THE recent crowning of the Pakistan cricket team as the world’s number one Test side is preceded by an inspiring tale of talent, self-belief, hard work and performing against all odds. The odds have surely been heavy. For many critics, the 2010 spot-fixing scam in England, coming close on the heels of the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, spelt the demise of Pakistan cricket. The process of rebuilding was a monumental task. With the team disgraced and defeated, neither the stalwarts nor the budding candidates for captaincy were ready to take up the stiff challenge of restoring the players’ confidence and fix the tainted image of cricket in Pakistan. In stepped Misbah-ul-Haq, aged 36, with only a few Tests and ODIs under his belt. But he proved to be an inspired choice for a team in crisis. Calm and measured in speech and action, Misbah since taking over the reins has not only anchored the batting, he has also set his team a mental and moral example, grooming them into a cohesive, battle-hardened outfit. The result is there for everyone to see.
In accomplishing the Herculean task of taking Pakistan to the number one spot, Misbah has been ably supported by Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfraz Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal and Yasir Shah who have turned in world-beating performances time and again. To their credit, the Pakistan Test side have beaten nearly all the top teams around the world, India’s absurd obstinacy of not competing with their Asian rivals notwithstanding. In levelling a fiercely competitive four-Test series against England recently that catapulted them to the top, the team have silenced those who said they were champions solely in the ‘friendly’ environs of the UAE, the adopted home of Pakistan cricket since 2009. What is most pleasing for fans is that the country has become a leading contender in the game once again, armed with a fresh purpose to excel.
Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2016