There was insurmountable pressure when Imam-ul-Haq burst onto the scene during the U -19 Asia Cup in 2012. The pressure of being the nephew of Inzamam-ul-Haq was the first of many challenges he had to cope with in his maiden series. Imam, however, had put all that to bed and amassed an average of 45 from 5 games including three successive fifties and a 88 in his first game against India U -19. Guess what! He did all of that at the age of 16 whilst displaying glimpses of great skill and technique.

Known for his flamboyant stroke-play, Imam, unlike his uncle, is a left-hand middle-order batsman and represents Lahore in the domestic circuit. During the U - 19 World Cup in 2012, Imam failed to live up to the expectations, and could only muster a total of 78 runs from six games. Things, however, changed rapidly as he blazed 237 runs off six innings in the U - 19 Tri-series tournament in England in the same year.

Azhar Ali's injury before the start of ODI series against Sri Lanka, in October 2017, in the UAE enabled an opportunity for Imam to prove his potential. He debuted in the third ODI in Abu Dhabi and anchored a successful run-chase, cracking his maiden international ton while at it. A sharp ring fielder, Imam, is a sprightly character on the field.

By Raju Peethala