Former Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar had a surprise up his sleeve, when asked who was the most difficult batsman he had ever bowled to, in an interview with Pakistani great Wasim Akram on the latter's talk-show The Statesman, according to cricket.com.au.
No, the answer was not Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara or Ricky Ponting, considered the greatest batsmen of their eras, it was his former captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq.
"There were a lot of players in the world [I found difficult to get out], but the most difficult, who I couldn't even get out in the nets, was Inzamam," said Akhtar. "I think there was no other player who played me better than him."
The Pakistani pacer-bowler then elaborated on why he had made that call. "His footwork was quick, he would place himself and be ready to play. He could see the ball earlier than many. I always thought he had an extra second. However fast I bowled, he had placed himself where the ball would land."
Akhtar does have a point. A tad under-rated, Inzamam is widely considered to be among Pakistani cricket's greatest. He is still the country's highest run-scorer in the One Day International format, with a massive 11,739 runs in 375 matches. Inzamam is also third on the list of highest Pakistani run-scorers in the Test format with 25 centuries to his name.
An enigmatic character, Inzy was a stylish, wristy genius. He was often criticised for being lazy, but with a flick of his wrists, he could send the ball anywhere he wanted. His calm temperament was a balm to Pakistan's excitable nature. Despite his countless big knocks, arguably his best innings came right at the start of his career.
This was in the semi-final against a superb New Zealand side at the 1992 World Cup in Australia. Inzamam came with his team 140/4 in a chase of 263 and far behind the asking rate. He scored a whirlwind 60 off just 37 balls, completely changing the complexion of the game and setting Pakistan on the way to a final spot.
