shariqnoor
First Class Captain
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2016
- Runs
- 4,555
- Post of the Week
- 5
If it wasn't apparent to anyone before, it should be visibly apparent now that Pakistan's approach to Test cricket is not only outdated but it is match-losing.
Every time Pakistan takes to the field, it seems that if the opposition scores 370 plus in the first innings, the default option of the team is to look to secure the draw first and then if all the stars align perfectly would they ever go for the win.
Let's just dissect the 2022/2023 home season of Pakistan starting with the Australian series:
1) 2nd Test at Karachi:
Pakistan required 506 runs in 172 overs at a run rate of 2.94 on one of the flattest pitches of all time ala Pindi a match earlier. All they needed to do was score 250 per day. They only score 192 in the whole of Day 4. And 251 on day 5. Losing only 7 wickets in the process. It was clear from the outset that the team had only one goal in mind and that was to play for the draw. The draw was somehow lapped up and presented to the public as an escape of biblical proportions. Any self-respecting team who has ambitions of becoming a top side would never have drawn the Test match. Either they would've won it or lost it. Draw was an abomination but the team and Babar were so happy about it.
3rd Test at Lahore:
Set a target of 351 in about 120 overs at a run rate of 2.92. Not an absolute road like Karachi but still a beautiful batting wicket where Australia racked up almost 400 in the 1st innings and 227/3 in the 2nd innings at close to 4 RPO. What does Pakistan intend to do from the outset? Play for a draw. What happened? A loss.
To the England series now,
1st Test at Pindi:
Require 263 on Day 5 in about 80 overs (I'll take bad light into account). They only scored 177 runs in the first two sessions. On any other pitch where there may have been some assistance to the bowlers, I could've understood that 177 runs is decent. But this was one of the flattest wickets of all time. Their approach of saving wickets till the last session to somehow score 100 in 20 overs was never going to work if at all their approach was this. In the end, ended up scrambling for a draw which they couldn't achieve anyways.
Against NZ:
2nd Test at Karachi:
NZ score 450 in the first innings and Pakistan started Day 3 at 154/3. Added only 253 runs in the whole day. They had only lost 2 wickets till the last half hour of the day. It seems like the whole plan is to play out another draw. If the mindset was to play for a win, then the team would've reach parity to NZ's total by now. Saud Shakeel may have scored a ton but he has left at least 60 runs to his own credit out there by batting at a snail's pace.
There are other teams who have the mindset of trying to win a match from any situation while Pakistan's approach is always safety first. Cast your mind to the Pakistan vs Australia test match in Melbourne where Azhar Ali scored a double hundred. That match was marred by rain on the first two days and Pakistan ended up declaring at about 450 just after lunch on the third day. There was absolutely no chance of a win had Pakistan been the second team batting. But Australia knew they wanted to win and they thought of what is the best possible way of winning the Test. It was to bat only once and have a lead so big that they could put pressure on the opposition on Day 5. So they ended Day 3 on 278 in 58 overs playing at an astonishing 4.8 RPO. They were forcing the game forward and ultimately gave Pakistan 64 overs to bat to draw the game with a lead of 181 runs. Pakistan ultimately caved in and lost the Test match.
If Pakistan continues with this stale approach of trying to secure a draw first, every time the opposition racks up 370 plus, then history tells us that they will end up on the losing side more often than they will end up drawing.
The buck stops with the captain. If he cannot show the mindset that the players need to play the game to win, regardless of the match situation in the first innings, then the reasonable option is to change the captain.
Every time Pakistan takes to the field, it seems that if the opposition scores 370 plus in the first innings, the default option of the team is to look to secure the draw first and then if all the stars align perfectly would they ever go for the win.
Let's just dissect the 2022/2023 home season of Pakistan starting with the Australian series:
1) 2nd Test at Karachi:
Pakistan required 506 runs in 172 overs at a run rate of 2.94 on one of the flattest pitches of all time ala Pindi a match earlier. All they needed to do was score 250 per day. They only score 192 in the whole of Day 4. And 251 on day 5. Losing only 7 wickets in the process. It was clear from the outset that the team had only one goal in mind and that was to play for the draw. The draw was somehow lapped up and presented to the public as an escape of biblical proportions. Any self-respecting team who has ambitions of becoming a top side would never have drawn the Test match. Either they would've won it or lost it. Draw was an abomination but the team and Babar were so happy about it.
3rd Test at Lahore:
Set a target of 351 in about 120 overs at a run rate of 2.92. Not an absolute road like Karachi but still a beautiful batting wicket where Australia racked up almost 400 in the 1st innings and 227/3 in the 2nd innings at close to 4 RPO. What does Pakistan intend to do from the outset? Play for a draw. What happened? A loss.
To the England series now,
1st Test at Pindi:
Require 263 on Day 5 in about 80 overs (I'll take bad light into account). They only scored 177 runs in the first two sessions. On any other pitch where there may have been some assistance to the bowlers, I could've understood that 177 runs is decent. But this was one of the flattest wickets of all time. Their approach of saving wickets till the last session to somehow score 100 in 20 overs was never going to work if at all their approach was this. In the end, ended up scrambling for a draw which they couldn't achieve anyways.
Against NZ:
2nd Test at Karachi:
NZ score 450 in the first innings and Pakistan started Day 3 at 154/3. Added only 253 runs in the whole day. They had only lost 2 wickets till the last half hour of the day. It seems like the whole plan is to play out another draw. If the mindset was to play for a win, then the team would've reach parity to NZ's total by now. Saud Shakeel may have scored a ton but he has left at least 60 runs to his own credit out there by batting at a snail's pace.
There are other teams who have the mindset of trying to win a match from any situation while Pakistan's approach is always safety first. Cast your mind to the Pakistan vs Australia test match in Melbourne where Azhar Ali scored a double hundred. That match was marred by rain on the first two days and Pakistan ended up declaring at about 450 just after lunch on the third day. There was absolutely no chance of a win had Pakistan been the second team batting. But Australia knew they wanted to win and they thought of what is the best possible way of winning the Test. It was to bat only once and have a lead so big that they could put pressure on the opposition on Day 5. So they ended Day 3 on 278 in 58 overs playing at an astonishing 4.8 RPO. They were forcing the game forward and ultimately gave Pakistan 64 overs to bat to draw the game with a lead of 181 runs. Pakistan ultimately caved in and lost the Test match.
If Pakistan continues with this stale approach of trying to secure a draw first, every time the opposition racks up 370 plus, then history tells us that they will end up on the losing side more often than they will end up drawing.
The buck stops with the captain. If he cannot show the mindset that the players need to play the game to win, regardless of the match situation in the first innings, then the reasonable option is to change the captain.
.
