Inzy calls time on career

Pakistan batsman granted farewell appearance in Lahore

Last updated: 7th October 2007  

Inzy calls time on career

Inzamam: hanging up his bat

I have taken this decision after much thought and I realise that my presence in the dressing room could be a pressure on the younger players. So I have decided this is the best time for me to bid farewell to a game I have loved so much.

Inzamam-ul-Haq
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Inzamam-ul-Haq will retire from Test cricket after next week's match against South Africa in Lahore.

The decison brings an end to the Pakistan batsman's 16-year international career, Inzamam having already quit one-dayers following the World Cup earlier this year.

"I have taken this decision after much thought and I realise that my presence in the dressing room could be a pressure on the younger players," he said on Friday.

"So I have decided this is the best time for me to bid farewell to a game I have loved so much.

"The Lahore Test will be my last Test match, and I have told the selectors that I am available."

The 37-year-old did not play in the opening Test of Pakistan's series against South Africa due to personal reasons, but has been selected for a farewell appearance in the series-decider, which starts on Monday.

Inzamam has 8,813 runs from his 119 Test appearances and requires a further 20 to surpass Javed Miandad as Pakistan's all-time leading run-scorer.

Instant impression

His international career began back in November 1991 - he made an immediate impact by helping Pakistan win the World Cup early the following year.

Inzamam produced one of his finest innings in the semi-final of that tournament against New Zealand when his 60 from 37 balls turned a difficult run chase into a comfortable victory.

Throughout the 1990s and beyond he was one of the outstanding batsman in world cricket, averaging 39.52 in 378 one-day internationals and 50.07 in 119 Tests.

He became Pakistan captain in October 2003 but had an often controversial tenure that included the ball-tampering row with umpire Darrell Hair at the Oval in August 2006, and ended in failure following his side's first-round exit at the World Cup last March.

"It was one of the biggest disappointments of my long career the way we performed because we had a good team," Inzamam said of the World Cup exit.

"But there have been other disappointments as well and that is part of the game."

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