The PSL hangover is well into its second week, with off-field news taking centre stage. As the selection committee announced the preliminary squad for the four-match T20 series against the West Indies, there have been a few notable comebacks. But before we look into those, it’s important to touch upon a few other developments.
Misbah-ul-Haq’s decision to carry on till the West Indies tour is understandable. Pakistan’s most successful Test captain leaving after back-to-back Test series blanks might not have been the most ideal of farewells. He now has the opportunity to become the first Pakistani captain to win a Test series away in the West Indies. Should that be achieved, one would expect Misbah to call it a day and leave his throne in a manner that best fits his achievements. It would also allow Sarfraz Ahmed, the likelier choice to lead the Test side after Misbah, some time to first get used to leading both the T20 and ODI sides, before taking over all three formats – should he be preferred over Azhar Ali for the Tests as well.
The return of Kamran Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad was inevitable. They were the best local batsmen during the PSL
This of course is not to suggest that the Test series in the West Indies is a foregone conclusion, despite it being the hosts’ weakest format. They showed in the Test series in the UAE that they can outdo Pakistan - the visitors’ strongest outfit - eventually winning the third Test at Sharjah as well. But regardless of the result, one would expect this to be Misbah’s farewell, and hopefully after three series without any runs, Misbah the batsman would bid adieu in a fitting manner as well.
Preliminary squad for the T20 series: Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Fakhar Zaman, Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Asif Zakir, Saad Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed, Kamran Akmal, Fahim Ashraf, Hussain Talat, Ammad Butt, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali, Rumman Raees, Sohail Khan, Junaid Khan, Sohail Tanveer, Mohammad Abbas, Usman Shinwari, Usama Mir, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Asghar, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Yasir Shah.
Amidst the preparations for the T20 series, which kicks off on March 26 in Barbados, Mohammed Irfan’s suspension as part of the spot-fixing saga is important news. The way the PCB has dealt with the entire episode - beginning with Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif being immediately sent home during the PSL, to action against Irfan now - is admirable and sets the right precedent. The PCB code of conduct has been explained in detail to everyone, and anyone found guilty should be given the harshest punishment that the code itself has clarified.
Kamran Akmal
However, the saga has also been used to block the return of Salman Butt, whose impressive performances domestically mean that he merits a spot in the longer formats. It needs to be stressed that the cases in 2010 and 2017 are significantly different. The PCB now has clear guidelines on spot-fixing and the punishment for those guilty, whereas seven years ago many might not have heard of the practice at all. But more importantly, those found guilty in 2010 have served their punishments and with Mohammed Amir now fully blended in, there’s no reason why Butt’s comeback should be forestalled if he merits a place on cricketing grounds.
PCB’s disqualification of Umar Akmal and Sohail Tanvir, both of whom failed their fitness tests, is also an important step. Modern-day cricket has a fitness benchmark, underneath which even the most talented of players would fail to make a cut. The demands of international cricket these days dictate that any unfit players need to earn their place back in contention through work on fitness.
Ahmed Shehzad
The return of Kamran Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad was inevitable, considering that they were by far the best local batsmen during the PSL. Kamran would only be considered as a batsman, with Sarfraz in the side, and Kamran’s outfielding might need to be worked on if he is to make the starting 11. Shehzad needs to primarily discipline himself, which he seems to have worked on. As far as his batting is concerned, despite being in the runs, his propensity to consume dot balls and fail to rotate the strike remains a problem.
Regarding potential breakthroughs, Shadab Khan sits at the top of the pile and might even have Imad Wasim’s slot in sight. He has displayed more in both the batting and bowling departments to be a genuine all-rounder in Pakistan in limited-overs – to begin with. Along with Shadab, Fakhar Zaman deserves a call up as well, to add more aggression to the middle-order.
While Pakistan would be eying wins in all three formats, even the weakest West Indian side is a veritable menace at home. After the struggles in both ODIs and Tests recently, those two teams especially need a positive result as Pakistan cricket looks to cruise through this transition phase.
