There is a love fest in Pakistan with the Sri Lankans! Imran Khan effectively ordered the Sri Lankan flag to be hoisted at the highest of masts. The endearing affection and unreserved respect that he had for Sri Lanka and our cricketers was palpable when he met with Ashantha de Mel and his team at the Prime Minister’s office to convey his appreciation.
The Pakistani press corps and Pakistani locals and those world over, are emotionally overcome by the bold gesture of the spirited Sri Lankan Lion to shrug off security concerns and become the only country in ten years to play international cricket on Pakistani soil.
The fact that on the field, cricket eagerly egged on Dhananjaya de Silva to get his century cheered by the 12,000 fans was another embrace that was showered on the Lankans. In effect the Sri Lankans and the Pakistani’s set a new standard of mutual understanding and respect for each other in international cricket. And to add a balanced luster to the last day of the game in Rawalpindi, Babar Azam and Abid Ali did their shining best with centuries.
It is the accepted norm that the world over selectors in whatever sport act in mysterious ways. They have been picked from the rest as the best and as the saying goes know their onions. That’s why they are appointed to those exalted positions.
Before going on to sermonize on the selectors and the mysterious ways they are known to work in, we take strike on the First of Two Tests between Sri Lanka and Pakistan that was penciled to play in Rawalpindi thus signaling the return of Test cricket to Pakistan after 10 years.
Climate Change --not to be outdone-- showed it’s might in Rawalpindi where the First Test was consistently interrupted by rain and bad light and finally declared a draw.
The second and deciding Test will be in progress in Karachi when this is being read and it is hoped that the fickle weather will not continue to trail the two teams, but ensure a good game of cricket and may the better side enjoy success.
For the record the scores of the Rawalpindi Test: Sri Lanka: 308 for 6 dec. (D. Karunaratne 59, D. de Silva 102 n.o.). Pakistan: 252 for 2. (A. Ali 109 n.o. B. Azam 102 n.o)
The Pakistani selectors had their say too! They must dig deep and pick the best of players at their disposal who they are convinced above all else that the men they put out on the field could win which is the bottom line.
Especially in cricket the selectors would have already made up their minds as to the playing eleven out of a squad of about 13. But will only decide on the final playing eleven only after having a look at the wicket and the conditions.
At times although the selectors think they have the right combination, they are also human and can read wrong how the pitch would play and pick the wrong batsman or bowler. No one, even the curator who has doctored the pitch can predict how it will play until the first ball is bowled. A pitch can be deceptive like a dolled up beauty.
It is an unwritten law that home team’s cannot prefer to make pitches to suit their bowlers. But that is a law that is more often than not flouted and pitches made to suit the home bowlers.
Having said that we move on to the First Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan played in Rawalpindi where Test cricket saw the dawn after being in the wilderness or the graveyard after 10 long years. Why that was is well known and documented and needs no reiteration. According to reports the first morning was chilly, cold and overcast and in addition the pitch had grass on it, which is not often seen in Test pitches or cricket. This prompted the Pakistani selectors to plonk in four seam bowlers.
What stumped and shocked the cricket world was the dropping of that bowler YASIR SHAH who could win a match all on his own with his brilliant, skillful and unplayable leg spin/googly bowling and his other mesmerizing cocktail of deliveries in his spin cupboard.
Whatever the pitch it was obvious that Chief Selector and Head Coach Misbah ul-Haq blundered in benching the SHAH of spin YASIR from the final X1 which sure would have been surprising to the home team and pleasing to the Sri Lankan batsmen and which would have been shocking and frustrating to the Pakistan supporters.
Here was Shah who in addition to his match winning spin bowling, stunning the cricket world by scoring a fifty and a believe it or not making a maiden Test century.
He stood up gallantly and stubbornly against the menacing fast bowling of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and the tantalizing of spin of Nathan Lyon. It showed he had all round abilities which are very essential in all forms of cricket.
Thankfully, the Test was a damper, otherwise who knows it would have left Misbah ul-Haq rueing his decision to leave out Shah and going in with four pacies. Including four pacies in any side puts the onus on the captain. The purpose of four pacies would mean that one or two of them will not get the use of the new ball. The other pacies coming on to bowl with the ball once the shine is off will serve no purpose, because they will just be sending up and down stuff.
Take the Australians as an example. They are playing a series against New Zealand in kangaroo land and they have gone in with three pacies and playing Nathan Lyon, who is considered as their all time great spinner which is sensible and clever thinking. They are not playing a fourth paceman because he becomes superfluous.
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