Andrew Symonds

Symonds against India in Sydney, 2008
Personal information
Full name	Andrew Symonds
Born	(1975-06-09) 9 June 1975 (age 37) Birmingham, England
Nickname	Roy, Symo
Batting style	Right-hand
Bowling style	Right-arm medium Right-arm off break
Role	All-rounder
International information
National side	Australia
Test debut (cap 388)	8 March 2004 v Sri Lanka
Last Test	26 December 2008 v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 139)	10 November 1998 v Pakistan
Last ODI	3 May 2009 v Pakistan
ODI shirt no.	63
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1994–2011	Queensland
1995–1996	Gloucestershire
1999–2004	Kent
2005	Lancashire
2008–2010	Deccan Chargers
2010	Surrey
2011	Mumbai Indians
Career statistics
Competition	Test	ODI	FC	List A
Matches	26	198	227	424
Runs scored	1,462	5,088	14,477	11,099
Batting average	40.61	39.75	42.20	34.04
100s/50s	2/10	6/30	40/65	9/64
Top score	162*	156	254*	156
Balls bowled	2,094	5,935	17,633	11,713
Wickets	24	133	242	282
Bowling average	37.333	37.25	36.00	33.25
5 wickets in innings	0	1	2	4
10 wickets in match	0	n/a	0	n/a
Best bowling	3/50	5/18	6/105	6/14
Catches/stumpings	22/–	82/–	159/–	187/–
Source: CricketArchive, 21 November 2009

Andrew Symonds (born 9 June 1975, Birmingham, England) is a former Australian cricket team all-rounder. A two-time World Cup winner, Symonds is a right-handed middle order batsman and alternates between medium pace and off-spin bowling. He also is considered exceptionally talented when it comes to fielding.

Since mid-2008, he spent most of the time out of the team, due to disciplinary reasons, including alcohol.^[1] In June 2009 he was sent home from the 2009 World Twenty20, his third suspension, expulsion or exclusion from selection in the space of a year. His central contract was then withdrawn,^[2] and many cricket analysts have speculated that the Australian administrators will no longer tolerate him, and that Symonds may announce his retirement.^[3] On 16 February 2012, Symonds announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, in an attempt to concentrate on his family life.^[4]

Early life[link]

One of Symonds' biological parents was of West Indian background and the other was believed to be of Danish or Swedish descent.^[5] Symonds' adoptive parents Ken and Barbara moved to Australia shortly after his adoption, when he was three months old.^[6] Of the adopted siblings, Louise Symonds participated in Gladiators. He also has two non-adopted siblings. He spent the early part of his childhood in Charters Towers, northern Queensland, where his father Ken taught at the private fee paying All Souls St Gabriels School, which Andrew attended.^[7] He showed sporting prowess from a very early age. "Dad was cricket mad. He’d throw balls to me five or six days a week, before school, after school. And we’d play all sorts of games inside the house with ping-pong balls and Christmas decorations."^[8] Much of his junior cricket was played in Townsville for the Wanderers club, father and son making the 270-kilometre return trip sometimes twice a week.^[6] The family later moved to the Gold Coast, where his parents were on the staff of All Saints Anglican School in Merrimac. Symonds was a student at the school.^[9]

Overview of cricket career[link]

Symonds is an aggressive right-handed batsman who can also bowl off spin or medium pace, making him a good all-rounder. He is an exceptional fielder, with a report prepared by Cricinfo in late 2005 showing that since the 1999 Cricket World Cup, he had effected the fifth equal most run-outs in ODI cricket of any fieldsman, with the fourth highest success rate.^[10] He is very agile for his size and weight (medium-heavy build; 187 cm tall), has excellent reflexes, is able to take catches well and has a powerful and accurate throwing arm. His nickname is Roy, shortened from the name Leroy, after a coach from early in his career believed he resembled local Brisbane NBL hero Leroy Loggins.^[11] He was an AIS Australian Cricket Academy scholarship holder in 1994.^[12] In 1995, after playing in his first season for English county Gloucestershire, Symonds won the Cricket Writer's Club Young Cricketer of the Year award.^[13] Shortly afterwards Symonds was selected as part of the England A team that was to tour Pakistan in the winter, however, he decided not to go, instead choosing to pursue an international career for Australia. His place on the tour was later taken by Middlesex player, Jason Pooley.^[13]

Domestic cricket[link]

Australian State Cricket[link]

Since making his debut for the Queensland state team in the 1994–95 season Symonds has scored more than 5,000 runs and taken more than 100 wickets for his state. Symonds scored 113 and took four wickets in a losing cause in the Sheffield Shield final in 1999 and was named Man of the Match in the 2002 Pura Cup final after scoring 123 runs and taking six wickets.

English Counties[link]

Symonds has played for four English counties during his career—Gloucestershire, Kent, Lancashire and Surrey.^[13] Symonds first appearance for an English county was with Gloucestershire. Initially he was considered an England-qualified player, however, following his first season of county cricket in 1995 he declared that his allegiances lay with Australia when he chose not to tour Pakistan with the England A team.^[13]

It was in this season though that he hit a record 16 sixes in his unbeaten 254 against Glamorgan at Abergavenny. In doing so, he beat the previous mark set by New Zealand's John R. Reid. Wisden reported that the 16th six "landed on a tennis court about 20 feet (6.1 m) over the boundary" and "though he was undoubtedly helped by the short boundaries, it would have been a hugely effective innings on any ground in the world". Symonds added four more sixes in the second innings, to beat the old record of 17 in a match, set by Warwickshire's Jim Stewart against Lancashire at Blackpool in 1959.

Between 1999 and 2004 Symonds played for Kent. One of the highlights of his time there came on 2 July 2004, when he hit a 43-ball 112 for Kent Spitfires in a Twenty20 Cup match against Middlesex Crusaders.

In July 2005 he signed for Lancashire for the rest of the English season having finished duties as part of Australia's ODI squad.

In April 2010 he signed for Surrey Lions to play in the Friends Provident t20 competition.

Indian Premier League[link]

On 20 February 2008 Symonds signed up with the IPL franchise Deccan Chargers from Hyderabad for US$1,350,000 which made him the second most expensive player in the league at that time. The same team also secured Australian team-mate Adam Gilchrist for US$700,000. The IPL commenced on 18 April 2008. On 24 April 2008 Symonds made 117 not out off 53 balls against the Rajasthan Royals.^[14] The Royals ended up winning that match as Symonds bowled the last over and conceded 19 runs when the Royals required 17 runs from six balls.

Symonds missed most of the second season of the IPL due to International commitments. However, he played a crucial part in the triumph of his team towards the end of the season.

Symonds started the third season convincingly scoring two 50s in his first three games with the Mongoose Cricket Bat.^[15][16]

In the fourth season, Symonds was contracted by Mumbai Indians for US$850,000.

International career[link]

Although Symonds was originally qualified to play for England due to it being the country of his birth, in 1995 he decided that he wished to pursue an international career for Australia instead.^[13] His international debut came on 10 November 1998, when he played in a One Day International (ODI) for Australia against Pakistan at Lahore.^[17] As an ODI player, he is known for scoring runs at an excellent strike rate of over 90, with a highest score of 156.

However, at the start of his international career, Symonds struggled to make an impact with the bat and ball, although his fielding was of high quality, and was not a regular member of the playing XI. He cemented his place in the team in Australia's opening match of the 2003 Cricket World Cup, having been controversially given a lifeline before the start of the tournament when captain Ricky Ponting publicly called for his selection in the team after allrounder Shane Watson had to withdraw due to injury. Australia had no choice but to pick Symonds after their squad was depleted at the start of the campaign; Shane Warne was sent home after failing a drugs test, Darren Lehmann was still serving a suspension for racial abuse, and Michael Bevan was injured.

In the first match against Pakistan, Symonds scored 143* to guide Australia from 4/86 to 8/310, and Australia went on to a heavy victory and won all their matches to claim the World Cup. Following this breakthrough series, Symonds became consistently effective and a core member of the ODI team. Symonds is sometimes branded as a one-day International 'specialist' as his ODI record with both ball and bat are far better than that of his Test match averages.

In March 2004, Symonds made his long-awaited Test debut in Australia's tour of Sri Lanka after showing great form in One Day International cricket in 2003. The decision was regarded as speculative and based on ODI form rather than a proven track record in first-class cricket, and he replaced Simon Katich, who had scored a century and unbeaten fifty in Australia's previous Test.

Playing as a batsman, Symonds encountered difficulty against Muttiah Muralitharan on the dusty, spinning Sri Lankan tracks, failing to pass 25 in any of his four innings, and was dropped after two Test matches in favour of Katich. Australia then continued to pursue their policy of selecting six specialist batsmen in the longer form of the game, and Symonds was not recalled in that time.

He was recalled in November 2005 following the injury to Shane Watson, as Australia's search for an all-rounder continued. After five Tests, with a batting average of 12.62 and a bowling average of 85.00, his position in the team was under a cloud until the 2005 Boxing Day Test. On the first day of the match, he was out caught behind for a golden duck. Then, with his batting average threatening to drop under 10 and bowling average pushing 100, Symonds took 3/50 in the South African first innings before blasting 72 off 54 balls in the second innings (including a new Australian record for the fastest Test fifty—40 balls) and taking 2/6.

Andrew Symonds batting against South Africa in 2006

At the 2006 Allan Border Medal count, Symonds would have won the One Day player of the year award as he polled the most votes, but was ineligible due to a late night of drinking which led to him turning up still inebriated to a match against Bangladesh, after which he was suspended. Symonds won Player of the Series in the 2005–06 Australian VB Series.

While batting in the second Test in the Australian 2006 tour of South Africa, Symonds was struck in the face of his helmet by a bouncer off Makhaya Ntini. Symonds required four stitches on the inside of his upper lip. Struggling for reliable impact, Symonds was again dropped at the end of this series.

Following the retirement of Damien Martyn during the Ashes in 2006–07 Symonds was again recalled to the team. Scoring just 26 and 2 in his first Test back he found himself under pressure to justify his place in the team. In the Boxing Day Test Symonds faced his biggest challenge when arriving at the crease with Australia in deep trouble at 5/84. After a slow start to his innings he proceeded to score his first Test century, combining with his good friend Matthew Hayden to put on a 279 run partnership and bringing up the century with a six. Symonds was finally dismissed for 156.

Andrew Symonds on the way to his maiden Test hundred

Although selected in Australia's 15-member World Cup squad he was unavailable for selection for the first few matches because he ruptured his biceps while batting against England on 2 February 2007 in the Commonwealth Bank Tri Series. Surgery was performed and Symonds underwent extensive physical rehabilitation. As a result he missed the remainder of that tournament as well as the Chappell–Hadlee Trophy in New Zealand while Australia suffered their longest losing streak in over a decade. Symonds remarkably made a relatively quick recovery after returning for Australia's win in their last preliminary World Cup match against South Africa.^[18][19] He bowled the final ball of the 2007 Cricket World Cup that was hosted in the West Indies.The final was contested between Australia and Sri Lanka and was shortened to 38/36 overs per side due to rain throughout the day.^[20] Even the final few overs of the Sri Lanka innings were played in almost darkness.

Allegations of racial taunts[link]

Symonds

In 2007, crowds at the One Day Series in Vadodara, Nagpur and Mumbai were seen to offend Symonds with monkey chants. After the BCCI initially denied the incident at Vadodara took place, further incidents occurred at the other grounds in the series.^[21][22]

During Sri Lanka's tour of Australia in 2007–08 he had good form with the bat but had an ankle injury which ruled him out of the rest of the Test series.

During the second Test against India on 2 January 2008 Symonds completed his second Test century, coming to the crease with Australia at 4/119. When Michael Clarke (1) and then Adam Gilchrist (7) were dismissed in quick succession Australia found themselves in poor shape at 6/134. Symonds and Brad Hogg put on a record 7th wicket partnership at the S.C.G (also a record for Australia vs. India) of 173 until Hogg was dismissed for 79. Symonds was the beneficiary of some controversial decisions in the course of his innings. At stumps on the first day, Symonds was not out on 137, and Australia 376/7. By the end of the innings, Symonds finished on 162 not out, when the Australians were finally bowled out for 463.^[23] In January 2008, Indian spin bowler Harbhajan Singh received a three-match ban after a complaint that he had racially abused Symonds during the third day of the Second Test at the SCG. It was alleged that Harbahjan called Symonds a "monkey" after Symonds confronted him over touching fellow Australian player Brett Lee. The case was decided by the match referee, Mike Procter, in a hearing held after the match.^[24] The BCCI lodged an appeal against the decision. On 29 January 2008, after the hearing of the appeal, at Adelaide by ICC appeals commissioner John Hansen, the racism charge on Harbahjan Singh was not proved and the three Test ban was lifted. However, a lesser charge (Level 2.8 offense) of using abusive language was applied and Harbahjan was fined 50% of his match fee. Hansen later admitted that he "could have imposed a more serious penalty if he was made aware by the ICC of the bowler's previous transgressions"—including a suspended one Test Match ban. The ICC claimed the "database and human errors ... played a part in Harbhajan Singh escaping a more severe penalty during his appeal hearing in Adelaide".^[25] Hansen also criticised Symonds in his report accusing him of swearing at Harbahjan after a friendly gesture by Harbahjan towards Brett Lee. It was also reported that senior players had written a letter to John Hansen requesting a downgrading of the charge. The letter was signed by Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting and counter-signed by Michael Clarke, Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds.^[26][27] The stump microphone audio was removed immediately after the alleged incident between Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds was released by Channel Nine.^[28]

During the second final of the 2007–08 Commonwealth Bank Series against India on 4 March 2008, Symonds shoulder charged a male streaker who had entered the playing arena. Symonds, who had once considered a career in rugby league with the Brisbane Broncos,^[29] may have faced assault charges had the man taken legal action.^[30]

Controversy and dismissal[link]

Symonds was set to play for Australia in the August 2008 series against Bangladesh in Darwin, but was sent home to Queensland after missing the team meeting on the Friday while out fishing. Stand-in captain Michael Clarke told the media that Symonds would have to re-evaluate his desire to represent Australia: "The main concern from us is Andrew's commitment, to playing for this team and, in my opinion and I know the rest of the leadership team's opinion, you need to be committed 100 per cent."^[31]

He was also not selected for the Australian tour to India in October 2008, as further punishment for his misadventure. After Australia's two-nil series loss, however, he quickly become an integral part of its future plans and was selected to play the Test Series against New Zealand in November.^[32] He did not play any significant role in the First Test, which Australia won, but at the end of the Test, on 22 November, was involved in an incident in a Brisbane pub and reported to have been involved in a brawl with another patron who had attempted to hug and have his photo taken with the cricketer. He was subsequently cleared by Cricket Australia to play in the Second Test.^[33]

He then played in the first two Tests of the next series against South Africa but performed poorly and was omitted from the team for the Third Test due to injury; at the same time, many critics called for his omission on performance grounds.

In January 2009, Symonds gave an interview with sports comedians Roy & HG, in which he made remarks about the acquisition of New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum by the New South Wales Blues to play in KFC Twenty20 final against Victoria, despite McCullum's not having played at all for the Blues previously. Sounding intoxicated, Symonds called McCullum a "lump of shit", and declared that having dinner at the home of team-mate Matthew Hayden was enjoyable because he could glance at Hayden's wife. He was charged by Cricket Australia with violating its code of conduct and was fined, following a hearing with Cricket Australia chief Michael Brown over the 25-minute radio appearance. As a result he was also indefinitely barred from selection until he was deemed to have been successfully rehabilitated, and made to work with a psychologist.^[34]

In the meantime, he continued to play for Queensland, but was overlooked for Australia's ongoing international matches, missing three five-match series against South Africa, New Zealand and South Africa respectively. He was finally recalled in April to play ODIs against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.^[35]

He was not selected in the 2009 Ashes squad, however, Shane Watson, Andrew McDonald and Marcus North getting the nod instead.^[36] In early June 2009, Symonds was sent home from the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in England following a late-night drinking episode after a team dinner.^[37] Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland called a press conference to announce Symonds' dismissal, which is likely to mark the end of his international cricket career.^[3] His Cricket Australia contract was also reviewed^[38] and later cancelled.^[2]

In June 2009, Symonds told Channel Nine's Sixty Minutes that he was not an alcoholic but merely a binge-drinker. "I go out and drink hard all in one hit—too fast, too much", he said.^[39]

Rugby League[link]

Symonds has been a keen supporter of the Brisbane Broncos since childhood and was considering a switch to rugby league in 2002 when his cricket career was faltering, but ultimately decided to stay in cricket.^[40] On 21 June 2009 he played a game for the Wynnum Manly Seagulls against an all star team featuring some noted players including Marcus Bai and Steve Renouf. He has also trained with the Brisbane Broncos in the past. In 2011 he played in the inaugural 'Legend of Origin' match to support victims of the Queensland floods. He played for Queensland alongside such league legends as Gorden Tallis, Wendell Sailor, Mat Rogers and Mal Meninga^[41]

Appearance in Reality shows[link]

Big Boss Season 5 (India)[link]

Symonds was be the first International Cricketer after Vinod Kambli to enter the Bigg Boss house. He made a wild card entry into the show. Speaking in English being strictly prohibited in the house, Pooja Misrra, one of the most controversial Indian contestant of Bigg Boss acted as a translator for Symonds.^{[42][43][44][45][46]}

Filmography[link]

Symonds made his acting debut in Bollywood with the movie Patiala House starring Akshay Kumar and Anushka Sharma.

Career highlights[link]

Tests

Debut: Against Sri Lanka Galle, 2003–04

• Best Test bowling figures: 3/50 (South Africa, Melbourne, MCG, 2005–06).
• Best Test batting score: 162* (India, Sydney, SCG, 3 January 2008).

One-day Internationals

Debut: Against Pakistan, Lahore, 1998–99

• Best ODI bowling figures: 5/18 (Bangladesh, Manchester, Old Trafford, 2005)
• Best ODI batting score: 156 (New Zealand, Wellington, Westpac Stadium, 7 December 2005)

World Records

Symonds holds the world records for the most sixes hit during a first-class innings (16) and during a first-class match (20), both set while playing for Gloucestershire against Glamorgan as a 20 year old. His first innings score was 254 not out.

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Symonds, Andrew; Gray, Stephen (2007). Roy: Going For Broke. Hardie Grant Books. ISBN 978-1-74066-580-3. 

External links[link]

• Player profile: Andrew Symonds from ESPNcricinfo

v t e Australia squad – 2003 Cricket World Cup (3rd title) 4 Gillespie 11 McGrath 12 Bevan 14 Ponting (c) 18 Gilchrist 25 Lehmann 28 Hayden 29 Harvey 30 Martyn 31 Hogg 34 Bichel 39 Symonds 43 Hauritz 46 Maher 58 Lee 59 Bracken Coach: Buchanan Jason Gillespie, Shane Warne and Shane Watson were named in the original squad but withdrew from the tournament

v t e Australia squad – 2007 Cricket World Cup (4th title) 8 Clark 11 McGrath 14 Ponting (c) 17 Hodge 18 Gilchrist 23 Clarke 25 Johnson 28 Hayden 31 Hogg 32 Tait 33 Watson 48 Hussey 57 Haddin 59 Bracken 63 Symonds Coach: Buchanan Brett Lee was replaced due to injury by Stuart Clark.

v t e Australia squad – 2007 ICC World Twenty20 Semi-Finalists 8 Clark 14 Ponting (c) 17 Hodge 18 Gilchrist 23 Clarke 25 Johnson 28 Hayden 29 Hilfenhaus 31 Hogg 33 Watson 48 Hussey 57 Haddin 58 Lee 59 Bracken 63 Symonds Shaun Tait was named in the original squad but was later ruled out after elbow surgery; he was replaced by Ben Hilfenhaus.

v t e Australia squad – 2009 ICC World Twenty20 7 White 10 Siddle 14 Ponting (c) 20 Hilfenhaus 23 Clarke 25 Johnson 29 D. Hussey 31 Warner 33 Watson 39 Hopes 43 Hauritz 48 M. Hussey 57 Lee 58 Haddin 59 Bracken Coach: Nielsen Andrew Symonds was named in the original squad but later withdrew; he was replaced by Cameron White.

Dale Steyn

Personal information
Full name	Dale Willem Steyn
Born	(1983-06-27) 27 June 1983 (age 28) Phalaborwa, Transvaal Province, South Africa
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Batting style	Right-handed
Bowling style	Right-arm fast
Role	Bowler
International information
National side	South Africa
Test debut (cap 297)	17 December 2004 v England
Last Test	3 January 2012 v Sri Lanka
ODI debut (cap 82)	17 August 2005 v Asia XI
Last ODI	22 January 2012 v Sri Lanka
ODI shirt no.	8
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2003–2004	Northerns
2004–2010	Titans (squad no. 8)
2005	Essex
2007	Warwickshire
2007–2010	Royal Challengers Bangalore (squad no. 2)
2011–present	Deccan Chargers (squad no. 8)
2010–present	Cape Cobras (squad no. 8)
Career statistics
Competition	Test	ODI	FC	LA
Matches	54	63	95	110
Runs scored	770	142	1,274	188
Batting average	15.09	8.35	14.98	7.52
100s/50s	0/1	0/0	0/3	0/0
Top score	76	35	82	35
Balls bowled	11,135	3,071	10,301	5,275
Wickets	272	91	426	164
Bowling average	23.18	28.62	24.18	25.51
5 wickets in innings	17	1	25	3
10 wickets in match	4	n/a	6	n/a
Best bowling	7/51	5/50	8/41	5/20
Catches/stumpings	14/–	15/–	20/–	22/–
Source: Cricinfo, 23 January 2012

Dale Willem Steyn (pronounced /ˈsteɪn/) (born 27 June 1983) is a South African cricketer who plays in Test and One Day International cricket for South Africa. He has been the number one ranked Test bowler in the world for the past three years and achieved the 900+ points benchmark on 13th Nov 2011.^[1] Steyn plays domestic cricket in South Africa for Cape Cobras. He is a right-arm fast bowler, and bowls at speeds of around 145–150 km/h (his fastest being recorded at 156.2 km/h during the 2010 IPL, Bangalore Royal Challengers against Kolkata Knight Riders). Steyn holds the record for the fastest South African to reach 100 wickets in Test Match cricket, a feat he achieved on 2 March 2008.^[2] Steyn currently has the third best bowling strike rate of all time in Test match cricket (amongst bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 2500 deliveries), behind George Lohmann and Shane Bond.^[3] He achieved a tally of 78 wickets at the world class average of 16.24 in Season 2007/08^[4] and was subsequently rewarded with the prestigious ICC 2008 Test Cricketer of the Year Award.^[5]

Playing style[link]

Steyn is an aggressive out-and-out fast bowler capable of bowling at speeds in excess of 150 km/h. He is capable of generating considerable swing and is usually chosen to bowl with the new ball to maximise these attributes.^[6] He has also demonstrated the ability to reverse swing the older ball in a Test match against India in Nagpur in 2010,^[7] which South Africa won by an innings and six runs. Steyn is an extremely competitive cricketer and often celebrates vigorously after taking a wicket. He has stated that "(he) love(s) the buzz from bowling fast" and that "(he) want(s) to be the quickest in the world".^[8]

Steyn is usually considered a tail-ender when batting and often bats at number ten or eleven. However, he is a capable hitter of the ball and can also occupy the crease if required.

Domestic career[link]

Steyn made his first-class debut for Northerns (subsequently merged with Easterns to form the Titans) on 17 October 2003. He only played two first-class games and made little impact in his first season, but a series of strong performances in the initial part of the 2004/2005 season saw him called up to the Test squad to play England. He went back to playing for the Titans after failing to impress in his first three Tests.

Steyn went to England in 2005 to play for Essex, appearing in seven matches between May and June. He failed to make a big impact in his initial outing in County Championship cricket, taking 14 wickets at 59.85.^[9] On his return to domestic cricket in South Africa, Steyn bowled excellently for the Titans through the 2005/2006 season which earned him a recall to the Test squad to face New Zealand.^[10]

Steyn seized the opportunity to cement his place in the South Africa Test team, and as a result of becoming a regular selection for the national team, he has subsequently played little domestic cricket in South Africa during the last two seasons, appearing for the Titans in just three SuperSport Series matches.

He had a second stint in England, playing for Warwickshire in the first half of the 2007 English season. This time around he had more success, claiming 23 County Championship wickets in seven matches at an average of 25.86.^[9] He also played well in the Friends Provident Trophy, a 50-over tournament, finishing as the leading wicket-taker for Warwickshire. He has since become a regular in the South African One Day International team.

Steyn signed to play in the Indian Premier League in 2008, playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. He earned US$325,000 for his appearance in the tournament.^[11] For IPL 2011 he was bought by Deccan Chargers for a whopping $1.2 million.^[12]

International career[link]

Dale Steyn in the field at the SCG in January 2009

Home Tests against England 2004/05[link]

Steyn made his debut for South Africa on 17 December 2004 in the first Test of England's tour. His first victim in Test cricket was Marcus Trescothick whom he bowled with a fast in-swinging delivery.^[13] However, his overall performance was underwhelming, he took eight wickets at an average of 52.00^[14] and he was dropped after bowling poorly in England's second innings of the fourth Test in January 2005, bowling eight no balls in nine overs which went for 47 runs.^[15] England won the match by 77 runs.

One Day Internationals 2005/06[link]

Later that year, Steyn was picked in the squad for the African XI in the Afro-Asia Cup of 2005/06, and he made his One Day International debut on 17 August 2005. The African XI won the match, with Steyn bowling last batsman Ashish Nehra to seal victory by two runs.^[16] Steyn made his One Day International debut for South Africa on 20 January 2006 in a match against Australia at Melbourne, a match which was part of the 2005-06 VB Series. Steyn did not bowl particularly well^[17] and after another below par performance against Sri Lanka^[18] he dropped out of consideration for the South African ODI team.

Home Tests against New Zealand 2005/2006[link]

Following a strong season playing domestic cricket for the Titans, Steyn was recalled to the Test side to play New Zealand in April 2006. He responded to his opportunity with his first five-wicket haul in the first Test at Centurion, ripping through the New Zealand batting lineup along with Makhaya Ntini as New Zealand crumbled to 120 all out, chasing 248 to win.^[19] He finished the three Test series with 16 wickets at 26.00^[20] and made a fine impression throughout.

Away Tests against Sri Lanka 2006[link]

Steyn was included in the Test team to play Sri Lanka away in a two match series in July and August 2006. In his first overseas Test, at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo, he took 3 for 129 as Sri Lanka piled up 756-5, with Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene putting together the highest Test match partnership ever (624 runs). South Africa slumped to defeat by an innings and 153 runs.^[21] In the second Test, at the Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo, Steyn took his second five-wicket haul in Tests during Sri Lanka's first innings, but went wicketless in their seconds innings as Sri Lanka sealed a 2-0 series victory by a single wicket.^[22] Steyn finished the series with eight wickets at an average of 36.50.^[20]

Home Tests against India 2006/07[link]

Steyn retained his Test place for the three match home series against India. He picked up an injury whilst bowling early in India's first innings in the first Test at Johannesburg which prevented him from taking much further part in the game and also ruled him out of the second Test. He returned to play in the deciding third Test at Cape Town and bowled well, taking six wickets for 88 runs in the match as South Africa clinched the match and the series.^[23] He finished the series with six wickets at an average of 19.00.^[24]

Home Tests against Pakistan 2006/07[link]

Despite his strong performance on his return to the team in the third Test against India, Steyn missed out on a place in the first two Tests against Pakistan, with the selectors opting to play a four man attack featuring full-time spinner Paul Harris. He returned in the third Test, at Cape Town, when the selectors decided to rest André Nel and Shaun Pollock in preparation for the imminent 2007 Cricket World Cup. He took four wickets in the match for 87 runs as South Africa won the match by 5 wickets and took the series 2-1.^[25] As this was his only match, his average for the series was 21.75.^[24]

One Day Internationals 2007[link]

Steyn was recalled to the South African ODI squad in June 2007 and played in three matches between June and August, against Ireland, India and Zimbabwe. He had mixed success in these three matches, taking wickets but proving expensive.^[26]

Away Tests against Pakistan 2007/2008[link]

Steyn was picked for the Test squad to tour Pakistan in October, and played in both Tests. In the first Test at Karachi, during Pakistan's second innings, he picked up his third Test five-wicket haul as Pakistan were bowled out for 263 chasing 424 to win.^[27] He had an unremarkable second Test, with the match petering out to a draw, handing South Africa the series 1-0, and finished the series with nine wickets at 24.66.^[28]

Home Tests, ODIs and T20 against New Zealand 2007/2008[link]

Steyn was by now an established member of the Test team, and he produced his finest series performance to date in the two Test matches against New Zealand in November. In the first Test at Johannesburg he collected his fourth and fifth five-wicket hauls (5/35 and 5/59) and his first ten-wicket match as New Zealand were thrashed by 358 runs, South Africa's biggest victory margin in terms of runs to date. Steyn was also awarded his first Test Man-of-the-Match award.^[29] This devastating form continued into the second Test at Centurion where he picked up 4/42 in the first innings and his sixth five-wicket haul (6/49) to help South Africa to victory by an innings and 59 runs. His second ten-wicket match earned him his second Man-of-the-Match award in a row^[30] and his series performance of 20 wickets at an average of 9.20^[31] won him his first Man-of-the-Series award. On the back of his performance, he broke into the top five of the ICC rankings for Test bowlers for the first time in his career.^[32]

He made his Twenty20 International debut on 23 November 2007 in the one-off game against New Zealand, taking the wicket of Scott Styris and only giving up 17 runs from his four overs.^[33] He also featured in the third One Day International at Cape Town, where he had partial success, taking the wickets of the New Zealand openers, Brendon McCullum and Lou Vincent, but going for 50 runs from nine overs.^[34]

Home Tests, ODIs and T20 against West Indies 2007/2008[link]

Steyn's next international appearance was in the first Twenty20 International against the West Indies. He took the exceptional figures of 4/9 in three overs, with all four wickets being picture perfect yorkers, but was unable to stop the West Indies chasing down the target of 59 runs in a match reduced to 13 overs by rain.^[35]

Steyn's form continued into the Test series. He had a fairly indifferent match in the first Test at Port Elizabeth, taking 5/188 in the match as the West Indies scored their first away victory in Test matches for two and a half years, although he did hit his highest Test match score to date, 33 not out, in South Africa's second innings.^[36] He picked up figures of 4/60 and 4/44 in the second Test at Cape Town as South Africa leveled the series^[37] and once again proved his worth in the deciding third Test at Durban by taking 1/18 and 6/72, his seventh five-wicket haul, as the West Indies were thrashed by an innings and 100 runs.^[38] His 20 wickets at 19.10.^[31] earned him his second consecutive Man-of-the-Series award.

He played in the first three matches of the One Day International series, but could not match his Test success and was briefly dropped after failing to take a wicket and going for 62 runs in his ten overs during the third match at Port Elizabeth^[39] He was recalled for the fifth match at Johannesburg but struggled again, taking one wicket but going for 78 runs from ten overs.^[40]

Away Tests and ODIs against Bangladesh 2007/08[link]

In the first Test of the two match series against Bangladesh, at Dhaka, Steyn helped South Africa avoid an embarrassing defeat. Bangladesh were bowled out for 192 in their first innings, with Steyn claiming 3/27, but then South Africa collapsed to 170 all out, handing the hosts a shock 22 run lead. However Steyn (4/48) then combined with Jacques Kallis (5/30) to restrict Bangladesh to 182 all out and South Africa were able to complete a five wicket victory on the fourth day of the match.^[41] South Africa won the second Test at Chittagong comprehensively (by an innings and 205 runs) and Steyn returned figures of 4/66 and 3/35^[42] giving him 14 wickets in the series at an average of 12.57^[31] which won him his third consecutive Man-of-the-Series award. When Steyn dismissed Junaid Siddique in Bangladesh's first innings (his 20th match), he claimed the record for the fastest South African to reach 100 wickets in Tests, beating Hugh Tayfield's record of 21 matches. He holds the record amongst all players who are currently playing Test cricket.^[2]

Steyn featured in the final One Day International of the three match series, going wicketless but only giving away 19 runs in 8 overs.^[43]

Away Tests against India 2007/08[link]

Coming into the three Test series against India predictions about how Steyn would fare were mixed, with some commentators identifying him a crucial part of a South African team which could pose a serious challenge to India,^[44] whilst others predicted he might struggle playing against a strong batting lineup on lifeless subcontinent pitches.^[45]

The first Test at Chennai turned out to be a very high scoring affair, with South Africa batting first and making 540, then India responding strongly, led by Virender Sehwag who scored 319 from 304 balls, to reach 468/1 by the end of the third day. On the fourth day Steyn helped to restrict India's lead to 87 runs by dismissing MS Dhoni with a bouncer then blasting through the lower order, taking three wickets in two overs for the cost of two runs, all bowled with reverse swinging deliveries. He finished the innings, and the match which petered out into a tame draw, with four wickets for 103 runs.^[46] On the morning of the second Test at Ahmedabad, South Africa demolished the much vaunted Indian batting line within twenty overs, for the meagre total of 76 runs. Steyn was the pick of the bowlers taking five wickets for 23 runs, dismissing Sehwag and Rahul Dravid then mopping up the last three batsmen for the cost of 11 runs. In the second innings he added a further three wickets to his match tally, finishing the game with eight wickets for 114 runs, as South Africa completed a crushing victory by an innings and 90 runs.^[47] The final Test at Kanpur saw Steyn pick up three first innings wickets which took him to 15 wickets in the series at an average of 20.20. As a result of this, the cumulation of an outstanding 2007/08 season in which he took 75 wickets in 11 matches, Steyn moved up to joint first place (alongside Muttiah Muralitharan) in the ICC Test match bowling rankings.^[48]

Away Tests against Australia 2008/2009[link]

Steyn fields a ball at practice, Adelaide Oval, January 2009.

In the 2nd Test match in a 3 match series, Steyn was involved in a record 9th wicket partnership of 180 with J.P. Duminy. Steyn recorded a score of 76 (191 deliveries) in an innings that helped South Africa recover from 6-141 to post a score of 459. Steyn also starred in the first innings with figures of 5-87 (29.0 overs).^[49] In the second innings Steyn returned figures of 5-67 (20.2 overs) and helped South Africa to restrict the Australians to 247 giving the hosts a lead of 183. Steyn now has match figures of 10-154.^[50] This is the third time that he has taken 10 wickets in a match in his test career. South Africa duly completed the chase with nine wickets in hand, giving them a 2–0 series lead and their first ever Test series win in Australia. It was also Australia's first home series defeat in 16 years. Steyn was named man of the match for this performance. Steyn made a rearguard effort in attempting to prevent an Australian victory in the 3rd Test in Sydney frustrating the hosts with 28 runs in 65 balls in a 50 run partnership from 105 balls with Makhaya Ntini in order to try to secure the draw. However, when he was out with 50 balls to go, injured captain Graeme Smith came in with a broken hand in an attempt to hold out. Smith was eventually bowled out by Mitchell Johnson with ten balls to go.

Away Tests Against West Indies 2010[link]

In the first test against the Windies in the 2010 series, South Africa convincingly beat them, with Steyn take his 200th wicket, Sulimenn Benn, clean bowled (off stump). This was also the wicket that brought Steyn his 14th five - for, a superb achievement considering Steyn's modest record of only 38 tests.

ICC World Cup 2011[link]

Dale Steyn got career best ODI figures of 5 wickets for 50 runs against India in Nagpur during the Cricket World Cup 2011. India had a good start to their batting innings but could not maintain their momentum, in the process losing their final 9 wickets for just 29 runs. Steyn played a vital role in the derailment of a strong Indian batting line-up.^[51]

IPL Auction 2011[link]

Dale Steyn was one of the players to go for a over a million dollars in the auction for the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League. He was bought by the Deccan Chargers for $1.2 million.

Achievements and Records[link]

Test Five-wicket innings[link]

Test Five-wicket innings
Number	Figures	Match	Against	City/Country	Venue	Season
1	5/47	4	New Zealand	Centurion, South Africa	SuperSport Park	2005/06
2	5/82	8	Sri Lanka	Colombo, Sri Lanka	P Saravanamuttu Stadium	2006
3	5/56	12	Pakistan	Karachi, Pakistan	National Stadium	2006/07
4	5/34	14	New Zealand	Johannesburg, South Africa	New Wanderers Stadium	2007/08
5	5/59	14	New Zealand	Johannesburg, South Africa	New Wanderers Stadium	2007/08
6	6/49	15	New Zealand	Centurion, South Africa	SuperSport Park	2007/08
7	6/72	18	West Indies	Durban, South Africa	Kingsmead	2007/08
8	5/23	22	India	Ahmedabad, India	Ahmedabad	2007/08
9	5/63	25	Bangladesh	Bloemfontein, South Africa	OUTsurance Oval	2008/09
10	5/87	28	Australia	Melbourne, Australia	Melbourne Cricket Ground	2008/09
11	5/67	28	Australia	Melbourne, Australia	Melbourne Cricket Ground	2008/09
12	5/51	35	England	Johannesburg, South Africa	New Wanderers Stadium	2009/10
13	7/51	37	India	Nagpur, India	Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium	2009/10
14	5/29	38	West Indies	Port of Spain, West Indies	Queen's Park Oval	2010
15	6/50	45	India	Durban, South Africa	Kingsmead	2010/11
16	5/75	46	India	Cape Town, South Africa	Sahara Park Newlands	2010/11

Test Ten-wicket Matches[link]

Test Ten-wicket Matches
Number	Match Figures	Match	Against	City/Country	Venue	Season
1	10/93	14	New Zealand	Johannesburg, South Africa	New Wanderers Stadium	2007/08
2	10/91	15	New Zealand	Centurion, South Africa	SuperSport Park	2007/08
3	10/154	28	Australia	Melbourne, Australia	Melbourne Cricket Ground	2008/09
4	10/108	37	India	Nagpur, India	Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium	2009/10

Test Man-of-the-Match Awards[link]

Test Man-of-the-Match Awards
Number	Match Bowling Figures	Match Batting Figures	Match	Against	City/Country	Venue	Season
1	5/34 and 5/59	13 and did not bat	14	New Zealand	Johannesburg, South Africa	New Wanderers Stadium	2007/08
2	4/42 and 6/49	25 and did not bat	15	New Zealand	Centurion, South Africa	SuperSport Park	2007/08
3	5/87 and 5/67	76 and did not bat	28	Australia	Melbourne, Aus	Melbourne Cricket Ground	2008/09

Test Man-of-the-Series Awards[link]

Test Man-of-the-Series Awards
Number	Matches	Series Wickets and Bowling Average	Series Runs and Batting Average	Against	Country	Season
1	2	20 wickets at 9.20	38 runs at 19.00	New Zealand	South Africa	2007/08
2	3	20 wickets at 19.10	59 runs at 29.50	West Indies	South Africa	2007/08
3	2	14 wickets at 12.57	7 runs at 7.00	Bangladesh	Bangladesh	2007/08

Career Best Performances[link]

	Batting				Bowling
	Score	Fixture	Venue	Season	Score	Fixture	Venue	Season
Tests	76	South Africa v  Australia	MCG	2008	7-51	South Africa v  India	Nagpur	2010
ODI	35	South Africa v  India	Jaipur	2010	5-50	South Africa v  India	Nagpur	2011
T20I	5	South Africa v  England	Bridgetown	2010	4-9	South Africa v  West Indies	Port Elizabeth	2007
FC	82	Essex v Durham	Riverside	2005	8-41	Titans v Eagles	Bloemfontein	2007
LA	35	South Africa v  India	Jaipur	2010	5-20	South Africa A v Sri Lanka A	Colombo (RPS)	2005
T20	22	Titans v Lions	Centurion	2010	4-9	South Africa v West Indies	Port Elizabeth	2007

Others[link]

• Steyn is the fastest South African to reach 100 wickets in Test matches, a feat he achieved on 2 March 2008 in his 20th match.
• Steyn is the second fastest South African, behind Hugh Tayfield to reach 150 wickets in Test matches, which he achieved in his 29th match.^[52]
• He currently has the fourth best bowling strike rate of 38.9 of all time (in Tests), behind George Lohmann, John Ferris and Shane Bond.^[53]

Injuries[link]

During the 2010 Champions League Twenty20, Steyn got his head and back injured after backpedalling and falling over while taking the catch of Chennai Super Kings' Mike Hussey. He was unable to continue.

Controversies[link]

Steyn was fined 100% of his match fee for spitting at West Indies fielder Sulieman Benn during the 3rd test of the West Indies – South Africa series in June 2010. He was deemed to have committed a Level 2 offence by ICC Match Referee Jeff Crowe.^[54]

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dale Steyn

v t e South Africa squad – 2009 ICC World Twenty20 Semi-Finalists 1 Smith (c) 2 Abdulla 3 Botha 4 Boucher 5 de Villiers 6 Duminy 7 Gibbs 8 Kallis 9 A. Morkel 10 M. Morkel 11 Ontong 12 Parnell 13 Peterson 14 Steyn 15 van der Merwe Coach: Arthur

v t e South Africa squad – 2010 ICC World Twenty20 1 Smith (c) 2 Bosman 3 Botha 4 Boucher 5 de Villiers 6 Duminy 7 Gibbs 8 Kallis 9 Kleinveldt 10 Langeveldt 11 A. Morkel 12 M. Morkel 13 Steyn 14 Theron 15 van der Merwe Coach: van Zyl

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Inzamam-ul-Haq

Personal information
Born	(1970-03-03) 3 March 1970 (age 42) Multan, Punjab, Pakistan
Nickname	Inzy
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Batting style	Right-hand
Bowling style	Slow left-arm orthodox
Role	Batsman
International information
National side	Pakistan
Test debut (cap 124)	4 June 1992 v England
Last Test	8 October 2007 v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 158)	22 November 1991 v West Indies
Last ODI	21 March 2007 v Zimbabwe
ODI shirt no.	8
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2008	Lahore Badshahs (ICL)
2007	Hyderabad Heroes (ICL)
2007	Yorkshire
2006–2007	Water and Power Development Authority
2001–2002	National Bank of Pakistan
1998–1999	Rawalpindi
1996–2001	Faisalabad
1988–1997	United Bank Limited
1985–2004	Multan
Career statistics
Competition	Test	ODI	FC	LA
Matches	120	378	245	458
Runs scored	8,830	11,739	16,785	13,746
Batting average	49.60	39.52	50.10	38.07
100s/50s	25/46	10/83	45/87	12/97
Top score	329	137*	329	157*
Balls bowled	9	58	2,704	896
Wickets	0	3	39	30
Bowling average	–	21.33	33.20	24.66
5 wickets in innings	0	0	2	0
10 wickets in match	0	n/a	0	n/a
Best bowling	0/8	1/0	5/80	3/18
Catches/stumpings	81/–	113/–	172/–	128/–
Source: CricketArchive, 20 September 2008

Inzamam-ul-Haq (Saraiki, Punjabi, Urdu: انضمام الحق; born 3 March 1970^[1]), also known as Inzy, is a Pakistani cricketer who was a leading batsman and the captain of the Pakistan national cricket team from 2003 to 2007. He is the second-highest run scorer for Pakistan in Test cricket, after Javed Miandad.

Inzamam rose to fame in the semi-final of the 1992 Cricket World Cup, in which he scored 60 off 37 balls against a strong New Zealand team.^[2] His strong batting performance also propelled Pakistan to victory in the final of the 1992 Cricket World Cup. He remained one of the team's leading batsmen throughout the decade in both Test and ODI cricket. In 2003, he was appointed captain of the Pakistan team. His tenure as captain ended after Pakistan's early exit from the 2007 Cricket World Cup. On 5 October 2007, Inzamam retired from international cricket following the second Test match against South Africa, falling three runs short of Javed Miandad as Pakistan's leading run scorer in Test cricket. Following his retirement, he joined the Indian Cricket League, captaining the Hyderabad Heroes in the inaugural edition of the Twenty20 competition. In the ICL's second edition, he captained the Lahore Badshahs, a team composed entirely of Pakistani cricketers.

Inzamam-ul-Haq is a prominent member of the Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic missionary organisation, and remains an influential personality in Pakistan cricket.

Career[link]

One Day International cricket[link]

Inzamam made his One Day International (ODI) debut in a home series against West Indies in 1991, and made a good start to his career by scoring 20 and 60 runs in two matches against West Indies. This was followed by 48, 60, 101, and 117 runs against Sri Lanka.

Handpicked by former Pakistan captain Imran Khan for the 1992 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, 22-year-old Inzamam was relatively unheard of before the tournament. To the surprise of many he was persevered with throughout the tournament, coming in at various positions in the batting line-up, despite not being very successful early on. Yet it was his performances at the most crucial stage of the competition that made fans and summarisers take note. Inzamam rose to fame in Pakistan's dramatic semi-final against New Zealand at Auckland. With his side in a precarious position, chasing 262 against an impressive New Zealand side, he hit a fiery 60 run innings from just 37 balls to rescue his side and guide them into the final.^[3][4] The innings was regarded as one of the finest World Cup performances.^[5] He hit a massive six in that match which was described by David Lloyd as the shot of the tournament.^{[citation needed]}

Inzamam made an equally vital contribution in the final of the World Cup, scoring 42 runs off just 35 balls, helping Pakistan reach a score of 249 after a sluggish start.^[6] These innings established Inzamam's billing as a big-game player, although he was unable to replicate his World Cup success in later tournaments.

Inzamam regard his best least highlighted innings of 90 not out against west indies when Pakistan won their first ODI in the West Indies on 27 March 1993.^[7]

In total, Inzamam set a record for scoring the most half centuries in One Day Internationals, 83 – though this is now surpassed by Sachin Tendulkar.^[8] He also became the second batsman to score 10,000 runs in One-day Internationals (again after Tendulkar) and was named in the ICC World XI for both Tests and One-day Internationals in the 2005 ICC Awards. In his final ODI for Pakistan, playing against Zimbabwe in the 2007 Cricket World Cup, he took three catches whilst fielding, including the last one of the match, ending his One Day career.^[9]

Test cricket[link]

Inzamam made his Test debut in 1992 against England at Edgbaston. However, he got little opportunity to make an impact in that match – he was not out with a score of 8. However, in subsequent matches he demonstrated vulnerability against swing bowling which resulted in him being dropped for the final Test of the series after averaging a lowly 13.20 runs per innings. Pakistan went on to secure a famous win in the match, taking the series 2–1.^[10]

After the England series, Inzamam aimed to establish himself in the Test side and he achieved this brilliantly, helping his side to many memorable victories.^[11] One of particular note came against Australia in Karachi, 1994, when he made 58 not out with the tail and helped Pakistan to a one-wicket victory and a 1–0 series win. As well as helping his side to become the top-ranked side in the world for a brief period. He achieved personal success by becoming ICC's number one ranked batsman in 1995^[12] He later went on to reclaim top spot in the rankings in 1997. He remained amongst the top 20 ranked batsmen up until his retirement. He was the number one batsman in the world three times and held the title of the 3rd best batsman several times in his career including an extensive run from 2004–2006,^[13] the last time being after his twin fifties at Lords against England in 2006.^[14] The tour of England in 1996 was a particular success for both Inzamam and Pakistan, where Inzamam transformed his batting against seam bowling, averaging 64 runs per innings, with scores of 148, 70, 65, and 35.

His Test career highlights include 329 against New Zealand in Lahore in the 2001–02 season, which is the second highest Test score by a Pakistani and the twelfth highest overall. He also scored a century (184 runs) in his 100th Test, becoming only the fifth player to do so (after Colin Cowdrey, Alec Stewart, Gordon Greenidge and Javed Miandad; Ricky Ponting subsequently emulated the feat). Inzamam made a century in each innings of the second Test match against England in 2005, to become Pakistan's leading centurion with 24 centuries, breaking Javed Miandad's record. His 25th century in the 2nd Test against India on 22 January 2006 made him the 10th player to score 25 or more centuries. He also managed 138 not out when the team was on the brink of a humiliating defeat against Bangladesh, eventually saving the Test match and leading his team to victory. His 92 not out against South Africa in late 2006 again showed his ability to bat in a crisis in a match winning manner.^[15] He scored twin half centuries when all appeared lost to draw the first test in Mohali against India in 2005,^[16] and also scored 184 runs in his 100th test match^[17] in the same away series causing the series to be drawn.^[18] He still holds the record for most consecutive half centuries against a country with nine in nine innings against England. This streak started from 31 May 2001 and lasted till 13 July 2006.^[19] He scored a century and a half century at Lords in 1996.^[20] His 118 against Australia in Hobart almost won the test for Pakistan but Adam Gilchrist's match winning 149 not out made the difference.^[21] His average in matches won is second only to Donald Bradman and Kumar Sangakkara.^[22]

After announcing that he will retire after the second Test against South Africa, at the stadium where he made his international debut,^[23] Inzamam needed 20 runs to surpass Javed Miandad for the record of most runs for a Pakistani Test cricketer.^[24] After falling for 14 in the first innings, he was dismissed for 3 in his final innings by Paul Harris, out stumped,^[25] leaving him three runs shy of the record. He needed only 70 more career runs for a batting average of 50.

County cricket[link]

Inzamam made his debut in English county cricket in August 2007 at the age of 37. He joined Yorkshire County Cricket Club^[26] as a replacement for Younus Khan who left to play for Pakistan in the 2007 ICC World Twenty20. He was disappointing on the whole, making eight on debut at Scarborough's North Marine Road against Warwickshire before making nine and seven in his opening Pro40 games.

Indian Cricket League[link]

In 2007, Inzamam joined the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League. In the inaugural competition, Inzamam captained the Hyderabad Heroes and scored 141 runs in 5 matches. In the 2008 competition in March, Inzamam captained the Lahore Badshahs, composed entirely of Pakistani cricketers.

The move to the ICL has proved to be a controversial one for Inzamam. The PCB's stance on players joining unsanctioned leagues has meant that he has been banned from playing in any domestic competitions in Pakistan or any involvement with the international team.^[27] However, given Inzamam's recent retirement, this is unlikely to affect him.

It is reported that he was paid Pakistani Rs. 10 Crore (US $1,100,000) which was the highest salary for any player participating in the league along with the likes of Brian Lara.

Playing style[link]

Inzamam has been known to be a very destructive batsman in both One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Test matches. He has the ability to pick the length of a delivery very early and play very late. His footwork is generally considered to be fast, enabling him to position himself early for shots. He averaged just under 50 runs per innings in Tests and nearly 40 runs in ODIs, with a strike rate of 54.03 and 74.23 respectively. Inzamam is especially strong when playing shots off his legs and has been considered to be amongst the best employers of the pull-shot in world cricket.

His batting style has brought him fans from all over the world. He was called "the best batsmen in the world against pace" by Imran Khan, because "he seems to have so much time on his hands before the ball reaches him".^{[citation needed]}

Inzamam does, however, have a reputation for being a poor runner between the wickets. He has the dubious distinction of being run-out the second highest number of times in ODIs having been run-out 40 times [behind Marvan Atapattu (41 times)].

Captaincy[link]

Inzamam captained Pakistan in thirty Tests, winning eleven, drawing nine and losing ten. Only three players have captained Pakistan in more Test matches, but all have better win-loss records and only Imran Khan has a lower win percentage than Inzamam. Although the Oval Test match in 2006 was poised as a victory for Pakistan before the controversy took place and had it not occurred, Inzamam's record would have had a win more and a loss less. However, Inzamam held the captaincy until March 2007, the longest captaincy tenure since 1992, when Imran Khan retired.

Captaincy had a positive effect on Inzamam's batting, often leading by example in pressure situations, averaging greater as a captain (52) than without (50). In ODI's Inzamam also held the highest average as captain in ODI's^[29] and is currently third on that list behind the former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting and the Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. After early failures in Australia, he took a depleted Pakistan side to India in 2005 and played an important role in securing a draw by winning the final test match from an unlikely position with an innings of 184 runs. He subsequently led his side to an ODI success against West Indies (away), England (home) and Sri Lanka (away) as well as Test Series victories against England (home), India (home), Sri Lanka (away). Inzamam had seemed to have united the Pakistan side and victories led them to 2nd place in the ICC Test Rankings and 3rd place in the ICC ODI Ranking. The latter part of Inzamam's tenure as Pakistan captain was less successful and the team was embroiled in many controversies culminating in a disappointingly early exit from the 2007 Cricket World Cup at the hands of lowly ranked Ireland.

In the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Inzamam captained the Pakistani team to its first loss to associate ICC member Ireland (on St Patrick's Day). This result and their previous loss to West Indies, led to them being knocked out of the tournament. A day later he announced his retirement from One Day International Cricket and resignation as Test captain. The announcement was made the same day that Bob Woolmer, Pakistan's coach, died in his hotel room in Kingston, Jamaica. He dedicated his final ODI to Woolmer to whom he shared a good relationship with for three years and affectionately called him 'The Bob'.

Test centuries[link]

Controversies[link]

Toronto incident[link]

In a 1997 Sahara Cup match against India in Toronto, Inzamam assaulted a member of the crowd, Shiv Kumar Thind, a Canadian-based Indian, who had been comparing Inzamam to several kinds of potato, on a megaphone.^[30] According to eye witnesses a cricket bat was brought out by the Pakistan team's 12th man, Mushtaq Ahmed, who then waited at the boundary with the bat. Television replays confirmed those statements. The Guardian newspaper quoted another eyewitness as saying "If not for the spectators and security staff curbing him, he would have broken the head of that guy. The guy with the megaphone was no match for Inzamam and got mauled. Even when Canadian police took Inzamam back on to the field, he was trying to get back to the stands."^[31] although he strenuously denied the charges. On 28 September 2006 the allegations of ball-tampering were dismissed, however he was found guilty of bringing cricket into disrepute and given a four match One-Day International ban with immediate effect.^[32]

The Pakistan Cricket Board later blamed Inzamam for the Oval Test forfeiture; adding that the forfeited match had made the board susceptible to a claim of £800,000 by the ECB as compensation.^{[citation needed]} However, later on, the result of the Oval Test was changed by the ICC and called a draw. This was yet again overturned after the MCC stated the ICC could not do this and was changed to an England win.

Religious influence[link]

In 2006–07, controversy arose that Inzamam and other players who were members of the Tablighi Jamaat Islamic missionary group, were coercing other players and giving preferential treatment to those players who grew beards and prayed regularly.^[33] The then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf expressed his concerns to the then-PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf, who warned Inzamam and told the players to stop public displays of religious beliefs.^[33] Late Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer also stated that while religion fostered a degree of unity, it also interfered in the team's training and practice sessions.^[33] Inzamam publicly denied accusations of forcing Islam on other players.^[34]

Awards and honours[link]

The Pakistani Government, in 2005, awarded Inzamam ul Haq with the Sitara-e-Imtiaz.^[35]

References[link]