Let's salute Misbah-ul-Haq and his exiled Pakistan cricket team for restoring national pride
Misbah-ul-Haq has given a disgraced team its self respect back
Stoop to conquer: Misbah ul-Haq plays a reverse sweep en route to his record-equalling century Photo: AFP
11:22AM GMT 03 Nov 2014
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Last winter countless English households writhed in sleepless despair as our cricketers surrendered the Ashes in a 5-0 whitewash to a mighty and mouthy Australia.
Today we can thank Pakistan for a proxy revenge. After drubbing Australia by 221 runs at Dubai in the first Test of their series in the UAE, they have just completed a second victory in Abu Dhabi by the huge margin of 356 runs.
Pakistan were not facing quite the same Australia which humiliated England – only eight of them. Australia’s batsmen included five centurions against England.
Their bowlers were led by the explosive Mitchell Johnson, backed up by a rejuvenated Peter Siddle and the reliable Nathan Lyon. They had the same inventive (and lucky) captain, Michael Clarke, and the same uncomplicatedly brilliant coach, Darren Lehmann.
Before the series, Pakistan lost their experienced matchwinning bowler, Saeed Ajmal. Their attack went into the current Test with a combined total of 77 wickets (36 of these to a part-time spinner, Mohammed Hafeez, over 37 previous Tests).
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Their new matchwinner, Zulfiqar Babar, had to wait until the age of 33 for his Test debut, after years of domestic toil on flat wickets as a slow left-arm bowler. This inexperienced attack responded magnificently to their selectors’ faith. There was special pleasure for nostalgia buffs when Clarke was bowled by a reverse-swing delivery from a bowler named Imran Khan.
Unlike England, Pakistan had home advantage – if you can call it home advantage to be forced to play in the Emirates, where cricket has no history and limited local following.
Ever since the horrific attack on the Sri Lankan tourists in 2009 Pakistan have played all their international cricket in exile. Their teams shuttle for eleven months a year between foreign hotel rooms, cut off from the family and extended local networks that are so important to Pakistanis' in any walk of life. Until his recent troubles, Saeed Ajmal had taken all of his 178 Test wickets away from Pakistan. Even if he makes a comeback, it is unlikely that he will ever bowl in a Test at home.
Pakistan’s sweeping triumph seemed unlikely when they were 7 for two wickets in the first Test, with Johnson in full cry. After that hiccup, they scored another 1596 runs in their four innings for the loss of 19 wickets (an average of 84 per wicket). Their batsmen shared nine centuries: three in a row, including a double, for Younis Khan, approaching his 37th birthday.
Younis in particular deserved his reward. He has served Pakistan cricket through years of turmoil. Along with his captain, Misbah ul-Haq, he is the survivor of a Pakistan side dismissed for 59 and 53 by Australia in Sharjah in 2002-03.
His career has endured through match-fixing scandals, the ball-tampering row at the Oval in 2006, the loss of Bob Woolmer, clashes with other players, selectors, administrators and the media, and a short and unhappy tenure as captain. At regular intervals, a fickle Pakistan public have turned on him. Now he has earned a chance to replace the great Javed Miandad as Pakistan’s leading Test scorer.
Misbah-ul-Haq can take even more satisfaction. After an in-out Test career, he took over the captaincy of a team in disgrace and despond after the match-fixing scandals of 2010.
Like Younis, he has had battles with the media and administrators. For most of last year, he has not known who his administrators are, since the leadership of Pakistan cricket has changed hands repeatedly through court battles and political interference. As already mentioned, he has had to maintain the spirit and performance of a team in exile. Now, with his 14th victory for Pakistan, he has equalled the record of Pakistan’s best leaders, Javed Miandad and his distant cousin, Imran Khan.
The 40-year-old captain (who dropped himself recently for poor form) allowed himself a little indulgence in a career marked by sober acceptance of responsibility.
He declined to enforce the follow-on against Australia in the last Test. Some critics muttered. In Pakistan’s second innings, Younis Khan was dismissed for a mere 46. Misbah ul-Haq, who has so often had to shore up an innings in crisis, now came in with Pakistan for once in a position of some strength: 461 ahead with seven wickets intact.
He was promptly dropped. He must have known that fate had other plans for him. He went on and scored the fastest 50 in Test history (off 21 balls). When he reached 96, a boundary of any kind would equal the fastest Test century. He got one, with an involuntary edge to third man. Regularly mocked in Pakistan for slow scoring, Misbah ul-Haq can now enjoy a record shared with the master blaster, Viv Richards.
As the usual carpers pointed out, the record came on a flat wicket with no pressure against a beaten attack (minus an injured Mitchell Johnson in the closing stages). But no one should begrudge the reward for a mighty servant of his country.
There are few worlds now left for him to conquer as a player. He would like to overtake Javed’s and Imran’s Test victory record in the forthcoming “home” series against New Zealand, and then to lead a successful challenge in the World Cup.
After that, what beckons for this educated and dedicated man? With his MBA, he could be a catch for business. He might follow Imran into his country’s politics. But perhaps he could be persuaded to join his great contemporary, Kumar Sangakkara, as new leaders for world cricket in a troubled time.
make sure you check out my American Cousins' Blog at:http://ssggen.blogspot.com/
Unlike England, Pakistan had home advantage – if you can call it home advantage to be forced to play in the Emirates, where cricket has no history and limited local following.
Ever since the horrific attack on the Sri Lankan tourists in 2009 Pakistan have played all their international cricket in exile. Their teams shuttle for eleven months a year between foreign hotel rooms, cut off from the family and extended local networks that are so important to Pakistanis' in any walk of life. Until his recent troubles, Saeed Ajmal had taken all of his 178 Test wickets away from Pakistan. Even if he makes a comeback, it is unlikely that he will ever bowl in a Test at home.
Pakistan’s sweeping triumph seemed unlikely when they were 7 for two wickets in the first Test, with Johnson in full cry. After that hiccup, they scored another 1596 runs in their four innings for the loss of 19 wickets (an average of 84 per wicket). Their batsmen shared nine centuries: three in a row, including a double, for Younis Khan, approaching his 37th birthday.
Younis in particular deserved his reward. He has served Pakistan cricket through years of turmoil. Along with his captain, Misbah ul-Haq, he is the survivor of a Pakistan side dismissed for 59 and 53 by Australia in Sharjah in 2002-03.
His career has endured through match-fixing scandals, the ball-tampering row at the Oval in 2006, the loss of Bob Woolmer, clashes with other players, selectors, administrators and the media, and a short and unhappy tenure as captain. At regular intervals, a fickle Pakistan public have turned on him. Now he has earned a chance to replace the great Javed Miandad as Pakistan’s leading Test scorer.
Misbah-ul-Haq can take even more satisfaction. After an in-out Test career, he took over the captaincy of a team in disgrace and despond after the match-fixing scandals of 2010.
Like Younis, he has had battles with the media and administrators. For most of last year, he has not known who his administrators are, since the leadership of Pakistan cricket has changed hands repeatedly through court battles and political interference. As already mentioned, he has had to maintain the spirit and performance of a team in exile. Now, with his 14th victory for Pakistan, he has equalled the record of Pakistan’s best leaders, Javed Miandad and his distant cousin, Imran Khan.
The 40-year-old captain (who dropped himself recently for poor form) allowed himself a little indulgence in a career marked by sober acceptance of responsibility.
He declined to enforce the follow-on against Australia in the last Test. Some critics muttered. In Pakistan’s second innings, Younis Khan was dismissed for a mere 46. Misbah ul-Haq, who has so often had to shore up an innings in crisis, now came in with Pakistan for once in a position of some strength: 461 ahead with seven wickets intact.
He was promptly dropped. He must have known that fate had other plans for him. He went on and scored the fastest 50 in Test history (off 21 balls). When he reached 96, a boundary of any kind would equal the fastest Test century. He got one, with an involuntary edge to third man. Regularly mocked in Pakistan for slow scoring, Misbah ul-Haq can now enjoy a record shared with the master blaster, Viv Richards.
As the usual carpers pointed out, the record came on a flat wicket with no pressure against a beaten attack (minus an injured Mitchell Johnson in the closing stages). But no one should begrudge the reward for a mighty servant of his country.
There are few worlds now left for him to conquer as a player. He would like to overtake Javed’s and Imran’s Test victory record in the forthcoming “home” series against New Zealand, and then to lead a successful challenge in the World Cup.
After that, what beckons for this educated and dedicated man? With his MBA, he could be a catch for business. He might follow Imran into his country’s politics. But perhaps he could be persuaded to join his great contemporary, Kumar Sangakkara, as new leaders for world cricket in a troubled time.
make sure you check out my American Cousins' Blog at:http://ssggen.blogspot.com/
