ISLAMABAD-Former Pakistani Skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq believes labeling his nephew Imam-ul-Haq as a ‘Parchi’ was disappointing, saying the Lahore-born young talented batsman should be considered as a national cricketer.
“Upon Imam’s selection, I told him that neither I will favour him nor I will be unjust with him. Secondly, people are not looking at his performances. He has scored more runs than the rest in the previous 40 ODIs. I don’t see why they are questioning him. They should consider him as a national cricketer instead of linking him to me,” the former chief selector said.
Speaking about pacer Mohammad Amir’s break from Test cricket, Inzamam said whenever a player feels he is playing cricket more than his capacity, he should reduce his participation in franchise cricket tournaments. If Amir was saying that he was pressurised to play the longest format, he should have not played county cricket. Representing the national side should be the top priority of any cricketer,” he said.
Inzamam said the International Cricket Council (ICC) should not allow franchise competitions to take place, if this year’s Twenty20 World Cup and Asia Cup T20 are canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said head coach-cum-chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq should step down from any one of his positions, as it would be beneficial for his coaching career.
“Misbah should step down one of his two positions even if the side wins in England. It will be beneficial for his coaching career as he will be under less pressure and it will help him focus more on his responsibilities,” said the former chief selector. Inzamam revealed that he wants to become Pakistan’s future head coach but has no plans for that at the moment.
Pakistan is scheduled to take on England in three Tests and as many Twenty20s, which will be played from August 5 to September 1. Old Trafford, Manchester, will host the first Test of the series starting from August 5. The final two Tests will be played at the Rose Bowl, Southampton, from August 13 and August 21. The three T20s will take place at Old Trafford on August 28, August 30 and the final match of the tour on September 1.