By fair play
January 11 2005

fair plays's article on Inzamam's current injury problems, concerns from former Pakistan captains and how he can respond to the criticism from back home. The two Khans, Majid and Imran, have recently questioned whether Inzimam would have been better off fighting it out in the middle instead of nursing his back in the dressing room.

The two Khans are not the only ones harbouring such concerns. Of course, it is possible that all such doubts could be totally misplaced. But even Inzi's staunchest admirers and well wishers may be wondering as to what is happening to our beloved aaloo? Is he past it? Are there pressures that us arm chair critics are unable to see? Was he really so badly injured that he could not rouse himself for a battle against the foremost team of his day?

It would do good to study the backdrop a bit. Doubts have crept in people's minds because Inzi has missed 5 of the last 6 test matches against Australia becuase of various injuries. But that is not all - coupled with this are two other points that bother, and somehow dont fit into the overall Inzi image:

1) His persistent refusal to bat above number 4, no matter what the need of the hour.

2) His announcement of being fit for the forthcoming ODI series on the very day the recent test series ended in near disaster for the team he leeds.

The point the two Khans are making is not that Inzi is feigning an injury - rather whether his spirit has taken a blow as well. Physical injuries aside, should he have roused himself for a big effort agains the might of OZ? Could he have summoned the deepest will power - against all odds? Talk of such heroics can be all too easy and foolhardy, given that Inzi might have exacerbated his condition further. Yet the question remains - did he make a choice between testing himself against the world's best team and waiting for the injury to heal? In other words, to compete when it suits him better - perhaps in easier conditions and against less competitive opponents.

The second point is less a question about Inzi's integrity (of which there should be no doubts) but his temperament. Inzi had an almost unequalled temperament when he first came to the scene - which is why he is greatly loved by all Pakistanis. Cool, unflappable - happy to play at any position, always disdainful of the bowling and the match situation.

But have the burdens of captaincy and the responsibility of being the sole world class player in the team taken its toll? It's a question we must ask I think. It could also be that he might be on his last legs as a world class player - decline in outstanding players, especially those with reliance on exceptional hand eye coordination, can be quite sudden. I know because MJK himself was a case in point. I think so will be Lara. Those whose primary method is instinct often start looking ordinary when their advantages diminish.

I have no doubt no bowler scares Inzi - quite the contrary in fact. But is he scared of failure? It's a question we must ask I think. Inzi would neither be the first nor the last - almost all of us suffer from such doubts at one time or another (actually apart from yours truly when it comes to batting!).

Even the bold can sometimes succumb to a diffident mindset when things are not going their way - when they dont feel in control. I know a very brave and courageous person who happens to be an extremely nervous flier. This is a man who would be happy to dive in deep waters to see great white sharks at close range, and go bungee jumping. But in the cramped section of an economy class airliner he is a different person altogether. When I asked him why he was so scared of flying his answer was revealing - he fears because he is not in control.

I think Inzi reveals this side of his nature when captain in the field - quite often his field placings tend to be rather defensive, often putting in that extra slip or gully only after the horse has bolted. The desire for defense is partly motivated by the fear of failure - and it is telling in that for Inzi it shows foremost in his approach in the field, for it is here that he is least in control. He has never been a bold player when leading his men in the field. Has anyone else noticed this apparent contradiction in his approach? The commanding batsman with a stamp of class and broad bat in hand becomes a defensive "scatter the field" captain when standing at first slip.

Now how does one extrapolate to his recent injuries and problems? Injuries make one less certain of what one is, less able to deliver, less in control. Is it wrong to ask that by feeling less in control, less able to deliver, and hence with a greater fear of failure, Inzi sat out the next two test matches? I think the question must be asked, and emotive though the subject is, analysis is the need of the hour.

To my mind this is the point that Imran Khan and others are making - not to impugn Inzi's integrity, nor to imply that he is scared of any bowling, but to question why he could not rouse himself for a challenge, no matter how bad his injury. It may be that the injury made it impossible for Inzi to hold a bat, but others may feel that perhaps the injury weakened his resolve - and perhaps the fear of failure was a non zero contributor in his decision to sit it out as well.

A batsman will only sit out a match if he knows he cannot contribute - this may be due solely to his knowledge that his injury cannot be overcome, or perhaps he is worried as to what the reaction would be if he tried yet again and failed (as in Perth). Only Inzimam could possibly know the true answer - and perhaps only sub-consciously at that.

Its with bat in hand that Inzimam can answer his doubters. And I hope he can do that soon - that when he feels able, he will deliver the most befitting response. The man has been a hero to a generation before, and he can be one again. It is all up to him.