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Writing for Inews, Saj reviews Pakistan's recently concluded tour of England which saw Azhar Ali’s captaincy arguably losing the Test series and Misbah-ul-Haq being frustrated by his side’s efforts in the field during the second T20 international
The Pakistan squad left English shores without a series win, but they have gained the appreciation of the cricketing world, the England and Wales Cricket Board and some very kind words from the Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive Wasim Khan.
In difficult circumstances, the Pakistan squad, who had been in a bio-secure environment for over two months, can feel proud of what they and Cricket West Indies have done for the international game this summer and particularly for English cricket. The situation Pakistan were in was challenging, the environment not ideal, but not once did any of their players or team management complain about facilities or any other aspect of the tour. The only blemish was when Mohammad Hafeez posed for a picture playing golf, which subsequently led to him having to be re-tested for Covid-19.
Off the field Pakistan can quite rightly hold their heads high, but on the field it was once again a mixed bag from a team that continues to frustrate. The old adage, that you never know which Pakistan team is going to turn up, was evident. Television pictures of Misbah-ul-Haq literally tearing his hair out during the second T20 international at Old Trafford will not be forgotten in a hurry. But coaching Pakistan is not for the faint-hearted, as both Misbah and Mickey Arthur have found in recent years.
The Test series was thrown away on a day when calm heads, a clear plan and some aggression was needed from Azhar Ali. Instead the captain, for some bizarre reason, went into his shell and forgot the basics of winning and how to attack Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes when England were in all sorts of trouble. This negligence at Old Trafford proved costly and ultimately meant Pakistan lost the series after two further draws.
The T20 series helped Pakistan salvage much-needed pride. However, the final night win was another heart-in-the-mouth occasion, and the tourists should have hammered home the advantage and won more comfortably. What will be most concerning for the team’s management will be that Pakistan, always incredibly proud of their bowling resources, failed to defend 195 in the second match of the series and nearly surrendered 190 in Tuesday’s final game. Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan showed glimpses of their potential in the 20-over format, while Imad Wasim once again displayed what a valuable player he is with his left-arm spin.
Wahab Riaz came good in the final match of the series and showed that experience can be vital, despite many feeling that 20-over cricket is a young person’s game. A revitalised Hafeez proved his critics wrong once again. In his last 10 T20 international innings he has 482 runs at an average of 96.40 and a strike-rate of 146.95. While many felt his best days were behind him, Hafeez has shown that despite turning 40 next month, he still has the desire and the skills to play at the highest level.
The reluctance of team management to give youth a chance has been something that many have been critical of since Misbah took over as head coach and it was not until the final match of the tour that 19 year-old batsman Haider Ali was finally given a chance. Calls for his selection had earlier been ignored, but when he finally got his chance, he did not disappoint, becoming the first Pakistani batsman to score a half-century on T20 international debut. His impressive stroke-play against England this week should point the team management to realising that youngsters have to be given more opportunities.
Despite some below-par individual performances, the tour of England should be deemed a relative success for Pakistan despite not winning either series. Pakistan were competitive throughout against a strong England side and T20 skipper Babar Azam and Misbah both quite rightly stated that the tour has been a great learning experience for all, particularly for the younger players.
https://inews.co.uk/sport/cricket/pakistan-cricket-tour-england-report-card-mohammad-hafeez-625893
The Pakistan squad left English shores without a series win, but they have gained the appreciation of the cricketing world, the England and Wales Cricket Board and some very kind words from the Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive Wasim Khan.
In difficult circumstances, the Pakistan squad, who had been in a bio-secure environment for over two months, can feel proud of what they and Cricket West Indies have done for the international game this summer and particularly for English cricket. The situation Pakistan were in was challenging, the environment not ideal, but not once did any of their players or team management complain about facilities or any other aspect of the tour. The only blemish was when Mohammad Hafeez posed for a picture playing golf, which subsequently led to him having to be re-tested for Covid-19.
Off the field Pakistan can quite rightly hold their heads high, but on the field it was once again a mixed bag from a team that continues to frustrate. The old adage, that you never know which Pakistan team is going to turn up, was evident. Television pictures of Misbah-ul-Haq literally tearing his hair out during the second T20 international at Old Trafford will not be forgotten in a hurry. But coaching Pakistan is not for the faint-hearted, as both Misbah and Mickey Arthur have found in recent years.
The Test series was thrown away on a day when calm heads, a clear plan and some aggression was needed from Azhar Ali. Instead the captain, for some bizarre reason, went into his shell and forgot the basics of winning and how to attack Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes when England were in all sorts of trouble. This negligence at Old Trafford proved costly and ultimately meant Pakistan lost the series after two further draws.
The T20 series helped Pakistan salvage much-needed pride. However, the final night win was another heart-in-the-mouth occasion, and the tourists should have hammered home the advantage and won more comfortably. What will be most concerning for the team’s management will be that Pakistan, always incredibly proud of their bowling resources, failed to defend 195 in the second match of the series and nearly surrendered 190 in Tuesday’s final game. Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan showed glimpses of their potential in the 20-over format, while Imad Wasim once again displayed what a valuable player he is with his left-arm spin.
Wahab Riaz came good in the final match of the series and showed that experience can be vital, despite many feeling that 20-over cricket is a young person’s game. A revitalised Hafeez proved his critics wrong once again. In his last 10 T20 international innings he has 482 runs at an average of 96.40 and a strike-rate of 146.95. While many felt his best days were behind him, Hafeez has shown that despite turning 40 next month, he still has the desire and the skills to play at the highest level.
The reluctance of team management to give youth a chance has been something that many have been critical of since Misbah took over as head coach and it was not until the final match of the tour that 19 year-old batsman Haider Ali was finally given a chance. Calls for his selection had earlier been ignored, but when he finally got his chance, he did not disappoint, becoming the first Pakistani batsman to score a half-century on T20 international debut. His impressive stroke-play against England this week should point the team management to realising that youngsters have to be given more opportunities.
Despite some below-par individual performances, the tour of England should be deemed a relative success for Pakistan despite not winning either series. Pakistan were competitive throughout against a strong England side and T20 skipper Babar Azam and Misbah both quite rightly stated that the tour has been a great learning experience for all, particularly for the younger players.
https://inews.co.uk/sport/cricket/pakistan-cricket-tour-england-report-card-mohammad-hafeez-625893
