A sensational end to Pakistan-Australia contest

By Col (r) Rafi Nasim

The maxim that ‘cricket is the game of glorious uncertainties’ has proved its worth on a number of vital occasions. Just take the case of the ICC Champions Trophy adoring the fields of South Africa. The hosts, the leading cricket team of the present era, have been ousted in the preliminary round. They were followed by India and Sri Lanka, the two strong teams the other participants were scared of. The West Indies who ruled the world of cricket at the very outset of one-day cricket are lurking behind every one else. The teams who performed well on the day of their contests emerged as the rightful entrants of the semi-finals.

After defeating the West Indies and India convincingly, Pakistan’s entry into the semi-finals was ensured. The pool match against Australia was more of a ritual but it should always be a matter of pride to defeat a side enjoying supremacy over others in status and fame. Pakistan’s conduct of the whole affair was somehow shrouded in mystery. On one side they were overwhelmed by prayers of cricket lovers in India to defeat Australia because it could possibly brighten India’s chances of getting into the semis on the basis of points calculation. On the other side our team thought that perhaps the victory was not possible so just play on and see what happens. The way Pakistan started to bat showed that the second option overweighed the other.

It was surprising that a team who crossed 300-run mark in an earlier contest had resorted to a slow scoring game with no aggressive designs or a resolve to win the match. To quote only one example the top batsman like skipper Younis Khan scored his 18 runs in 49 balls. Following the principle of ‘slow and steady wins the race’ Pakistan ended up with a meagre total of 205 runs that could not be a winning score against a strong team like Australia. It was, however, a commendable effort to restrict the opponents from a free scoring spree. With Australia at 174 for 5 they were in a favourable position with Pakistan having no aspiration to prevent defeat. The complexion was changed and the sensation created when the Aussies lost some quick wickets slumping down to 187 for 8.

The Aussies were only 19runs short of the target when Pakistan rose to the occasion and raised their spirits high to avail the God-given chance to go for a win. The team did their best to restrict the runs to the number of balls resulting in the scores getting equal with a ball to spare. With the final outcome resting on the last ball the Aussies had an upper hand. Pakistan having lost the chance to win could either lose or manage to end the match as a ‘tie’. Since such crucial moments are very rare the thrill and excitement among the players as well as the spectators were at the apex.

Though Pakistan tried their best to prevent the run but the Aussies managed to take it thus defeating Pakistan by a solitary run. In his comments on the defeat, former Pakistan Test pacer Sarfraz Nawaz observed that while other fielders were called to position themselves close to the pitch the wicketkeeper should also have come closer to the stumps. This could have prevented the last run saving Pakistan from the embarrassment of a defeat. Any way it was a respectable defeat making no difference to Pakistan’s place in the semi finals.

Coming to some vital observations, the experts feel that a ‘winning combination should never be changed’. There should have been thus no change in the composition of the team that defeated India. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was some how too eager to bring back the speedster Mohammad Asif who performed no miracles. Bowling wide off the mark he was hit for a six in the very first over. Taking two wickets being an average achievement of a bowler the job he did could have been easily done by young Mohammad Aamer. Secondly, fiddling around with Shahid Afridi in the batting order is tantamount to damage his ability as an all-rounder. The days have gone when he was a successful opener. Number 4 or 5 in the batting order should be the suitable place for him. All said and done, getting into the semi-finals is a wonderful achievement of our team. Playing with total dedication and professionalism against the Black Caps they can surely make their way to the finals.

The writer is a former PCB chief executive officer Link...