Imam desires to win Asia Cup

LAHORE: Pakistan batsman Imam-ul-Haq has a desire to win the Asia Cup for the country and feels that UAE is a home venue for his team.

In a media talk in Dubai, he said: “We have played a lot of cricket here (Dubai and UAE) for the last seven to eight years so we have that advantage that we know the conditions well. But India has played IPL here, and the wickets in Asia, in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan are very similar, so I don’t think it will affect the other teams that much.”

On Asia Cup being more than India –Pakistan contest, he said: “This is a cricket contest, all the teams, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, have a lot of potential, and they have a lot good youngsters coming up and you could see an upset, this isn’t just about India and Pakistan Asia Cup, it is about all the teams chipping in before the world cup, and I think it is going to be an exciting tournament.”

The batsman further said, “I want to have a memorable Asia Cup where people will remember me for my performance.”However, the opening batsman said, “Being related to a high profile cricketing personality has been damaging for him.”

“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 added.

When asked about the pressure that he faces by being related to Inzamam, the batsman said, “It is not my fault that I am related to him. I just want to be Imam-ul-Haq,” he added.