Inzamam-ul-Haq, who is a former Pakistan skipper has recalled an incident by going down memory lane from BCCI’s Platinum Jubilee Cup match in 2004 where India’s name was written on the trophy after posting 292 runs on board at Kolkata’s Eden Garden.
Yuvraj Singh scored 62-ball 78 with the help of 10 fours and two sixes. Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly scored 48 of 70 balls with 2 sixes and a solitary four. Besides, VVS Laxman scored 43 of 44 balls with the help of five fours. Virender Sehwag scored 53 of 65 balls with the help of six fours and two sixes. Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar batted lower down the order as India scored 292 for six in the stipulated 50 overs.
In reply, Salman Butt and Younis Khan opened the innings before losing Younis Khan without scoring. However, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik scored 75 and 61 respectively to provide the impetus. Despite Mohammad Yousuf failing with the bat, Salman Butt scored 108 to chase the target of 293 and lost only four wickets.
Inzamam-ul-Haq: India Celebrated After Scoring 292 In Front Of Dignitaries
A number of dignitaries including current Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan were present at the stadium. They witnessed Pakistan winning over hosts India by six wickets with one over remaining.
“India had invited Pakistan for the celebrations of platinum jubilee of BCCI. It was organised in a grand style. Former players from Pakistan were invited, politicians were also there. Imran Khan was there. BCCI had invited all Indian captains. When the first innings ended, they made them take rounds of the ground in small batches,” Inzamam told on his YouTube channel.
Inzamam-ul-Haq mentioned that celebrations took place in the Indian camp during innings break as they posted a challenging 292. The target of 293 was never chased before at Eden Gardens and so India was confident of winning, but their efforts were neutralized by Salman Butt during the run chase as he scored an unbeaten 108 which came from 130 balls besides Shoaib Malik’s 61, and captain Inzamam-ul-Haq’s 75.
“So, there was a lot of pressure for that match. BCCI had arranged for a big trophy for the winners. India won the toss and batted first. They scored 292 for six. 293 was never chased before there. I remember they wrote India as the winners of the platinum jubilee cup,” he said.
“They were so confident because they had a very good team. India always had a good team. That score had never been chased there before so they were confident of winning. The celebrations began at lunchtime.”
Pakistan won the match eventually despite Yuvraj Singh scoring 78 of 62 deliveries and good performances from Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, and skipper Sourav Ganguly, all of whom scored in the 40s and 50s as India posted a formidable total but eventually lost the match mainly due to Salman Butt’s century.
Former Captain Salman Butt Banned For Five Years For His Role in 2010 Spot Fixing
Salman Butt, who scored 108 of 130 balls including 13 boundaries later in the 2004 match later became captain of Pakistan and within 1-2 months of becoming captain, he was implicated in allegations of spot-fixing and was banned for five years besides fellow teammates — Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif.
The bans were eventually lifted in August 2015 by the ICC allowing them to return to all forms of cricket from September 2, 2015. The regular test and one-day left-handed opening batsman Salman Butt was convicted and jailed for 30 months for conspiracy charges relating to spot-fixing.
Inzamam-ul-Haq, who is the only Pakistani batsman to score 20,000 runs in international cricket, was the captain of Pakistan from 2003 to 2007 and appeared in 120 Tests and 378 one-day internationals. He later became a selector.
India and Pakistan bilateral matches have not happened since 2012 due to tension at the border and terrorist activities originating from Pakistan. However, the arch-rivals meet each other at Asia Cups and ICC events like ODI, T20 World Cups, and Champions Trophy. Pakistan has never beaten India in a World Cup match despite winning more matches than the latter in both tests and one-dayers.