AHMEDABAD: There are many fine moments Inzamam-ul Haq has experienced on the cricket field. He announced his arrival with an audacious 60 off 48 in the 1992 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand. It was the first time he displayed his nerves of steel, a quality that set him apart from most of his peers.
However, the gentle giant once lost his cool when an Indian supporter Shiv Kumar Thind used a hand-held loud-speaker and kept chanting aloo (big potato) in a bid to irritate Inzamam during a Sahara Cup match in Toronto in 1997. Inzamam is much wiser and older now. On Friday, Inzamam, a crowd favourite was once again subjected to the chants of aloo.
When Inzamam walked out to bat to big cheers his team was precariously placed at 127/3 in the 14th over. He entered the arena at the fall of Imran Farhat’s wicket. ‘Inzy, Inzy’ resounded in the stadium.
He obliged by hitting a boundary off the first ball he faced. However, when he tried to pull the first ball of the 15th over from Chris Harris he was dismissed.
Seeing the rattled timber not only Inzamam but the crowd was also shocked. His return to the dugout was jeered with chants of ‘Aloo, Aloo’ However, unlike what he did in Toronto, where he tried to manhandle the spectator, Inzy took it in his stride.
When asked about the incident in ICL final, Inzamam said he didn’t hear anything. But the 38-year old from Multan was quick to add: “Even if they said something, I can’t fight with 60,000 people.” It was a remark made in lighter vein. The angry young man is now as cool as a cucumber.
Even on the field his presence can make a big difference. When Abdul Razzaq and Rana Naved got into a heated argument it was Inzamam who played the role of a peace-maker. There is no doubt that the boys look up to him.
