KARACHI, Oct 6: South African skipper Graeme Smith has said Inzamam-ul-Haq’s final appearance for Pakistan in the second test in Lahore could be a distraction for the home side.

Inzamam, Pakistan’s former captain and leading batsman, was included in the squad after announcing he is to retire following the test, which will be his first match for Pakistan since the World Cup in March.

“Having played against Pakistan I have noticed that Inzamam is a kind of a key figurehead in their side and it will be interesting how he manages this being his last test,” said Smith after his team’s thumping win in the first test in Karachi.

Shoaib Malik replaced Inzamam as captain after Pakistan’s first-round exit in the World Cup in West Indies, which led to Inzamam retiring from one-day internationals.

Smith said Inzamam’s last test could be a distraction for a young captain like Shoaib.

“How he is going to manage things is going to be the key for him. I guess there is going to be lot of pressure on him as Inzamam carries a huge aura around him certainly in this set-up,” Smith said.—Reuters