THE very juxtaposition — the Pakistan Cricket Board, the Selection Committee, the Coach and the Team — seems to have lost the equilibrium inasmuch they have steadfastly kept on trumpeting their bugle of lame excuses, rhetorical comments, dubious statements and false hopes of doing better — all in vain.
In my long cricket career, I have had the opportunity to observe many teams. Some teams have winning streaks, some are towering and dominant, some fight it hard down to the very last ball, some capitalize on their mistakes and some simply let go of the opportunities. That is true for all sports and cricket in particular. There should not be any mincing of words or sugar coating the issue when it comes to the dismal and pathetic performance by this Pakistani team. It’s a story of ‘simply let go of the opportunities’. Someone needed to tell them that the Sydney pitch, at least at present is not a batting strip as it was when India had amassed more than seven hundred runs a year ago. Now the ball now turns and takes air, and as such is helpful for the occasional googly, leg-break and specially spin.
The series has already been won by Australia. As I write these lines, Pakistan is two down in a three-Test series and plagued by injuries and sickness, is playing the third and the last Test match without Inzamam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Sami and Abdul Razzaq. It’s a difficult proposition. Australia has dropped Darren Lehman; S.R. Watson has been taken in; like Mohammad Asif of Pakistan, he too is a debutant.
Winning the toss and electing to bat, Pakistan started on a good note, thanks to a century by Salman Butt and 58 precious runs by Yasir Hameed. Pakistan were about 200 for one. It was a day when conditions were ideal and having regard for the nature of the wicket, the general opinion was that Pakistan should or would easily post 500 plus on the board. But old habits die hard.
Pakistan, following what now is a common trend for them collapsed for 304.
The batting was brittle; batsmen, batted through a preset plan to go for big hits and succumbed to the temptation of hitting boundaries, in the process lost wickets faster than Shoaib bowls.
Compare the performance. Australia went in to bat, lost an early wicket, rain washed out half-a-day’s match, and the pitch being more favourable to spinners demanded an approach conducive to the circumstances. But it’s Australia. After lunch on the third day, instead of being cautious and slow, they started hammering the ball all over the place. The wicket was the same; rather due to moisture had become more bowler-friendly. Yet nothing stopped the Aussies from their run fest. Pakistani bowlers could do nothing as the punishment went on incessantly. Gilchrist especially played to the delight of the crowd, completing his century with all the fanfare. Ponting on the other hand, played a captain’s innings, cautious, devoted and responsible. His double century was a treat to watch — thoughtful, planned and aggressive, yet cautious and responsible.
While all due credit goes to the Australian batsmen, Pakistan’s fast bowling was clueless against a decent test of their skill. A listless Shoaib Akhtar, as usual without much penetration, allowed himself to be distracted by the batsmen. He was simply unable to contain runs much less take a wicket. Habitually, he went off the field after pulling a muscle soon after lunch on the second day. Danish Kaneria of course lived up to the expectations. He was by far the best among the lot.
Maintaining a good line and length, he toiled hard and with bounce and spin sent seven Australians back to the dressing room. But you don’t expect to win a match against an opponent of this calibre as the Aussies are, depending and pinning your hopes on just one bowler. No Sir, it’s teamwork. No solo effort would bring the much coveted and elusive glory.
As I am writing these lines, Pakistan has already lost two wickets and is still in arrears by 135 runs. Will they win? A mad man’s dream. A draw? Could be, though the chances depend on a brittle batting lineup, all set to fail. They lose? I wish not. Just before the start of the series, I had written ‘butterflies fluttering in my stomach’. It was all about the outcome of the series. I wish I had not been true.
THE very juxtaposition — the Pakistan Cricket Board, the Selection Committee, the Coach and the Team — seems to have lost the equilibrium inasmuch they have steadfastly kept on trumpeting their bugle of lame excuses, rhetorical comments, dubious statements and false hopes of doing better — all in vain.
