Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq: “My parents want to watch me play, but they have not seen me play at a venue even once. Even I don’t want them to. I don’t want my mother [to] hear someone utter parchi when I am fielding on the boundary”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Imam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan opening batsman has admitted that he doesn’t want his parents to see him play since he is regularly taunted with chants of ‘parchi’.
The term ‘parchi’ is directed at players who critics and fans believe have been selected on who they know rather than their performances.
Since Imam is the nephew of chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq, he is often targeted and called this insulting word.
“My parents want to watch me play, but they have not seen me play at a venue even once. Even I don’t want them to. I don’t want my mother [to] hear someone utter parchi when I am fielding on the boundary,” the 27-year-old was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
“All this is normal to me. Whenever I am dismissed cheaply, they will not look at what I have achieved in my past but simply utter parchi. I do not want my family to be exposed to that.”
Imam recently scored 57 runs in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, which included a top score of 50 not out, at an average of 28.50.
He followed that up with 165 runs in three ODIs against Afghanistan, which included two fifties, at an average of 55.
As for the Asia Cup, he made 92 runs in four games, which included a top score of 78, at an average of 30.66.
Imam is now representing Pakistan in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in India and scored 15 and 12 in the first two games against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka respectively.
The men in green will now face India on October 14 in Ahmedabad.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali
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