Unassuming Inzamam-ul-Haq has usually let his bat do the talking -- in more ways than one.

The tubby Pakistan captain, often taunted over his weight, ran over to the stands in Toronto in 1997 to hit an Indian spectator with his willow blade after being called "Aloo" (potato). He was banned for two one-day matches.

But the 36-year-old Inzamam had plenty to say following his acquittal by the International Cricket Council Thursday on ball-tampering charges. He was also banned for four one-day internationals for bringing the game into disrepute.

"It was a matter of the team's reputation and ball-tampering allegations meant that we cheated during the Test match," Inzamam said.

Pakistan refused to play after tea on the fourth day of the fourth Test against England at the Oval in August after umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove penalised his team five runs for allegedly altering the condition of the ball.

"Everyone in Pakistan welcomed my decision to protest and I think they would have prayed for my team and for myself. That is why we have been acquitted of ball-tampering charges."

Former team-mate Rashid Latif believes the Oval incident, which resulted in Pakistan forfeiting the Test for the first time in the game's history, epitomises Inzamam's character.

"Inzamam is a different sort of a person, very hard to understand. He reacts late. What happened at The Oval shows his personality as he tried to defend himself and his team very late," said Latif.

Despite his quiet nature, Inzamam has been no stranger to controversy. Apart from attacking a spectator and last month's row, he was fined after being found guilty of involvement in match fixing after a wide-ranging inquiry in 2000.

Inzamam has also been an occasional figure of fun, whether for his notorious run-outs or when this summer his team-mates failed to hide their embarrassment after he fell onto stumps while sweeping England spinner Monty Panesar.

But his outstanding record -- 8,498 runs in 113 Tests and 11,549 in 367 one-dayers -- is hard to match.

Imran Khan, who was Inzamam's first captain, rates him alongside Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar and West Indian wonder Brian Lara.

"Inzamam doesn't know about the extent of the talent he possesses. He is on a par with Tendulkar and Lara and it was only the media which projected the other two more than Inzamam," Khan once commented.

Inzamam hit his peak with a career-best 329 against New Zealand at Lahore in 2002 but a year later the curtains nearly fell when his dismal form in the World Cup led to his ouster from the team.

He burst back through sheer determination and the last three years have been phenomenal for him as a captain and as batsman. He has guided a young team who are co-favourites with Australia for next year's World Cup.

Now a devout Muslim, he draws inspiration from Islam, and from his father, Intizam-ul-Haq, who is a spiritual leader. He regularly attends religious congregation at Raiwind, a place of preaching near Lahore.

Team-mate Shahid Afridi vouches for his sincerity.

"Inzi Bhai (brother) is a gem of a person, clean and simple. What he did at The Oval was simply because he cannot tolerate any accusation of cheating against the name of Pakistan," said Afridi.

(Article: Copyright © 2006 AFP)