Inzamam sheds 23 pounds to excel in World Cup

JOHANNESBURG (South Africa), January 31: Pakistan vice-captain Inzamam-ul-Haq Friday said he had lost about 23 pounds in the last six months just to be in his best physical shape for the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup that begins February 9.

Inzamam-ul-Haq Photo © CricInfo

"I want to look the same as I looked during the 1992 World Cup - a shy and thin boy. It has taken a lot of sacrifice (losing weight) but then if I had to be in the best of shapes, I had to do it. After all, this World Cup means a lot not only to me but to 140 million people back home who expect me to perform," Inzamam said at the Wanderers where Pakistan had another extensive fielding session after the Jumma (Friday) prayers.

"I am sure I will not be criticised for my weight this time," Inzamam said wearing a broad smile.

Inzamam, widely criticized for being over-weight, is considered the backbone of the Pakistan's batting after notching up 8,939 runs from 284 games at 39.20. Inzamam, as a 22 year old, burst onto the international scene with a rapid 60 off 37 balls against New Zealand in the 1992 World Cup semifinal and then played another swashbuckling knock in the final against Australia that propelled Pakistan to a winning 249.

"I feel fresh and more athletic after having lost the weight. I can feel there is a huge difference between the Inzamam of today and Inzamam of maybe six months ago. I have had long nets and fielding sessions and I don't feel tired at all.

"Now I am sure that I will be able to spend more time at the crease because the new-look body will now put comparatively lesser pressure on my troubled knees. At the same time, I can be quicker between the wickets and therefore, little chance of being run-out," Inzamam said, adding: "I would like to lose another five pounds by the time we take on India on March 1."

Team doctor Riaz Ahmed said Inzamam weighed about 103.5kg during the triangular one-day tournament in Tangiers in August. "But we worked slowly and gradually on him. The aim was that he drops about one-kg in seven to 10 days. I am glad he has now trimmed his body and that too without skipping meals. He has taken the right diet at the right time. I think it is also a guideline for others too."

Inzamam will be playing in his fourth World Cup and has so far scored 624 runs from 24 matches at 29.71.

"I know this type of mediocre performance is not acceptable this time. We have an excellent team but we have to post winning runs. I consider I have a big role to play and need to lead by example. I have to carry the younger boys under my wings and they will only succeed if I am there in the centre to guide them, exactly the way Javed Miandad did in the 1992 World Cup," Inzamam, whose best score in the World Cup has been 81, said.

Inzamam admitted that Pakistan had a rough last couple of months. But stressed that it was now a rejuvenated team and there has been a sudden change in the attitude of the players.

"I know people who have written us off would not trust me. But the truth is that there is a massive turn-around in the attitude of the players. I don't know whether it is because of the World Cup or if they have realised that the nation has high hopes on them or maybe because they feel it is time for them to pay back the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that has gone all the way to support them. Whatever maybe the case, this team looks determined, disciplined and committed.

"I think this all reflects the mental toughness of the boys who despite being on the receiving end when they were here last time, are geared up to give more than hundred percent. I can see the change in the attitude at nets, fielding sessions and in team hotel. I mean there are more team meetings and consequently more participation of the boys, and the players are moving together and discussing cricket.

"That is something we missed recently. But now everything seems alright and I am sure if we do well in this competition, everyone would forget what happened on the last tour to South Africa or maybe against Australia (at Sharjah)," Inzamam said.

Inzamam said he was personally happy with the schedule of the tournament.

"We play against Australia first and irrespective of the result, we would know that we wouldn't face them again until the semifinal or the final. That would allow the boys to stay focused on the remaining games, including the most important match against India. What I want to stress is that if we had to play the world champions last, the boys might have been in a different frame of mind and consequently their performance in the other games might have also been affected."

Inzamam, however, maintained that Pakistan team would have to keep the momentum if they wanted to succeed in the tournament. "We played excellent and aggressive cricket in 1999 and suddenly the graph went down and we lost badly in the final though we didn't deserve to lose that badly but now we can only learn from that."

Samiul Hasan
Media Manager
Pakistan Cricket Team
January 31, 2003

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