When Pakistan take the field against Ireland later this week, they will automatically become the first team to face as many as 10 outfits in the Test arena. It is a record for which the team has had to do nothing. It is there because Ireland would be playing their maiden Test. Beyond that, the team will have to do a few things right and then some more to ensure that Ireland may not become only the second country behind Australia to win their maiden Test.

On their part, Pakistan would also like to keep intact its seriously strong history of starting off well against fresh opponents. In both cases, the onus would be on Pakistan, for Ireland, being the debutant, will have nothing to lose.

By picking a squad that, at best, is full of debatable choices, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its selection committee have ensured an even contest. Ireland’s lack of experience on the international stage in the longer full-scale format stands compensated for by the lack of experience within our own squad, which is strange for a country that has 66 years of cricketing history behind it.

Despite being the debutant — or maybe because of it — Ireland might feel a little less pressure than Pakistan who have a lot more at stake than the hosts

There is in the game’s lexicon a term called ‘sporting declaration’ which is used when a side brings an early close to its innings in search of a result which may go either way. By that same token, the PCB seems to have indulged in what we may call ‘a sporting selection’. The result may go either way.

What one must remember is the simple fact that when the end result is favourable, the ‘sporting declaration’ is regarded by all and sundry as an act of bravery and self-belief. But when it doesn’t come off, people call it an act of bravado and self-delusion. It is a risk chief selector Inzamamul Haq had seldom taken as a captain, but decided to tread the path in his current capacity. Naturally, he would know better.

Incidentally, Inzamam was part of the team when Pakistan suffered their only blip while facing a debutant rival. It happened in Johannesburg in 1995 when Pakistan had their first outing against South Africa, and lost it by a massive margin of 324 runs. Since that was only a one-off Test — a somewhat spooky resemblance with the itinerary in Ireland — Pakistan lost their impressive record of having scored a victory in every maiden series outside of the inaugural Test series in 1877 when both Australia and England won a match each.

Having got the coveted Test status in 1952, Pakistan scored their first victory the same year against India at Lucknow by an innings and 43 runs in what was only Pakistan’s second Test. The next one came against England — the fabled one at The Oval — in 1954. The margin was 24 runs. The Kiwis came visiting in 1955 and were defeated in Karachi by an innings and one run. Pakistan had lost the first series 1-2. The second was drawn 1-1. Pakistan registered their first series victory against New Zealand, 2-0.

In 1956, Australia stopped over for a lone outing at the National Stadium in Karachi and was beaten by nine wickets. A couple of years later, in 1958, Pakistan proceeded to the West Indies and recorded victory at Port of Spain by an innings and one run in a series that ended 1-3. It was also in Karachi that Sri Lanka was mauled by 204 runs in 1982, and Zimbabwe by 131 runs in 1993; both the series ending 2-0 for Pakistan. After the 1995 hiccup against South Africa, Pakistan did beat Bangladesh in 2001 in a one-off inaugural Test by an innings and 264 runs in Multan.

In the first six years of its Test status — from 1952 to 1958 — Pakistan had six victories and as many losses in 23 encounters. All these numbers might not do justice to the team if there is no data set to compare it with. Let’s see them in due context.

Leaving out Australia and England, which set the ball rolling and for long were the only contestants, and, as such, are not good enough for mass comparison, Pakistan’s win-loss ratio remains the best in the early phase.

South Africa, who joined the fray in 1889, had to wait 17 years for their first victory. It came in their 12th attempt, and by then they had 10 losses against their name.

The West Indies came on board in 1928, waited a couple of years and scored a victory in their sixth attempt and had four losses to show against it.

New Zealand started their journey in 1930 and their elusive victory came 26 years later in their 45th Test, by which time they had lost 22 already.

In 1932, India got the status and waited 20 years and 27 Tests for their first victory, that came in 1952 after 14 losses.

Sri Lanka, having started off in 1982, took four years and 15 Tests to be a winner after having been the loser eight times.

A decade later, Zimbabwe got their elevation and scored a victory three years, 11 Tests and four defeats later.

Finally, five years, 36 Tests and 31 defeats separated Bangladesh’s start in 2000 and their first victory in 2005.

You see, the difference is massive. Pakistan made everyone sit up and take notice. It was a respected opponent from the outset. For a nation with such a rich history, it has to be nothing more than a walk in the park against Ireland. But ‘sporting selection’ means Pakistan would be the team under more pressure than the debutant. Ireland will play fearless cricket in friendly conditions, while everyone in the Pakistan camp would be under pressure to justify selection in alien conditions.

The weather forecast suggests cloudy weather all through the five days — May 11-15 — with occasional patches of rain. It is anybody’s guess which of the teams will be more pleased if rain actually interrupts play. As the lines of that classical Chauncey Olcott-Geo Graff Jr. song go, “Irish eyes are smiling.” Let’s hope Pakistani eyes are not doing anything different while they are there.

humair.ishtiaq@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, EOS, May 6th, 2018