Aussies or no Aussies! Pakistan is carrying its own unique paraphernalia of problems from a while now i.e. formation of a first choice bowling OR to try and avoid their dull & soggy starts to the 450-450 format of the game!
Author shall try and dig the pattern further in following paragraphs...
Pakistan’s inability to start a Test series with all guns firing and engines steaming is been their nemesis in recent years - may be the curse of weakened opening partnerships have extended its sphere leaving Pakistan with their work cut out for them for the rest of the series.
In a statistical perspective, Pakistan have participated in 13 Test series in past four years – starting from all-famous 1st Test against India in Multan, 2004 till their series defeat on Indian
soil after 27 years; courtesy Pakistan’s 89th Test defeat, yet again in the first Test (Delhi) of the series!
Collectively in firsts of these 13 Tests series team Pakistan have performed well and truly below par! Hashing a W/L % of mere 0.28 and pocketing 7 defeats on the run compare to a decent enough W/L % of 1.13 & reasonably lesser amount of defeats (8) in rest of the 23 Tests that Pakistan appeared in last four years. They have shown the world that they are late bloomers when it’s down to recycling the batteries to be ready right from the onset! Though, the W/L % of 1.67 and 5 wins in seconds of these test series implicates that Guys in Green learns their lesson the harsh way when they are asked to switch to their white trousers.
Prior to the recent Dehli Opener which Pakistan lost in spite of being nearly competitive, the preceding First of the Home series against Republican of South Africa was also conveniently ended with a 160 runs home defeat; that too at the sacred National Stadium of Karachi. That time hosts of reasons were fired from left, right and center; ranging from Twenty20 hangover, lack of depth in batting brigade to perennially mediocre fielding and horrendous spin-win strategy. However, from author’s perspective, problem runs deeper than the dent at National Stadium’s pride OR the ceasing of being undefeated on India Soil for exactly 28 years...
Notwithstanding above, Pakistan’s inclination towards rustiness at the start of a series hinders their chances towards clinching one in the end – only 30% of these series turned out to be triumphant for Pakistan and significantly, all were set-up by either a win or a draw in the opening encounters… which pretty much surfaces the circumference of area where one of Pakistan’s major problems lies by and large whose reasons in present frame of affairs are glaring I believe.
Dependable openers & consistent first-choice pace attack are the stepping stones of a Test match either or otherwise and sadly Pakistan has suffered badly on those fronts in past four years...
Above all, after the rare triumphant Home season of 2005-06 & only away series victory in Sri Lanka 2006 Pakistan have more often than not played with some joke of a bowling attack. Narrowing down the criteria by lime-lighting past two years only clinkers telling facts on Pakistan bowling armory!
Starting from infamous tour to Britain till away series against India – in nearly two years – Pakistan appeared in 15 Test matches, the participation level of Pakistan’s premier pace & seam
attack reads as follow:
Umar Gul 60%
Muhammad Asif 40%
Shoaib Akhtar 26%
No wonder Pakistan, apart from easy pickings against West Indies was only able to mutter one Test Victory in rest of the 12 Test matches. Ironically, when all 3 of the first choice attack are fit & nearly available Australians turn their back – though harshly acceptable yet devastatingly denting from National viewpoint.
On the modestly positive flip of the coin, formers absence paved way for some old-timers and created an urge for trying new faces & hunting down the raw ones:
Out-of-Blues
a la Sohail Tanvir – who I believe is the most improved find of past 7-8 months. The tall lanky left-armer has further established his credentials in the just concluded Pentangular Trophy 2008 where he complimented his 19 wickets from 4 fixtures with 211 runs including a career-best 132.(2) Fringe-from-a-while a la Yasir Arafat - who I trust as becoming Pakistan’s very own Freddie Flintoff if handled a bit more carefully. Apart from his lion-hearted effort in debut Test in India - his FC credentials of 535 wickets @ 23.x & 4700 runs @ 28.x speaks enough for his perseverance & ability to make it big.
Relishing-his-Time
a la Sohail Khan – heartening find of the domestic season 2007-08 & should in my opinion lead Pakistan’s bowling attack against the incoming Bangla Tigers. The fact that not many have had such an exuberant start to their FC career – 91 wickets in 2007-08 in only 14 games @ SR of 34.x. he in my opinion is in just the right kind of form & frame of mind to be entrusted with National responsibility..
Still early days to say but I am seeing him as an integral part of Pakistan’s strategy to combat Giant Indians later this year.
Turning the spotlight onto the second integral to hold a Test match from its horns – Openers doesn’t possess a decent picture either:
Pakistan’s most consistent opener in past 4 years is been their current captain Shoaib Malik – grinding out an average of 43.x in 11 innings that he opened for Pakistan. However, with management relegating him down the order due to added responsibility of captaincy, from last two years opening spots are since been musical chaired between Imran Farhat(544r @ 34.x), Muhammad Hafeez(463r @31.x) Salman Butt(281r @ 23.x) & Yasir Hameed(158r @ 26.x) – the so-labeled Specialist & Stop-Gap solution Kamran Akmal(187r @ 31.x).
Pakistan lost Imran Farhat to ICL – an episode where both parties were equally guilty yet in the end Pakistan cricket suffered by losing a good player to meaningless Indian domestic cricket and some silly money. Moving ahead with list sees Hafeez & Hameed out of favor and hence will not be considered for a while, unless something horrible happens yet again!
This leaves solitary Salman Butt from the tried lot, who, I believe is still pretty much in contention on the back of a gigantic Pentangular Trophy 2008, but to partner him PCB is definitely looking ahead of the ones mentioned above...
As its been framed by PCB as well as Geoff “Henry” Lawson, three openers – Nasir Jamshed, Khalid Latif & Khurrum Manzoor are being focused upon with an aim to fill the void vacant from several years now. Though, their strong home seasons - Jamshed(1353r) & Manzoor(1283r) topping the runs ladder & Latif registering (867r) do hitch a glimmer of hope yet the credibility of our turfs is till date debatable; more so after the failure of local groundsmen to build bouncy turfs as were promised for the season 2007-08.
That all been said, the way things are moving locally & internationally anything may and can happen before Pakistan will embark onto their next Test match commitment.
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