What we learned from Pakistan's tour of England

Barnaby Read 16:00 09/09/2016
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  • The tour threw up both positives and negatives around the team.

    RANKINGS TELL THE WHOLE STORY

    In a week when the ICC shelved plans for a two-tier Test championship, its current rankings system was placed firmly under the microscope.

    For many, there are still huge issues with the current system and it remains a convoluted, out of date measurement which provides little context to Test series as thrilling as the ones in England or Sri Lanka last month.

    But, when it comes to Pakistan, the ODI and Test rankings do, at the very least, reflect the current status of the country’s national side in those formats.

    An against the odds draw in the Test series saw them move into first place in the ICC table for the first time in Pakistan’s history.

    A walloping in the ODIs saw them slip to an all-time low in the 50-over equivalent, a ninth placed position now leaving them staring at a qualifying tournament alongside the best of cricket’s Associate Nations.

    It is a night and day juxtaposition but one many knew was the case before Mickey Arthur’s men set out on their trip to the UK.

    Their position at the top of Test cricket should be assured with routine wins over the West Indies this month and they will be confident of securing a first series win in Australia under the leadership of Misbah-ul-Haq.

    Little change is needed in the five-day game, bar the odd tinkering, but the ODI side is in need of drastic overhaul to keep up with the rapidly evolving modern game which is seeing records falling nearly every series.

    This remains Arthur’s biggest challenge at the helm of Pakistan and it will be more a task of creating new life in the 50-over game and putting the current incumbent to sleep.

    WAHAB EMBODIES PAKISTAN’S PAST

    “Pakistan are brilliant, but so inconsistent,” or “You just don’t know which Pakistan will turn up”, are two of the most popular utterances when it comes to commentators and fans taking in their cricket over the years. There players were rarely described as being of substance, more maverick than moderate.

    It has been a constant cloud hovering over the side, an asterisk next to the country’s name and its greatest players.

    But Misbah had put paid to that and his Test side is now the antithesis of those previous hallmarks, finding consistency and solidity their greatest allies in combat.

    However, the brilliant mavericks do live on, embodied perfectly by Wahab Riaz.

    Easily the side’s most fearful bowler on his day, Wahab continues to frustrate by mixing match winning displays like in the one-off T20I with his ability to be despatched for 110 in ten wicketless overs in an ODI, the second-worst figures in 50-over international history.

    He was similar in the Tests, only finding his feet once he was banished to the sidelines. Wahab, it seems, discovers his brilliance when given time to stew on his failures.

    It may well be that Pakistan must look to use Wahab in such a manner in the future, handing him a role of impact sub and rolling him out when needed rather than their bowling spearhead.

    THERE IS LIFE AFTER MISBAH & YOUNIS

    Azhar Ali (l) and Asad Shafiq had good tours.

    Azhar Ali (l) and Asad Shafiq had good tours.

    It is incredibly hard to believe so but, yes, there is life after Misbah and Younis Khan eventually hang up their bats.

    At this rate that may well be in the year 2042 when cricket is a one-over affair and played by robots for the amusement of Americans, but nonetheless there is hope beyond the stalwarts.

    For years, the pained realisation of Misbah and Younis leaving a gaping hole in the Pakistan order that they have plugged with such resilience has been too much for most to contemplate.

    But, in Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, there remains a core of players ready to step up to the plate and score runs in bulk.

    The trio proved this at various stages of the tour, and across formats and despite being on the brink of or over 30, they can provide the backbone Pakistan needs to blood younger players.

    Misbah’s heir will be plucked from those three names and their importance in the coming years cannot be overstated.

    Shafiq in particular, was astounding in the Test series and has the potential to replicate the heroics of the aforementioned legendary duo.

    AMIR’S REBIRTH BEGINS NOW

    So much was said of Mohammad Amir’s return to England and Test cricket six years on from the biggest match fixing scandal in the sport’s history.

    But by the time the series had ended, Amir’s return was largely forgotten. And it is brilliant to be able to type that.

    Amir handled himself in exemplary fashion across the entire series, which proved the biggest Test of the young quick’s mental state to date.

    He proved his ability at the Asian Cup and then World T20, that was rarely in doubt.

    This was the chance to face his biggest mistake front on and show the world that he is both worthy of his place back on the international stage and more than capable of handling the pressures associated with sport at this level.

    Now, the resurgence can begin in earnest.

    Amir wasn’t at his best with the ball but still played a crucial role in some of Pakistan’s greatest moments on the tour.

    As soon as he finds harmony between the two and combines his skill and mental fortitude, little will be able to stop Amir laying waste to batsmen put before him.

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