Following the recent scandal that embroiled Pakistani chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq and his nephew opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq, the latter has spoken out about being accused of nepotism.
“It is not my fault that I am related to him. I just want to be Imam-ul-Haq,” he said.
“I confess the media unnecessarily criticises me, but I have silenced them with my performance before and will continue to do so,” he said.
The 22-year-old who is part of the national squad that will take part in the upcoming Asia Cup said, “When I scored a double century in the final for HBL, the media wasn’t on my side. When I scored for Pakistan A against Bangladesh, the media was nowhere. When I was selected for the national team, I was called Inzamam’s nephew. When I scored my first century it was called a chance.”
“When I helped the team win the Test match against Ireland in Dublin, the media didn’t say anything. When I scored three centuries against Zimbabwe, I was told not to make a big deal about it because Zimbabwe is the weaker side,” the opener said.
“I want to have a memorable Asia Cup where people will remember me for my performance,” Imam added.
Speaking about the role of damage done to him for being related to a high-profile cricketer of the country, he said that he tries to see the silver lining.
“I scored 110, 113, 0, 44 and 128 against Zimbabwe, but no one appreciated my performance. The criticism has only made me stronger and I will perform well in the Asia Cup,” he said.
