"I felt I should tell chachu, what was my mistake?" - Imam-ul-Haq on comparisons with Inzamam
Pakistan batter Imam-ul-Haq has opened up about the constant comparisons with legendary former skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq, who is also his uncle. The left-handed batter, despite making his mark in ODI and Test cricket, is still being compared to the former cricketer, especially in terms of career trajectories.
Imam-ul-Haq has been a vital cog for the Men in Green at the top of the order over the last three years. He currently holds an average of over 50 in ODIs and has made some serious strides in red-ball cricket as well.
Moreover, he is primed to play a crucial role in Pakistan's build-up to the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
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Admitting that he has often thought about addressing comparison concerns to Inzamam himself, Imam-ul-Haq told Pakistan Cricket:
“Sach batau ko dil kaafi dafa kiya hai ki chachu ko bolu 'meri kya galti thi' (If I'm being honest, I felt I should tell chachu (Inzamam), ‘what was my mistake?’).”
He continued:
“But some things come unwanted in your life. People say that I handled it well, but I actually didn't. I just went with the flow because I had no other option. I came after a long process as well; I played two U19 World Cups, played in 45 first-class matches and had an average of 50 in the Qaid-e-Azam trophy when I was first picked in the team.”
Imam-ul-Haq made his international debut in 2017 against Sri Lanka and became the second Pakistani player to score an ODI ton on debut. Since then, he has played 54 ODIs and 18 Tests. He failed to make an impression in T20Is despite getting a couple of chances in 2019.
"He played a very big role in supporting me" - Imam-ul-Haq on Babar Azam
The opening batter has largely flourished under Babar Azam's captaincy. He was among the few positives that Pakistan attained over the course of a disappointing season at home, where they failed to win a single Test.
Babar Azam and Imam Ul Haq have been named in Wisden's ODI Team of the Year for 2022.
Crediting Babar Azam for his support during the formative years of his career, Imam-ul-Haq said:
“Initially, I couldn't handle the pressure and I won't lie. I didn't know what to do. And I would like to mention Babar here. He played a very big role in supporting me. We played a lot of cricket together.
"And it was vice-versa, if he had doubts, we used to discuss them as well. In my family, we are all fighters and we don't give up easily. So I kept on putting the hard work and I had good people around me."
The opening batter recently scored a fighting 96-run knock in the drawn first Test against New Zealand. He has forged a formidable partnership at the top of the order alongside Abdullah Shafique in Tests.
As far as ODI cricket is concerned, Imam-ul-Haq holds the second spot in the ICC rankings behind Babar Azam. In 2022, a year where ODI cricket was arguably far from the limelight, he scored 505 runs at an average of 72.14.
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