The early signs on the tour to England were all positive for Pakistan. The batsmen had their runs. The bowlers had their wickets. And, England had its injuries. With most teams, it would have been time to sit back and look forward to some exciting cricket, but, with due apologies to the diehards, you never know what to expect of a Pakistani outfit on the basis of even the most recent of pasts. So it is with trepidation rather than anticipation that these lines are being written a couple of days before the first Test.
It is almost always a tussle between the heart and the mind for the followers of Pakistan cricket. Apparently, the team loves to prove everyone wrong. Write it off, and it will leave you with an embarrassment that you will remember for life. Pin your hopes and it will leave you crestfallen. That is what happens when there is no system in place, but let’s leave it for another day.
By the time these lines appear in print, the first Test would be in its fourth day and we would have known much about the way the wind is blowing, but, talking of the enigmatic nature of the team, the match might already have been over in three days. One way or the other, mind you, for Pakistan has the potential to shoot the enemy down just about in equal measure as shooting itself in the foot. Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat comes as naturally to Team Pakistan as doing it the other way round; snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Despite the early signs that were all positive, it is difficult to predict the behaviour of a Pakistani outfit on the basis of even the most recent past
Just like our leaders of all colours, shades and hues of the national political spectrum, apparently Team Pakistan also loves London, for seven of Pakistan’s nine victories on English soil have come over the years in the English capital; either at Lord’s — the venue of the first Test — or at The Oval, which will stage the last of the series. On the same grounds, they have had seven of their 20 losses; 78 per cent versus 35 per cent. If, as a punter, you want to read too much into this piece of statistics, do it at your own risk and cost.
Going by conventional logic, the Sri Lankans got the rough part of the English summer and by the time the Pakistan series got under way, the playing surfaces would be expected to behave more suitably for an even contest between the bat and the ball. In terms of history, if it means anything, Pakistan’s overall record in England has not been particularly bad in the latter half of engagements between the two sides that go back 62 years.
After having scored a solitary Test victory in the first 28 years, Pakistan was able to come up with trumps eight times in the next 34. In terms of series, Pakistan won none in the first phase out of six attempts, losing four of them in 28 years. The only two drawn series, however, were remarkable, coming in 1954 which was Pakistan’s first ever tour of the country, and then in 1974 when the country became only the second country after Don Bradman-led Australians to return without a single defeat in any format of the game throughout a tour to England.
In the second phase of such engagements since 1982, Pakistan won three of the seven series, with just one — in 2001 — ending in a 1-1 draw. The series victories came in three consecutive tours. It started off with Imran Khan leading the pack and Wasim Akram providing the backup in 1987, then Waqar Younis and Inzamam-ul- Haq joining the band in 1992, and, finally, Wasim, Waqar and Inzamam were joined by leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed to make England pay for its inadequacies both in terms of reverse swing and wrist spin.
In terms of Test matches, just one of Pakistan’s nine victories came in the first phase, while the remaining eight came in the second phase spanning 34 years. Interestingly, the 20 losses Pakistan has suffered in England stand equally divided; 10 in each.
So while, things may look rosy on the surface, one would do well to reflect a little more before pressing the celebration mode. Of Pakistan’s eight victories in the second phase, just one has come in the last two tours. And of the 10 losses, six have been registered in that time. There has been just a solitary drawn game across the two tours comprising eight Tests. Needless to say, Pakistan has lost the last two tours.
So, then, are we ready for a fight in 2016? While that victory in that game of Tug of War (remember that?) didn’t mean a thing, one hopes Pakistan will have, if nothing else, a controversy-free tour that we couldn’t have on the last two occasions — the Oval fiasco and the massive no-balls, as you may remember. What remains critical in any scheme of things, this tour being no exception, is the capacity of the players to make for a fighting unit on the field.
Sri Lankans have shown what a unit of fresh faces can go through in English conditions. The wickets fall in clusters and by the time you have some sense of fighting and finding your way, it is already too late and then it remains all about salvaging some pride rather than the scoreline. One hopes that is not the case, but let’s see … provided the game at Lord’s is still on … one way or the other, that is!
Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, July 17th, 2016
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