Following what is being dubbed a “shocking triumph” over South Africa, the number one Test side in the world, almost every leading cricket publication has printed a piece juxtaposing the Pakistan team that took to the field in Abu Dhabi with the one that competed in the last match against Zimbabwe at Harare. It’s being said, as has been said about Pakistan ever so often, that it was almost as if two different sides played their previous couple of Test matches. One got owned by “minnows” Zimbabwe, while the second one made a mockery of the top ranked side in the world.
And so, here’s the million dollar question: Is Pakistan cricket really a case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde? Is yo-yoing between the ordinary and the extraordinary really in the ethos of Pakistan cricket? Unfortunately for the more sensible amongst us, it isn’t quite as dramatic as that.
First of all we must realise that losing to Zimbabwe in Harare wasn’t as “shocking” as beating South Africa in Abu Dhabi was. After one throws reputations out of the window, one can see that the current Pakistani squad, especially one without Mohammed Irfan, is closer to Zimbabwe’s team in Harare’s conditions than it is to South Africa – who hadn’t lost a Test match for two years – even in the desert. Granted Pakistan whitewashed England, then the top-ranked side, 3-0 in early 2012 as well, but if they can win the ongoing match against South Africa, it would be a much bigger coup even in a two-match series, such is the strength of the current South African side.
Secondly, while Dr Jekyll performed almost seamlessly in Abu Dhabi, the evil of Hyde resulted in what was dubbed by many an “expert” as the biggest upset in Pakistan’s history. While Irfan’s absence meant that Pakistan didn’t have as threatening a pace attack as it is accustomed to having, the crucial difference was the opening stand between Khurram Manzoor and Shan Masood. The first 100-plus opening stand for nearly two years – the last time Pakistan won a Test series (England 2012) – in the first innings against South Africa, was what separated the Pakistan team that played in Zimbabwe from the one that dominated in the UAE.
The prodigious disparity between the two Pakistani sides isn’t a case of fluctuation in desire or attitude. Neither is it a case of the team’s performance moving in synchrony with the team that it faces. It’s simply a case of the top order showing up in Abu Dhabi. And when that happens, Pakistan go back to being Dr Jekyll. Why that almost always happens in batting friendly conditions is of course another topic altogether.
[quote]Pakistan’s mixed bag of results can only be attributed to the interminable stream of opening pairs[/quote]
Pakistan’s bowling is a shoo-in to give you somewhere between seven and nine out of 10, almost every time it takes to the field. The middle order has two experienced batsmen ranked in the top seven of ICC Test ratings, Younus Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq, who have been performing consistently for a while. So basically, barring the top order, the Pakistani team mostly consists of players who’ve been performing well on a consistent basis. Hence, Pakistan’s mixed bag of results can only be attributed to the plethora of opening pairs who have been the downfall of Pakistan cricket for over a decade now.
Khurram Manzoor and Shan Masood might appear to have solved the opening conundrum, but again even Mohammed Hafeez – dropping whom has been the catalyst behind the top order’s apparent revival – looked good in the UAE. And their performance in the second innings while chasing the mammoth target of 40 runs, was an uncanny flashback to the recent past that makes “thirty for three” Pakistan cricket’s unofficial anthem.
[quote]Pakistan’s bowling is sure to give you seven to nine wickets every innings[/quote]
One should take nothing away from their match-winning partnership though, that alone should cement Manzoor and Masood as the opening duo in the near future, but there is still some serious work to be done, before either one of them can evolve into genuinely world class openers.
Pakistan’s ‘dramatically’ fluctuating fortunes then are mostly just a matter of the opening pair. Khurram Manzoor and Shan Masood might not seem to be the permanent solution, but as things stand one can only hope. The pair would do well to take advantage of the fact that they won’t be filling particularly illustrious shoes.
