JAMAICA: Pakistan cricket skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq has announced to retire from one-day international cricket and team captaincy.

Addressing his last press conference as Pakistan skipper here, Inzamam apologised Pakistani nation and his fans all around the world for losing yesterday's crucial match against Ireland. The match was considered the greatest upset in the history of cricket.

Inzamam said he was saddened by coach Bob Woolmer's sudden demise, saying on behalf of his team that 'it's a great loss'. He added: "I take complete responsibility of yesterday's defeat."

The skipper, who also resigned from Pakistan squad captaincy, said he and his boys did everything as per their abilities to perform well but unfortunately failed.

He said he was happy for representing 17 years as batsman and 4 years as captain of Pakistan team. He thanked PCB, former Pakistani captains and his seniors, his teammates, all his fans, and above all the Pakistani nation for supporting him throughout his cricketing career as a player and captain as well.

As a batsman, Inzamam-ul-Haq's timing was wondrous, entrancing a whole generation of cricket-watchers. However, the announcement that he was stepping down as captain and retiring from one-day internationals was about as ill-timed and insensitive as you could hope to get, coming mere hours after the sad death of Bob Woolmer.
Emotions ran high at a press conference organised soon after Jamaica's prime minister, Portia Simpson Miller, had met the players to offer her condolences. With the rest of his team watching, Inzamam started to speak, having been instructed by PJ Mir, the media manager, that his words should be in Urdu. After a cursory "First of all, our beloved coach has passed away," Inzamam went on to say that he would be relinquishing the captaincy and retiring from the one-day game after Wednesday's game against Zimbabwe.
After talking of how he had enjoyed his 17-year career and the four years spent leading the team, he went on to thank his team-mates, his seniors and those that had captained him, before also doffing the cap to the cricket board and his family. There was then an apology to the Pakistani people for the team's abject failure at the World Cup. "I take responsibility as captain," he said. "We did everything we could but the results didn't come out as planned."
The speech lasted all of five minutes and there was a fair bit of restlessness in the room by the time he had finished. A TV journalist then asked the question that was uppermost on everyone's mind. Didn't he think that the timing of his retirement was insensitive, given what had transpired in the morning?
"I know it looks bad, but I'd already decided," was Inzamam's response. "I had a strong emotional attachment to the coach and I'm disturbed myself. I just decided to do it now."

After the match, Bob and I talked a little about it. I told him that we'd discuss it tomorrow, but tomorrow never came

Even if the pain of defeat to Ireland and the loss of his coach had upset Inzamam's mental equilibrium, the team management should have had the sagacity to postpone the announcement, which only made one of the country's greatest players look self-absorbed and utterly devoid of sensitivity. In truth, it was easy to see that Inzamam was visibly distressed. And it didn't help that most of his answers were hopelessly mangled in translation by the media manager. Some of the more poignant lines didn't even come out, unless you happened to know your Urdu or Hindi.
"He was a good man," Inzamam said. "Whenever any of the boys had a problem, he'd sit with them, and we were very attached to him." When asked if he had discussed his decision with Woolmer before his death Inzamam said: "After the match, we'd talked a little about it. I told him that we'd discuss it tomorrow, but tomorrow never came."
A rather incongruous question about his career highs and lows followed, before he was asked if Pakistan would play their final game against Zimbabwe. Inzamam chose to let the manager answer that one. "The best tribute to Bob would be to play against Zimbabwe," said Talat Ali.
For Inzamam, that will be his final game in coloured clothes. "I'll complete my commitment," he said. "We'll do our best for Bob. But whatever we do, it won't be enough."
When asked what would be his best memory of Woolmer he said: "After the game yesterday, he went to all the boys and cheered them up. He told them that these things happen in life. That was his greatest quality. Even in the bad times, he would think positive."
At that point, the timing of his statement was queried again. This time, Inzamam was a little more forthright, though once again his message was lost in translation. "My retirement and winning or losing a game is a small matter when compared to the death of Bob," he said, though that again begged the question: "Why now?"
He was then asked whether his stepping aside would further destabilise a team that is already without a coach. "In my view, it won't affect things much," he said. "There are senior players who might be even better than me at doing the job. With God's grace, they'll be even more successful." On a day like today though, what price success?

inzi as taken it really badly

From Rehan Siddiqui

30 September 2007
KARACHI — Former Pakistan national team captain, Inzamamul Haq has decided to retire from all forms of international cricket after discussing the issue with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), friends and relatives, Khaleej Times learnt.
An official announcement is expected in a couple of days.
The 37-year old Inzamam, had quit from ODIs and country’s captaincy after Pakistan’s shameful early exit from the World Cup 2007 in the West Indies, was persuaded by one of his former colleague and PCB to retire gracefully and he accepted their advice.
Another reason that perhaps hastened Inzamam to take the decision was that Pakistani selectors had reservations about his fitness and form and were willing to give Misbahul Haq a chance to prove at Test level after he batted so well in the Twenty/20 World Cup.
In return of his decision to retire, PCB will pay around Rs10 million and organise a grand gala to honour Inzamam’s outstanding services to Pakistan cricket.
The burly batsman, one of the best ever to play for Pakistan, however, wanted to continue his Test career with aims to become country’s first to achieve the landmark of reaching 10,000 Test runs.
To achieve the milestones Inzamam declared himself available for Tests and to prove his fitness and form signed a temporary contract to play for English County, Yorkshire, as cover for team-mate Younis Khan, who opted to represent Pakistan in the inaugural Twenty/20 World Cup in South Africa.
Unfortunately Inzamam’s performance was below par in half a dozen matches he represented Yorkshire.
Inzamam also desired to become Pakistan’s top Test run getter and surpass legendary Javed Miandad’s record. Inzamam in 119 Tests had scored 8813 runs as against Miandad’s 8832 runs and needed just 20 runs to attain that landmark. Unfortunately with his decision to quit he will not be able to achieve the two milestones.

Source - KhaleejTimes

10 million rupees just for retiring? wow. the PCB must have money to burn.

how about using some of it to build grounds or help out promising cricketers from poor families? no, instead lets give it to a guy who already has so much money he doesn't know what to do with it.

he is building his own hospital in multan that is to help poor ppl most of his charity things goes there.

As for talking abt giving to poor ppl u asking PCB t spend money on good cuase lolz we all saw how they waste money like inkey baap ka paisa hai

lot of money even for retiring?!?

Conflicting reports add to confusion
Speculation grows over Inzamam's future
Osman Samiuddin
October 3, 2007

Will he? Won't he? Reports are yet to confirm whether Inzamam will quit Tests soon © AFP

Speculation over the future of Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former Pakistan captain, is mounting with some reports claiming he is set to retire from Test cricket after playing in the second Test in Lahore against South Africa.
Geo TV and Jang, the Urdu-language daily, both reported that Inzamam had reached an agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board which would see the batsman play one last Test at home before bowing out - unlike many ex-cricketers in Pakistan - with some grace and dignity.
None of these reports, however, have quoted Inzamam directly. The only newspaper to quote him on the topic, the Daily Express, another Urdu daily, has him denying any such plans. "I have no plans to retire at the moment. I am available for the second Test and have told the selectors of my desire," Inzamam said. However, to add to the confusion, the same newspaper's front page has also carried the retirement story.
Inzamam stepped down from the captaincy and retired from ODIs after Pakistan's early exit at the World Cup earlier this year at the hands of Ireland. He was initially keen to play on in Tests, but the board and selectors have, unofficially, been equally keen for him to step away and didn't award him a central contract.
To complicate matters further, Inzamam was also one of four players to sign up for the Indian Cricket League (ICL), a move which meant, according to the PCB's stance, that he would not be considered for Pakistan selection.
Yet Inzamam was, according to the selection committee, considered for the first Test squad against South Africa. He wasn't picked because he made himself unavailable. If he does play one last Test, Inzamam has an opportunity to surpass Javed Miandad as the leading Test run-scorer for Pakistan. Inzamam needs 20 runs to go past Miandad's haul of 8832.


http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/paki...ry/313431.html

true i agree

LAHORE: The former captain of Pakistan Cricket team Inzamamul Haq decided late Tuesday to get retirement from test cricket as well.

According to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sources, Inzamam made up his mind in this connection in his meeting with PCB officials three days back.

According to his understanding with PCB, the test match against South Africa being played at Gaddafi Stadium from October 8 will be the last test of his career.

A former captain is said to have played a vital role in striking this understanding with PCB.

According to the understanding, Inzamam will make a formal announcement to this effect in a press conference on Friday.

Besides, PCB will organize a farewell ceremony in honour of the former captain, where he would be given Rs10 million.

Inzamamul Haq has to his test career 8813 runs in 119 test matches. If he scores 20 runs in his last test, he will break Javed Miandad’s record of 8832 runs.

Besides, he scored 11739 runs in 378 one-day matches.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=30115