By IANS
Karachi : Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq announced Friday that he will retire after playing the second Test against South Africa in Lahore.
“I now want to give way to youngsters and allow them to take the centre stage. I don’t want to stop any youngster’s progress,” said Inzamam, while announcing his retirement at the National Stadium in Karachi, where Pakistan is currently playing the first Test against South Africa.
A few hours after the announcement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) picked up Inzamam in the 16-man squad for the second Test.
In recent days, speculation has mounted over Inzamam’s future, after he made himself unavailable for the first Test against South Africa. But Friday, the former captain, a veteran of 119 Tests, said that he would end his career after the Lahore Test.
“I have taken this decision after much thought and I realise my presence in the dressing room could be a pressure on the younger players. This is the best time for me to bid farewell to a game I have loved so much,” Inzamam said.
Inzamam resigned as captain and retired from the One-Day International (ODIs) matches after Pakistan’s first round exit from the World Cup in West Indies earlier this year.
The Multan-born batsman who also played in 378 ODIs said that his biggest regret was the team’s performance in the 2007 World Cup.
“It was one of the biggest disappointments of my long career, the way we performed, because we had a good team. But there have been other disappointments as well and that is part of the game,” Inzamam said.
For Inzamam, winning the 1992 World Cup final against England was the highest point in his career. He added that he also cherished the match-winning century against Bangladesh in 2003 in his hometown Multan.
“It was my comeback match after a disappointing form in the 2003 World Cup and it was an important innings for me,” Inzamam said.