A video history of Inzaman's hilarious run outs

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  • One of the best batsmen of the modern era, former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was widely considered a game-changer during his stellar years. It was not so much the aggressive stroke-play, rather the calmness he brought to situations – much befitting of good captains – that made him stand out in the Pakistan middle-order.

    Inzamam on his day could shoulder responsibility single-handedly and bat the opposition out of the contest. But the one thing that remained his Achilles’ heel was his running between the wickets.

    Overly casual at times, Inzamam on multiple occasions fell victim to opposition fielders. Not known for his express pace while running, the Pakistani stalwart often struggled to make his ground.

    This led to some hilarious dismissals that we take a look at here.

    THE MAGIC OF JONTY RHODES

    One of the most memorable Inzy run outs that springs to the mind is the brilliant work of Jonty Rhodes from the 1992 World Cup.

    The ball having struck Inzaman on the pads flew towards the point region before chaos ensued. Inzaman set off for a run before being sent back, while Rhodes ran in from point and flung himself in the air to dismantle the stumps.

    In all fairness though, Inzamam was hardly at fault as he was taken out by the superhuman agility of Rhodes:

    TOO CAUSAL AT TIMES

    Known for his big physique and stature, Inzamam was somewhat slow at times and even his calling was stalled.

    This oled to many confusions in the middle when Inzamam was batting, as he often ran for singles without his partner’s approval.

    These random confusions were disastrous for those batting with him, as they had to be extra careful while running.

    In one such episode, Wasim Akram was not particularly pleased when Inzamam ran him out. You can guess what happened in the dressing room when Inzy crossed Wasim’s path after this.

    1992 WORLD CUP ENCORE?

    Slow out of the blocks after looking for a quick single is the bread and butter of any Inzamam run out.

    And his lack of pace while returning to the crease, often made it possible for fielders to run to the stumps to dislodge the bails. Of course it did not leave him amused.

    Watch how he reacts when Herschelle Gibbs almost does a Jonty.

    His lackadaisical attitude even made Rahul Dravid look like Usain Bolt on one occasion, as the Indian captain covered a large distance from mid-on and sprinted across to dislodge the bails.

    TOO UNAWARE OF THE SITUATION AT TIMES

    The worst thing about Inzamam’s run outs is the fact that his wicket was usually a game-changer on quite a few of these occasions.

    His solidity in the middle always brought about an air of invincibility to the Pakistan side.

    But his repeated slip ups while running between the wickets often swung the match decisively in his opponent’s favour and was always something the opposition were keenly aware of.

    In many cases, his lack of agility and match-awareness were to blame.

    A PENCHANT FOR THE BIZARRE

    When not infuriating, Inzamam’s running was humourous at best.

    One classic example of this is his dismissal against India in Sharjah when both the batsmen found themselves running for the same end.

    And who can forget the occasion when Inzamam was out obstructing the field against India as he defended Suresh Raina’s throw from mid-off even when he was outside his crease?

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