**Pakistan Vs. South Africa House**

Squads:

South Africa---

Graeme Smith Captain Age 26 years 231 days Batting Left-hand bat Bowling Right-arm offbreak		Hashim Amla Age 24 years 173 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm medium
Mark Boucher Wicketkeeper Age 30 years 291 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm medium		AB de Villiers Age 23 years 215 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm medium
Jean-Paul Duminy Age 23 years 159 days Batting Left-hand bat Bowling Right-arm offbreak		Herschelle Gibbs Age 33 years 209 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm bowler
Paul Harris Age 28 years 322 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Slow left-arm orthodox		Jacques Kallis Age 31 years 339 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm fast-medium
Morne Morkel Age 22 years 349 days Playing role Bowler Batting Left-hand bat Bowling Right-arm fast		Andre Nel Age 30 years 67 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm fast-medium
Makhaya Ntini Age 30 years 76 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm fast		Shaun Pollock Age 34 years 66 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm fast-medium
Ashwell Prince Age 30 years 115 days Batting Left-hand bat Bowling Left-arm slow		Dale Steyn Age 24 years 85 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm fast

Pakistan---

Shoaib Malik Captain Age 25 years 246 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm offbreak		Salman Butt Vice-captain Age 22 years 363 days Playing role Batsman Batting Left-hand bat Bowling Right-arm offbreak
Abdur Rehman Age 27 years 218 days Playing role Bowler Batting Left-hand bat Bowling Slow left-arm orthodox		Danish Kaneria Age 26 years 293 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Legbreak
Faisal Iqbal Age 25 years 279 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm medium		Iftikhar Anjum Age 26 years 308 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm medium
Inzamam-ul-Haq Age 37 years 216 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Slow left-arm orthodox		Kamran Akmal Wicketkeeper Age 25 years 265 days Batting Right-hand bat
Misbah-ul-Haq Age 33 years 130 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Legbreak		Mohammad Asif Age 24 years 289 days Playing role Bowler Batting Left-hand bat Bowling Right-arm fast-medium
Mohammad Hafeez Age 26 years 353 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm offbreak		Mohammad Yousuf Age 33 years 39 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm offbreak
Taufeeq Umar Age 26 years 107 days Batting Left-hand bat Bowling Right-arm offbreak		Umar Gul Age 23 years 174 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm fast-medium
Yasir Hameed Age 29 years 219 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm offbreak		Younis Khan Age 29 years 310 days Batting Right-hand bat Bowling Right-arm medium, Legbreak

Results:
1st Test-

Test no. 1843

South Africa in Pakistan Test Series - 1st Test Pakistan v South Africa

2007/08 season

Played at National Stadium, Karachi, on 1,2,3,4,5 October 2007 (5-day match) Result South Africa won by 160 runs

	South Africa 1st innings	R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
	HH Gibbs	c Mohammad Hafeez b Umar Gul	54	139	106	8	0	50.94
	GC Smith	lbw b Mohammad Hafeez	42	102	66	5	0	63.63
	HM Amla	b Mohammad Asif	71	225	158	6	1	44.93
	JH Kallis	c Kamran Akmal b Danish Kaneria	155	304	249	19	0	62.24
	AG Prince	c & b Danish Kaneria	36	144	97	2	0	37.11
	AB de Villiers	b Umar Gul	77	124	101	7	1	76.23
	MV Boucher	c Kamran Akmal b Abdur Rehman	1	29	25	0	0	4.00
	A Nel	c Misbah-ul-Haq b Abdur Rehman	2	19	8	0	0	25.00
	PL Harris	c Kamran Akmal b Abdur Rehman	1	8	5	0	0	20.00
	DW Steyn	b Abdur Rehman	0	31	6	0	0	0.00
	M Ntini	not out	0	4	2	0	0	0.00
	Extras	(b 1, lb 6, nb 4)	11
	Total	(all out; 136.3 overs; 569 mins)	450	(3.29 runs per over)

Fall of wickets1-87 (Smith, 23.4 ov), 2-109 (Gibbs, 32.6 ov), 3-279 (Amla, 81.6 ov), 4-352 (Kallis, 108.1 ov), 5-373 (Prince, 116.2 ov), 6-392 (Boucher, 123.6 ov), 7-408 (Nel, 127.6 ov), 8-412 (Harris, 129.6 ov), 9-448 (Steyn, 135.4 ov), 10-450 (de Villiers, 136.3 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	Mohammad Asif	26	6	83	1	3.19
	Umar Gul	21.3	6	60	2	2.79	(2nb)
	Danish Kaneria	36	3	124	2	3.44
	Abdur Rehman	31	3	105	4	3.38
	Shoaib Malik	8	2	31	0	3.87	(2nb)
	Mohammad Hafeez	14	0	40	1	2.85

	Pakistan 1st innings	R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
	Mohammad Hafeez	c Kallis b Harris	34	81	59	4	0	57.62
	Kamran Akmal	lbw b Harris	42	62	37	5	0	113.51
	Younis Khan	b Nel	6	25	17	0	0	35.29
	Faisal Iqbal	b Kallis	7	36	24	1	0	29.16
	Misbah-ul-Haq	c Boucher b Steyn	23	71	57	5	0	40.35
	Shoaib Malik	st Boucher b Harris	73	227	170	6	1	42.94
	Abdur Rehman	c Boucher b Nel	9	42	28	1	0	32.14
	Salman Butt	lbw b Harris	24	123	76	4	0	31.57
	Umar Gul	st Boucher b Harris	12	47	44	2	0	27.27
	Danish Kaneria	not out	26	74	49	4	0	53.06
	Mohammad Asif	b Steyn	10	45	26	1	0	38.46
	Extras	(b 15, lb 7, w 1, nb 2)	25
	Total	(all out; 97.3 overs; 421 mins)	291	(2.98 runs per over)

Fall of wickets1-71 (Kamran Akmal, 14.2 ov), 2-82 (Mohammad Hafeez, 18.4 ov), 3-84 (Younis Khan, 19.1 ov), 4-97 (Faisal Iqbal, 27.1 ov), 5-120 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 37.4 ov), 6-149 (Abdur Rehman, 47.6 ov), 7-233 (Salman Butt, 76.2 ov), 8-238 (Shoaib Malik, 80.5 ov), 9-259 (Umar Gul, 86.6 ov), 10-291 (Mohammad Asif, 97.3 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	DW Steyn	13.3	2	50	2	3.70	(2nb)
	M Ntini	11	2	48	0	4.36
	PL Harris	36	13	73	5	2.02
	A Nel	20	4	59	2	2.95
	JH Kallis	11	3	21	1	1.90	(1w)
	GC Smith	6	1	18	0	3.00

	South Africa 2nd innings	R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
	GC Smith	c Kamran Akmal b Abdur Rehman	25	64	42	5	0	59.52
	HH Gibbs	c Faisal Iqbal b Danish Kaneria	18	84	46	2	0	39.13
	HM Amla	st Kamran Akmal b Abdur Rehman	0	14	10	0	0	0.00
	JH Kallis	not out	100	291	201	4	1	49.75
	AG Prince	b Danish Kaneria	45	132	105	2	0	42.85
	AB de Villiers	b Abdur Rehman	1	5	3	0	0	33.33
	MV Boucher	c Misbah-ul-Haq b Danish Kaneria	29	56	49	4	0	59.18
	A Nel	c Misbah-ul-Haq b Abdur Rehman	33	74	69	3	0	47.82
	PL Harris	not out	1	15	10	0	0	10.00
	Extras	(b 10, lb 2)	12
	Total	(7 wickets dec; 89 overs; 371 mins)	264	(2.96 runs per over)

Did not bat DW Steyn, M Ntini

Fall of wickets1-41 (Smith, 13.2 ov), 2-43 (Amla, 15.3 ov), 3-43 (Gibbs, 16.4 ov), 4-131 (Prince, 50.2 ov), 5-132 (de Villiers, 51.2 ov), 6-188 (Boucher, 67.3 ov), 7-251 (Nel, 85.3 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	Mohammad Asif	6	1	14	0	2.33
	Umar Gul	12	1	35	0	2.91
	Abdur Rehman	38	6	105	4	2.76
	Danish Kaneria	28	3	85	3	3.03
	Mohammad Hafeez	5	0	13	0	2.60

	Pakistan 2nd innings (target: 424 runs)	R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
	Mohammad Hafeez	b Steyn	1	6	5	0	0	20.00
	Salman Butt	c Amla b Steyn	3	26	15	0	0	20.00
	Younis Khan	b Steyn	126		160	18	1	78.75
	Faisal Iqbal	c Kallis b Harris	44	103	69	8	0	63.76
	Mohammad Asif	c Amla b Nel	6		26	0	0	23.07
	Misbah-ul-Haq	lbw b Nel	23		95	3	0	24.21
	Shoaib Malik	c Nel b Ntini	30		99	4	0	30.30
	Kamran Akmal	c Boucher b Harris	9		11	1	0	81.81
	Abdur Rehman	lbw b Steyn	0		20	0	0	0.00
	Umar Gul	c Nel b Steyn	8		9	2	0	88.88
	Danish Kaneria	not out	0		1	0	0	0.00
	Extras	(b 8, lb 4, nb 1)	13
	Total	(all out; 84.5 overs)	263	(3.10 runs per over)

Fall of wickets1-1 (Mohammad Hafeez, 1.1 ov), 2-20 (Salman Butt, 5.2 ov), 3-134 (Faisal Iqbal, 29.3 ov), 4-161 (Mohammad Asif, 38.1 ov), 5-197 (Younis Khan, 55.4 ov), 6-230 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 69.4 ov), 7-239 (Kamran Akmal, 74.2 ov), 8-249 (Abdur Rehman, 81.2 ov), 9-257 (Umar Gul, 83.5 ov), 10-263 (Shoaib Malik, 84.5 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	M Ntini	12.5	4	34	1	2.64
	DW Steyn	15	3	56	5	3.73
	A Nel	19	5	59	2	3.10	(1nb)
	PL Harris	30	8	58	2	1.93
	GC Smith	3	0	33	0	11.00
	JH Kallis	4	3	4	0	1.00
	HM Amla	1	0	7	0	7.00

Toss South Africa, who chose to bat first Series South Africa led the 2-match series 1-0 Test debut Abdur Rehman (Pakistan) Player of the match JH Kallis (South Africa) Umpires MR Benson (England) and SJA Taufel (Australia) TV umpire Riazuddin Match referee AG Hurst (Australia) Reserve umpire Afzaal Ahmed Close of play 1 Oct day 1 - South Africa 1st innings 294/3 (JH Kallis 118*, AG Prince 3*, 90 ov) 2 Oct day 2 - Pakistan 1st innings 127/5 (Shoaib Malik 9*, Abdur Rehman 1*, 40 ov) 3 Oct day 3 - South Africa 2nd innings 76/3 (JH Kallis 18*, AG Prince 11*, 32 ov) 4 Oct day 4 - Pakistan 2nd innings 146/3 (Younis Khan 93*, Mohammad Asif 1*, 33 ov) 5 Oct day 5 - Pakistan 2nd innings 263 (84.5 ov) - end of match

Match notes

• Day 1
• South Africa 1st innings
• South Africa: 50 runs in 13.1 overs (80 balls), Extras 1
• 1st Wicket: 50 runs in 80 balls (HH Gibbs 25, GC Smith 25, Ex 1)
• Drinks: South Africa - 53/0 in 14.0 overs (HH Gibbs 26, GC Smith 26)
• Lunch: South Africa - 96/1 in 29.0 overs (HH Gibbs 42, HM Amla 8)
• South Africa: 100 runs in 29.6 overs (183 balls), Extras 4
• HH Gibbs: 50 off 101 balls (7 x 4)
• South Africa: 150 runs in 46.2 overs (281 balls), Extras 4
• 3rd Wicket: 50 runs in 87 balls (HM Amla 21, JH Kallis 29, Ex 0)
• Tea: South Africa - 195/2 in 58.0 overs (HM Amla 49, JH Kallis 46)
• JH Kallis: 50 off 91 balls (7 x 4)
• South Africa: 200 runs in 58.6 overs (357 balls), Extras 4
• 3rd Wicket: 100 runs in 167 balls (HM Amla 40, JH Kallis 60, Ex 0)
• HM Amla: 50 off 102 balls (3 x 4, 1 x 6)
• South Africa: 250 runs in 70.4 overs (427 balls), Extras 6
• 3rd Wicket: 150 runs in 231 balls (HM Amla 53, JH Kallis 95, Ex 2)
• JH Kallis: 100 off 147 balls (12 x 4)
• Drinks: South Africa - 270/2 in 76.0 overs (HM Amla 65, JH Kallis 103)
• New Ball Taken: South Africa 279/2 after 81.3 overs (HM Amla 71, JH Kallis 106)
• End Of Day: South Africa - 294/3 in 90.0 overs (JH Kallis 118, AG Prince 3)

• Day 2
• South Africa: 300 runs in 91.5 overs (554 balls), Extras 6
• 4th Wicket: 50 runs in 106 balls (JH Kallis 36, AG Prince 13, Ex 1)
• Drinks: South Africa - 340/3 in 104.0 overs (JH Kallis 148, AG Prince 18)
• JH Kallis: 150 off 238 balls (19 x 4)
• South Africa: 350 runs in 107.6 overs (652 balls), Extras 7
• Lunch: South Africa - 385/5 in 119.0 overs (AB de Villiers 20, MV Boucher 0)
• South Africa: 400 runs in 125.6 overs (760 balls), Extras 11
• AB de Villiers: 50 off 75 balls (4 x 4, 1 x 6)
• Drinks: South Africa - 431/8 in 133.0 overs (AB de Villiers 58, DW Steyn 0)
• South Africa: 450 runs in 136.1 overs (821 balls), Extras 11
• Pakistan 1st innings
• Innings Break: Pakistan - 0/0
• Tea: Pakistan - 17/0 in 6.0 overs (Mohammad Hafeez 7, Kamran Akmal 10)
• Pakistan: 50 runs in 9.6 overs (60 balls), Extras 0
• 1st Wicket: 50 runs in 60 balls (Mohammad Hafeez 18, Kamran Akmal 34, Ex 0)
• Drinks: Pakistan - 82/2 in 18.4 overs (Younis Khan 6)
• Pakistan: 100 runs in 29.2 overs (176 balls), Extras 0
• End Of Day: Pakistan - 127/5 in 40.0 overs (Shoaib Malik 9, Abdur Rehman 1)

• Day 3
• Pakistan: 150 runs in 50.1 overs (302 balls), Extras 6
• Drinks: Pakistan - 176/6 in 55.0 overs (Shoaib Malik 31, Salman Butt 16)
• Pakistan: 200 runs in 63.2 overs (381 balls), Extras 13
• 7th Wicket: 50 runs in 92 balls (Shoaib Malik 23, Salman Butt 21, Ex 7)
• Shoaib Malik: 50 off 118 balls (5 x 4)
• Lunch: Pakistan - 219/6 in 68.0 overs (Shoaib Malik 61, Salman Butt 22)
• Drinks: Pakistan - 238/8 in 80.5 overs (Umar Gul 0)
• Pakistan: 250 runs in 83.6 overs (506 balls), Extras 20
• New Ball Taken: Pakistan 267/9 after 91.4 overs (Danish Kaneria 14, Mohammad Asif 3)
• South Africa 2nd innings
• Drinks: South Africa - 41/1 in 13.2 overs (HH Gibbs 16)
• South Africa 2nd Innings: 1x7 ball over (14th over bowled by Abdur Rehman, called by Umpire SJA Taufel)
• South Africa: 50 runs in 18.1 overs (110 balls), Extras 0
• End Of Day: South Africa - 76/3 in 32.0 overs (JH Kallis 18, AG Prince 11)

• Day 4
• 4th Wicket: 50 runs in 133 balls (JH Kallis 28, AG Prince 18, Ex 4)
• South Africa: 100 runs in 40.1 overs (242 balls), Extras 4
• Drinks: South Africa - 122/3 in 47.0 overs (JH Kallis 35, AG Prince 39)
• South Africa: 150 runs in 54.6 overs (331 balls), Extras 6
• JH Kallis: 50 off 133 balls (4 x 4)
• Lunch: South Africa - 171/5 in 63.0 overs (JH Kallis 57, MV Boucher 19)
• 6th Wicket: 50 runs in 87 balls (JH Kallis 22, MV Boucher 29, Ex 1)
• South Africa: 200 runs in 71.2 overs (429 balls), Extras 12
• Drinks: South Africa - 215/6 in 79.0 overs (JH Kallis 74, A Nel 11)
• 7th Wicket: 50 runs in 88 balls (JH Kallis 18, A Nel 28, Ex 4)
• South Africa: 250 runs in 85.1 overs (512 balls), Extras 12
• JH Kallis: 100 off 201 balls (4 x 4, 1 x 6)
• Pakistan 2nd innings
• Pakistan: 50 runs in 11.3 overs (69 balls), Extras 4
• 3rd Wicket: 50 runs in 69 balls (Younis Khan 32, Faisal Iqbal 21, Ex 0)
• Younis Khan: 50 off 51 balls (8 x 4)
• Pakistan: 100 runs in 23.2 overs (140 balls), Extras 4
• 3rd Wicket: 100 runs in 122 balls (Younis Khan 61, Faisal Iqbal 40, Ex 0)
• End Of Day: Pakistan - 146/3 in 33.0 overs (Younis Khan 93, Mohammad Asif 1)

• Day 5
• Pakistan: 150 runs in 34.1 overs (205 balls), Extras 4
• Younis Khan: 100 off 108 balls (15 x 4, 1 x 6)
• Drinks: Pakistan - 180/4 in 46.0 overs (Younis Khan 113, Misbah-ul-Haq 5)
• Pakistan: 200 runs in 57.2 overs (344 balls), Extras 8
• Drinks: Pakistan - 200/5 in 58.0 overs (Misbah-ul-Haq 11, Shoaib Malik 1)
• Lunch: Pakistan - 230/5 in 69.0 overs (Misbah-ul-Haq 23, Shoaib Malik 15)
• Drinks: Pakistan - 245/7 in 80.0 overs (Shoaib Malik 20, Abdur Rehman 0)
• New Ball Taken: Pakistan 245/7 after 80.1 overs (Shoaib Malik 20, Abdur Rehman 0)
• Pakistan: 250 runs in 81.4 overs (491 balls), Extras 13

2nd Test v Pakistan at Lahore - Oct 8-12, 2007

Tour Match v tbc at Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore - Oct 16, 2007

1st ODI v Pakistan at Lahore - Oct 18, 2007

2nd ODI v Pakistan at Lahore - Oct 20, 2007

3rd ODI v Pakistan at Faisalabad - Oct 23, 2007

4th ODI v Pakistan at Multan - Oct 26, 2007

5th ODI v Pakistan at Karachi - Oct 29, 2007

Good work uma!! 👏
i'll b regular here!! 😛

Pakistan v South Africa, 2nd Test, Lahore
Inzamam farewell could distract Pakistan - Smith


Graeme Smith, the South African captain, has said Inzamam-ul-Haq's swansong could be a distraction for Pakistan in their must-win second Test starting in Lahore on Monday. South Africa are 1-0 up in the two-match series after a convincing 160-run victory in Karachi.

"It certainly can be I guess," Smith said, when asked if Pakistan's current captain, Shoaib Malik, could be distracted by having his predecessor in the team. "They have a young captain and how he is going to manage that is going to be key for him. It can put a lot of pressure on him. Inzamam carries a huge aura around him in this set-up, which I have noticed playing against Pakistan in the last two years. It will be key how he [Malik] handles it."

Pakistan also hope Mohammad Yousuf will return to the side after pulling out of the first Test at the last minute, citing lack of match fitness. Smith said how Inzamam and Yousuf fit into Pakistan's squad will be crucial to the outcome of the match.

"Their records are world class, but how they fit back into the set-up is a question mark, how much cricket they have played is another question and what is happening to the pitch in Lahore is going to be another issue," he said. "But it's for them to worry. We need to go from strength to strength and we have given ourselves a wonderful opportunity to win a series in the subcontinent." South Africa lost the two-Test series in Pakistan in 2003-04, but had won 1-0 in 1997-98.

Malik, meanwhile, chose to look to look at the second as a final opportunity to play their three most experienced batsmen in the hope of levelling the series. "We batted poorly in the first Test but with Inzamam and Yousuf coming in the side I hope our batting will be very strong. This is our chance to square the series and we will do our best to do that."

AFP

Pakistan v South Africa, 2nd Test, Lahore....

Inzamam prepares for final battle

Osman Samiuddin in Lahore

October 7, 2007



Inzamam-ul-Haq gets ready for his last Test match AFP



Apart from looking light of paunch, not much about Inzamam-ul-Haq's last touch-football training session appeared any different to the many that preceded it. He ambled around on the periphery, occasionally roused himself to sprint and throw passes, before stopping to amble again. The others accorded him the respect they always have by not really running after him that hard.

Cool as you like he had a bat in the nets, but admitted the occasion got to him. "Today when I went to do batting practice in the nets I got a little bit emotional."

The last year has been unkind to Inzamam and it has brought him to this: resignation from the captaincy, ODI retirement and now from Tests, when he feels he can still play on for a year. "It was a tough decision, but when I looked at the youngsters in the dressing room, I thought they shouldn't be put under pressure and it was better to quit. Every player should realise himself when it is the right time for him to leave.

"There are lots of youngsters who have bright futures and I hope by the time the next World Cup (2011) comes, the team will be in better shape. The way we have performed in the World Twenty20, there are lots of encouraging signs."

Inzamam praised the Pakistan board for affording him this send-off, dignified if a little forced, but it's one very few ex-players have been able to command. He wasn't thinking ahead just yet, however. "My priority is to perform well and help Pakistan draw the series."

His return puts Pakistan in an unusual situation. Shoaib Malik, the captain, rightly sees it as a bulking up of the middle-order, especially with the return also of Mohammad Yousuf. But it could leave them distracted as well, as Graeme Smith has pointed out.

"Both players are coming back after a while and it might affect Pakistan," said Smith. "We're making sure we concentrate on playing the style of cricket we played in the first Test."

But Smith acknowledged that both were serious batsmen, no matter what the situation or context. "We were prepared for Yousuf in the first Test and we have played against Inzamam recently so our game-plan is pretty much in place for these two batsmen. We are pretty comfortable but they are world-class players. How they fit back in their setup is their challenge and how we bowl is our challenge."

Over 20,000 international runs, 35 hundreds and 17 years after his debut, against West Indies in 1991, Inzamam will play his last game at the venue where it all began: the Gaddafi Stadium. "I still remember that game. It feels as if it was only yesterday." If it was, then some day it's been.

def supporting my team here...luv my team...hey im gonna cry as dis will be inzis last match.. 😭 😭 has been a gr8 player for Pak and we all will have to pay tribute to dis guy.... 😛

Inzamam times it perfectly, and leaves behind an enviable legacy

The big man goes

Osman Samiuddin

October 5, 2007



Inzamam-ul-Haq's glittering career will come to an end with the Lahore Test AFP




A sombre press conference at the National Stadium in Karachi brought down the curtain on one of the most glittering careers in Pakistan cricket. Inzamam-ul-Haq probably wouldn't have wanted it any other way. The former captain - and arguably the greatest Pakistan batsman alongside Javed Miandad - announced that next week's second Test against South Africa at Lahore will be his 120th and his last.

As ever, neither mood nor expression nor inflection could be gauged from Inzamam's face. He said, "I am available for the Lahore Test. This will be my last Test for Pakistan. It was a difficult decision for me but I decided it is better for Pakistan." He could just as easily have been talking about a poor day in the field and Pakistan's propensity for no-balls and extras.

He looked considerably slimmer than at the World Cup, fitter perhaps for he had, until recently been prepared to fight for his Test place. A brief stint for Yorkshire revealed his desire, though not perhaps his class, as only one fifty in three county matches shows.

Inzamam acknowledged he could have played on physically, but mentally might have not fit into a young dressing room with a new captain. "I have played cricket all my life and I felt I had 12-18 months left in me still. But I realised the boys are playing well since the World Cup and felt that the age gap between me and them, in the dressing-room, might have been too much. It could have affected the dressing-room."

Through this Test, and the days preceding it, the air has been rife with talk of deals. Perhaps it was an inevitable produce of rumours of the biggest deal in Pakistan - between the President and Benazir Bhutto - but Nasim Ashraf, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, denied numerous reports that a golden handshake agreement had been reached with Inzamam to send him off into the sunset.

Instead, he chose to focus on a "new tradition" of a great player announcing his retirement at the right time and in the right spirit. "All reports regarding any deal are just not correct. Inzamam came to me himself and said that he doesn't want to put undue pressure on the dressing-room with his presence. Inzamam has started a great tradition which we haven't seen in Pakistan before and we should respect and praise him for that. This is a decision for the future of Pakistan cricket."

Such talk will undoubtedly recede over coming days and the focus will rightly switch to Inzamam's body of work. An impressive one it is too: third-highest ODI run-scorer, most Test centuries for Pakistan, 17 match-winning hundreds from 25, one of the best slip catchers and series wins as captain over a strong England and Indian side in 2005-06.

He stands also, just 20 runs short of Miandad's tally as the leading Test run-scorer for Pakistan. Lahore provides him an opportunity for a fitting finale, though the record is not on his mind. "This is not important to me. Obviously it is a big thing to break it, but breaking Javed bhai's record is not such a happy thing." More disappointing, though he didn't say publicly, will be missing out on making 10,000 Test runs.

As is a must on such occasions, he was asked to name his single most memorable moment. The reply was trademark Inzi, dry and self-deprecating. "If I had only one moment to recall in a 119-Test career, it wouldn't be much of a career. It's difficult, but the first was the World Cup 1992 win and the other was my comeback Test against Bangladesh in Multan in 2003." One of his finest hundreds it was, even taking into account the opposition, for the multifarious pressures he was under at the time. Had he not won it, he admitted, he would've retired then, not now.

However and predictably, with the happy days come the sad, most recently the 2007 World Cup campaign where he oversaw Pakistan's ouster to Ireland. It heavily dented, he said to reporters later, his passion and motivation for the game. Undoubtedly there were others, but on balance, it was a career well-constructed. "There are many things you want to achieve but you can't always. Overall, I can look back and thank God for the career I have had."

All of Pakistan, and much of the cricket world, will no doubt thank him for the career he has had.

Originally posted by: farisss4

def supporting my team here...luv my team...hey im gonna cry as dis will be inzis last match.. 😭 😭 has been a gr8 player for Pak and we all will have to pay tribute to dis guy.... 😛

I think south africca will again 😊