Zarvan
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Whenever Imran Khan was asked to choose the best batsman in the world between Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar, Imran Khan usually steered the conversation to Inzamam-ul-Haq. “No one plays fast bowling better than Inzamam,” he would say. Or he would refer to Inzamam’s penchant for playing valuable knocks at crucial times. Once, Imran even declared Inzamam as the batsman he would want to bat for his life. The interviewer would perhaps politely nod, probably put it down to an understandable nationalistic quirk, and move on.
But Imran was not shooting in the dark.
He had seen some of it as Inzamam’s team-mate and captain. In fact, Inzamam’s international career began with this special quality right at the fore – though in a different format. As a fresh-faced 22-year-old, he made 60 in 37 balls in the 1992 World Cup semifinal with Pakistan needing 123 runs in 15 overs – a near-unthinkable equation at that time. Accomplishments like those often turn out to be flashes in the pan (think Collis King, Mike Veletta) but for someone as young and green as this to do it on the biggest stage in the world was perhaps a sign of much more to come. As it turned out, Inzamam did it again and again in limited overs cricket and more significantly, in Test cricket. It turned out to be his hallmark as a batsman.
From whichever angle you examine Inzamam, this quality comes up in some way.
It is this quality that makes him the highest impact batsman from Asia in Test cricket history, ahead of all the great names produced in this region.
THE CONVENTIONAL ANGLE
If you look at conventional batting averages of batsmen in matches that their teams won, after Superman, sorry, Bradman, it is Inzamam who is number two on that list – with an average of 78 in 49 matches won. Given that Pakistan was not among the top two Test sides in the world during a lot of Inzamam’s career, that again provides an indication of an extraordinary career. But then again, the doubt about how many of these matches might have been in dead rubbers or one-sided series, or who the opposition were, always remains.
This is where Impact comes in handy, as all its measures are relative and everything is in a match and series context.
THE IMPACT ANGLE
The series-defining performance is the true legacy of a player in this system (this is a high impact performance in a match that enables the player’s team to win or draw level the series or - less often - change the momentum in a in a series; it is also awarded to performances in other series where a player dominates more emphatically in 2 matches or more against a strong team.)
As it transpires, no batsman in Test history has more series-defining performances (SDs) in his career than Inzamam-ul-Haq and Rahul Dravid – seven each. Dravid did it in 164 Tests, Inzamam in 120.
Moreover, the only Asian batsman whose impact comes close to Inzamam’s is Kumar Sangakkara (who has six SDs in 128 Tests) but that is an ongoing career without the tapering-off most careers have, which almost invariably causes it to lose impact at the fag end.
In fact, as a player (and not just as a batsman), Inzamam goes ahead of even Dravid – as he has an additional SD as batsman and captain, which makes him the biggest series-winning batsman in Test history.
Of course, he is right up there for Pakistan.
No batsman in Test history has more series-defining performances in his career than Inzamam-ul-Haq and Rahul Dravid. Dravid did it in 164 Tests, Inzamam in 120.
THE PAKISTANI ANGLE
Amongst Pakistani Test batsmen, Inzamam is easily the highest impact ever (followed by Saeed Anwar and Javed Miandad; Anwar being so high impact is a story in its own right too).
NumberNameMatchesBatting ImpactSDsRuns Tally ImpactPressure ImpactFailure Rate (in %)
1Inzamam-ul-Haq1182.6271.780.2942
2Saeed Anwar542.5521.840.1843
3Javed Miandad1232.4451.540.2543
4Younis Khan882.3131.620.2842
5Mohammad Yousuf892.0611.630.2638
In conventional terms, Javed Miandad (53), Mohammed Yousuf (52) and Younis Khan (51) all have higher batting averages than Inzamam (50).
But it wasn’t just the difference in number of series-defining performances or Inzamam’s big match quality that made him higher impact.
He also absorbed the most pressure in Pakistan Test history (minimum 50 Tests).
He built the most partnerships. Interestingly, his renowned propensity to get his partner run out (often in delightfully ludicrous ways) more than any other contemporary batsman in the world did not come in the way of this quality.
He had the second-highest Strike Rate Impact (higher strike rate than match standard in winning Tests) after Wasim Akram.
He had the second-lowest failure rate (when a batsman is unable to even register an impact of 1, suggesting that he could not do the job of even one player) among Pakistani Test batsmen, after Mohammad Yousuf.
Is there anything left?
No batsman, with the exception of you-know-who, has dominated his country’s batting charts more comprehensively.
And Inzamam did it right through his career – as evidenced below.
Pakistan vs Australia, Karachi, 1994
Australia had not won in Pakistan for 35 years. Pakistan had never lost at National Stadium, Karachi, not for 39 years. Pakistan had never chased down a total like 314 to win in the fourth innings. And yet, this moment was upon both sides – chasing this highly improbable total, Pakistan were 258 for 9. Inzamam was joined by Mushtaq Ahmed. All was forgotten then – the Saeed Anwar’s twin innings (85 and 77) in the match, Michael Bevan’s impressive Test debut of 82, Steve Waugh’s high octane 73, David Boon’s unbeaten century in the second innings, the bowling of Wasim, Waqar, Mushtaq, Warne and McGrath – all consigned to the past. 24-year-old Inzamam, who had come in at a more likely 179 for 6 (which had become an inevitable 184 for 7), took charge and along with an inspired Mushtaq Ahmed (who made 20), finished the match off in 8.1 overs as the pulsating finish was witnessed by a rapidly swelling crowd to chants of “Allah-O-Akbar”.
This was just the first Test of a potentially classic series. However, in a successful attempt to sit on the lead, Pakistan prepared two featherbeds, which led to drawn matches (even though Pakistan had some anxious moments in the second Test).
Pakistan vs Zimbabwe, Harare, 1995
It was 1-1 in the series when the final Test began against a Zimbabwe side hard to beat at home. Inzamam made 101 in Pakistan’s 231 against a rampant Heath Streak. Zimbabwe got a slight lead and Pakistan were 88 for 3 so the match was dead even. But Inzamam’s stabilizing 83 (out of 250) once again took the match away for the second time. Pakistan set Zimbabwe a target of 239 and won comfortably on a pitch not so easy to survive on.
Pakistan vs England, Manchester, 2001
In an oddly constructed two-Test series, England had won the first Test by an innings. Pakistan were 39 for 2 in this match, with Andy Caddick and Darren Gough on fire. Inzamam and Anwar counter-attacked, till another mini-collapse later it was 92 for 4. But, along with Younis Khan (65), Inzamam (114) guided the team through an exciting first day that yielded 370 runs and set the tone for a classic Test match that went back and forth. Inzamam’s 85 was the highest innings score in the second innings too, which would enable Pakistan to set England a target of 370 and win by over a hundred runs, to draw the series 1-1.
Pakistan vs New Zealand, Wellington, 2003
Trailing 0-1 in a two-Test series, Pakistan were crawling back after the first half of the second Test, 170 behind. Then Shoaib Akhtar changed everything with a scintillating burst – his 6 for 30 knocked out New Zealand for 103 and set Pakistan a not-easy-at-all 274 to win. But Pakistan batted superbly. Inzamam walked out at 156 for 3, with an assured Yousuf Youhana at the crease. They took it home brilliantly from there, fighting rain, cold, wind and seam - Youhana unbeaten on 88 and Inzamam on 72. Interestingly, this is the only series-defining performance in Shoaib Akhtar’s and Yousuf Youhana’s (Mohammad Yousuf’s) career.
Pakistan vs West Indies, Kingston, 2005
Trailing 0-1 in a two-Test series, Pakistan were precarious at 43 for 2 from where Inzamam came in and made a fifty, which along with Younis Khan’s century and a few other contributions, took them to a seemingly safe 374. But West Indies hit back hard with a quintessential 153 from Lara, and took a 30-run lead. Then, after a good start, Pakistan had a mini-collapse when Inzamam came out at 119 for 3. With Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi (43 apiece), Inzamam proceeded to comprehensively take the match away from West Indies. He was unbeaten with 117 when the innings ended. Despite the seemingly achievable 280-run target, the fight had left West Indies, and they collapsed for 143, as the somewhat unlikely pair of Shabbir Ahmed and Danish Kaneria finished them off.
Inzamam is the highest impact batsman in the world in the new millennium till date.
These were five of Inzamam’s seven (or eight) series-defining performances. It’s not like he didn’t perform otherwise too.
Pakistan vs New Zealand, Hamilton, 1993
A humdinger in a single Test series that had Pakistan under the pump – a deficit of 48 in the first innings, and 25 for 4 in the second innings when Inzamam walked out. Soon it was 39 for 5, and Rashid Latif joined Inzamam. Together, they got Pakistan out of the toughest pressure situation in their Test history, given what followed. Latif stayed for more than an hour-and-a-half, grinding out 33 while Inzamam overall had stayed an hour longer when he was finally dismissed for 75 with the team total at 158. Pakistan had 127 runs to play with as New Zealand came out to bat. The Wasim and Waqar show ensured they only needed 94. Inzamam was the highest impact player in the match by a mile, but Wasim Akram got the Man-of-the-Match award.
Pakistan vs West Indies, Antigua, 1993
Facing West Indies’ 438, Pakistan were 108 for 4 when Inzamam walked out to bat. And 323 for 9 when he walked out five hours later with 123. It saved the match and prevented a clean sweep by West Indies.
Pakistan vs England, Lord’s, 1996
It was 12 for 2 when Inzamam walked out and 267 for 7 when he was out, after 148 of the most impressive runs that summer – at the time, his highest Test score. It helped Pakistan get a lead, and a buoyed Pakistani batting, with another 70 from Inzamam, set England a highly unlikely 408, which they predictably failed to get close to. Waqar Younis got the Man-of-the-Match award but Inzamam was higher impact than him.
Inzamam is the highest impact batsman from Asia in Test cricket history.
THE MOST FAVOURABLE ANGLE
Inzamam’s finest batting patch coincided with the first six years of the new millennium. He was comfortably the highest impact batsman in the world then (2000-2005), followed by Rahul Dravid, Matthew Hayden, Graham Thorpe and Brian Lara.
Pakistan won nine series in that period, drew five and lost seven. Inzamam got five of his eight career SDs in this period. But it wasn’t just that.
Inzamam topped the impact charts on every single batting parameter amongst the twenty highest impact batsmen of that period, even though he got one SD less than Dravid and had a marginally higher failure rate than Kallis, Jayawardene and Hayden. By and large, he was indestructible (even if his team wasn’t).
Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Multan, 2003
A low-scoring Test match appeared to have reached its end (with a historic Bangladesh win beckoning) with Pakistan at 132 for 6 chasing 261 for victory. But it was really the climax. Inzamam played one of his classic innings, an unbeaten 138 - shepherding the tail-enders, farming the strike and scoring the runs, to take Pakistan to a famous one-wicket win.
In fact, Inzamam is the highest impact batsman in the world in the new millennium till date. No one has absorbed the pressure (of falling wickets) more than him.
Whenever exercises are done on the greatest batsmen of the last two or three decades, Inzamam is just another name added to a list that includes Lara, Tendulkar, Steve Waugh, Ponting, Hayden, Kallis, Sangakkara, Jayawardene, Chanderpaul, Dravid, Smith, Md. Yousuf, Younis Khan and Amla.
It is sad that Inzamam is seen as just another big-scoring batsman, because on our system, in this mindset, only one batsman comes up higher impact than Inzamam from this list, but let’s leave that discussion for some other time. Suffice to say that he is not Asian.
This one’s about Inzamam-ul-Haq and what a giant he has been, not just for Pakistan cricket, but also the game in general, in so many respects.
Jaideep Varma
Redefining cricket performances : A GIANT FROM ANY ANGLE
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