An irate Inzamam-ul-Haq once stormed into the crowd during an ODI between India and Pakistan in 1997 in Toronto after a fan allegedly hurled offensive chants at him.
The second ODI of the 1997 Friendship Cup between India and Pakistan took an ugly turn when an Indian spectator named Shiv Kumar Thind started using a megaphone to direct chants at fielder Inzamam. According to reports, Thind allegedly yelled “O mote, sidha khara ho [O fatso, stand straight], mota aloo, sada aloo [fat potato, rotten potato],” when Inzamam was fielding at the boundary line during India’s innings.
Incensed by the chants, an upset Inzamam was seen crossing the advertisement barriers and barging into the stands at the end of the 16th over to take on Thind. The spectators managed to separate them and push Inzamam back onto the field, but things then got even uglier, when he snatched a bat from one of the reserve players. The security guards got in the way to control Inzamam, all of it causing a 37-minute delay.
“How long could have I tolerated the man abusing my religion, country and family members?” Inzamam later said. “Besides being a sportsman, I am also a human being. How many people in the world would have accepted someone who abuses his country and religion. I had not gone into the stand to have a fist-fight with him. I just went to ask him why he was abusing me. On the contrary, he attacked me with the megaphone and whatever I did later was purely to defend myself. How could have I allowed him to inflict physical harm on me?”
The matter concluded with both Thind and Inzamam filing charges of assault against each other, though the duo later withdrew the charges. The match referee banned Inzamam for two games.
Speaking on the Wisden’s The Greatest Rivalry podcast last year, teammate Waqar Younis stated that Inzamam was also standing up for his India’s Mohammad Azharuddin and his family, who were being attacked by the group of spectators.
“Normally Inzamam fields or stands in the slips, and what exactly happened,” Younis said, “I know there’s a story about this ‘aloo’ thing, you know, there was someone calling him aloo, and yes there was someone calling him ‘aloo aloo’. But also, what exactly happened [was that] there was someone in the crowd who was not very good to Azharuddin’s wife – I think they were just talking some rubbish – and Inzi being Inzi, he didn’t really like it.”
Younis went on to add that though the visuals were “sad” and “ugly”, it further showed the friendship between the two sides, and upheld the essence of the tournament they were taking part in.
“Inzi had to suffer, Inzi had to apologise and they went to court for that particular incident and Azhar had to come out, which was very nice of Azharuddin, who had to come out and talk to that Indian guy… the guy was Indian I think… and talk to him and sort out that issue out of the court.”
“It was sad and it was ugly what happened, but what I’m trying to say here, is you know when it comes to watching each other’s back, both teams have people or players who really love each other’s company.”
India went on to win the second ODI by seven wickets, chasing down 116 in 34.4 overs, and claimed the series 4-1.
