Rashid Latif: “People used to call him a parchi but we had seen him play in UBL. The semi-final in 1992 changed his career overnight and he took Pakistan into the finals by beating New Zealand”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Rashid Latif has revealed that ex-captain and chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq used to be called “parchi”.

Latif, whose comments come on the 28th anniversary of Pakistan’s World Cup triumph in 1992, also recalled how no one thought Inzamam was a good player initially.

However, all that changed in the semi-final of the 1992 World Cup, where Inzamam was named Man of the Match for smashing 60 runs off 37 balls, which included seven boundaries and a six, to lead Pakistan to a four-wicket win over New Zealand.

After defeating New Zealand, Pakistan went on to beat England in the final by 22 runs to win their first-ever World Cup.

To this day, it remains their one and only World Cup win.

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“Inzamam and Mushtaq Ahmed used to play with me in United Bank Limited [UBL]. Inzamam first had to prove himself in street cricket,” Latif said in a YouTube video as quoted by Cricket Pakistan. “No one was ready to accept that Inzamam was a good player.

“People used to call him a parchi but we had seen him play in UBL. The semi-final in 1992 changed his career overnight and he took Pakistan into the finals by beating New Zealand.”

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