Inzy's Last Hurrah

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Inzamam's emotions catch up with him.

By Tristan Holme

It really has been a strange day at Sabina Park.

My day got off to a poor start when Castro, my elderly taxi driver who's been ferrying me around since I moved in with two crazy Irish fans on Monday (a hangover from the weekend expeditions), did what I'd been expecting all week and got involved in an accident.

It was no surprise given the way people drive in Jamaica, which has a very informal feel to it.

When turning into a busy road drivers often ease out into oncoming traffic and push their way through to the other side of the road, forcing traffic already on the road to stop and let them in.

Hence it was no great surprise that finally someone failed to yield and, despite my cries to stop, Castro bludgeoned his way into the side of the guy.

Luckily the damage wasn't too bad and I soon found that dealing with accidents in Jamaica is as informal as the driving that precedes them - no police were involved (or in sight) and the two drivers grudgingly traded details and were back on the road in ten minutes.

Of course Castro mumbled incoherently for the rest of the drive to the ground, but I hardly understand what he's talking about at the best of times so I just left him to it before giving him my spare ticket to the game in a bid to cheer him up a bit.

When I finally took my seat in the outdoor press box and looked around the ground I wondered if I'd come on the wrong day. The brass band were in their usual positions but there were more officials and policemen in the ground than spectators.

When play got under way following the minute's silence in honour of Bob Woolmer, an eerie, sombre silence continued to dominate as the odd bit of banter among the Zimbabwe fielders was all that could be heard.

Even the press box was practically empty, despite the enormity of the occasion for Pakistan what with Woolmer's passing and this being Inzamam's final ODI.

And if the match was something of a non-event, the occasion certainly did not disappoint as the big man made a quick 37 before being dismissed by Tawanda Mupariwa to make an emotional exit.

First the young Zimbabwe side showed their respect by all shaking his hand before he made his way off. It was already too much for Inzi, who was in tears by the time he saw his own team forming a guard of honour on the edge of the field.

Looking on, it was one of those moments that creeps up your spine and nurdles your tear ducts.

Inzy is a true legend of the game who has always carried an air of dignity, despite the controversy that has followed him like an unwelcome shadow over the last year.

He deserved to bow out in glorious circumstances with smiles and celebration, and it's so very unfortunate that this was not the case.