BE it England or Ireland, cricket and rain go hand in hand and when it rains like it has been since yesterday morning, then any chance of a start becomes as remote in this inaugural Test for Ireland as could be imagined.

And it is not only incessant rain but also the freezing cold in this open space of a suburban village where the temperature has not been more than 9 degrees centigrade makes things impossible to even think of a start to this historic event.

Sitting in this unbearable and shivering cold in a temporary installed aluminium press box even prevents my fingers to obey the commands of what I wish to write about a day’s play which was finally abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Surely must have been as much disappointing for the 12 Test debutants including two from the Pakistan team, Imam-ul-Haq and Fahim Ashraf to step in the park and record their names in the history books.

I suppose in the course of next four days they may get this opportunity to show up and fulfil their dreams of playing in a Test if the rain gods change their minds to allow the sun to peep out from those thick, dark and menacing clouds hovering above us.

All attempts of drying the outfield remained futile as rain drops kept on falling allowing the media, the players and the guests including the Chairman of the PCB Mr Najam Sethi, Inzamam-ul-Haq the chairman of selectors and the Pakistan ambassador Dr Rizwan Ahmed to at least have the luxury of a hot lunch to keep themselves warm and occupied.

Forecast predicts that for the rest of the days, things may change and we may see play start if not for the rest of the four days and for at least for some hours each day.

In their inaugural Test, Ireland cricket is as keen as any country would be on such a historic occasion.

Just for the record, Bangladesh the last country to be admitted before Ireland and Afghanistan took 35 matches to record their first win in Test. New Zealand too waited for 45 matches in 26 years before winning one and India waited as long as 24 matches to achieve their first win since making their Test debut in 1932 at Lord’s against England.

Pakistan, however, had a rare honour to register a win very early in its history. Having lost their inaugural Test at Feroze Shah Kotla in Delhi against India, they struck back with a vengeance at Lucknow in only their second Test to beat India hollow by an innings.

The great Fazal Mahmood had destroyed the Indians by taking 12 wickets in the match and Nazar Mohammad featured with 124* to not only carry his bat through the innings but also become the first Pakistan batsman to make a Test century.

Sadly, after that inaugural Test series Nazar never played Test cricket again after a tragic and an amorous fall from a building in his home town Lahore, fracturing his right arm which later became shorter than the other arm due to a faulty surgery .

Irish, with this inaugural Test, are expecting a sound start and that would only be possible if the weather gets kinder in the coming days.

Of just over 6,000 capacity ground the local cricket authorities had sold over 5,000 tickets for the first day which is now going to be refunded to spectators as not a single ball was bowled on Friday, which was certainly not the sort of beginning that they would have wished for.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2018