After four consecutive ODI defeats against England, Pakistan finished the tour on a high with wins in the final ODI game and the only T20 match. While the ODI series was discussed in detail in this space last week, the sole T20 match seemed to have showcased a completely different Pakistan team. This was despite the fact that the ODI team is an extension of the T20 squad - much like the two formats of the game.
When T20 cricket was first launched, it was supposed to be a distinct third format. Over a decade on, the ODI and T20 games, squads and styles of play have overlapped, resulting in scores like the 444 that England posted in the third ODI. While ODI was supposed to be the middle ground between Tests and T20s, it does not have specialists like those two formats.
Sarfraz Ahmed
Pakistan's transformation in limited-overs cricket would have to come through the current T20 squad
Couple cricket’s evolution with the fact that the players that have been performing well in T20s - Sharjeel Khan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim - are virtually the same as those with meaningful contributions in the ODIs, and one would understand that Pakistan’s transformation in limited-overs cricket would have to come through the current T20 squad.
At the time of writing there are rumours that Azhar Ali is set to step down from his role as the ODI captain. By the time you read this, that might already have happened, but either way Azhar Ali does not have a future in the limited-overs setup and persisting with him is unfair to his stature as a truly integral part of the Test side and potentially a future captain in that format as well.
Imad Wasim was the pick of the bowlers
While Sarfraz was the vice captain in the ODI side, he was the clear leader in the squad, not only in his performances, but also in the way he carried himself in the team. In a squad that lacks any batting talent relevant to the modern day limited-overs cricket, he is one of the few that can keep pace with modern demands. With Quetta Gladiators and the T20 match at Old Trafford, Sarfraz is proving his captaincy credentials.
Unlike the ODI teams, the T20 side came to the match with a clear plan. The way the bowlers performed - with the variations in pace, line and length - was the outcome of detailed discussions and time spent on the drawing board. It is astounding that it was the same bowling line-up in Manchester that conceded the world record 444. Outfoxing a formidable batting line-up - that claimed to bat all the way down till number 11 - could not have been designed without a foresighted strategist.
Even so, while one can be a great cricketing mind, one can’t instill talent in a squad that has come under fire from all across the globe for being outdated. This is where the opening partnership between Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif wasn’t just decisive in winning the match against England, it might be the game-changer for limited-overs cricket in Pakistan.
Sending Khalid Latif - who isn’t an opener and had lost her mother mere days before the call to England - was a brave decision for the selectors, the team management and the player himself. Now he looks good for an ODI call up as well, maybe even up top.
Pakistan now have a batting core including Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Sarfraz Ahmed and Imad Wasim, with Babar Azam being someone who can be worked on. The management now needs to persist with this core in the next three series and look to add a couple of young batsmen into the mix.
As far as the bowling is concerned, they finally modified their inertia toward adapting that had culminated in that 444. While bowling - especially fast-bowling - was touted as being ‘in Pakistani blood’, the idea has resulted in many of our pacers being reluctant to diversify their deliveries. Hassan Ali is a prodigious find in this regards, and should be a permanent member of both limited-overs sides.
By demolishing a dominant England side on their own turf, Team Sarfraz is off to a blinder. Next up there is West Indies in the UAE and then New Zealand before the tour Down Under. While the Test side is looking to establish itself at the pinnacle, the limited-overs sides might finally start catching up as well. n
