“Cricket is a team game. No individual can just say he can win it on his own.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Every team goes through a lean patch.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Imran never lost faith in us as players, individually and as a team, and that gave us the confidence to win. He was a leader par excellence, and Pakistan have seen none like him.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“The pressure of an India-Pakistan game is immense.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Being chief selector has been the most challenging role of my cricket career, as I was heavily criticised for my decisions, and I couldn’t respond much.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I can’t leave cricket. It is my passion.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“As chief selector, I did my best to pick new talent and give them proper opportunities, as they are the future of Pakistan cricket.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“It is not my domain to speak on pitches, but they play an important role in producing quality players in every format.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Once you start feeling the pressure, you start to struggle. That is the beauty of Indo-Pak cricket contests.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“A tour to India is different from other tours. The expectations to win are very high from our own people, and defeats and poor performances are not forgotten easily.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Regardless of where we play, we should play India on regular basis.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Throughout my career, we beat India in many matches, but for some reason, we never managed to get the better of them in World Cup matches, and it remains a disappointment for me.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“The pressures of playing in the World Cup are different, but it was because we coped with them in 1992 under Imran Khan’s guidance and influence that we won the Cup.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I don’t have a magic wand, and there is a lot we need to do right in Pakistan cricket to build a strong team.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I have told the PCB that I want total independence to work with a free mind and pick the best players, and they have assured me it will be done.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I want to develop an atmosphere where the selectors, captain, and coach are on the same page because, unless this happens, there will be no turnaround in our cricket.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“In the past, when we toured countries like Australia or South Africa, we struggled, but we also got to learn a lot, and we learnt to cope with pressure.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I think there is no better way for our players to improve and learn to perform under pressure than playing regularly with India.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I have one regret that whenever I look at the list of world’s leading scorers, I don’t see any Pakistani who has scored 10,000 Test runs; even I couldn’t do it ,nor Muhammad Yousuf.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“It’s up to the individual to decide when he wants to quit.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“As a player, you have to assess how fit you are and look at your performance graph – how long you are delivering. Take Imran Khan’s case: he played till 39.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I think fitness and performance levels are the right indicators to determine if it’s the time to leave the scene.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“What I intend to do is to launch a batting academy. I have been a batsman throughout my life, and I can’t open a bowling academy after all!”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I am happy and satisfied at the end of my career, but not much. Yes, I would have loved to leave the stage in a better way.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I wanted to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket. But I could not.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“When I look back and think about it, I feel my career was fairly good but, certainly, not tremendous.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Critics tend to praise as well as crucify you.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Even a good batsman requires a year or so in test cricket to settle down and play long innings.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Once you reach the knockout stage of a World Cup, the team that holds its nerves wins.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“How well a team executes its plans is important, but I think keeping nerves under pressure is far more important in the knockout stage.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I have had a fulfilling career for Pakistan, although our poor performance in the 2007 World Cup would remain the lowest point of my career.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Frankly speaking, the pleasure and satisfaction you get after performing against India you don’t get against any team, and if you ask the Indian players, they would have similar sentiments.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“The thing that forced me to think about my retirement was that I had played my cricket with honour and distinction, and I did not want to put myself in a position where I was considered a liability or unwanted by the selectors.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“If someone drops a catch, and I get angry, will that catch come back to us? It won’t. Therefore, it is better to be cool, because that helps in better performance.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“When you have confidence, the atmosphere in the dressing room also improves.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“If people remember me as one who contributed to Pakistan’s cricket, I will feel good. If people say good things, it makes me feel happy.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I control my anger.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Any team can’t give top performance all year round.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I am a great admirer of Yuvraj and Kaif. They have generally been able to pick up the scoring when they come to bat at numbers six and seven. They also are livewires in the field.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I’m ready to accept the pressures of captaincy.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“We can’t take such unfair criticism. It would be difficult for me to continue as captain if this unhealthy trend of demoralising the team after a few bad performances continues.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I am not a big supporter of sledging or insults that are hurled at you. But I don’t mind if a bowler glares or stares at the batsmen. During my career, I have faced these situations numerous times.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Off the field, both India and Pakistan enjoy a healthy relationship, and that’s the way it should be – friends off the field and fierce competitors on it.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Even after defeating India, I still have the highest respect for them as opponents.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“In 2004, we were in a rebuilding phase after the disastrous 2003 World Cup campaign, and the batsmen, in particular, did not know where they would bat or what was their role. For example, in the one-dayers, we were playing Shahid Afridi on top of the order, but we didn’t consider him for the Tests.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I have never forced anyone to offer prayers in the team or to keep a beard.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I’ve never linked team selection to offering prayers, and reports suggesting otherwise are all wrong.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“If someone says to me, ‘You are a cheat, and Pakistan is doing wrong things,’ my first priority is to my country.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“It is imperative that Afghanistan cricket does well. You cannot imagine how passionate Afghanistan’s fans are and how they live and die by every result.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I do think the ICC has financially helped Afghanistan and Ireland a lot, but I think it’s crucial that the ICC provides these Associate nations with quality coaches to work on their basics.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I remember, before the 2003 World Cup, I worked extremely hard on my fitness. A great deal of training and dietary discipline. I believe I lost 19 kg. And 19 is the number of runs I scored in the entire tournament.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I coached Afghanistan for seven months. Out of those, I spent five and a half away from home.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Against any team, confidence is crucial.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Criticism is natural; it’s just that you have to deal with it positively and use it to improve.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I think most people thought that because I am quite reserved and private, I wouldn’t make a good captain.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I never really sought out the captaincy at any stage in my career. Now that it has been handed to me, I would obviously like to do it justice and keep performing well. The day I stop performing will be the day I happily relinquish the role.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Sometimes we need to make changes in the XI as per the conditions, and as per the player’s form.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“My career has been as clear as a crystal.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Besides being a sportsman, I am also a human being.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Whoever you name as captain, it’s a hard choice.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“All successful captains in the world have had long-term roles to make a difference.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“It’s important what you can do for your team. Even if you score 30-40, if it contributes to team’s victory, then it is always memorable.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I won’t say I have won many matches, but I used to take care to just do my role.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“It’s not as if I never used to get under pressure. That is nonsense. It’s just that my looks gave an appearance, and people didn’t think I was tense.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Trust yourself in tight situations, but you need to have a plan. You might fail once, twice, but you will get better at it.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“It is never easy for a professional cricketer, who has represented his country for 17 years, to forget the past and adopt a new lifestyle.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“We have to keep our feet on ground, stay humble, and collect all praise, well-wishes, and prayers because these will help us in future.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“As more we play cricket, the more players will learn from it.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Dhoni is a big player. He’s achieved a lot as a player and as a captain.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“We must live in peace. It’s necessary.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I love to watch Rohit Sharma bat.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“When the key players in your team perform well, the team does well, too.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“T20 is an unpredictable format, so you cannot rule out any team’s chances.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“In the one-dayers, it boils down to who performs better on the day of the match.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“If you don’t have bounce on the pitch, even a spinner cannot come handy.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“As my parents are from India, I am told a lot of positive things about the country, the culture and traditions of Muslims in India. I don’t remember anything nasty told to me by my parents.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“No one can deny there is a lot of pressure when Pakistan and India play, especially with the expectations of the fans at home.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“World Cup 2003 was the worst phase in my career, but that is now behind me, and I am doing all-out efforts to get my place in the team back and further my career.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“The PCB needs to be clear in its stance on players who have been involved in corruption and tarnishing the image of the country. Because playing for the national team is the highest honor for any athlete.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“My desire, like everyone else, is to see the team win.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I have no problems playing under anyone.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“In Pakistan cricket, the real test comes when the team is not doing well. When it is winning, everything is fine.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“It is when your team is losing that the captain has to keep the players together. He has to fight for them.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Adjusting to life without cricket hasn’t been very tough.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“One day, those who play have to leave the stage.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I didn’t play much under Imranbhai, but he was special.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Handling pressure is the key to doing well in Indo-Pak matches.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“It is not easy when people laugh at you.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“I don’t mind positive criticism, but when it is negative and personal, it is quite hard.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“There is always great significance playing against India, and it is always special and a treat for people in both countries.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“The 2005 Test tour to India was special, as I captained and we won at Bangalore, and it was a great tour for us, and even winning against India at Lahore in 2004 was a memorable day for me.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Tests with India always produce some great finishes.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“In the single group format, where each team plays against the other, it gives a chance to the established outfits to make a comeback if they falter in the early games.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“It is a do-or-die battle every time we play India.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“The victory in the 1992 World Cup changed Pakistan cricket. A number of cricketers from that side turned out to be role models and inspiration for the younger generation.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“We were able to dominate the world in the ’90s because the World Cup victory completely transformed us and changed our mindset.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“It’s always special playing in Australia and New Zealand.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“The World Cup 2015 will be a stage for youngsters to make names for themselves and earn the respect and recognition of the cricket pundits. However, this can only be achieved if they don’t get overawed by the situation, stay focused, stick to basics, respect the opponents, and follow match plans that will vary from match to match.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“Playing Test cricket for one’s country is the ultimate, but people are enjoying Twenty20 format because everything will be over within three hours.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
“We cannot stop anyone from criticising us.”
― Inzamam-ul-Haq
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