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| August 09, 2006 | Wednesday | Rajab 13, 1427 |
Dented pride and umpiring prejudice
LEEDS, Aug 8: I remember the feeling when Pakistan last lost a Test series in England. It was a sense of bitter disappointment but immense pride. The class of 1982 fought with every breath. There were no complaints.
This year's defeat, after four unbeaten series in England, feels much different. Where there was pride there is now pain.
It would be generous to call this England opposition a great team.
Andrew Flintoff, Michael Vaughan, and Simon Jones have missed the whole series. Stephen Harmison fired only at Old Trafford, only under exceptionally helpful conditions. And their bowling, other than Monty Panesar, has been distinctly ordinary.
Moreover, two out of three pitches have been closer to Pakistani in their behaviour than the kind that gave visiting batsmen nightmares.
Inzamam-ul Haq's Pakistan have been a disappointment. Out of 13 days of Test cricket played on this tour Pakistan have won only two — and both times Mohammad Yousuf was at the crease.
But Pakistan could have turned the series on its head with one day of brilliance. They were in the hunt until Yousuf's run-out, a folly that handed the psychological advantage to England.
Only Younis Khan and Inzamam made meaningful contributions and once Panesar had clipped Younis's off-bail with a perfect delivery Pakistan's resistance ended.
Pakistan made an interesting choice in this Test. For the first time since March 2005 they employed only four bowlers. One of Pakistan's strengths for three decades, perhaps the defining strength, has been the ability of all-rounders to offer bowling options and shorten the tail.
The combination, though, was potentially a match-winning one for this pitch. The final innings would have been easier if umpiring decisions had been made correctly on the first morning.
Pakistan require considerable sympathy for their predicament — if anyone deserved the man of the match award more than Younis it was Darrell Hair. But victory is rarely achieved without overcoming adversity. On a helpful pitch, a better line might have made Hair irrelevant.
England's second innings was also helped along by dropped catches. By the time bowlers, fielders, and captain were in harmony England were ahead again.
Thanks to these failings it was a monumental effort to retain a chance of victory. And in the agony of defeat, the world-class partnership between Younis and Yousuf should not be forgotten.
Nor should the spirit Pakistan's bowlers demonstrated on the fourth day. These were reminders of why Pakistan under Inzamam and Bob Woolmer have climbed the international rankings. Ultimately this result was a consequence of a lack of resources.
Pakistan need to decide who their best openers are and fast. This merry-go-round of left-handers is a source of instability.
Yet even this opening weakness might have been overcome if Pakistan's bowlers had performed anywhere near their best, something they only managed on one day of this series.
Two years ago Mohammad Sami and Umar Gul were Pakistan's premier bowlers other than Shoaib Akhtar. They are not the undercooked second-string they have become.
Pakistan will want to end the series on a high at The Oval. For them, Shoaib would be a bonus, although a premature return may now not be worth risking.
Younis Khan's batting, attitude, and leadership in this match, however, proved that unusually Pakistan have a clear successor for the captaincy. That can be a dangerous position in Pakistan cricket and the PCB must make sure the transition is smooth and timely. It can be no later than after the completion of the next World Cup — and perhaps no earlier.
The spirit that makes us all proud needs to return quickly — with a bang.
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