The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Former players salute Inzamam and his brigade

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 30, 2005

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Former players salute Inzamam and his brigade

KARACHI, MARCH 29. Pakistan's former greats have saluted skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq and his young brigade for pulling off a comprehensive 168-run victory in the third Test at Bangalore.

"Hats off to Inzamam and his boys. They played marvellous cricket and were well deserving winners," former pacer Sarfraz Nawaz said.

"They have shown that they have the talent and potential to take any team head-on. The only thing that has been questioned has been the commitment and unity. But in this series, they showed that they are a well-knit unit. The victory is a perfect icing on what has been an excellent and consistent performance by them," Sarfraz said about Pakistan's series-levelling win.

He said it was a great achievement by Pakistan after it barely survived at Mohali and then lost at Kolkata. "It was a great comeback by Pakistan. It is now getting into the habit of making a slow start and coming from behind."

He however added, "I wish they quickly change this tendency because with this approach, they will only draw the series."

Sarfraz also lauded Inzamam saying he had emerged as a better captain than his Indian counterpart Sourav Ganguly.

"I think Inzamam stood out as a better captain than Sourav Ganguly (in the series). He (Inzamam) performed well with the bat, led the team better than Ganguly and above all, made a bold and calculated declaration."

"But in my books, his (Inzamam's) partnership with Younis Khan on the first day of this Test was the turning point," Sarfraz said, referring to a 327-run third-wicket stand after Pakistan was reduced to seven for two.

Former captain Moin Khan felt the victory over India would boost the confidence of the young Pakistan team.

"I think this victory heralds the start of a new era. I can imagine what this victory would do to the confidence of the young players. I am convinced that now the approach of the Pakistan cricket team will be absolutely different," Moin said.

"We as youngsters in the mid 1990s improved immensely because we were beating India regularly which was giving us tremendous confidence. I am sure that after such a huge victory and against odds, this team will no more be labelled as minnows or no-hopers," he added.

Saleem Yousuf, who was a member of the 1987 team that beat India in Bangalore, appreciated the side for its effort in pressing for the victory.

"What makes me happier is the fact that it was a complete team effort. Every player made invaluable contributions. The team is now showing that it is playing like a team."

Yousuf said the best part of Pakistan's victory was that it kept on pressing for victory.

"Their heads could have easily dropped at lunch but they kept pressing for victory and continued to keep their spirits high. Naturally, leadership comes into play in these situations and I must praise Inzamam-ul-Haq who proved to be a leader."

Moin and Yousuf were unanimous in their praise for Shahid Afridi.

"He has once again shown his utility as a cricketer. He is a real asset for Inzamam. He has a habit of pulling out a rabbit from his hat whenever the chips are down. The innings he played the other day and the way he bowled today, is something special and can only be produced by someone special like Afridi," they said. — PTI

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