Ever since I started following the game of cricket, the aspect that has fascinated me the most is the sight of a genuinely quick paceman running down from his bowling mark to rattle a batsman. I still remember the day I entered a cricket stadium for the very first time – early 2000 – only to witness the run-up of the legendary Waqar Younis. Although I observed the craftsmanship of Wasim Akram as well, the swift yet smooth approach of the other ‘W’ mesmerised me the most. I used to be hooked to the television screen just to see Waqar Younis running (rather sprinting) down to the bowling crease with the purpose to scare the hell out of the batsman. He did not only inspire me, but has also been an inspiration to the world’s fastest runner, Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt. Bolt says he was enthralled by the lightening-like sprint of this speedster of Pakistan. Of course, Waqar Younis was not the only one who struck the fear of God into many batsmen; the time before and after him was also studded with terrifyingly fast bowlers. Recently, however, this high quality runner supply seems to have decelerated. After Shoaib Akhtar, Australia’s Brett Lee has also hung his boots, which left South Africa’s Dale Steyn as the sole fear factor on the pitch to terrify even an all-guarded opponent standing on the other side of the pitch. The question that comes to mind, however, is what happened? Why this sudden drought in fast-paced bowlers? Have the new bowlers lost inspiration in the heroes of the yesteryears? A young bowler with a speed of 145kph will not become an amazing fast bowler if even one of the following traits are lacking in him - agility, good form, athleticism, hard work and fitness, all paired with the finesse of a real sportsman. The player should be trained to take on a lot of workload and practice to be a top-class bowler - one who makes the corresponding batsmen sweat in fear with his speed and technique. The newer lot of players is shying away from this beautiful yet demanding aspect, but it is not just players who are responsible for their sudden lack of interest in fast bowling; the authorities managing the game have also been contributing to this. The growing interest in Twenty20 format cricket has made the pacemen very vulnerable. This is because in this format, a captain prefers an all-rounder over a specialist; a fast bowler, or any bowler for that matter, focuses more on saving runs and is not useful to the captain. Perhaps we should recall what captain Imran Khan used to tell Wasim Akram during the 1992 World Cup:

“Bowl as fast as you can. Don’t worry about the runs; I want a wicket from you.”

By now, the Sachin Tendulkar farewell Test and retirement euphoria has, considerably, died down and the Pakistan cricket are currently being tested by the Lankan Lions, on their desert ‘home’ tour of Pakistan. Although things have started to, somewhat, come back on track for the Pakistan team, by returning the South Africans a favour of their desert carnage by beating them fair and square in the short return visit to the Protea Land, their ruthlessness and consistency needs to be maintained and for that the seniors would certainly have to show the way. The body language of the team that looked down and out of sort in their own ‘home’ conditions, against the Afrikaans, was way different to the resilience they showed thereafter. Shahid Afridi is a match winner. A fact no one can deny, but his gifted ‘natural’ instincts would have to be curbed to maintain consistency. Take West Indies of the 80s and Australia of the 90s onwards as an example. The way they played cricket, no matter what format it was for, the term ruthless always lingered on their heads. They never compromised on just winning a series, it was a matter of demolishing the opposition altogether. To quote a memorable instance, the West Indies, fresh from their fluke defeat at the hands of India, toured India in 1983 and demolished them five to nil. Do I need to go on? Pakistan’s team’s performances have been shrouded by a sneering enemy who laughs at their, at times, astonishingly abject performances and stuns at their astute brilliance. But all in all, their cruellest enemy, to date, remains our unpredictability. This unpredictable nature for the national team have, at times, turned positive, when seeking to revive their fortunes and tagging outsiders in many a contests. They turn the tables on the opposition but when people root for this team to repeat the magic, they are as sordid as any lowly-ranked teams. As stated earlier, lack of consistency is what is being missed in our team. Gone are the days when the dreaded pair of the two Ws, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, would win you matches even on low scores. In this the modern era, where cricket has ruthlessly transformed, even a score in the excess of 350 is considered insufficient. We keep reminding ourselves that there is no shortage of talent in this country. The advent of young guns Bilawal Bhatti and Anwar Ali, the two promising youngsters during the recently concluded short tour to South Africa, have given the selectors some options, if not permanent answers, to fill up the late order batting slots. We need good batting all-rounders and lower down the order, which was successfully portrayed by Bhatti and Ali. Let’s hope that their success is by no means short-lived. Talking of promising young talent in Pakistan, Umar Akmal’s name always comes to the fore, but we are compelled to wonder if he is beyond the hill even before his career has taken off. This youngster needs serious brainwashing to play the ball on merit. India’s young batting icon and now captain in the making, Virat Kohli and Akmal broke into the international circuit about the same time. Both played for their respective country’s under-19 team and both showed immense promise. But today, Kohli has reasons to repeat the iconic lines from the famous Indian movie, Deewar, “Hum dono ek saath iss cricketing circuit me aaye the. Mere paas behtar technique hai, mere paas back-up captaincy hai, mere paas behtar form hai. Tumhare paas kya hai?” (We both entered the cricket circuit together. I have better technique, back-up captaincy and better form. What do you have?) But Akmal doesn’t have an answer of the calibre or similar lines of that of Shashi Kapoor, which broke all records for the film, “Mere paas Maa hai” (I have a mother) After all said and done, the young Akmal would definitely have to curb his technique and shun the ‘natural game’ if he is to survive and compete in this ruthless international arena. Misbahul Haq, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Afridi, Shoaib Malik, are all beyond the hill and no matter how hard we may convince ourselves that Misbah, the ‘Captain Fittest’, is a resolute campaigner and is in steady form too, the fact of the matter is that he is, after all, an ageing stalwart and will have to hang his boots soon. As I write ‘Sahibzada Shahid Khan Afridi’, I pause between words to breathe because such is the colossal effect that this name has, not just in the writing of it, but also in cricketing fraternities. Afridi, in short, has to realise that 350 plus ODIs is a huge achievement and by this time he should have been in a position to dictate his own terms. I don’t term Indian Captain MS Dhoni as technically very sound when it comes to batting and his too is a rather flamboyant styled approach of scoring rapidly. Be it the Tests or the ODIs, he has successfully held the reins of India’s Tests, ODIs and T20 teams. It came as a horrid surprise to me back in 2010 when our fearless Pathan shied away from Test captaincy after being thrashed comprehensively by Australia in England. Where was the fearlessness of the Pathan to lead from the front? Years ago, when Javed Miandad was the coach of the cricket team, he tried to curb Afridi’s technique and persuaded him to learn and stay at the wicket. The latter showed dissent of being asked to slow down his ‘natural game’. This is what playing your natural game does to you and the team. You become all the more predictable and the opposing team easily psyches you out. Afridi must realise that cricket is just not about hitting booming sixes out of the park but also about contributing significantly to the success of the team. It’s up to him to decide what’s better, the epic sixes in a losing cause or the calming effect of an anchor role in a winning effort? The bowlers have had their share of problems for the Pakistan team. Umar Gul has been out of favour for injury reasons and so is the towering Mohammad Irfan. Sohail Tanveer was initially thought of as a replacement to the injured Umar Gul, whom the team has more than badly missed since the South African full-away series. His injury has been prolonged a wee bit longer than anticipated and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would be in a better position to clarify when this amazingly talented bowler fully recovers to serve the team. Irfan has, with the passage of time, gained immense experience and prowess in his bowling and this is a major reason why he is seen as a potent threat by the opponents. Saeed Ajmal, for a long time, has been overburdened to wipe out the opposition albeit the score has nothing to offer. Ajmal has been all the more predictable and the opponents read and play him well. He is a match winner, no second thoughts about it, but burdening him would only result in a downward slope in his form. The management’s decision to under play left-arm, rookie spinner Abdul Rehman in UAE and South Africa shows their slackness in naming a balanced unit for tests, ODIs and T20 teams. Rehman should be given an opportunity to test the Lankans since he has had a reasonably good bowling record with touring teams on UAE pitches. With Pakistan’s reasonably good showing in South Africa and their positive start to the Lankan series, good old Dav Whatmore would be breathing easy for now since his contract expires thereafter. But given the likes of Zaheer Abbas, Inzamamul Haq, Miandad, Mohsin Khan, do we really need to retain Whatmore or go for someone like the make-shifter likes of Moin Khan, whose own batting technique was based on whopping than on skilfulness? Would the PCB still play a blind man’s bluff for hiring a coach or will a serious contender step in? What do you think? Although things have started to, somewhat, come back on track for the Pakistan team, by returning the South Africans a favour of their desert carnage by beating them fair and square in the short return visit to the Protea Land, their ruthlessness and consistency needs to be maintained and for that the seniors would certainly have to show the way. The body language of the team that looked down and out of sort in their own ‘home’ conditions, against the Afrikaans, was way different to the resilience they showed thereafter. Shahid Afridi is a match winner. A fact no one can deny, but his gifted ‘natural’ instincts would have to be curbed to maintain consistency. Take West Indies of the 80s and Australia of the 90s onwards as an example. The way they played cricket, no matter what format it was for, the term ruthless always lingered on their heads. They never compromised on just winning a series, it was a matter of demolishing the opposition altogether.  To quote a memorable instance, the West Indies, fresh from their fluke defeat at the hands of India, toured India in 1983 and demolished them five to nil. Do I need to go on? Pakistan’s team’s performances have been shrouded by a sneering enemy who laughs at their, at times, astonishingly abject performances and stuns at their astute brilliance. But all in all, their cruellest enemy, to date, remains our unpredictability. This unpredictable nature for the national team have, at times, turned positive, when seeking to revive their fortunes and tagging outsiders in many a contests. They turn the tables on the opposition but when people root for this team to repeat the magic, they are as sordid as any lowly-ranked teams. As stated earlier, lack of consistency is what is being missed in our team. Gone are the days when the dreaded pair of the two Ws, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, would win you matches even on low scores. In this the modern era, where cricket has ruthlessly transformed, even a score in the excess of 350 is considered insufficient. We keep reminding ourselves that there is no shortage of talent in this country. The advent of young guns Bilawal Bhatti and Anwar Ali, the two promising youngsters during the recently concluded short tour to South Africa, have given the selectors some options, if not permanent answers, to fill up the late order batting slots. We need good batting all-rounders and lower down the order, which was successfully portrayed by Bhatti and Ali. Let’s hope that their success is by no means short-lived. Talking of promising young talent in Pakistan, Umar Akmal’s name always comes to the fore, but we are compelled to wonder if he is beyond the hill even before his career has taken off. This youngster needs serious brainwashing to play the ball on merit. India’s young batting icon and now Captain in the making, Virat Kohli and Akmal broke into the international circuit about the same time. Both played for their respective country’s under 19 team and both showed immense promise. But today, Kohli has reasons to repeat the iconic lines from the famous Indian movie, Deewar,

“Hum dono ek saath iss cricketing circuit me aaye the. Mere paas behtar technique hai, mere paas back-up captaincy hai, mere paas behtar form hai. Tumhare paas kya hai ?” (We both entered the cricket circuit together. I have better technique, back-up captaincy and better form. What do you have?)

“Mere paas Maa hai” (I have a mother)

There was a time when yorkers used to be the favoured delivery of every seam bowler, especially in those matches that had limited overs. This was usually played when the opposing team was looking for quick runs, towards the end of an inning. If played perfectly, the yorker is a delivery that is almost impossible to hit. Even the most accomplished of batsmen face difficulty trying to get a yorker bowled at a fast pace. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x180vy5_wasim-akram-best-yorkers_sport[/embed] Pakistan had bowlers who could deliver yorkers almost at will. Sultans of Swing (Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis) had mastered the art in the ‘90s and, then we had the likes of Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul who would use this weapon to stop the run flow. Gul has recently earned the ICC T20 International Performance of the Year Award, though the wickets taken by him during the winning performance were not due to the toe crushers. [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/79555073[/embed] Yorker was not only a defensive delivery but an attacking option that consistently brought wickets. I still remember the days of toe-crushers delivered by Waqar Younis so consistently that having been bowled by such a delivery was termed ‘Waqared’. Even when these bowlers did get the yorker wrong – as it is a difficult delivery to bowl – unless things went terribly wrong, the resulting low full toss was still hard to hit. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x182qpr_top-5-yorkers-by-waqar-younis_lifestyle[/embed] But alas, those days are long gone. We no longer have the bowlers who can bowl yorkers consistently. With bowlers like Junaid Khan, Sohail Tanvir and Wahab Riaz, you do see a yorker here or there but mostly it is rubbish delivery. The length ball, which they perform during the death overs, are easy picking for the opposing batsmen, leading to an average of 10-15 runs per over. [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/66737498[/embed] This problem is not specific to Pakistan. Bowlers all around the world have lost their ability to fire in those quick toe-crushing missiles as has been evident by the inflating limited over scores. A case in point would be a match from the recently finished India-Australia series which was a deathbed for the bowlers. Ishant Sharma kept bowling length while James Faulkner kept hitting him to all parts of the ground. It just may be that the bowlers do not want to put in the extra efforts as a yorker is a difficult delivery to bowl in comparison to a bouncer, putting extra strain on the body. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x16cjeo_james-faulkner-beating-indian-bowler-ishant-sharma_sport[/embed] With improving standards of coaching and increasing use of video analysis and techniques for match preparation, deadly bowling standards seem to be in continuous free fall. The best way to counter the run scoring during aggressive overs is to bring back the yorker!

He bats like Saeed Ajmal and keeps like Kamran Akmal. He is simply a quota player. No one knows why selectors are so kind to Sarfraz Ahmed. These are some of the many comments which have been posed against Sarfraz - the man who was the real architect behind Pakistan’s victory in Sharjah against Sri Lanka, on January 20, 2014. However, if we keep these comments aside for a moment and relive the scenario of the match, when Sarfraz stepped in just before tea break and swept the game away, I am sure many would disagree with these aforementioned views. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Sarfraz Ahmed. Photo: AFP[/caption] Sharjah Test match, 2014 Pakistan was still 205 runs away from the target of 302 runs. Ahmed Shahzad, Khurram Manzoor and Younis Khan had departed to the locker rooms, without performing any miracles. Critics began speculating an interesting draw. However, at this crucial moment, this ‘quota player’ – with immense courage and risk tacking tendencies – put the team back on the driving seat. Pakistan was back in the game with Sarfraz leading the way. Here is an excerpt of what George Binoy, assistant editor of Cricinfo.com, had to say about Sarfraz’s role in the match.

“Pakistan needed 195 (runs) in 35 overs at the start of the final session and they had made a tactical decision to send Sarfraz Ahmed in at number five, shortly before the tea break. He proved to be the catalyst and the method he used to attack Rangana Herath’s defensive line oozed with resourcefulness. Herath operated from over the wicket and pitched wide outside leg stump for most of his 19 overs, which cost 100 and yielded no wickets, but when he did so after tea Sarfraz took guard near the wide-ball indicators outside leg stump and lofted inside-out through covers to beat a packed on-side field. After several such shots, Mathews moved a fielder from the leg to the off and Sarfraz promptly slogged Herath over the midwicket boundary to take 15 runs off the 29^th over, the most expensive of the match.”

They don’t come bigger than this. No. When you talk of sporting rivalries what comes to mind? Australia Wallabies and New Zealand All Blacks in rugby? Ashes? Brazil and Argentina in football? None of them compare to this one. The India-Pakistan cricket rivalry puts them all in the shade with its background of four wars, numerous skirmishes, disputed borders and nuclear weapons. From 1951 when the first India-Pakistan Test match took place to their last match in the ICC Champions trophy, every series, every tournament, every moment of every match has been a saga of raw emotion and unbridled passion. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xkmi5i_not-just-a-cricket-match-it-s-a-war-of-india-vs-pakistan-in-semi-final_sport[/embed] The India-Pakistan match on Sunday, March 2, may not be a do-or-die but it would be facile to assume that they will not come hard at each other. Today, we will look at some of the memorable matches played between these two countries in cricket World Cups. March 4, 1992 The ‘92 World Cup (WC) had many firsts. Coloured clothing made an immediate impression and Duck-Worth Lewis showed how administrators can make a disgusting hash of even the most flavoursome ingredients. The WC was also the first one to feature an India-Pakistan match which, oddly enough, had not been played in the ‘77, ‘79, ‘83, and ‘87 editions. The format meant that every team would play the other in the round robin stage and the two reignited the rivalry at the Sydney Cricket Ground. India won the toss and batted first to post 216 for the loss of six wickets. Man of the Match, Sachin Tendulkar, still in his teens, made a fighting half century against a bowling attack that included Wasim Akram, Aaqib Javed, Mushtaq Ahmed and an aging but effective Imran Khan. The match was reduced to 49 overs due to a rain delay and Pakistan, still not in their ‘cornered tiger’ mode slumped to 173 all out in spite of a fighting 64 by Aamir Sohail. The match had no bearings on the end result and is remembered more for the kangaroo jumping incident featuring India’s wicketkeeper Kiran More and the ever-irascible antagonist, Javed Miandad. More appealed for a run out against Miandad (who was well in) and in his enthusiasm started jumping like a jack rabbit. Safely in, Miandad made a mockery of the appeal and did his own high jumps which would have made LeBron James proud. Pakistan recovered from the loss to win the World Cup while India crashed out before the semis, which may have prompted more than one person to ask More to try for India’s Olympic high jump team. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x15ndda_pakisatan-winning-moments-world-cup-1992_sport[/embed] March 9, 1996 Just over four years later, the two teams met again in a World Cup match in the 1996 Quarter-final. It was a knock out and the stakes could not have been higher. Pakistan had played well in the group stage with the only loss against hot favourites, South Africa. The M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bangalore, was packed to the rafters with 40,000 screaming fans. India won the toss and keeping in mind Pakistan’s poor record in chasing batted first. Not for the first time against Pakistan, Navjot Sidhu played an exceptional innings and fell just seven shy from an outstanding century against what many described as the best bowling attack in the world.  Captain Wasim Akram controversially sat out but the attack was still potent with Waqar Younis, Aaqib and Mushtaq going strong and aided by Aamir’s spin. Pakistan, in spite of Sidhu’s inning, seemed to be on course to restrict India to a manageable score. At the crucial stage, Ajay Jadeja decided to play the innings of his life and took the bowling by the scruff. He made 45 off 25 balls. India scored 57 runs in the final four overs, including 22 off a Waqar over. In fact, Waqar and Javed both gave 67 in their ten overs, an abysmal bowling performance that enabled India to post a difficult 287. Pakistan started in style, with Saeed Anwar smack in the middle of a purple patch with Aamir at their belligerent best, Pakistan at the ten over mark were steaming along at 84 for no loss. Then disaster struck. Venkatesh Prasad was being hammered by Aamir who, infamously, gestured to the bowler that he can bowl anywhere and the ball will still get to the boundary. Prasad came back with a comeback that has gone in the annals of history, a riposte so good that it did away with the gesturing for good. Aamir clean bowled the very next bowl. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xfsvzu_india-vs-pakistan-1996-world-cup-quarter-final_shortfilms[/embed] [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq4rd8_video-venkatesh-prasad-vs-aamir-sohail-1996-world-cup-quarter-final-at-bangalore-cricket-fan-s-posts_sport[/embed] Chastened and under pressure, Pakistan wilted away and 113 for two soon became 248 all out. The match was Javed’s last and Pakistan had lost their second successive match to India in a World Cup. June 8, 1999 Pakistan played India in a Super Six match at Old Trafford in the ’99 World Cup. Was third time going to be lucky? It certainly seemed so. Pakistan was in unfamiliar territory of being the tournament favourites. A star studded batting line and a bowling attack that boasted Wasim, Waqar and Saqlain Mushtaq gave hopes to getting their hands on the World Cup silver. The latter was counted among the most dangerous ODI bowlers in the world, his doosra, and the then called ‘mystery delivery’ was almost unplayable by batsmen unused to the change in spin. Leading to the World Cup, Pakistan had beaten India in the Asian Test Championship and the Coca Cola cup in Sharjah, UAE. They had also swept Australia in the round robin stage and seemed to be peaking at the right time. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq5r4y_pakistan-vs-india-1999-sharjah-final-youtube_sport[/embed] India was a dour side, their bowling, led by medium pacers and batting featuring Sachin, M Azhrauddin and a still-developing Rahul Dravid, was hardly the unstoppable run making machine it is now. India won the toss and batted first. They struggled against the formidable attack, floundering to a seemingly sub-par 227. Pakistan batted deep with Wasim at number nine and with Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi, Ijaz Ahmed, Saleem Malik and Inzamamul Haq in the team, it should have been over with minimal fuss. It was. Pakistan sunk to 180, with none of the star batsmen crossing 50, the highest being Inzi’s 41. Venkatesh bowling medium pacers on a good length took five for 27 and with it ensured that Pakistan would have to wait another four years to get the chance to improve their World Cup record against India. March 1, 2003 SuperSport Park in Centurion, South Africa was the venue for the third encounter in a World Cup. Post the Kargil skirmish, the two teams had not played for a long time and the match was billed as the one to watch for. Tickets were sold out hours after being posted and the capacity crowd was a sea of blue and green. Pakistan won the toss and, faster than you can say ‘collapse’, opted to bat first. Saeed held the innings together with a century but no one really stood out. Inzi was having a torrid tournament and was run-out while the others got starts only to lose their head and wicket. Pakistan made 273, a competitive score in most cases, but India was in dominant form and there was an ominous feeling that their phalanx of stroke makers would romp to the target easily. Still, Pakistan had Wasim, Waqar and the world’s fastest bowler, one Shoaib Akhtar. Shoaib was in his pomp and the Pakistan fans half hoped he would derail the blue train. Sachin had other ideas and murdered the bowling attack and any thoughts of a Pakistan win were swiftly dashed. His 98 for 75 balls was a savage assault that had the men in green cringing and awestruck, and Shoaib was put firmly in his place. Sachin fell short of the winning target, his wicket celebrated across the land but it was far too late and Rahul and Yuvraj Singh guided the team to victory in the most unflustered manner. Pakistan did not clear the first round, a performance that ended Wasim’s career and left the country now wondering when the World Cup bogey would end. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3gkp3_india-vs-pakistan-cricket-world-cup_sport[/embed] March 30, 2011 Pakistan and India did not play each other in the 2007 World Cup, both exiting in the early stages. The 2011 edition was being held in the sub-continent and much had changed. Pakistan was a cricket pariah, ostracised in the spot fixing scandal and shorn of their right to host international matches because of the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in 2009. The dynamics of the sport had changed. India was a powerhouse, flushed from the success of the IPL and their dominant power in the cricket world. The Indian cricket team, led by the unflappable MS Dhoni, was strong and billed as tournament favourites. Pakistan, on the other hand, was seen as the dark horse, the underdogs who may just pull it off and Captain Shahid Afridi was reining high as the leading leg spinner in the world. Shahid promised a tough fight and Pakistan’s demolition of the Windies in the quarters gave life to hitherto dead expectations. The match at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali, Chandigarh was the most celebrated sporting event of 2011. Tickets were not to be had for love or money. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was invited by the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to watch the proceedings. The Government of Pakistan declared a national holiday and almost one and a half billion people sat glued to their televisions to watch the drama unfold. India won the toss and batted first, reaching 260, courtesy of an 84 by Sachin who was given more lives than a cat by the Pakistani fielders. Pakistan started in what has become their usual style, slow, cumbersome and devoid of a plan. They made heavy work of a gettable target and when Shahid was caught by Virender Sehwag off Harbhajan Singh, it snuffed any lingering hopes. The match is also remembered for Misbah’s stonewalling which gave him the derogatory epithet of ‘tuk tuk’ and to this day, leaves some Pakistan cricket fans foaming with rage. To rub salt into deep wounds, India went on to crush Sri Lanka in the final and claim their second World Cup. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjd2aa_india-vs-pakistan-2nd-semi-final_news[/embed] India once again look strong, their batting line-up capable of chasing just about anything. Pakistan is typically Pakistan, fine bowling, poor batting. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1811cu_magic-movements-of-pakistan-v-india_sport[/embed] Who will win? Jury’s out on this one. [poll id="326"]

As I write this, Umar Gul has just bowled out a Bangladeshi batsman. Gul screams in celebration, begins to jump with his fists in the air and then there’s Rameez Raja with a cup of tea in his hand. Wait… what? That can’t be right. Sadly, it is. Few things get under my skin as much as excessive advertising during cricket matches. Whether we’re being convinced that a slab of not-so-expensive chocolate will suffice as a midnight anniversary present (take it from me, it doesn’t) or that the amount of egg in a biscuit is reason for six women to put on shiny clothes and dance, glimpses of our beloved cricket team are supplemented by these pieces of… um… art. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1dcezg_lovely-commercial-cadbury-dairy-milk-kuch-meetha-hojaye-tvc-2013_people[/embed] There’s been a steady upward trend in recent years where as many as six to seven advertisements are being shown on TV in between overs. Actually, they’re shown as soon as the last ball of the over is bowled. And when a wicket is taken. And when they can’t find the ball that Shahid Afridi just hit for a six. And when a poor Bengali man is holding his knee in agony. And – this just happened – when Saeed Ajmal takes a brilliant catch. I would have loved to see him celebrating but no. Thou shalt not celebrate. Instead, thou shalt discover what thou shalt eat at 7pm or risk being screamed at by thy maiden. Hint: It’s a biscuit. I’ll buy the damn biscuits, just let me watch him celebrate in peace please! Oh and did I mention the beautiful, artfully made, aesthetically pleasing, absolutely divine logos that keep popping up during the match? [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1enhmq_last-over-pak-vs-bangladesh-asia-cup-2014_sport[/embed] These are usually facilitated with an, absolutely necessary, little ad-belt at the bottom of the screen, as there is one right now while Kamran Akmal yells out in anticipation of another wicket. [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/50384852[/embed] “24 hours free” (Like we just told you a minute ago, at the end of the last over but in case you’ve forgotten, we’ll just tell you again. Also, we don’t really mean 24 hours. We put an asterisk. Somewhere.) It’s gotten out of hand. I understand the need for TV channels to show advertisements to finance their transmissions and that companies want the best possible slot for their advertisements (that being when most people are glued to their screens) but is it fair on the people watching? Is it really necessary for a sports channel to cut off wicket, century and match winning celebrations (the essence of the sports) to show Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis playing with bottles of carbonated beverages? (We also discover elsewhere that Wasim bhai loves socialising on his phone. What a man.) [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1dk1cl_dany-genius-tab-tv-ad-starring-wasim-akram_people?start=6[/embed] Oh and here’s tea-bearing Rameez bhai again, cutting off commentating Rameez bhai midsentence. [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/82272978[/embed] This problem seems to be exclusive to Pakistani TV channels. Indian sports channels also show advertisements but always at the end of an over – after the commentator reads out the score - or after there’s been a sufficient amount of time following the fall of a wicket. South African and Australian sports channels sometimes don’t show advertisements at all. That’s why you will find me browsing the vast array of channels at my disposal, desperately searching for an alternative to Pakistani television. Oh, and they just stopped Lala mid-celebration in favour of a man selling potatoes who is somehow related to a bank. Blasphemy! If Pakistani channels really want higher ratings, they need to stop getting other channels banned and increase their own allure. Cutting down on advertising will go a long way. There must be a way to reduce the number of ads – shorter ads, maybe? PEMRA restrictions, maybe? Having 30 sponsors on the cricket team’s uniform, maybe? (Just, please leave some space for the flag). Having chirpier pre-match show hosts and panellists might also help (I’m looking at you, Bazid Khan). [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/89195573[/embed] I will end this here because now I really, really feel the need to go and buy insurance (because its good with trucks), some biscuits (they solve marital issues and make women want to dance, why wouldn’t I?), only one kind of carbonated beverage (because I really love Ayesha Umar’s totally not auto-tuned voice telling me that my “heart wants it now”, again and again), a couple of phones (the perfect way to make friends and be k3wl. There. I said it), five mobile phone SIM cards (there must be some way to save money by using all five simultaneously, right?) and to wash it all down, a cup of tea (because Rameez bhai said so). And here’s Wasim Akram selling that phone again. What. A. Man.

Most people will agree that Pakistan cricket has produced countless greats over the past 60 years; from Hanif Muhammad to Shahid Afridi (or Younis Khan, for those who will argue on Afridi), our history is filled with top class players. Most people will also agree that cricket has changed a lot over the past 15 years, so much so that one fails to understand how something can change so rapidly. The sport has moved away from the dull and boring Test matches, which would end after five days (sometimes, without any definite win), and has become more exciting with the advent of One Day International (ODI) matches and three-hour-long Twenty20 (T20) matches that leave us at the edge of our seats, biting our nails in anxiety and exhilaration. Pakistan cricket, too, is going through some interesting changes these days. A new selection committee has already been formed while people for key positions – such as head coach, batting and spin bowling consultants and fielding coach – are being searched. If we look at what’s in the news, Waqar Younis is considered the favourite for the position of head coach; whereas Mushtaq Ahmed and Inzamamul Haq are most likely to be appointed as spin bowling and batting consultants respectively. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also been in talks with Jonty Rhodes for a short-term position of fielding coach. Our newly appointed six-member selection committee is headed by Moin Khan and it includes players like Ijaz Ahmed, Muhammad Akram and Wajahatullah Wasti. One should keep in mind that the role for chief selector was offered to Rashid Latif as well, before Khan, but he turned the offer down. Do you see something refreshing about all this? Most of the players for the key positions are the ones who have recently retired; who have actually played cricket in modern times and know the demands of modern cricket. These changes are really interesting. If you look at Pakistan’s cricket over the past 15 years or so, it is easily noticeable that our ‘former greats’ have been the ones getting key posts, such as coaches or chairmen of selection committees. The same faces have ruled and influenced the cricket board, over and over again. Though no disrespect is meant towards the former greats, they have served Pakistan cricket very well and made us proud over the years, but cricket has changed a lot over the past one and a half decades and their expertise is no longer as valid to current cricketing rules as they were previously. Salahuddin Sallu, who has only played five test matches and that too way back in the 1960s, has been part of the selection committee almost nine times. Players like Iqbal Qasim and Muhammad Ilyas, and even Mohsin Khan, who played cricket in the 70s and 80s, have also been heads of selection committees. Former players like Intikhab Alam (who is a relative of mine), who played cricket way back in the 1950s and 60s, coached the Pakistani cricket team in the year 2009-2010. It is really strange for me, as a cricket lover, to see such players selecting the national team. It always bothered me how someone, who hasn’t played ODI cricket, could deem himself competent enough to select a squad capable of playing well in the ODI matches; how can someone, who had never even imagined the existence of T20 cricket select a team for such a format? How can someone who played cricket in an era where most Test series were result-less, coach a team according to modern demands? Though there have been appointments of newly retired players as well, they have been very few and far in between. Don’t take me the wrong way; there is no doubt that players like Zaheer Abbas, Mohsin Khan, Sarfraz Nawaz, Wasim Bari, Intikhab Alam, Iqbal Qasim and even Javed Miandad have been amazing and will always be considered the very best. But if we look at our team that played in the late 1990s and early 2000s, those players, too, were considered the most talented cricketers in the world at that time. They are our ‘not-so-old greats’ – people who know modern cricket and are masters of it. You can start from Saeed Anwar, Amir Sohail, Ijaz Ahmed, Inzamamul Haq and Mohammad Yousuf in the middle order, to Moin Khan and Rashid Latif as wicket keepers, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar as fast bowlers and Saqlain Mustaq with Mushtaq Ahmed as spinners. Then look at the cricketing world around you. England became the number one Test team under Andy Flower, who retired from playing cricket in 2003; Australia has Darren Lehmann, who retired in 2005, managing its team. South Africa had Gary Kirsten coaching and he retired as a player in 2003. New Zealand is headed by Michael Hesson, who is just 39-years-old! These are just several of the many examples that can be quoted here. These players were the ‘not-so-old greats’ of these countries who have helped in moulding cricket for the better. And what have we done with our ‘not-so-old greats’? Let’s take a look. Wasim Akram, who not only commentates in India but coaches Indian bowlers for free, and works with the Kolkata Knight Riders as a bowling coach. Waqar Younis was offered a coaching role by the Bangalore Cricket Association. Saqlain Mustaq has worked as a spin bowling consultant for Bangladesh and New Zealand and is currently serving the West Indies. Mushtaq Ahmed has been England’s spin bowling coach for a while now. Rashid Latif coached the Afghanistan cricket team. Everyone has been utilising our great players for their good – everyone except us. It hurts, as a Pakistani cricket fan, when you see your players – not one, not two but so many of them – helping other teams to succeed and not being utilised by our own cricket board. They are the ones who know the demands of modern cricket, they are the super stars who know how to deal with other super stars; they know how the modern game is played. Let us hope all the changes that are planned to take place, do take place. It is time for our ‘former greats’ to move on; they will serve Pakistan cricket well at the domestic level, if at all they want to coach and select teams. Now is the time for our ‘not-so-old greats’ to take over the reins and serve Pakistan cricket.

Before Cable TV made it big, there was a time when households in the country only had access to one local channel – that channel being PTV. This changed in 1988 with the launch of PTN (People’s Television Network), later renamed STN. For a decade, PTV and STN ruled the roost. Our local channels, primarily PTV, were host to some of the most iconic advertisements in Pakistan’s history. Below is a take on eight of the most memorable advertisements from that time, taking a trip down memory lane and reminding us all of a happier Pakistan. 8) Shield Toothbrush [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x15k4cu[/embed] Most of us would remember this advertisement as one from the 1990s. Surprise! It’s from the 1980s. The fact that this advertisement has always been associated with the 1990s is a testament of how it was ahead of its time. One of the initial advertisements, Dentonic being the very first, with a jingle in English that made it big in Pakistan, Shield has remained synonymous with toothbrushes in Pakistan since, which in no small part is down to this classic advertisement. 7) Naz Pan Masala [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1a9znf[/embed] Featuring the ever-graceful Arifa Siddiqui in her youth, this advertisement along with the State Life advertisement, have produced, arguably, the greatest jingles in our advertisement industry. The strength of this advertisement can be judged from the fact that there have been countless attempts to reproduce it with new models and actors while using the same jingle but none of them come even close to the impact of the original advertisement. 6) Gillette Blue 2 [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x15jyx7[/embed] Featuring Muhammad Ali of the pop band Fringe Benefits, the punch line of this advertisement has managed to stand the test of time and remain arguably the most famous Gillette advertisement in Pakistan. This despite the fact that it was released, what seems like, ages ago. Simple, Short, Superb. 5) Pepsi: Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1a9zfx[/embed] If there is any brand that has been omnipresent on our television screens, it is Pepsi. Not only has Pepsi been a sponsor for our cricket team for what seems like forever, it has also sponsored some of our most prominent music artists. It is, perhaps, fitting that a Pepsi advertisement makes it to this list. The advertisement features three of the greatest fast bowlers world cricket saw – Imran, Wasim and Waqar. Imran schools his two protégés in classic white cricket kits after both of them hurl bouncers at him and as a bunch of young kids look on, one of them says the now memorable

“C’mon Skipper!”

Over the course of several decades, one constant factor in Pakistan cricket has been the quality bowlers it has produced. From masters of reverse swing to the fastest bowler in the world, and from subtle drifters to the inventor and master of the ‘doosra’, Pakistani cricketers have added magic to the art of bowling. Cricket would be a much different game without the bowling contributions of our players. It would have been more of a batsman’s game with much less flair. But at the same time, to be the best bowler of Pakistan is a truly cursed position. Our masters of swing, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, had their fair share of controversies in their time. From match fixing to captaincy tussles and fights, they have seen it all. Wasim was even accused of ball tampering as early as 1992. Undoubtedly, they are two of the greatest fast bowlers the world has ever seen, and very widely respected all across the cricketing world. However, their careers did not come to the ceremonious end that their talent justified. They were both amongst the eight players who were sacked by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after the disastrous World Cup campaign in 2003, with their last match being a sad rained-out match against Zimbabwe which got Pakistan kicked out of the tournament. Neither Wasim nor Waqar bowled a single ball in that match. Don’t even get me started on the career of Shoaib Akhtar. The list of controversies deserves an article of its own. Fights with team members and the PCB, drugs, girls, steroids, ball tampering, anger issues, the list goes on and on. He truly was “controversially ours”. Shoaib’s career was full of magic moments, but consistency and Shoaib were true opposites. His last over in international cricket saw him get whacked for 28 runs by Ross Taylor during the last world cup, ensuring an end to his world cup campaign and to his unstable career, putting him out of his misery. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x15g2me_shoaib-akhtar-best-50-wickets_sport[/embed] In more recent years, the curse hit Mohammad Asif and the young Mohammad Amir. Controversy wasn’t new to Asif, with prior bans due to fighting and drugs, and even a scandal involving the infamous Veena Malik. Amir was just starting his career, destroying the English batting line-ups in their home ground. But the curse caught up with him as well with the spot fixing scandal, taking away two of the best bowlers of recent time. Even our majestic spinners like Saqlain Mushtaq (whose last bowling figures were 1/204) and Mushtaq Ahmed did not get the career finale they deserved. The bad seed, Danish Kaneria, just got his appeal refused after getting a life ban for spot fixing. Plagued by controversies, the curse of being the best bowler of Pakistan has caught up with pretty much all of them. The latest to suffer this curse is the current best bowler of Pakistan (and arguably the best bowler in the world), Saeed Ajmal. He has been reported again for suspect action and runs the risk of a ban from bowling if he fails to clear the mandatory tests in the upcoming weeks. He has already been cleared once in 2009 but this recent accusation is in line with the ICC’s tougher stance on weeding out “chucking”. Misbahul Haq and PCB have been playing down this issue, but with Sachithra Senanayake’s recent ban, there is a high chance that Ajmal might suffer the same fate. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1ik35e_best-5-wickets-of-saeed-ajmal-s-in-his-career_sport[/embed] So will the curse win again? Hopefully not, as Ajmal is different from his predecessors and has mostly had a controversy free career so far. He is not a cheater who’s been accused of tampering the ball and neither is he a corrupt match fixer. He stays away from drugs, gets along with his team very well and is not hungry for captaincy or power. Simply put, he’s just an extremely talented bowler who goes about his love for the game and shows his skills where needed most. Despite Amir’s young age and naivety, he brought his punishment upon himself. But Ajmal cannot be held responsible for the natural arc of his elbow when he’s bowling; he’s bowled this way all his life! Ajmal deserves much more than to be swept aside by the curse. While he still has a lot to prove before we can bestow upon him the title of Pakistan’s bowler of all time, he certainly has the best personality and track record as compared to his contenders. May he be the chosen one who manages to break the curse and goes on to have the illustrious career and a fitting finale that he truly deserves!

Umar Akmal came onto the international cricket scene when the national team was surrounded by catastrophe. Rebellions, groupings, match-fixing and a loathsome competition for captaincy were the highlights of the Pakistani side. This was a mini flashback of the 90s, when the captaincy changed hands every time the team played badly and instability became the norm of the team. Akmal forced his way into the debris of one of the most colossal batting orders in the history of Pakistan’s cricket, on the back of the Australia A tour of June/July 2009. He had a walloping start in international cricket; just in his third game, he butchered Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga with an authority unseen from even the veterans at that time. In Test cricket, it was an even more awe-inspiring start of his debut innings; he slammed his way to a century against the red hot Shane Bond in a magnificent manner. The second innings were dandier; the flashiness suddenly changed to prudent and judicious stroke-play which nearly pulled off a single-handed Test victory in an astonishing last innings chase. After that, however, it has all been downward barrels for him. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480"] Muttiah Muralitharan (left) and Lasith Malinga (right)[/caption] With the passage of time, the stroke play became more enterprising; the form jittered and the mental blackouts became more frequent which left critics irked and the fans flummoxed. Still, he remains to be Pakistan’s most prodigious batting talent. Before Akmal, Imran Nazir was our most flashing batting talent (since Mohammad Yousuf). But even Imran Nazir will get a fair run for his money, in terms of matching his audacious range of shots with Akmal. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="335"] Imran Nazir. Photo: ESPNcricinfo[/caption] If anyone comes close to match AB de Villiers’ illustrious range of stroke-play, it has to be Akmal. And certainly, he is the most gifted young batsman in the world. That statement might raise plenty of eyebrows; being naturally gifted is one thing but translating that talent to performances is another, and employing every bit of natural ability to runs like Virat Kohli has done in his stroke-play is a different entity entirely. Amid the bummer ride, there have been flashes of brilliance. His turning up varies between bewilderingly magnificence to obnoxiously scrappy, depending on which side of the bed he got off. Obviously, he himself is responsible for his enigmatic career till now but batting too low in the order hasn’t done much in his favour. In his whole career, Umar has batted just four times in the top four order and just once as number three– that too happened just because the opening partnership had batted 37 overs. Especially in the last three years under Misbahul Haq, he has been bumped to number six, as if he is a paltry hitter who can just give brisk finishes. In the limited overs, number six is the most arduous position to bat in the order. Number six has to either hit out in the last few overs or has to rescue the innings with fours, in the chases. The task gets even more daunting to finish the games almost unerringly. That’s the reason why only Michael Bevan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have mastered the position so far; they are undoubtedly the all-time greats in ODIs. So invariably, the number six is always under the pump. In Test cricket, Akmal did play a few horrendous strokes but since Waqar Younis left in 2011, he seemed to have lost his zeal. It is felt as if he has been dubbed as a limited-overs specialist; in simpler words, incurably infectious for the atmosphere of the longer form of the game (like young Shahid Afridi). In Pakistan’s cricket, it is preferred to choose the more accessible option by putting a tag on players, rather than putting in hard yards for their development. AB de Villiers is an apt example of the development of an immensely gifted batsman; the best thing that happened to him was that he started his career by opening the batting line-up. In South Africa, you can’t go all out with guns blazing right in the start of the innings, unlike in the subcontinent. This made De Villiers realise the importance of getting in before revealing his array of shots and having a consistency in Test cricket. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] AB de Villiers. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Therefore, batting up in the top order in ODIs is the best thing that can happen to Akmal. That would take off the added pressure on him every time he goes out to bat at number six. By coming at number four, he will be settled at the crease most of the times before the slog overs and he can do wonders in them, like he did against Afghanistan in the last Asia Cup where he blazed his way from 50 to 100 in just six overs. Most importantly, everyone has to be patient with him. In all his shots there are bound to be occasions when it might not pay off and he will look extremely incompetent but when he does get it right, it makes everyone jump in their seats. That’s the risk attached to it. It seems as if past managements have tried to curb his strokes and aggression, which is never right. The method that works for Misbah will not necessarily work for Akmal too. So it might be advisable to send Akmal at top of the order, giving him the freedom to express himself. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Umar Akmal. Photo: File[/caption] Recently, Waqar Younis came back into the mix again and straight away sanity prevailed; Akmal got back into the Test squad for the first time in nearly three years. In the first ODI, Akmal was slotted at number four as Waqar had repeatedly suggested in his commentary stints for a long time. Surely, Waqar has started with steps in the right direction but he also must find a place to fit Akmal into the Test side. Surely, it would be ridiculous to halt the development of the brightest talent in the country for the sake of waiting for Misbah or Younis Khan to hang up their boots.

On January 6, 2010, I sat with my head in my hands as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. Some brilliant (read: not) captaincy and some strange fielding – attributed largely to Mazher Majeed’s influence on the team – meant that Pakistan squandered a 206-run lead and, with it, the chance to beat Australia on home-ground. For Pakistani fans, this was a hard pill to digest and that can largely be put down to Australia’s complete dominance of Pakistan over a number of years – basically our entire cricket-following age. At Hobart in 1999, Australia chased down 369 against a Wasim Akram-led Pakistani side. That match is remembered with a fair degree of invective for the umpires but still, Pakistan did not win and that is the bottom line. At Sharjah in 2002 – on a highway of a pitch – a young batting line-up wilted in front of the might of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, getting bowled out for 59 and 53 respectively in the second Test. Then came Perth in 2004, where McGrath took eight for 24 as the team got bundled out for an embarrassing total of 72. The 2010 tour was even worse; not only did we give away the Sydney Test on a platter, the team was also unable to register even a single win on that tour. Bans and fines followed, as usual, but the Australians were still tormenting the team and, might I add, the fans. The win at Headingley, Leeds, in 2010, delivered largely by the sheer brilliance of Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, was a big thing. It was a nervous victory still, as we struggled to chase down a small target. Again, as a fan, I could sense that the team was not subjugating the Aussies the way we had seen the Aussies pummel us around on the field. So really, my euphoria at the moment is not unfounded. It stems from all those moments of agony that the Aussies have inflicted upon us. From the 1999 World Cup final to the 2010 World T20 semi-final, from the 1999 Test series to the annihilation down under in 2009/10 series – we were always the underdogs and it never felt good. And this is precisely why a 221-run victory over the Aussies feels nothing short of a dream come true. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Australian batsman Peter Siddle (L) plays a shot during the fifth day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and Australia at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on October 26, 2014. Photo: AFP[/caption] There was a bigger cause here than just showing a win on the score sheet. For those who have seen Fire in Babylon – well that is how this win feels because roughly 11 years ago, Steve Waugh praised the Bangladeshi batting and termed it better than that of Pakistan. It wasn’t quite the “I intend to make them grovel” statement that Tony Creig used for the West Indian team back in 1976 but you get the drift of it: the bottom line being that I don’t like the fact that we have been given a smacking by the Aussies every now and then. Things look promising but we have had many false starts, so Misbahul Haq and Waqar Younis need to keep the team’s focus on the next Test. There is hope beyond Ajmal and this is perhaps the biggest revelation that this win has brought about. Between them, the four frontline bowlers had played eight Test matches before this match, with Yasir Shah and Imran Khan making their debuts. Five days later, Shane Warne is calling Yasir Shah the “best young leg spinner” and his favourite Pakistani cricketer after Wasim Akram. Zulfiqar Babar, on the other hand, has managed to use his experience of five decades to skilfully win a Test for Pakistan with the ball. This has happened at a time when Saeed Ajmal is suspended, and the relatively more experienced pace battery of Junaid Khan, Wahab Riaz, and Umar Gul is sitting out with injuries. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Zulfiqar Babar stepped up to the plate in the absence of Saeed Ajmal, claiming his maiden five-for in the fourth innings to help Pakistan dismiss the Australians on the final day of the first Test. Photo: AFP[/caption] This is also a satisfying moment because of the sheer dominance of Pakistan’s batsmen. The way we nullified the spin threat on this track was a site to watch, especially because of our generosity with spinners over the years – Ashley Giles, Monty Panesar, Paul Harris, Nathan Haurtitz, Rangana Herath, and Imran Tahir have had some good moments bowling to our batsmen. It was heartening to see Ahmad Shehzad and Asad Shafiq using their feet against the spinners, coming out every now and then to unsettle Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe. The seemingly unstoppable Younus Khan has become the first man in 40 years to score twin hundreds against the Australians. Only about two weeks ago, Younus was fuming over his exclusion from the ODI squad and he has come back to answer his critics in the best possible way. If anything, this is a true reflection of his signature fighting qualities. More important for me, though, is the way he has guided the young guns in the team. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Younus Khan plays a shot during the fourth day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and Australia at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on October 25, 2014. (AFP)[/caption] Ahmad Shehzad, Azhar Ali, and Asad Shafiq get a triple PhD in batting every single time they play with Younus on the crease. Younus is underrated and perhaps this is a discussion for another time, but his feats need recognition and appreciation. Sarfaraz Ahmed’s comeback has been phenomenal too and his innings in this match proved to be a decisive momentum-shifting knock. He reminds you of the gutsy Moin Khan as he nudges the ball around for those important ones and twos. Pakistan controlled the Test match throughout and this win ranks right at the top only because of our history with Australia. Our last win against the Australians came at Headingley in 2010, with Waqar in charge. It did not quite turn out to be a turning point for our team with the spot-fixing saga that followed soon. The team’s last Test series win came against England in January 2012. It’s time to get another win on the board; let’s hold off our UAE Fortress in Abu Dhabi!

November 3, 2011 was arguably the darkest day in the history of Pakistan cricket. Former Test captain Salman Butt, along with the sensational pace duo of Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif had packed their bags to complete their respective times in prison after being caught cheating the gentleman’s game by means of spot fixing. Considering that team Pakistan was already deprived of the luxury of playing at home, it seemed highly likely that cricket had lost one of its most enigmatic sporting nation. However, the cricketing god’s had other plans for the men in green. Fast forward to November 3, 2014, Pakistan, under the leadership of Misbahul Haq, comprehensively outplayed the mighty Australians, completing their first Test series victory against the kangaroos after two long decades. As an admirer of the game, I simply cannot decide what particular detail made this historic triumph so special. Was it the fact that team Pakistan bounced back with style after a lacklustre performance in the preceding limited overs fixtures? Was it the fact that Pakistan achieved this feat with a vastly inexperienced bowling line-up in the absence of spin king Saeed Ajmal? Was it the fact that this series finally marked Younus Khan as Pakistan’s premier Test batsman in the past half-decade? Was it the fact that the young blood in the team had finally come of age? Or was it simply the fact that Pakistan whitewashed a top-tier cricketing nation in a very unfamiliar fashion; a combined victory by 570 runs over the span of two Test matches? In all honesty, every single one of those reasons has been a significant contributor towards this sensational conquest but one small detail trumps all happiness – the fact that Misbahul Haq received the acknowledgement he has thoroughly deserved in his time as skipper of the national side. The Misbah dilemma has been a popular one amongst Pakistani fans ever since his appointment as captain. At the time of his promotion, Misbah was certainly not a popular figure in the cricket-mad country due to his inability to finish games. It seemed almost impossible to move on after his paddle slog off Joginder Sharma straight into Shanthakumaran Sreesanth’s hands in the 2007 World T20 final. However, Misbah started his tenure as Pakistan captain on a positive note, drawing a Test series in the UAE against South Africa. Just when he started to accumulate praise from the public, he played that infamous knock of 56 in the 2011 World Cup semi-final against India, which earned him the status of an anti-hero amongst Pakistani fans. That morose contribution marked the beginning of what came to be known as Misbahul Haq’s defensive brand of ‘Tuk-Tuk’ cricket. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjd2aa_india-vs-pakistan-2nd-semi-final_news[/embed] Misbah took over the captaincy of the ODI side later that year due to a spat between former captain Shahid Afridi and coach, Waqar Younis. His captaincy, ever since its inception has forever been under scrutiny from the masses due his defensive approach to the game and his conservative nature. The question to be answered here is: Is Misbahul Haq worthy of leading the Pakistan cricket team in the 2015 World Cup? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Misbahul Haq poses with ICC World Cup 2015 trophy during a ceremony. Photo: AFP[/caption] The answer to this question is very subjective as it depends on Misbah’s form in one day international cricket. The 42-year-old himself has stated that he will only lead the team down under if he regains his batting form. Also, with young and budding middle order batsmen in the shape of Sohaib Maqsood and Asad Shafiq, Misbah will certainly have to compete for his spot. That said, let us take out some time from all the criticism and simply appreciate Misbahul Haq’s contribution to Pakistan cricket. Taking over the captaincy in an extremely frail period in the history of Pakistan cricket, Misbah added calm and stability to a team which was completely out of sorts. During his tenure, he has avoided all controversy, has faced the music each time after failure and has most importantly managed to silence his critics time after time. Another major attribute that can be accredited to Misbah is his ability to build a cohesive unit which works around a strict game plan. Misbah’s unconventional approach to cricket has brought him a great deal of criticism, as the limited overs team has somewhat lost the ability to chase scores exceeding 250. However, in a period where Pakistan has to play its home games away from home, Misbah has achieved a fair amount of success too. His joint Test record of 14 wins as Test captain speaks for itself. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Misbah ended the year 2013 as the highest ODI run-scorer. PHOTO: AFP[/caption] A humble servant of the game, Misbah has always been devoted towards the Pakistani cause and has given his hundred per cent, on and off the field. Even though his tactics might lean towards the defensive more often than not, Misbah has defied both age and the pressures of captaining Pakistan, succumbing to none and remaining steadfast in search of his big break. The fourth day of the Abu Dhabi Test against Australia provided just that for Pakistan’s aged talisman. After bouncing back from 7-2 in the first innings of the first Test, team Pakistan responded in spectacular fashion, thrashing Australia in all facets of the game in the 29 sessions to follow, and looked an extremely united and result grinding unit. Misbah’s personal accolades in this series have also been tremendous, as he amassed 271 runs in three innings at an average of 135.50. This tally of runs included a crucial resolute half century in the first Test, followed by back to back centuries in the second Test, the last of which was scored off just 56 balls. It was indeed ironic to watch ‘Tuk-Tuk’ Misbah break the record of the fastest half century along with levelling Sir Vivian Richards’ record of the fastest century in Test cricket. A sight for sore eyes, Misbah achieved the unthinkable by powdering the Australian attack, hitting 11 fours and five sixes. It was indeed relishing watching Misbah play ever so freely under negligible pressure; a situation that had been alien to him over the past four years. As a cricket enthusiast, it was a great relief to watch Misbah at the peak of his game at the age of 40, leading a spirited young inexperienced Pakistani side to a memorable victory. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x295ifn_misbahul-haq-breaks-records-of-fastest-50-fastest-100-in-abu-dhabi_news[/embed] It was only two weeks ago that the men in green were in shambles, surrounded by controversy and on the verge of falling apart. Captain Misbah has yet again responded strongly by delivering Pakistan’s finest Test feats in recent history; one that ranks higher than the 3-0 whitewash against England in early 2012. Coming back to the debate over Misbah leading the team in the World Cup, I strongly believe that in the situation that he is tasked with the job; he deserves the full support of the Pakistani public and media for he has earned that respect throughout the stretch of his career. He has always stood tall as a pillar of fortitude for his team with the profile of being Pakistan’s most unusual hero. Love him or hate him, you must acknowledge captain Misbah’s contribution towards reviving Pakistan as a robust cricketing force.

The morning of November 22, 1999 was nippy and blustery, typical Karachi winter weather. I woke up early with an air of expectation. Christmas was coming early this year and Eid was going to follow. Pakistan was finally going to beat Australia in a Test match on their home turf and I was ready for school early to savour as much of the moment as possible. The Test series was following after Pakistan had been blanked by Australia in the World Cup final earlier in the year and was billed as the ‘badla’ tour by the press. Wasim Akram, the Pakistan team captain, had said in an interview that the contest was between the two best sides in the world and the winner could lay claim of being the undisputed number one. It was akin to the West Indies-Australia series of 1979 and Clive Lloyd had echoed similar sentiments. West Indies had won that handily and gone on to dominate cricket for the next decade and a half. The same was expected from this series too, and with a strong batting and arguably the best bowling attack in the world, this was Pakistan’s best chance to finally win a Test series in Australia. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xlkkci_pakistan-vs-australia-1999-world-cup-leeds_sport[/embed] Pakistan lost the first Test at Brisbane by a humiliating 10 wickets, a second innings century by Saeed Anwar, the saving grace. And yet, this was no dampener on the spirits; Australia has the habit of playing undercooked, visiting sides on bouncy tracks in Brisbane, or worse, Perth, and bagging the first Test. It was from the second Test that any Pakistan-in-Australia series started. The second Test was to be in Hobart, a friendlier track. Pakistan was playing Mohammad Waseem, the rookie opener and the rest of the batting side was Saeed, Ijaz Ahmad, Inzamamul Haq, Yousuf Youhana and Azhar Mahmood. The rookie scored 91 in the first inning, followed by a 118 by Inzi in the second and supporting 50s by Saeed and Ijaz. Now on the fifth day they could sense victory. Australia had been given a stiff target of 369 and were to start the day at 188 for five, still a long distance from saving the day. With a bowling attack of Wasim, Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq, Azhar and Shoaib Akhtar, the match was as good as done, only Justin Langer and Adam Gilchrist to be dispensed with. This was Pakistan’s moment; this is what the nation had aspired for long years, ever since Imran Khan developed a stress fracture going into the first five Test series to be played in Australia. This was the prize for which Pakistan had been preparing green tops at home for a decade (and no, Mr Ian Chappel, the green tops were not to blunt Shane Warne, but prepare Pakistan for Australia). For the last 10 years, wins against India were opium for the masses; the Pakistani connoisseur pined for a series win against Australia, in Australia. By the time I got to school, Pakistan were still going strong. Then came the decision to let off Langer from what seemed like a plumb leg before. Chance gone, Pakistan wilted, and Australia romped home; Gilchrist’s withering century battering Pakistani psyches. Seeing victory snatched away by the vagaries of the umpire, Pakistan got deflated and lost the third match inside three days by an innings and thus began the dominance of the Australians on Pakistan. Wasim’s words had been prophetic, only not in the way he must have meant. Historical epochs are often scripted on decisive moments and cricket is no exception. Harold Larwood’s first bouncer to Donald Bradman in ’32 Bodyline Ashes, Javed Miandad’s last ball six at Sharjah in ’86, Michael Holding’s crashing delivery against Brian Close in ’76, Misbahul Haq’s miscued punt in the 2007 T20 World Cup – all these were to herald a seismic change in the cricket world. It seemed Langer’s let off in Hobart was one of them. For the next decade and a half, Pakistan were the whipping boys for the Australians even as Pakistan won or drew Test series against the rest of the world. Australia, however, was the perennial bugbear. They destroyed Pakistan everywhere they played – Colombo, Sharjah, London and the Test venues of Australia bore witness to the all too familiar sight of Pakistan being steam rolled by the sight of Warne and company. In 2002, Pakistan were out for 59 and 53 on a flat Sharjah wicket, while in 2004, they lost by a mind boggling 451 runs at Perth. From 1999 to 2010, Pakistan lost 13 Tests against Australia and won just one. They were whitewashed in four consecutive series; a Mohammad Aamir inspired victory at Headingley, the sole sliver of joy. For a Pakistani cricket fan, it was soul searching stuff. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1yyehf_mohammad-amir-s-50-international-wickets-collection-www-cricserve-blogspot-com_sport[/embed] Pakistan team’s long suffering captains, Wasim, Waqar and Inzamam, all bore the brunt of the Aussie juggernaut and before the Dubai Test, it seemed the massacre would continue. And why wouldn’t it? The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had been in a state of turmoil for the past year and a half, and had recently installed another new chairman. The team was missing its talismanic bowler, one Saeed Ajmal, and Younus Khan, the senior most batsman of the side, had publicly stated his disgust against the management after being dropped from the limited overs side. Australia was coming off from an Ashes whitewash and a 2-1 series win in South Africa, and had swept Pakistan in the ODIs. Captain Misbah seemed beleaguered and had dropped himself for the third ODI, ostensibly for lack of form. Pakistan’s bowling attack had played a total of eight Tests and featured two debutants. It was to be Australia’s ‘veni, vedi, veci’ (I came, I saw, I conquered). At 7/2, on the first day’s morning, Pakistan were in depressingly familiar territory when something strange happened – the batsmen simply refused to roll over. From then on, Pakistan dominated, hour after hour, session after session and day after day. Misbah and his young charges counter attacked and the bowlers went on the hunt. The Australians were not to win a session until the fifth day’s morning in the second Test and the unthinkable, the unfathomable happened; Misbah and his band of merry young men kneaded, pummelled and flattened the Australians for a brown-wash. The 2-0 score line does not give the complete picture. Statistics only give a side of the tapestry that was Pakistan’s mastery of their opponents. However, there are few telling ones. Before this series, Pakistani batsmen had scored six centuries in the period of 1999 to 2010. In this one alone, they scored nine. Two batsmen scored a century in each innings of a Test match, Younus, in fact, getting three in a row. It featured the fastest century in Test cricket by captain Misbah, a freakish innings of rare power and brutality. Pakistan won the last match by 356 runs, which is their largest margin of victory against any opponent. The numbers go on and on, each articulating Pakistan’s dominance over their erstwhile tormentors. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x295ifn_misbahul-haq-breaks-records-of-fastest-50-fastest-100-in-abu-dhabi_news#from=embediframe[/embed] What is even more satisfying is that this was a most un-Pakistan-like victory. Pakistan’s cricket success is largely wrought by its bowlers and often stems from a magical moment produced almost at will by the mercurial geniuses the country keeps producing. From Oval ‘56 when Fazal Mahmood mesmerised the English to Imran’s 12 wicket whirlwind in Sydney in ‘77 to Dubai  2012 when Ajmal and Rehman spun a web around the hapless English, Test victories have been produced largely due to sparks of brilliance rather than sustained team efforts. The last series was different, no last day miracle, no madcap victory from jaws of defeat. Australia were not hamstrung by a scintillating bowling spell or a flashing batting performance but rather strangulated under the weight of runs and sustained pressure. When the scoreboard shows mammoth scores by opposition, it saps your energy. Long periods of chasing leather and fresh legs become heavy, nimble feet became leaden and clear minds become cloudy. Ever put salt on a slug under the hot sun? After Misbah’s 56 ball hundred that is how the Aussies looked, a quivering jelly-like puddle ready to be buried under the desert sands. Watching Pakistan land body blow after another, I was reminded of the Muhammad Ali-Ernie Terrell ’67 fight. Terrell had made the mistake of taunting Ali by calling him by his old name and as punishment was hammered for 15 rounds in a lopsided match. As Ali landed jabs and hooks, he kept asking Terrell “What’s my name?” http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqbm0i_muhammad-ali-vs-ernie-terrell-1967-02-06_sport If Pakistan had asked Michael Clarke the same question, he could have been forgiven for being a little confused because Pakistan’s method of grinding opponents down was positively Australian and had been perfected by Clarke’s predecessor Steve Waugh. Waugh didn’t use to enforce the follow-on and wanted to garrotte opponents by running them ragged and then unleashing his menacing bowlers, inflicting not just abysmal defeat but deep mental scars. That is what Misbah did and the series can rank with Tiger Woods’s US Open 2000 campaign or Pete Sampras’s defeat of Cedric Pioline in Wimbledon Final 1997 in its one-sidedness, a blowout in sporting jargon. After all, the shameful capitulations and agonising defeats, after watching Warne’s serpentine deliveries bamboozle and befuddle, after witnessing Matthew Hayden and Gilchrist happily chew up our bowlers, after viewing Glenn McGrath run through the batsmen, after seeing Mark Taylor, Waugh and Ricky Ponting slicing up Pakistan, we have gotten a bit of our own back. I can now be philosophical about the years of waiting and disappointment, the gnashed teeth at submissive tactics, at the wasted mornings and afternoons, wasted talent, wasted opportunities, and more defeats. A wait of 20 years comes to an end. It isn’t often we do an Ali. It isn’t often we flay the opposition. This is sweet satisfaction. This is for Hobart.

Being out of place is a funny feeling – it’s nothing unbearable but it always keeps you outside your comfort zone. For an expat Pakistani, life in the UK is fraught with pangs of this feeling. This is usually evident during the festive season of Christmas when you are always in a dilemma as to whether you should celebrate Jesus’s birthday – with all the commercialism thrown in – with your neighbours, friends and colleagues or refrain from it due to differences in Muslim and Christian beliefs about Jesus Christ. Usually, one does well to acquire a middle ground. This year, however, I decided to attend the office Christmas party with an unusually heightened fervour. And why wouldn’t I? Lord’s Cricket Ground, as the party venue, would elicit a similar response from most Pakistanis. I accepted the invite, gave my dietary requirements and waited for December 4 with the anticipation of a child who is Rs300 short of his cricket bat and waiting for Eid day, and the spoils of Eidi. And then it arrived. I marked out my route from West London and began my march. The home of cricket, with all its years of glory, competitive battles, and bouncers and bruises, almost seemed faded in the hodgepodge of apartment buildings and hotels of St John’s Wood on a quiet mid-week evening. Only an avid follower of the game could sense the camouflaged grandeur that is associated with this arena, as one walks up to it. The evening started with a tour of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) museum, which houses a significant collection of artefacts spanning cricket’s history from the 1800s to present day. The little and once insignificant items of cricketing gear are seen pieced together behind speck-less windowpanes to form a valuable insight into cricket history’s highs and lows. It wasn’t only the greats’ possessions that occupied this sacred place; less known but endearing collections like scorecards and tea menus from club games of 1800s, cricket’s comic clips from an era bygone and an odd looking cricket bat battered from WWII gunfire garnished the main courses. There may be conflicting views on how all these pieces of history were strewn together and presented but the irrefutable fact remains that this is where cricket’s history comes to life. Anyone who matters and who would matter in the cricketing world would always be keen on what this little scrapbook in the home of cricket says about them. Who were the greats, who were the eccentrics, who made it big without winning, who didn’t make it despite winning, who made a difference and who failed valiantly trying to make a difference – all were a part of this. And with every passing pane, every passing portrait on the wall and every passing pedestal, the yearning to see a familiar name grew. I did come across Shoaib Akhtar’s signed Test jersey. Not a shining star in comparison to the elite club he was in but still a part of our cricketing history. However, I felt sad to see not a single, fleeting representation of Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Imran Khan, Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Abdul Qadir, Inzamamul Haq, Wasim Akram or Waqar Younis at the museum. Pakistan needed one of its sons to make a cameo appearance but alas, none of these were there to represent Pakistan’s contribution to cricket’s more than 100-year-old history. Only two more entries related to Pakistan were present, in a dim corner of this cricketing coliseum:

• 1971, East Pakistan gains independence and forms Bangladesh
• 2011, Wisden names only ‘four cricketers of the year’ due to the corruption scandal surrounding the Pakistan team.

Cricket is a game for the fanatic. You don’t like the sport, you love it. You sacrifice sleep, plead for divine intervention, wield undying beliefs and hold faith that despite needing eight runs of the last ball, a simple wide can make magic happen. Such is the power of a bat and ball. Such is the nature of the game that despite our efforts to turn predictions into facts and to drown ourselves in a frenzy of statistics, the sport remains as unpredictable as it was in 1992. It has been four years since India won the World Cup, 23 since Australia hosted and Pakistan won and in 2015, numbers will hold little relevance come match day. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="570"] Cricket World Cup 1992[/caption] The Pakistan cricket team has had a bipolar year. They have shattered batting records in white but have been painfully unsuccessful in colour. Since February 14, 2014, to February 14, 2015, Pakistan will have played four ODI series and lost them all. We have lost two of our most valuable bowling assets, the number one bowler in the world in Saeed Ajmal and the number two all-rounder in Muhammad Hafeez. The Pakistan Cricket Board has played musical chairs as if their life depended on the prize. We found talent in Yasir Shah; we turned on our backs on the deserving Fawad Alam. We tried a million different combinations, desperate for something to click but nothing seemed to work for Misbah’s men who are still in search for their prized playing 11. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Muhammad Hafeez (L), Saeed Ajmal (R)[/caption] There seems to be a general blanket of disappointment surrounding this year’s World Cup campaign. Articles, social media and drawing room conversations show Pakistani cricket fans resigned to their fate of an inevitable loss at the World cup. There is little belief in the squad that was announced, no batting to depend on, and little bowling to gloat about. But cricket, especially Pakistan cricket, has traditionally paid little attention to star power and past performances. You can throw in strike rates, win percentages and drudge up statistics from years past and yet the resilience of the team will pull off the unthinkable. This isn’t a pipe dream; it’s the Pakistan cricket fan’s reality. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="533"] The Pakistan squad for the Cricket World Cup 2015. Photo: Twitter[/caption] It doesn’t seem to matter how many series we have won, what our batting averages are or the inexperience of our team, the stakes at the World Cup make it an event unlike any other. In 2011, the Pakistan cricket team made it to the World Cup semi-final only six months after losing their captain, opener and one of the best pace attacks in the world. People called it a second string team. Only one series had been won that year. The wounds were still fresh, the squad was grappling for relevance in the cricket world and then Shahid Afridi brought his 11 men to Mohali, almost making it to the final. There were no Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, the team had already been written off and yet on March 30, 2011, there was that familiar blind hope creeping back in again. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="533"] Cricket World Cup 2011[/caption] Perhaps the 15-man squad announced didn’t have the allure and star powers of squads past, but if names won cups, Pakistan’s 2003 World Cup squad should have brought the glory home. With Waqar Younis as our captain, this was a team that included Saeed Anwar, Wasim Akram, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Akthar, Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq to name a few. The team only beat Namibia and Netherlands, and was knocked out the first round. Between February 9, 2002 and February 9, 2003, Pakistan had played nine series, won five and drew one. Surely the numbers do not add up. On February 15, 2015, India and Pakistan face each other on the opening match of their group. Statistically speaking, Pakistan has lost to India each time. Fanatically speaking, all rationality will be forgotten; analysis will hold no significance and a paralysing need for victory will consume all else. There is not a figure in the world that can deter the spectators’ spirit of either team that day; it is slogans, patriotism, colours and love that will overawe the cold hard facts. The ICC World Cup is the biggest stage in the cricketing world. It is impossible to predict the actions and outcomes of any team, let alone 11 men who have a flair for the dramatic. Perhaps we need to remind ourselves that cricket does not belong in a box with ticking predictors. It is out there, on the field, holding the hearts of an overpopulated nation. We have our retro vintage jerseys ready and clips of the 1992 World Cup on repeat because despite what your digits might indicate, the enigma of Pakistan can turn up on any given day.

On February 15, 2015, India and Pakistan will lock horns and kick-start their respective World Cup campaigns. India versus Pakistan is not, and never has been, an ordinary cricket match, it is much more than that; it is a matter of metaphoric life and death, a matter of pride. Ask the players involved and they will tell you; the pressure in an India-Pakistan encounter can’t be compared to any other. More than a billion stakeholders are involved in the battle between these two bitter rivals. The last time these two teams played an ODI World Cup match in 2011, more than 150 million viewers saw the match live on television, making it the most viewed television event of the year. In the 126 ODIs played between these two teams, Pakistan holds the upper hand with 72 victories while India has won 50 matches. However, Pakistan has never managed to beat India in a World Cup face off. Barring 2011, Pakistan has gone into every World Cup match against India as favourites. On paper, at least, Pakistan shouldn’t have lost all those battles but each of these matches has seen the team succumb to either pressure or self-inflicted misery. After the first defeats in ‘92 and ‘96, India’s presence started psychologically affecting Pakistan. And this block has stayed for a long time; we even saw it in the T20 format when in 2007, Pakistan failed twice to cross the line; once in the group match and once in the final of the inaugural World T20 Cup. Each lost match has a short story that adds up to the overall synopsis of Pakistan’s failure to beat India in a World Cup match. The current team must look back at these events and learn valuable lessons, instead of torturing themselves psychologically by over hyping the occasion as we have often done in the past. Here is a brief look back at the five World Cup encounters between India and Pakistan highlighting the moments that symbolise the larger story – that is, Pakistan lost its nerve, resulting in its defeat. 1992 The first of the World Cup encounters came in the tournament that crowned Pakistan as world champions. India won this group match comfortably by 43 runs. A young Sachin Tendulkar starred with a good overall performance with both bat and ball; Tendulkar scored 54 of 62 and conceded only 37 runs for one wicket in his 10 overs. However, the highlight of the match was Javed Miandad’s mimicry of the Indian wicket-keeper Kiran More. Miandad had lost his temper after constant banter from More behind the stumps. Miandad’s response was hilarious, typical of the man perhaps; however it symbolised the first incident of Pakistan losing their nerve and subsequently losing the match against India in a World Cup. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="625"] Javed Miandad mocks Kiran More’s excited appeal by jumping in the air. Photo: Iqbal Munir[/caption] The video for Miandad’s sledging can be seen here. 1996 Four years later, the World Cup was being held jointly by Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. With conditions in mind, both Pakistan and India were considered favourites; at least a semi-final birth was expected for both. However, that didn’t happen because the teams were drawn against each other in the quarter final match. The Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore was to host this event. Pakistan was defending its world champion crown and India was playing in their backyard, hence the stakes couldn’t be higher. Right before the match, Pakistan’s captain at the time, Wasim Akram, opted himself out of the match; this meant that Aamir Sohail was in-charge of the defending champions in this crucial match. India won the toss and elected to bat, posting a formidable total of 287. Sidhu anchored the innings with a well compiled 93 but Ajay Jadeja provided the X-factor at the end of the innings – he plundered Waqar Younis to all parts of the Bangalore ground in the closing overs; Younis’s last two overs went for 18 and 22 respectively. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Defending champions Pakistan were dumped out of the tournament after a fierce battle with arch-rivals India in the second quarter-final played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Photo: ESPNCricinfo[/caption] Pakistan came out to bat, having to chase the total in 49 overs instead of 50 due to a slow over rate. Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail started off the run chase on fire. Srinath was the main victim as the two left-handed openers took a special liking to the Indian pace attack spearhead. Pakistan had amassed over 80 runs in the first 10 overs when Saeed Anwar got out. Sohail went on his merry way and kept scoring at a blistering rate. He brought up his 50 at more than a-run-a-ball. After bringing up the milestone, he slashed Prasad over the offside field into the extra cover boundary. He told Prasad to “Go, fetch that”, pointing in the extra cover direction. Sohail tried the same shot on the next ball, only to see his stump uprooted. Having been comprehensively bowled, Prasad gave him a send-off, pointing towards the dressing room. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x15ydu3_venkatesh-prasad-aamir-sohail_sport[/embed] The Pakistan stand-in captain lost his temper and the match swung on its head. India managed to strangle Pakistan after that and won by 39 runs. Following on from Miandad losing his nerve in 1992, Sohail became the second player to be affected in such a way in the Pak-India World Cup story. He lost his cool and Pakistan lost its match. R Mohan wrote in the 1996 Indian Cricket annual,

“Pakistan’s stand-in captain Aamir Sohail won his battle against the interfering ways of former captain Javed Miandad, whom he banished to the outfield, but he did not win the battle against his own temper, which he lost when he was right on top of the bowling and was hitting the seamers where he wished. It was a moment of the match when Prasad bowled him. Or was Sohail bowled by his own hot temper?”

“Do you know who you’ve dropped?”

There are two ways of approaching an India-Pakistan cricket match being played in the World Cup. You can lose yourself in unbridled passion and get set up for either rapturous joy or deep gloom. Or you can see the funny side and embrace the hilariousness. From 1951, since the first India-Pakistan Test match, much has been made of their rivalry in cricket. Australia Wallabies and New Zealand All Blacks in rugby? Brazil and Argentina in football? Ali and Frazier? India and Pakistan’s cricket encounters put them all in the shade with the background of four wars, numerous skirmishes, disputed borders and nuclear weapons. You can expect a humdinger every time they clash – except in a cricket World Cup. After being administered another sound thrashing by Roger Federer, tennis player Andy Roddick was once asked about his rivalry with the perennial tormentor.

“I have to win a few times against Roger before you can call it a rivalry,” he responded with disarming candidness.

“Do you know who you have dropped?”

Many Indian cricket fans do not yearn for their team to win the World Cup title as much as they want their team to win against arch rivals, Pakistan. Since the dawn of partition, there has been a constant cross border and geo-political antagonism between the two countries. But amidst the geo-political tensions, cricket has been a remarkable unifier of both the countries. In the past, these encounters have proved to be highly emotional and nerve racking, not just on a cricket field but also on the streets. This time, to the contrary, the voltage has run low. As India and Pakistan prepare to face each other in yet another World Cup encounter, the expectations from both powerhouses look faint and the contest unexciting. Long gone are the days when the crowd would fear the hostile Pakistan team’s bowling line-up that decimated the Indian team on various occasions. The colossal combination of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Aqib Javed, Shoaib Akthar, Saqlain and Mushtaq Ahmed are a distant history now, and when one looks at the current Pakistan side, its seems more or less like an ordinary domestic team. In relation to the recent Pakistan versus New Zealand match, Nasir Jamshed remarked on Twitter saying, https://twitter.com/NasirJamshed_/status/562533905409261568 Pakistan cricket saw a steep decline in its performance post 2000s, as the side got ransacked by massive corruption, match fixing charges and the intrusion of radical Islam into cricket, which made them focus less on improving their performance and skills and more on miscellaneous activities. The story of India, on the other hand, has been way different. They have managed to perform well against Pakistan in almost every instance. But recently, the form MS Dhoni’s men are in at the moment, it doesn’t look any good. Even if they manage to keep their performance up to the mark against Pakistan, the chances of them making it all the way is highly doubtful. India has arguably one of the weakest bowling ‘attacks’ in the world. It cannot be even called an attack; it’s feeble and shaky, lends runs with generosity and makes the most vulnerable batsmen appear indomitable. Every other team has a minimum of two brilliant bowlers who are quite capable of creating an impact on the opposition. But Dhoni is running out of options and at times, his frustration gets the best of him. Take the squad selection as an example. The very decision of choosing Stuart Binny as the opener vindicates his inability to make strategic decisions. Rest of the bowling line-up, which includes Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravichandran Ashwin, further makes the team look weary and mediocre. Perhaps their only hope lies in their batting format which boasts of Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma and the skipper, Dhoni himself. But of late, even Kohli’s form has dipped and has caused serious concerns in the team’s think tank. When speaking of Pakistan’s squad, not many names come to mind, which might seem refreshing but this also marks a lack in experience. The only ones we are banking on to deliver are Shahid Afridi, Younus Khan and the skipper, Misbahul Haq. One aspect to watch out in an otherwise dull showdown is the attitude of the two captains. Dhoni and Misbah have gone through hard times in the past and have endured a certain degree of flak for their defensive approach. While Dhoni has been dismal, both as a batsman and keeper in the recent past and mostly appears clueless when pressure builds up, Misbah, on the other hand, has not proven to be a talented cricketer but makes the best out of his captaining skills. The only factor that may ultimately prove his worth in this rivalry is his patience, matured mindset and method to captain the team. It is under Dhoni’s leadership that Indian cricket achieved great landmarks in world cricket, whereas under Misbah’s leadership, Pakistan cricket team has found the light, far away from the tunnel of controversies. The Star Sports ad, which has been caught the attention of cricket fans everywhere, is creating an ice-breaking build-up to the fixture. The ad shows a die-hard Pakistani fan watching the India-Pakistan match in 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2011. The man buys fire crackers each time but cannot light them, since Pakistan gets defeated on every occasion. In the end, the disappointed man asks his little son,

“Kub phodayenge yaar?” (When will we get to light them?)

I have been following the Pakistan cricket team ever since I can remember. After the stinging loss against India in the 1996 World Cup quarter-final, I felt a personal duty to rectify the wrong. The defeat did not dishearten me; on the contrary, it reinvigorated my love for the game. Throughout my youth, I would pretend I am Aamir Sohail and point to the bowler where I was going to hit him next. A strategy that worked for me because I was only good playing shots on the leg side – so regardless of the bravado, I was going to try and hit the ball there. Pointing it to the bowler only added to the mind-games. The 1999 World Cup is what I classify as my World Cup. I was old enough to be a proper fan. I knew every single player of every single team. Before the days of fantasy leagues, I would replicate every single match in my own garage by playing against myself. Whoever I was pretending to be, while trying to hit the wickets or batting against the wall, would be adjudged to be the winner. Obviously, I cheated every time Pakistan was competing. It is only befitting for my personal narrative that the Pakistani team performed extraordinarily during the World Cup. I vividly remember Moin Khan getting down on his knees and sweeping Glenn Mcgrath outside the Leeds ground and Shoaib Akhtar knocking over Steve Waugh’s wicket during the Pakistan versus Australia group match. Our performance in the final shattered the heart of a 10-year-old me but once again I took it upon myself to rectify history again. I found International Cricket Captain, a cricket simulation game. There is no competition in the world that I have not made Pakistan win on that game, and its subsequent versions. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption] In 2003, I knew the venues for every single game featuring Pakistan. I had every single permutation and combination worked out on how Pakistan could win the tournament. We had a team that was the envy of the world; my childhood hero, Waqar Younis, was captain. Nothing could go wrong. It is a poor punch line to that set up that all I remember from the World Cup is Sachin Tendulkar hitting Shoaib for six over third-man. Thankfully, we did not even get a chance to play against India in 2007. The less said about our performance, the better. However, in 2011, our dismal performances in the last two World Cups and the controversy surrounding the spot-fixing scandal meant we did not go in as favourites. By now, I too was no longer a starry-eyed youngster. Like most Pakistani fans, I too had become cynical of our team’s chances. I was not backing Pakistan to win the World Cup. Lo and behold, we punched above our weight, and we punched hard. We made it all the way to the semi-final on the back of strong performances. If anything, we went into that match as favourites against India. The stage was set to finally beat India in a World Cup. I watched the match with a thousand people at a screening. It just had to finally happen. But it did not. After suffering so many heartbreaks, there was no way I was going to back the Pakistan cricket team during the 2015 edition, but something strange started happening a few days before the match. Despite all my cricketing knowledge telling me India was the better team – they were acclimatised in Australia and we were hit by numerous injuries – I was convinced we were going to win. Shane Warne declaring Yasir Shah to be the best leg spinner in the world only added fuel to the fire of my hope – the fire that consumed the entire country during the Pakistan-India match. I was ready to bet everything irrationally on Pakistan. And then it began. All bodily functions and matters of hygiene took a back seat. The bladder had to be controlled to make sure no second of the action was missed. Watching Mohammad Irfan and Sohail Khan steaming in with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan cowering sent my hopes through the roof – despite Shikhar looking like a body-double for Aamir Khan during the shooting of Mangal Panday. Sohail, despite looking like a younger version of Rana Naveedul Hasan, was steaming in. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="583"] Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="272"] Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption] He appealed every decision like an amateur lower court lawyer. Our team was excited, not nervous. We were finally going to get the monkey off our back. We were energetic in the field and the Indian batsmen were playing under pressure. Was going in as the underdogs finally allowing Pakistan to sneak a victory over our bigger neighbours? Sohail surprising Sharma with the bounce sent me bouncing off my seat. I could feel the electricity in the atmosphere all the way from Adelaide. But that was probably the highlight of the match. It was all downhill from there. The moment Shah dropped an incredibly difficult catch of Kohli, the heads of our team dropped. We allowed the batsmen to settle and score freely. As if the innings was trying to be a microcosm of the history of the Pakistan-India World Cup matches narrative, it started full of hope, hope that was ignited by the wicket. Umar Akmal doing his best Kamran Akmal impersonation did not help either. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="338"] Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption] As India set up for an explosion at the end, all hope looked lost... but the Pakistan cricket team never lets hope die. From the brink of a total disaster, the Pakistani bowlers clawed India back to a respectable target – a score that honestly seemed like we would be able to chase down. Our team went into the dressing rooms with their heads held high. If only Younus Khan could also get his head out of the way of that ball. The two decisions that cost us that match were to not have a specialist keeper and to open with Younus. However, the Pakistani team does not let you down easy. When you feel like all is lost, they give you hope before finally collapsing. Haris Sohail’s form, Ahmad Shahzad’s innings and Misbah’s presence in the middle all gave the Pakistani cricket fans hope... before inevitably sending it all crashing down. The only man to come out with any dignity was Misbahul Haq. I wonder if he smells bad; why does no other player want to spend time with him in the middle? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption] And the seven stages of grief that every Pakistani cricket fan goes through began. The first was shock and denial How could we lose three wickets in two overs? What made Sohaib Maqsood play so carelessly outside his off stump on the second delivery he had faced? There is no way that our team could have performed that poorly. The team looked so good against England in the warm-up matches, especially Maqsood. Narendra Modi called Nawaz Sharif before the match. He must have asked him to ask the cricket team to lose. Maybe our checkered history was back to haunt us. We are in Australia; there must have been foul-play involved. That is it, the match was fixed. We agreed to lose the match for diplomacy – just as we did in 2011 and 1996. There is a worldwide conspiracy against us. They did not give Sachin out on review in 2011 and gave Umar out upon review in 2015. They also banned Saeed Ajmal before the World Cup. Zaid Hamid was right, there is a Yahoodi saazish (Jewish conspiracy)! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300"] Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption] Then came pain and guilt It was my fault; I jinxed it by believing that we will win. Nazar laga di team ko. Followed by anger Why couldn’t Ahmad Shahzad just stay at the crease for a little longer? There was no need for that shot. Even at the end with seven wickets gone, the run-rate was achievable if only we had some recognised batsmen on the crease. If we had picked Fawad Alam in the squad, we would not have thrown away his wicket so cheaply. And bargaining Well at least we got the match out of the way. Now we can focus on the rest of the World Cup; we did not need to beat India to go through to the next round. We can still win the World Cup. Then came depression, loneliness and reflection We had Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Shoaib, Mushtaq Ahmad and Saqlain Mushtaq playing in the same squad. Teams go through peaks and bottoms. At least I can watch videos of all those players to cheer myself up. I have the 1992 World Cup final memorised already... Oh why, oh why did Imran Khan not go to Australia as our coach? We could have promised him the prime minister-ship had we won us this World Cup! Then the upward turn Wait a minute! We lost our initial matches in the 1992 World Cup also. We went into that World Cup as the under dogs as well. Misbah can be our Imran. This is good. We have already hit rock bottom and from now on it will all be upwards. We will peak at the right time during this World Cup and end up winning it. And finally, acceptance and hope 2019 main pohendgay yaar (we’ll light it up in 2019). [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption]

For the third time, I check my voice recorder to make sure the device is in operational order.   Yes, it is fine. Of course it is fine. I wipe away my sweaty palms on the fabric of my jeans and allow myself a few deep breaths. This will be the biggest interview I’ve ever conducted. I am sitting in a small conference room at the Pakistan cricket team hotel in Brisbane, Australia, waiting for captain Misbahul Haq, coach Waqar Younis, and chief selector Moin Khan. Determined to put my admiration for these three individuals aside, I try to focus. After all, a cricket mad nation is hungry for answers. Just when my eyes dart at my wrist watch again, the door opens. As my eyes take in the three men entering the room, a smile forms on my face face in spite of myself. Waqar enters first, wearing shorts, a cornered tigers t-shirt, and a polite smile. Behind him is a weary looking Misbah dressed in a similarly casual fashion. Moin completes the trio, but unlike the other two, is wearing a sharp looking grey coloured suit. As the three take their seats across from me, I try not to stare at the dark circles under Moin’s concerned eyes. His hand nervously shifts in his pocket and I can hear a curious jingle of what sounds like several small pieces of plastic. After we exchange pleasantries, I explain that I’d like to record the interview for my notes. None of them seem to mind. My first bouncer is directed at the captain,

“Mr Misbahul Haq, Pakistan was beaten by India, and then completely outplayed by the West Indies. Why is the team finding it so difficult to compete?” “Well, you gotta understand that the boys are still adjusting to the conditions here. The ball is bouncing a lot and the extra swing is not easy. We aren’t used to it. We are trying our best and God willing we shall improve. In both games, we were batting second and even South Africa lost badly to India chasing. Not that it is an excuse.” “But you won the toss and elected to field against the West Indies?” “Yeah, just the plan didn’t click. We are working really hard. Hope to turn things around.”

“Mr Khan…”

“Sir, the question on every fan’s mind has to do with the selection of Younus Khan. Clearly, he is not performing, and he has a poor track record in ODI cricket. On what basis was he selected, and why is he still in the playing 11 ahead of Sarfaraz Ahmed?”

“Well, he is a really experienced player and you cannot ignore such experience. And he has scored many centuries recently. He was an automatic selection.” “Yes, he scored heavily in the Test matches and scored a 100 in the UAE, but you must admit that overall, his recent limited overs record is poor. His batting average is barely over 30, and over the last few years he has scored on average just over 20 runs a match. If you take away that UAE century he scored, his record is even worse. Yet he’s an automatic selection?”

“Listen, he’s a really nice guy and he is a very honest and experienced cricketer. Did I mention his mental strength?”

“OK fine. I am leaving anyway. Look, just off-the-record, let me tell you something. Younus Khan… he’s…he’s…well he’s a little unsta-” “Hey guys! What’s happening?”

“I was going out to the petting zoo when I heard my name. Decided I would join (the) interview.”

“Glad you could join us, Younus!” “My pleasure!”

“Younus Khan, can Pakistan still win the World Cup? Can you help us lift the trophy?” “Yes of, course. I think I will perform really good and inshaa’allah shall win the World Cup for Pakistan. It will be tight game but we will win at Lords!” “Uhh...Lords? But isn’t Lords in England? We are in Australia?” “Yes I am talking about 2019 World Cup. You seriously asking if we have chance in this World Cup?” “Uhh…Okay. But Younus, the World Cup in England is four years away. And you are 37, right?”

“Yes. Who says this is my last World Cup?”

“Sach batao. Did any of these guys say it was my last World Cup? Was it Moin? Waqar?”

“You know something Mr Interviewer? I am the greatest batsman in this team and one of the best to play for Pakistan.”

“WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?” Younus stands screaming.

“Nothing! Nothing!” Misbah protests, “I uh… I said Ban Choke. As in we should ban chokeholds. They are too dangerous, especially when Afridi and Shehzad do kabadi.”

“OK sorry I thought you call me Akmal.”

“You don’t bring paan?” Younus inquires.

“Oh my god! I am so sorry Younus! Are you alright?”

“Yes, don’t worry. My reflexes are not good early in morning. This is why I convince team to bat second against West Indies.”

“Mr Younis, the team doesn’t seem to be bowling with a game plan. You are one of the greatest bowlers to play for Pakistan…”

“Yes, thank you. I don’t know why no one else realises that not only am I a great batsman, but also a great bowler. I should open the bowling.”

“I don’t know why media people don’t realise there is too much pressure on the boys. South Africa lost by a greater margin to India than we did but did any South African fans burn effigies of their players? Did ex-cricketers come on TV and say terrible things? Are their fans hurling abuse, personal insults, and threats on Twitter to official Twitter accounts of South African players? Did you read some of the nasty things our former wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal had to deal with on Twitter?”

“What is so funny, Younus?”

“I’ll tell you secret. It was really me cursing Kamran Akmal using a fake Twitter account.”

“But why Younus? Why would you do that to the poor guy?” wonders Waqar.

“Because, he is a black magician. Like Voldermort. But you can say his name.”

“What?” “Let me explain and then you will learn. In Sydney Test, Kamran Akmal dropped more catches from Danish Kaneria’s bowling than I have fingers.” “Okay.” “But who was removed from team? Yes, Danish Kaneria. While later Kaneria never play for Pakistan again but Kamran continue to play.” “Okay.” “In last World Cup, Kamran dropped catch after catch from Akhtar’s bowling in game against New Zealand. Akhtar so angry he had big fight with Kamran. Which was not fair fight. It was like Tarzan versus Frodo. But who was dropped? Kamran or Akhtar? Akhtar did not play for Pakistan again, but Kamran keep playing. And playing. And playing.” “Alright.” “Finally he dropped but he make sure at least one Akmal always in team wicket keeping. They are clones. And they using the dark magic. During selection, many selectors try to put Kamran back in team for World Cup.”

“Mr Younis… err... Waqar… why is Fawad Alam not in the side? He has an incredible record in the first class circuit and has been one of Pakistan’s leading batsmen over the last year or so.”

“Well, when we had a player of Younus Khan’s caliber in the side, then unfortunately there was no place for Fawad Alam who is no doubt a tremendous talent.”

“It was actually bet. I bet them that they couldn’t drop Fawad Alam and then turn some average player into Fawad Alam. That’s why they select Haris Sohail.” “That doesn’t make any sense.” “Yes it does Mr Interviewer. Think. Fawad Alam left-handed batsman with great record and also bowl a lot in domestic (cricket). Haris Sohail not as good left-handed batsman who hardly bowl in domestic (cricket). Yet they drop proven performer like Fawad Alam, not give him any chance in Abu Dhabi, and replace him with Haris Sohail (and) ask him to start bowling for first time in his life. Why did they do this when they already had Fawad Alam?” “I see.” “Well, either they took my bet seriously or they are incredibly Akmal.”  

“Oh that not ghost. It was only Afridi and Shehzad doing shirtless selfies with camera flash in Haris room. Haris easily scared.”

“Yes, a lot of fun has been poked at Afridi and Shehzad for the shirtless selfies. I don’t know why our nation is so obsessed. We are obsessed with them not wearing shirts. We are obsessed with Roger Federer wearing Indian team's shirts. What’s the problem?”

“Misbah, do you feel victimised?” “I am used to it, though I am trying my best. Shoaib Akhtar calls me selfish but tell me does a selfish man have zero centuries in ODI cricket? If I was selfish, I would come at the top of the order and score many slow centuries for myself.  Akhtar talks a lot but the only good thing he did was when he hit Mohammad Asif with a bat on the bum.” “Misbah, what’s the strategy in the next game?” “Well, against India, we play six batsmen and not succeed. Against West Indies, we play seven batsmen not succeed. So…”

“So, against Zimbabwe, you’ll play an extra bowler and hopefully a specialist wicketkeeper?” “No, are you Akmal’ing me? We play eight batsmen against Zimbabwe. And if we lose to Zimbabwe, then nine batsmen against UAE… if you count Younus as a batsman.”

“Misbah, why do you keep playing more batsmen?”

“Listen, we are a government organisation, yes? What happens in government organisations when they are not performing? They keep adding more and more people but not remove anyone. Just look at PIA.”

“Speaking of PIA, I just realised that I need to get ready for my flight back home and we must end this interview.” “Before we conclude, I have one final question for Misbah. Captain, do you think you and the team can still pull together and win this tournament?”

“Yes, I think before we were having many concerns that were disrupting our cricket. But now that Moin Khan’s casino issue is out in the open, and now that people are aware that our coach’s relative who operates in a completely unrelated occupation, and was working in another geographical location with what might be dodgy educational documents, yes, we are about to finally play to our potential. In the next game, neither Moin Khan’s personal life, nor Waqar’s sibling… whatever his name is… will be on our minds.”

“To everyone wondering why my picture was used for my brother’s story on TV, print and online, well, we look identical. Don’t let the fact that he’s much younger than me confuse you.”