort zones. Veteran batsman Younus Khan termed the camp very useful while Twenty20 captain Sarfraz Ahmed was vocal about the difficulties players faced to get accustomed to the new regime of training but termed it beneficial nevertheless.

The next phase, a skills camp, took place in Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; the players were trained by respective coaches to improve their batting, bowling, and most importantly fielding. However, even after all this, there is a group of former cricketers which thinks that Inzamam has taken over as a dictator and wants to rule alone. His decision to drop Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad received mixed reactions by the cricketing fraternity. Despite the pressure of meeting the expectations of 180 million cricket fanatics, Inzamam said that his selection committee would not be lenient when it comes to disciplinary issues. Now the final 17-man squad has been announced for the Test series against England and Inzamam has lived up to his words. Despite Muhammad Hafeez’s knee injury and the lack of experienced openers, Shehzad wasn’t included in the final list — a decision that might hurt Pakistan as they only have Shan Masood and Sami Aslam as the next best options.

Some former players also argue that the selection of Inzi’s subordinates in the selection committee points towards the same thesis i.e., he wants to rule with an iron fist. But when you look at Inzamam’s side of the story, it becomes obvious that his choice of assistants is not at all random. Tauseef Ahmed, the former off-spinner, bagged 697 wickets in 176 first-class matches. Wajahatullah Wasti has piled up 8,213 runs in 161 first class outings. And, Wasim Haider, as an all-rounder, bagged 261 wickets in in 132 matches while also accumulating 5,014 runs. Inzamam’s rationale was very simple: opt for people who have been successful at the domestic level, as they understand the system from where the players for the national team are selected. Therefore, they are in a position to help bring forward the right man for the right job at the right time into the national team. Former head coach Waqar Younis has repeatedly emphasised the importance of developing the domestic structure and Inzamam seems to have taken his advice. Meanwhile, the PCB is also now investing in schools and colleges to instill a cricketing culture that in the past has produced wonders for Pakistan.

Pakistan’s tour of England, starting in July, will be a baptism of fire for Inzamam, with the 46-year-old already stating that English conditions will be tough. Former Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi, who is representing Hampshire at the moment, has also backed Inzamam’s opinion. In his recent media talk, Inzamam asked the nation to stay positive even if the team faced defeat in England. He said that even in the face of defeat, if the overall quality of cricket improved, that would be a positive. His pragmatic approach has been applauded by many as he promised to give every cricketer an equal chance on all surfaces: in England’s swinging conditions, on UAE’s dead turfs and on the bouncy Australian pitches in the upcoming tours. Inzi is hoping for the best and let us, as a nation, back his plan to see if it can actually change the fortunes of the game we all love.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2016.

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