Pakistan cricket team’s 0-2 loss to Sri Lanka in the recent Test rubber has not come as a shock to the followers of the game. They are by now fairly accustomed to such chronic malfunction in our top-level cricket.

However, what’s deplorable, rather alarming, aspect of the defeat is the way Misbah-ul-Haq’s men lost the battles in Galle and Colombo — after taking upper hand in both the games.

A careful analysis of the Test series shows that unnecessary and prolonged defensive tactics, mainly in batting, led to the whitewash. While one is prepared to give full credit to the wily Rangana Herath for his fantastic show with the ball throughout the series, looking at things from a wider perspective makes it obvious that several Pakistani batsmen allowed Herath and company to dictate terms and apply pressure at crucial stages of both the Tests.

It is sad but true that skipper Misbah started this slumbering approach in the first Test at Galle. While one would agree that patience to stay at the wicket and rebuild the innings was paramount when Misbah walked in during the first innings with his side sitting precariously at 56-3 on the first day, the skipper stunningly went into an ultra-defensive mode as the first 70 odd balls fetched him just 10 runs. He eventually scored a 100-ball 31 on an easy paced wicket, and though Pakistan scored a formidable 451 in that innings courtesy Younis Khan’s classical century, the captain’s extremely lethargic willow work set the trend for some of his lieutenants in the second innings which proved fatal in the end.

As the tourists resumed their second innings on the last day on a pretty fine track, Ahmed Shehzad, normally a free-flowing strokemaker, crawled to 16 after consuming as many as 74 balls! Similarly, Azhar Ali batted laboriously at No.4, facing 151 deliveries to accumulate his 41! All this proved catastrophic for Pakistan who lost the Test which looked heading for a drab draw at the start of the fifth day.

Test cricket, unlike ODIs and Twenty20s, is all about showing top-notch skills in pressure times and the ability to make the most of the available opportunities as and when they arise. An intelligent bowler in the five-day game gradually sets a trap for the batsmen, the way Herath and his partners did. To counter and disrupt the bowlers’ plans, the batsman are required to retaliate with a positive approach and by blending aggression with defence.

But contrary to this standard practice, several Pakistani batsmen went for the ‘block-block’ game and paid a heavy price.

Fighting half-centuries from rookie Sarfraz Ahmed (batting at No.8 on the last day) in both the innings at Galle were a revelation and in refreshing contrast to the sort of cricket some of his team-mates played. The wicket-keeper’s gutsy maiden Test century in Colombo — where the likes of Younis, Misbah and Azhar struggled for runs — further highlighted the benefits of adopting a positive attitude.

With their tails up after the Galle triumph the Sri Lankans — eager to give a befitting Test farewell to veteran Mahela Jayawardene in Colombo — made sure Pakistan do not regroup to spoil their party at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground.

The prolific Herath turned out with a record 14-wicket haul this time as Pakistan batting faltered yet again while chasing a very gettable 271-run target after taking a slim lead on the first innings.

Not discounting his tremendous services for Pakistan, one feels that captain Misbah should take the bulk of the blame for this excessively defensive stance that resulted in fiasco for Pakistan in the Sri Lanka Tests. It is significant to mention here that apart from the spectacularly defensive batting, Pakistan’s field placements — as usual — didn’t signify any proactive mode of leadership from Misbah.

If he is not willing to provide extra cushion to the likes of Saeed Ajmal and fast rising Junaid Khan, at least at crucial junctures, then what should we expect from our skipper against the mighty Australians in October-November in the UAE?

And needless to say the entire coaching staff, which includes big names like Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmed, cannot escape the criticism too. The newly-appointed Grant Flower must have gone back to the drawing board as to what went wrong with Pakistan batting. One hopes the former Zimbabwe player along with the rest of the team management realise the worth of ‘positive attitude’ and the repercussions of a ‘defensive mindset’ before it’s too late.

Following the series loss, Pakistan have slipped two places in the ICC Test team rankings to sixth spot while Sri Lanka have progressed one position and are now placed at fourth.

Michael Clarke’s Aussies, who are out-and-out ruthless in their approach on the field, will not spare tentative-looking opposition like Pakistan. Even the gutsy New Zealand side (who will also play us in the UAE before the 2015 World Cup) will be looking to edge out Misbah and Co if they continue to play negative cricket like they did in Sri Lanka.

Although the newly-elected PCB chairman Shaharyar M. Khan has categorically stated that Misbah would remain at the helm till the World Cup, it is imperative that the skipper rids himself of this safety-first approach or Pakistan’s campaign against Australia and New Zealand will end before taking off.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2014