PORT ELIZABETH, Jan 18: Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq on Thursday said besides making full efforts to square the series against the hosts in the second Test which begins here on Friday, he would be doing his utmost to make amends for his chequered batting form and to reach the elusive three-figure mark against the Proteas.

“We obviously need to win the second Test in Port Elizabeth and claw our way back into the series. Although that’s our priority, I also have a couple of personal targets ahead of me,” wrote Inzamam in his column for well-known cricket website bigstarcricket.com on Thursday.

“Before I arrived in South Africa, I was well aware that I had a disappointing year with the bat in Test cricket in 2005 and that it was the first year I had failed to score a Test hundred since 1998. The team performed well, winning against India and then in Sri Lanka and finishing the year off with a 2-0 victory against West Indies, following a poor England tour. But despite our success as a side, I knew I should have scored more runs,” added Inzamam.

“I’m very keen to reach three figures in South Africa as I’ve scored a Test hundred against all the other Test nations and it would be nice to add South Africa to the list and complete the set. It would be a very proud moment if I manage to do it. I scored 95 in Johannesburg on my first trip here and I hope I can go a step further in this series. I always try to give 100 per cent for my team and my country and hopefully I can do that in Port Elizabeth.

Commenting on Pakistan team’s composition for the crucial game, Inzamam wrote: “We are not sure of the exact line-up yet but there would be quite a few changes and I would expect Shoaib (Akhtar) to come in, and obviously (Mohammed) Yousuf.” —Agencies

Opinion

Editorial

Sustainable path?
13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

THE FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth ...
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...
A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...