A master Intikhab bids adieu

A master bids adieu... To the accompaniment of the warmest evation a small crowd could manage, the Surrey team stood back after lunch on September 15 during the last county championship game of 1981 summer and let its oldest, baldest and best-loved player lead it on the Oval pitch.

The end of the 1981 season was also the end of Intikhab-Alam's career in first class cricket.

The retirement of a great player is always a sad occasion. But Surray will find 'Inti' more than normally irreplaceable, as one of the cricket's great charmers as an overseas player (it is not allowed to import another) and above all, as a leg-spinner.

Inti's career with surrey has outlasted Rohib Hobbs' with glamorgan by a matter of days. There are no more high-class leg-spinners left and none are in sight. The mould had been broken.

Alluring problem

This is how Neville Cardus describes 'Inti's' bowling:

"Every ball he tossed into the air was an alluring problem to batsmen and spectators alike, a sinuous curve, a floating enticement, a havering invitation "Please drive me, I am a half-volley." Then a sweep downwards, a spin of top, and the rest is silence-interrupted by the call of the wicketkeeper for a catch or a stumping.

And so it almost was at The Oval on September 15 in 1981. For an hour, 'Inti' waited at mid-on and third man, with just an occasional flex of the arm in case Knigh, his captain had forgotten him; then the nod of recognition from Knigh, an appreciative murmur from the pavilion and the sideways run-up.

Inti's second ball was tossed high like a shuttlecock. Another was almost turned past the outside edge of Brian Hardie's bat. Eventually Keith Fletcher did receive one of those havering invitations, which he accepted; four runs, past mid-off. And 'Inti' smiled and throught there is always the next ball.

Now there is not even that

Intikhab Alam was born in Hoshiarpur (India) on 28th December 1941. As a hard-hitting right-handed batsman and right-arm leg-break googly bowler, he made his first-class debut for Karachi in 1957-58. aged 16 years 9 months joined Surrey in 1969 and gained his county cap the same season.

Earned 20,000 in benefit

In 1978, his benefit with Surrey earned him 20,000 Sterling Pounds (around Rs 4 lakhs) took 104 wickets (Avg 28.36 in the 1971 English summer in a total of 488 first-class matches during his 25-year career, he scored 14,327 runs (Ave 22.21) with nine hundreds; held 228 catches and captured 1,570 wickets (Ave 27.67) with 5 wickets 85 times and 10 wickets and more 13 times.

His highest score was 182 for Karachi Blues vs PIA 'B' at Karachi in 1970-71, and best bowling 8 for 54 for Pakistanis vs Tasmania at Hobert in 1972-73. He is the only Pakistani to exceed 1,000 wickets in a first-class career.

In 47 Test matches for Pakistan from 1959 to 1977, Intikhab scored 1,493 runs (Ave 22.28) with one hundred (138 vs England at Hyderabad in 1972-73) and 8 other fifties, held 20 catches and took 125 wickets (Avg 35.95) with 5 wickets 5 times and 10 wickets twice and a best of 7 for 52 vs New Zealand in Dunedin in 1972-73. He is one of the 10 bowlers to have taken a wicket on their first delivery in Test cricket - he clean bowled Australia's C.C. McDonald at Karachi in 1959-60.

Intikhab captained Pakistan in 17 Tests winning one, losing 5 and drawing the other 11.

Intikhab was Pakistan's first One-Day International cricket captain. He played 3 matches as captain, winning two and losing one. He was the coach in 1992 Cricket World Cup winning Pakistan team.

First foreigner to coach Punjab

In 2004, he was appointed as the first foreigner to coach a domestic Indian cricket team, coaching Punjab in the Ranji Trophy. On 25th October 2008, he was named as national coach of the Pakistan cricket team by PCB, a day after Australian Geoff Lawson was sacked as the national coach of Pakistan.

In 2009, Intikhab was the coach when Pakistan had their first Twenty20, World Cup title by defeating Sri Lanka in the final.

Before coming on to the years 2000, he was a significant captain but was widely thought to be too diplomatic for the role; his replacement Mushtaq Mohammad was a vivid, provocative contrast. Post retirement Intikhab's involvement with Pakistan cricket continued. He was the manager-coach when they won the 1992 World Cup, his diplomacy, it is thought, vital in ensuring a smooth working relationship between Imran Khan and Javed Miandad. He became coach in 2000 briefly before Pakistan surprisingly returned to him in October 2008 for another stint as replacement for Geoff Lawson.

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