Inzamam-ul-Haq hopes Pakistan can buck the trend and beat India at the World Cup

Inzamam-ul-haq

Former Pakistan cricket team captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq wants to see his national cricket team beat arch-rivals India in the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand when the two sides open their World Cup campaign on February 15 in Adelaide.

Pakistan has never managed to beat India in World Cup matches and the most capped Pakistani player wants to see his former side break that run in this World Cup.

Speaking at the launch of the academy in Lahore named after him, Inzamam said, “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. I hope that this Pakistan team can beat India in a World Cup game.”

Inzamam who appeared in 120 Tests and 378 one-day internationals, taking part in five World Cup campaigns one as captain in 2007 said he was hopeful the national would do well in the coming event. “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,” he recalled.

“We lost Waqar and had fitness issues in 1992 World Cup”

Inzamam, who has played in five World Cup tournaments, said that the Pakistan team has other players to step up in the absence of Saeed Ajmal and other players struggling with fitness ahead of the mega event.

He said, “We also lost Waqar before the ‘92 World Cup and we had some fitness issues, but under Imran’s captaincy the others filled in the gap and that is what is required in this event as well.”

Inzamam said the key to doing well in a World Cup is to play together as a team.

“I think it is very important to play as a complete unit and the players are fortunate to have seasoned campaigners like Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmed, Moin Khan and Grant Flower to guide them,” Inzamam said.

Inzamam said it was disappointing to lose to India in the quarter-final in 1996 and in 2003. He said, “Losing those games was disappointing but now this team has the opportunity to set things right.”