Former Australia seamer Damien Fleming and Pakistan legend Inzamam-ul-Haq faced off in 14 internationals, including two meetings at the 1999 World Cup, yet never exchanged a word, until 2020, when Fleming accidentally walked into Inzamam’s 50th birthday party and ended up delivering a speech.
Speaking on his podcast, Damien Fleming’s Cricket Bowlology Report, alongside Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath, the former quick recalled the bizarre incident that unfolded during a PSL match in Sharjah.
Stationed in Dubai for commentary duties, Fleming went in search of food when he spotted Inzamam. Despite never having spoken during their playing days, the former Pakistan captain recognised him and struck up a conversation about the country’s fast bowlers. Inzamam was chief selector at the time and keen for Fleming’s input, unaware to the Aussie that the room had been booked for the batting great’s 50th birthday celebration.
“We were commenting at the Sharjah Stadium in Dubai for the Pakistan Super League a few years ago. Now I got a bit hungry, so I went looking for some food. I look over, and there’s Inzi. Now I’ve played three Test series, three ODI series, and two World Cups against Pakistan, and we’ve never shared one word. So I look at him, and I think, would he even remember me? I hear he didn’t speak much English and loved the way he played and how slowly he ate. But he was a bit of a folk hero within the team, and then his funny run-outs. He looks at me, nods approval, and we start to have a little bit of a chat. He was the chairman of selectors in Pakistan at the time, so he asked me about the quicks. I remember Shaheen Afridi had made his debut at 17. So I mentioned him and a couple more,” he said.
Fleming only realised what was unfolding when the room suddenly filled up and a cake was brought in.
“All of a sudden, people started coming in, and then there were 80 people in that room all at once. And I was thinking what’s going on here. Then the cake comes out, and it’s Inzi’s 50th birthday. I was in the middle of his birthday presentation. And when the person puts the cake down, he looks at me and says, ‘Fleming, a few words.’ Now, I’ve never spoken to him before, I was just chatting with him, and then I found myself giving a speech on his 50th birthday,” he added.
McGrath and Gillespie were left in splits as they asked whether he kept the speech short.
The Aussie, who as part of the all-conquering Australian teams under Steve Waugh and Mark Taylor, said: “I just kept it generic. I got my slice of cake and walked into the commentary box, thinking, ‘Did that really just happen?'”
