ICC quashes Inzy hopes

Ahmedabad, October 9:

Banned Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq will not be able to play in the Champions Trophy final if his team qualifies, the International Cricket Council (ICC) ruled on Monday.

Inzamam was banned for four one-dayers last month after being found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute following Pakistan’s decision to forfeit the controversial Oval Test against England.

Inzamam would have been eligible to play if Pakistan qualified for the final by winning their three league matches and the semi-final in the ongoing tournament in India.

But Pakistan’s decision to replace Inzamam with Faisal Iqbal for the early part of the tournament has dashed stand-in captain Younis Khan’s wish to have his country’s most prolific batsman for the final.

ICC spokesman Brian Murgatroyd said that rules state that once a player is replaced he cannot be reinstated later in the tournament. “Clause 6.9 of the participating agreement clearly states that,” Murgatroyd said. “I am afraid Inzamam will not be able to

participate in this Champions Trophy.”

Inzamam’s 11,549 runs make him the second highest scorer in one-day cricket after India’s master blaster Sachin Tendulkar and one of only four players to have crossed the 10,000-run mark.