Virender Sehwag Picks Pakistan Great As Asia's Best Middle-Order Batter

Inzamam-ul-Haq played 120 Tests and 378 ODIs for the Men in Green, accumulating 8830 and 11739 runs respectively.

Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag has made a huge statement in praise of a former Pakistan captain. While Sehwag, the former explosive opener, had several options to consider, he rated Pakistan great Inzamam-ul-Haq as the best-ever middle-order batter from Asia. Sehwag explained how Inzamam used to play a brand of fearless cricket even in the early 2000s and even gave a rationale for choosing Inzamam over Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar. He said that while Tendulkar was a class apart from others, Inzamam was the best among the remaining options and someone who wouldn't be too bothered even when the required run rate was up.

"Inzi bhai bahut sweet the. Bahut-bahut sweet the [Inzaman was very sweet. Very very sweet]. I believe Inzamam-ul-Haq is the biggest Asian middle-order batter. Because [Sachin] Tendulkar is in a different league altogether, he can’t be counted. Among all other Asian batters, I have not seen a better batter than him. In 2003-2004, he would be able to score eight runs an over easily. I mean 80 runs in 10 overs. Any other team or player would panic. He would say, ‘Ban jayenge, chinta mat kar [We will score these runs. Don’t worry]’," Sehwag said in a recent episode of the show 'Breakfast With Champions.'

Inzamam-ul-Haq played 120 Tests and 378 ODIs for the Men in Green, accumulating 8830 and 11739 runs respectively. He averaged 49.60 in the game's purest format while clocking an average of 39.52 in 50-over cricket. The right-handed batter was known for his lazy elegance with the bat in hand and could play a range of strokes all round the wicket with Pakistan's World Cup winning-captain Imran Khan rating him as the world's best batter against pace.

Sehwag also shared another hilarious incident involving Inzamam where he once asked the Inzamam to bring one fielder inside the 30-yard-circle so that he could smash a six. While Inzamam though the batter was joking and obliged, Sehwag indeed smashed Danish Kaneria for a six off the next ball after which the then Pakistan captain put the fielder back at the fence.