Former batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq says he did not suffer a heart attack

Former Pakistan batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq on Tuesday clarified that he did not suffer a heart attack, as had been widely reported across the media a day earlier.

Inzamam, in a video message, thanked all the people across the world who had prayed for him — fans, former and current cricketers, and commentators.

"It felt very nice being remembered, so I wanted to thank everyone," he said.

The former batsman said that he did not suffer a heart attack; he had gone to the doctor for a "routine checkup".

"They recommended an angioplasty and during the procedure, they said my artery is blocked and a stent is needed," he explained.

Inzamam said he gave his go-ahead, and then a procedure was done which was a success and he is alright now.

He said he stayed at the hospital for 12 hours and is now home.

The batsman urged everyone to immediately go to the doctor whenever they suspect anything wrong with their health.

"The doctors told me that had I delayed going in, I could have suffered damage," he said.

Inzamam's manager had earlier today said that had been discharged from the after undergoing successful angioplasty surgery at a Lahore hospital.

Inzamam was first noticed at the global level during Pakistan's World Cup-winning 1992 run. He later became Pakistan's highest run-getter in ODIs with 11,701 runs in 375 matches, and the country's third-highest run-scorer in Tests with 8,829 runs from 119 matches under his belt.

The former batting great is also considered among Pakistan's most successful captains. He bid farewell to international cricket in 2007 and started serving cricket in different positions.

One of these positions included a stint with the national squad as its batting consultant and then another as the national squad's chief selector from 2016 to 2019.

Following the news of his illness, Sachin Tendulkar, Hassan Ali, Wasim Akram, Shoaib Malik, Azhar Ali, Rumman Raees, and others had wished him a speedy recovery.