In the recently concluded series New Zealand made their long awaited return to Pakistani shores after 2003 One day series, nearly 19 years ago.They had left prematurely before a ball was bowled last September on the eve of the Rawalpindi leg of one day internationals in a security controversy that sparked some ripples. Karachi, ” the city of lights ” was the scene of the test series considering daylight is plenty even in January.

The painful 3-0 home loss to England meant that some changes were to be anticipated. An adhoc selection committee under the newly nominated PCB chief Najam Sethi meant some players were to be included in the host’s squad. The only player that wasn’t used in the entire english series was also given the gloves for this series following Mohammad Rizwan’s constant failures.The reserve wicket keeper was none other then ex Pakistan skipper. Sarfaraz Ahmad.

In the growing nature of world cricket , having multiple wicket keepers is a norm. Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler play in 11 for England. Tom Latham and Tom Blundell play for kiwis and even in other formats , Ishant Kishan and Rishabh Pant have played for India. In Pakistan, the concept was used when Moin Khan played in 90’s a test with Rashid Latif keeping wickets. But lately, Pakistan seemed to be playing archaic era cricket where the concept of having a reserve keeper in the squad is frowned upon, let along having both in the playing eleven.

Sarfaraz has had a chequered few years since oustre as skipper in 2019 following the home defeat to Sri Lanka in the T20’s. Usually in Pakistan , the skippering ouster leads to all format exclusion and subsequent end to their international careers.The COVID 19 pandemic regimen of increasing squad numbers however led to a need for second wicket keeper at all costs.That meant for the test squad, Sarfaraz was still the most experienced choice, Under Babar Azam, he toured everywhere in the last three and half years including home campaigns but never got a chance to play in the 11.

Sarfaraz is nicknamed as “Saifi ” or “Taptaan “as a parody of “Kaptaan” , Urdu for captain. He skippered the last ICC trophy pak won in 2017 as well as the last ODI world cup in 2019.He comes from humble surroundings of urban karachi, a place called buffer zone. His father used to own a store but died when Sarfraz was young. He was the victorius skipper of the 2006 under 19 world cup and at the age of 20 , found himself playing in one of the biggest series of the time , this time against India again in Jaipur 2007. It was a dead rubber and he didn’t get to bat and didnt get a chance until the notoroius 2010 series in Australia where he earned a test cap in another dead rubber, the Hobart test.

He really burst onto the regular scene in 2014 when he scored a few good scores in January test series against Sri Lanka, the last innings in a series drawing fourth innings of 48 off 46.The following year , he was included finally after excessive pressure on Misbah and Waqar Younis in the world cup and that famous March 7 innings versus South africa in Eden Park.The rest as they say is history.

In Karachi , his hometown , he had the honour of finally playing on home soil. This was his incidentally his 50th test.He didnt let down even though very few came to attend both the tests.He scored an inspiring 86 in the first innings with the skipper who knocked 161. He then followed it up with 53 in a much needed innings that played a part to guiding Pakistan to safety. The next test was no different. Pakistan and New Zealand exchanged 400 plus scores with another target set for the final day, 319.

Sarfaraz had danger lurking at 80-5 on the final morning.he then involved hismefl in two key partnerships . Firstly its was with Saud Shakeel, simply the breakout player of the whole home season. Next up, Agha Salman added a much more pacier stand that almost took the hosts to within 46 of the total at six down. Sarfaraz scored his fifth century in the context of the chase and sealed his return. He was 9th down in the ensuing chase. It seemed once Pakistan lost Salman , they had their cause abandoned and finished 15 runs adrift in the end in a high scoring draw.

Sarfaraz couldn’t have asked for a better series.His overall tally of 335 runs at at an average of 83.75 set a record for a Pakistani wicketkeeper scoring in less than 3 test series.This ensured Pakistan drew the series with New Zealand which in essence due to poor planning and defensive mindsets they should have won. Sarfaraz has a lot of work to be done behind the wickets though fumbling chances for catches and stumpings but the cause to play even if it means as a specialist batsman should now be clear to all in PCB.

Apart from traditional red ball cricket being played in the British Isles in the middle of the year, Sri Lanka has hosted for the last few decades theor own home series and have added a tropical touch to the test scene.In spite of political and financial hardships this year post COVID, they have managed to host cricket again.The long sought tour by the Australian which recently ended with an enterprising share of the series at 1-1 with a huge win at Galle has in a way re invigorated their test squad.

Pakistan came in July seeking a points boost for their world test championship hopes.They were a bit casual as they usually are coming to expect an easy win against the Lankans.Mind you, the Lankan test side who toured in late 2019 were primarily a B side.The Greenshirts, notorius for not doing their homework and under preparing in their bench strength would have enjoyed day one in Galle, where both the tests were hosted.

They had Lankans at 133/8 before the tail kicked with Dinesh Chandimal’s 76. Pakistan wrapped them up at 222 before themselves dissolving into disarray at 112/8. It was only due to their skipper Babar Azam who played extraordinarily with the tail scoring 119 to get them to 218. Prabath Jayasuriya continued his form from the back end of the Aussie series with a five for.Second time around, Sri Lankans batted better. Kusal Mendis scored 76 and Chandimal had an unbeaten 94 to set the visitors a tall target of 342.It wouldn’t have been hard to assume that the Greenshirts would collapse and despite a 100 plus run stand between Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam ,there were still some chills sent down when Jayasuriya dismissed the Pakistan skipper at 205/3 , still 137 adrift.Abdullah the youngster held his cool to guide them to a historic one chasing this big a target since the massive 382 in Pallekele in 2015.

Not long after, Galle hosted the second test. Sri Lanka on this occasion set up a good opening stand of 92 and Chandimal scoring a third fifty in a row pushed them to 378.The visitors though couldn’t reciprocate as they dropped Azhar Ali in favour of bringing Fawad Alam.Nauman Ali provided the extra spin incentive as Shaheen had to rest due to injury.The Lankans held them to 119/5 in an utter chaos of a top order. Though the new Agha Salman scored a 62 to take the visitors to 231, it was a tall lead.Ramesh Mendis had taken five.

Dhananjaya De silva recently struck with Covid came back with a bang and despite the top order being restricted to 117/5 at one point , he nailed down a huge innings of 109 given the conditions. Yasir Shah brought back into this tour , Nauman Ali and mohammad Nawaz were all at sea in spin as Lankan accelerated fast with 3.91 rate in their secodn to post 360 and a 508 run target. This was near impossible.

The Greenshirts’ hunt for a possible draw started alright. They ended the 4th day at 89/1 in search of waiving the defeat with help of weather.But that never came.They lost wickets very quick in a flurry on the final morning and by lunch had lost Imam, Rizwan,Fawad and Agha by 188. It was a matter fo time when Prabath took the crucial wicket of the skipper for 81 to send Lankans on their way. Pakistan bowled out in the post lunch session for 261. Prabath claimed another five for for to claim 17 scalps and the player of the series award. Mendis supported him with a four for in this innings. Dhananjaya de silva for his huge innings was named man of the match.The series like the Australian one ended 1-1 and there was lot to reflect for the visitors in Galle.Sri Lanka solidified its position at No 3 on the table whilst Pakistan dropped to no 5.

Do Pakistani batsmen know how to play spin ? Is there a bench and if there isn’t is that intentional ? Will Saud Shakeel and Shan Masood ever come off that bench ? Has Hassan Ali reached the end of his second stint in his comeback ? Is there a need for the reserve wicket keeper now to come in the test format ? Is the time up for Azhar Ali ? These and many more queries are being showered in the aftermath and the pressure of not achieving a tests series win this year will continue to haunt until the autumn when England tour Pakistani mainland for the first time after 2005. Only time will tell whether they will address their test shortcomings.

India has for a long time in the last decade dominated test cricket. They have done well in one day version as well although failing to go past the semifinals in the last two editions after winning it at home in 2011. A major reason for their rise has been attributed to the success of one of the most powerful batsmen and captains in the last few decades. It would be an understatement not to label him as the King of Indian cricket. Virat Kohli is that king and that larger than life character which has been the rock of the side for over a decade now.Even Bollywood played second fiddle to him.

However that is where the dilemma lies. His form as a batsman has deteriorated in both red and white ball formats to the point in which his much favoured T20 stats are taking a hit.He finds himself in a very odd position where he is no longer the skipper of any of the Indian nationals squads.The latest stepping down after the Centurion Park test in south Africa following the close series loss was a huge changing point. Why is he losing his form is a question that no one in the cricketing world has been able to answer.

If Kane Williamson, Joe Root and Steve Smith fail in a series its forgiven in some but Virat’s decline in form has been somewhat of an enigma. In 2014 he sufferred from what is clearly an established depressive episode which he overcame and did well to counter. He left in a planned exit from the covid bubble to attend his daughter’s birth at a point when India were bundled out for 36 , their lowest test score in Adelaide on the Australia tour of 2020 -21.India went on to win the test series despite being in all sorts of personnel crises under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane.

The blue eyed boy of Indian cricket and nicknamed Cheeku has been well known for many years for an unmatchable work ethic on fitness and diet and maintaining as strict regime.He has been proponent of this for a long time and it has shown in the many feats he has accomplished.In 2018 he had a record 11 hundreds in a calendar across formats which was second only to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

Virat’s journey is one of great inspiration. He was dropped at state level in the eleventh hour under 14 match over preferential treatment. His father was offerred to pay for him getting a place in the cricket side during his early years but he refused.Since then he has never lost belief in merit. After the loss of his dad in 2006,he played a state game a day later. He climbed the ranks of cricket in youth, national and international level on his own ability. When he opened in Dambulla as a 19 year old in 2008, many knew he had talent but will he ever achieve greatness.It was a team that had the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly, Laxman, Yuvraj, Kumble and Mahendra Singh Dhoni skippering the limited format squads having been crowned the inaugural world champs a year earlier.

In December 2014 when Dhoni left the captaincy at the end of the Boxing day test, Kohli’s era of captaincy was ushered in a bit prematurely for some but he responded with a huge 147 at the Sydney test.He had a fanstastic Aussie tour in both formats churning hundreds at will.This would be marked as the barometer of success in modern day but for a subcontinent player there is one more prize which is bigger. The moment he scored that 183 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup at Mirpur chasing 330 in March 2012, he achieved the ultimate glory innings. Rohit Sharma scored a 68 and even Sachin scored a fifty, but both of those were mere after thoughts in context of what Virat displayed. He had conquered a major frontier. Its a shame that he hasn’t played the Greenshirts in a single test till now despite playing 102 tests to date. In October 2021 in Dubai when playing them last in the World cup, he top scored with a 57 still maintaining his good record against the arch rivals (especially in world cups), albeit in a heavy defeat which led to questions being asked.

Over the last decade, we have come to see only one side of his career. On the field you will always see the aggressive Kohli ,with that fighting tiger like attitude but when you listen to him in interviews, you will appreciate that great banter that he has to offer typical of a Delhi guy.He has matured to becoming a true family man.The advice he has to offer in terms of maintaining diet and fitness, on social media, mental health and developing Indian cricket with infusion of youth is invaluable.

There is a lot that he can offer for the world of cricket still even if he is not stats crunching like he has been.Is the lack of IPL title or a test world championship missing from his CV ? I think these are breadcrumbs from a guy who has given so much to the sport. The “channey bhaturay” of Rajouri gardens can still wait for when he finally hangs up his boots.

If this is the termed as his “twilight” , which is still unlikely in this era of long careers,at 33 ,then the legend has already begun.

A growing concern for test cricket has been the rise of the shorter version of the game.The T20’s. They have taken the game by storm.The commercial aspect of the game has grown astronomically and become the backbone for any home board ‘s finances with the TV money and surging attendances that it attracts.

At the time of this tour being scheduled, the three T20s were to provide some much needed warmup to the ICC World T20 due in October.Covid-19 delayed the ICC World T20, the high profile event was replaced in the same window by IPL, the biggest T20 league. Similarly, PSL 5 is yet to be decided and the window provides opportunity to it to be completed.As we speak, those T20’s will be taking place in mid-November. 

The first T20 in Manchester was abandoned with England 131/6 in 16.1overs.There wasn’t much to write home about that except for Tom Banton ‘s 71 and the spinners getting some good wickets to come back. Mohammad Hafeez was kept in and he justified his slot by knocking in a 69 in the next T20, a game covered by BBC for the first time since 1999 World Cup.

In the middle T20, Pakistan set out a good total given the conditions were ripe for high scoring. Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam set off to a flier.Babar’s wicket when he scored 56 then reduced that surge however Mohammad Hafeez facing the scorn of social media was able to carry on some frantic hitting, taking the score to 195. This looked a good score from Pakistan’s standards. It was the highest score posted at Old Trafford.Shoaib Malik and Iftikhar Ahmad failed to impress despite the high score.

Chasing 196 wasn’t going to be easy but the opening set a 66.Shadab bowled a huge 7th over after the power play.He took Johnny Bairstow’s and Tom Banton’s wickets in consecutive balls.He could have taken out the skipper, Eoin Morgan’s wicket as well which was given a not out and despite review managed to save him , only to hit a blinding 66 off 33 balls.That was the match really with Malan playing a supportive 56 not out. Shadab finished with 3/34.

This would have been another morale crusher with Greenshirts not able to defend a huge score just like the test.However, the visitors brought in some much needed changes following the loss.Haidar Ali the much talked about youngster who  thrived in the PSL earlier in the year with Peshawar Zalmi came and outscored his colleague Tom Banton in the final T20.

He had a blistering debut scoring a 50 off 27 balls.Right from the second ball, when he hit at six, he was looking like in control. With Hafeez, who again played a blinder with an 86, the Greenshirts towered another total of 190 for the evening.It looked as if England would be able to manage this target but on the evening start, England were shelled with Shaheen Shah’s  fury of pace initially.

One of the highlights of the innings was when Moeen Ali ‘s stumping was missed  early on in his innings with the wicket keeper and ex captain Sarfraz Ahmad failing to dislodge the bails. This could have been a key point in the game as Moeen went on to make 61 and almost taking England home. Wahab Riaz had other ideas in mind with a brilliant 19th over.That saved Pakistan and despite a late Tom Curran six, came home with 5 run win to finish off the tour with their sole win.The trip back home might not be so bad now.

Mohammad Hafeez was man of the match and man of the series ending any speculation that 2021 World Cup would be a step too far for him to be retained.Haidar Ali was a pleasant new entry into the T20 squad and one that was much needed. Wahab Riaz proved his death bowling is still premium quality as compared to a lingering Mohammad Amir.Once again death hitting by Pakistan is found lacking and Shadab s spin bowling still isn’t a finished article.There is a lot to take back home and reflect for now.

Although, England were playing a relatively weakened side, they face an enthralling series with Australia coming for a limited over international series soon. More fireworks will surely be set to fly.

Usually Manchester and the Northwest of UK gets blamed for the rains that can occur almost any day of any month without much notice.With Covid -19  triggering the new bio-secure settings meaning players needing to be accommodated within the sporting facility, Southampton and Manchester  were the obvious choices. It led to the age old concern of having cricket in a rain prone venue.

Having said that Manchester’s third test of the summer ,a row produced a result and it was a cliffhanger, being the first test of this series.It seemed that the weather won’t be able to say much come the tour moving south.Weren’t we so wrong ? The 2nd test of the series was marred by rain with a whole day washed out on day 3, resulting in an early close even before a 2nd inning was halfway through.

Come the third test, it was more likely that the final days of the test might be affected.England won the toss for the first time and decided to bat. Pressure on Pakistan  ? Not initially.They dismissed  Burns, Sibley, Root and Pope by 127.Then came a stand for the ages. Zak Crawley, relative early in his test, came solid in his eighth outing. Following on from earlier int he week where he cracked a 53, he punched and cut his way through the bowling lineup.England had accumulated a quick 332/4 by stumps with Crawley (171) and Jos Butler (87) ,who must be dreaming of when he faces the Greenshirts next , locked in a record setting stand.

Crawley’s debut ton materialised into a double hundred.At 6 feet 5, he stands as the second tallest double centurion.For the fifth wicket, they set a monumental 359 runs, a record for England. Crawley cruised  to 267 , the 10th highest score from an Englishman. Jos had 152 and the Pakistani bowling was pasted for two days having no clue to how to get wickets.They waited until finally Joe Root called them in at 583-8.

If this script hasn’t been written before, there must be an abyss the viewer is whilst  watching a game involving  the Greenshirts. With the new ball swinging in Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad’s hands rather than Mohammad Abbas or Shaheen Afridi’s, the rails were about to come off.At 24-3 on stumps on day 2, the follow on target of 384 looked already unattainable.The next morning Asad left for 5 and Fawad with an uncanny knock of 21 somehow survived to make the new ball old for the skipper.

Enter Mohammad Rizwan, who had starred with a 72 earlier on this ground. The  skipper, Azhar Ali  was on the other end and he seemed destined for the sack  considering how poor his form was the two put on an important stand .Rizwan reached his second 50 and Azhar claimed a grinding 17th 100, the first as skipper abroad and bought time to take the visitors to 273.This was a crucial innings in context of Azhar’s journey post 2017.He had adjusted a tactic of clearing his left leg in the series which gave him some breathing space and once his eye set in, he played the pacers nicely.

Pakistan still  followed on but now the weather came into play on days four and five.With not much play possible from 100-2 on day 4 , the tourists were asked to shake hands soon after Jimmy Anderson had removed Azhar in the 2nd innings for 31 to bring up his 600th wicket, an unbelievable effort.Babar punctuated the last innings of his tour with a 63, although the lack of hundred did tell the story for Pakistan’s leading batsman. The draw was called with visitors 187-4.Pakistan had finally lost to England after 2010 in a test series.

This wasn’t a surprising result however given the rain that has fallen, it was strange to see two consecutive tests end in Southampton due to it.So what had each team gained ?For the hosts, Zak Crawley impressed a lot as a youngster, Jos Butler despite the numerous drops as a keeper held onto his place with two huge knocks secured the man of the series.Chris Woakes, the man of the match in Manchester was another positive but then Greenshirts are his bogey team.For Pakistan,Mohammad Rizwan was man of the series rightly with the way he impacted in crises in collapses and his excellent glove work.Azhar Ali redeemed his test batting place for now and it might be enough to retain his captaincy as well for the time being.

As for the cons, the English openers for sure and this wily off spinner called Dom Bess. How he continues to be in the squad is an enigma but come the winter Jack Leach might be kept in.For Greenshirts where to begin with? Well the batting surely leads off . Has Asad Shafiq played the last of his 77 tests? With an off colour tally of  67 in his five innings, it looks like he is all set to be dropped for the Kiwi winter tour.Its been one of his worst tours and sadly it comes at the twilight of his career.There might not be a reprieve for this.

Pakistani bowling has usually been their strength historically but keeping in line with youth the lack of aggression in Naseem shah and  Shaheen Afridi , the young guns has been mind boggling.The continued reliance on Yasir Shah who isn’t the country’s no.1 spinner to get the majority of the wickets is also a growing concern.It seems the lack of Wahab Riaz and Mohammed Amir in red ball game has led to the lack of a spearhead and a mentor on the field.

Its been 10 years since Pakistan lost a series to England and that gulf was apparent despite the rain.Even if the two draws secured 20 WTC points each, the visitors will have to redress the balance by having a careful and deep reflection on their selection choices, resilience in batting and bowling and most importantly their mindset.

( To be continued )

The word ” Adeel” comes from arabic origin, an alternate to ” Adil” meaning the righteous one.One who is fair. But Sport times is not fair. Certainly Pakistani sport can hardly be called anything as remotely fair.

Though he came as a 15 year old in Rashid  Latif’s cricket academy in 2001, his father being a first class cricketer himself and a notable cricket administrator, not much was known about Fawad Alam till he came into the international scene after one of the worst showings for Greenshirts in 2007 World Cup.He was kept in the Warid Series vs Sri Lanka when a young Shoaib Malik found himself at the the helms of the captaincy in his assignment as skipper.It was a dead rubber as Pakistan had already won the series in Abu Dhabi. Chasing a daunting 297 in the finale,he came to bat at 68/4. It was a forgettable debut as he had a golden duck to begin his ODI career.Bowled by Dilhara Fernando.He never gave up though.

Later that year, it was a surprise he found himself in the inaugural T20 semifinal vs the Kiwis, a game Pak won without his batting services. He was in the 2009 T20 World cup victorius squad and featured though, not with the bat, in all  four must win  games that Greenshirts won to take the trophy. He would only play 11 more T20s and none since 2010.A month later he landed a huge test  debut in Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo chalking up 168 in the second innings .He was given only 4 more test innings. He never gave up though.

In a brief return to the ODI’s in 2014 ,he smashed two innings of note. Firstly against Bangladesh , in a must win game,he scored 74 and then in his biggest innings in a  knockout game, he scored a maiden ton in the final vs Sri lanka.It was amazing.He scored a 62 a few months later on a Lankan tour to lead Greenshirts to a win in Hambantota but under Misbah ul Haq he was only given six more ODI innings and then forever shunned into darkness.He never gave up though.

His first class record is phonomenal though.Amassing 16,000 plus runs with 35 tons, 4 in the last Quaid e Azam season inclusive of  a double ton,he still was not the first choice in the middle order for the selection for the test squad .Could it be a  dream that he still would  chasing a test berth 10 years after last appearing in the national squad ? He never gave up though.

Having heard from a majority of Pakistani cricket journalists, analysts, anchors, friends relatives, professional and recreational cricketers ,even the average Joe on the street stated that they would like to see him back in the squad. There was also a polarising group of fans and critics  who didn’t want the 34 yr old to come back in test cricket largely due to an ageing aura and stance which had deviated from the cricketing norms.My argument was if you could try players who haven’t starred in the domestic scene then why not those who have.What is the new revamped QEA trophy there to begin with ? If Steven Smith can take 38 balls to get off the mark in tests with that trigger movement and be the best surely there is scope for others.

Although he was kept in the squad for the winter home series against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, he was sidelined for both  in favour of Haris Sohail who performed.When Haris refused to travel to the England tour in light of the new COVID restrictions brought into place in light of his travel anxiety, it meant an automatic no 6 spot. Or was it ? Shadab Khan was chosen as the batting – spinning option when he was used for only 13 overs entirely.Shadab had a useful 45 but with not playing any 4 day format cricket, he was hardly a starting test bowler or batsman.

Then, in the light of the debacle at Old Trafford and pressure from media, finally Fawad Alam was called in.The break stood at 3911 days and 88 test matches.He had much to answer now and the weight of expectations showed. With an unorthodox stance that makes Shivnarine Chanderpaul and George Bailey look like spectators, he walked in on  day one after Pakistan won the toss and batted at 117/4.He lasted just 4 balls, 3 from Stuart Broad and then the lbw shout from Woakes which was reviewed to be hitting the stumps.The wait was enormous but the stay was just minutes.He didn’t still give up.

Pakistan managed some rare guard action with Rizwan’s crisis innings of 72 to get to a respectable 236. It was a gutsy and busy innings where the top order had been highlighted only by Abid Ali’s 60.The rest folded again like the second innings of Manchester to the pace of Broad, Jimmy Anderson, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran.However before any progress could be made about the England response, torrential rain took over and swallowed the match like a huge ocean tide on sand.

With most of days three, four and five gone to the downpour, England managed 110/4 before the test was deemed a draw.Zak Crawley who had also come back in the england squad scored a timely 53 before a short flurry of wickets fell on  the final evening to close out the game. Alongside the feeble top order batting of Pakistan, there was another question posed by many : Will Fawad  get another chance ? If to try again is an offence then he is surely guilty in every cricketing court. Only time will tell. One thing was sure, he wont give up.

(To be continued)