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The founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, said, “Let us mobilise all our resources in a systematic and organised way and tackle the grave issues that confront us with grim determination and discipline worthy of a great nation”.
He was speaking of something much weightier than a Test series, but Pakistani cricket would do well to heed that message this summer.
No column on Pakistani cricket can be written without some wider context regarding the politics behind the game. Every incoming government imposes its own regime on the Pakistan Cricket Board, starting with the chairman. The churn of so many dissimilar, opinionated and idiosyncratic individuals results in a level of chaos that cannot be underestimated. If you think there is dissonance in Australian cricket ranks, let me tell you it wouldn’t even rate a mention in Pakistan.
Their cricket administration is highly politicised, shambolic, random and without a sense of continuity – a perpetual game of musical chairs. Despite this, Pakistan, in 70 years of Test cricket, has produced some of the most talented, exciting and memorable players the game has seen.
One of the miracles at which I have marvelled is how my friend, the former Pakistan quick Zakir Khan, has, as a senior executive of the PCB, navigated 18 chairmen in the past 25 years. If his friend Imran Khan does not recruit him to politics, I am positive he would do a better job as PCB chairman than most of those he served under.
Some of my favourite Pakistani cricketers include Hanif Mohammad, Javed Miandad, Majid Khan, Abdul Qadir, Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Saqlain Mushtaq, Inzamam ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Waqar Younis and probably the best left-arm pace bowler of all time, Wasim Akram.
Shan Masood scored a double century against the PM’s XI.Credit: Getty
On paper, the current team should provide a considerable challenge for Australia. But Test cricket is not played on paper. History tells us that Pakistan over-promise and under-deliver.
I can recall playing against Pakistan teams that had incredible players who often performed brilliantly as individuals, but rarely as a unit. Under the leadership of Imran Khan, they got their act together. Shan Masood has huge shoes to fill, but it shouldn’t stop him from taking inspiration from the Lion of Lahore.
Australia, on the other hand, showed in the ODI World Cup that they build team spirit and a united sense of purpose. This spirit is built on the back of mateship and collectively rejoicing in individual success. The team is supreme as a unit – a fact that is never lost sight of.
Once again, Pakistan arrive with a team full of talent, but can they change the path of history and beat Australia on their own turf?
Masood will need to inspire his troops with rousing personal performances. He averaged 39 against us here in 2019. The Australians will target him because an under-performing opposition skipper equals a struggling touring team.
Babar Azam is a key player who will bat at No.3 or No.4. He is a world-class batter whose performance on his last visit confirmed the hype. He averaged 52 then and averages 66 in all Tests against Australia.
His continuing good form is imperative for Pakistan, and it will take pressure off the rest of the batting line-up.
Abdullah Shafique is another quality player who averages 50 from his 14 Tests. An opener, he plays spin well, too, and starred in the recent series win in Sri Lanka with a high score of 201. He has performed well against Australia previously, so he should begin confidently.
Unsurprising for the nephew of all-time great Inzamam, southpaw Imam-ul-Haq has pedigree and talent. Still only 27, the world is his oyster.
Mohammad Rizwan is in the mould of Javed Miandad. The Pakistan champion was one of the best players in his time and had no fear of fast bowling. Miandad enjoyed baiting the Australian quicks so they would bowl short, which played to his strengths. My understanding of Urdu was limited, but the hand gestures and general demeanour suggested his batting partners were unimpressed at Miandad’s stirring of the volatile Aussie pacemen.
Pakistan must somehow find a place for Rizwan as a pure batsman, if he is not their first-choice wicketkeeper, due to the presence of Sarfaraz Ahmed. Like Miandad, Rizwan has a style all of his own and enjoys batting on bouncy wickets. If he can settle early, he will be a thorn for our bowlers.
Sarfaraz Ahmed and Saud Shakeel are also quality players. Ahmed has had a good 2023. Much is expected of Shakeel, who averages a remarkable 87 over 13 Test innings since his debut.
Pakistan have produced stirring pace bowlers. The attack will be led here by left-arm speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi. At 198 centimetres tall, he can be a handful on the bouncy Australian pitches if he gets his length right. Afridi swings it both ways and will trouble all batsmen but especially the left-handers, of which we have four in the top seven. How David Warner and Usman Khawaja start will have a big bearing on the outcome of the series. However, he is no Wasim Akram – far from it.
Another left-armer is Mir Hamza, who swings it and hits a good length consistently. Khurram Shazad and Aamer Jamal will provide right-arm pace options. Shazad can swing and seam the ball at good pace, and Jamal is quick and known to bowl long spells.
Mohammad Wasim jnr is young but already a wonderful exponent of reverse swing, particularly in white ball cricket. Bowlers with a slingy action like his can trouble the top order with their pace and clean up the tail.
The spin will be provided by Abrar Ahmed, the latest in a line of quality leg-spinners in the tradition of Intikhab Alam, Abdul Qadir and Mushtaq Ahmed. There is a bit of mystery about Ahmed, who I am looking forward to watching. He can spin the ball in the right conditions and bowls accurately.
This is not the best team Pakistan could have fielded due to the injury to young speedster Naseem Shah. Haris Rauf has controversially chosen the BBL over playing for his country. They will need to call upon all of their tenacity to defeat Pat Cummins’ well-drilled outfit.
Imran Khan may be the Lion of Lahore, but he famously said that “I want my team to play like a cornered tiger.” Masood will be pleased if his team shows the fighting spirit of a cornered alley cat.
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