A battle of mettle
Pakistan’s tour to England begins on July 14 and all eyes are on the Green Shirts
Pakistan’s tour to England begins on July 14 and all eyes are on the Green Shirts. PHOTO: AFP
Pakistan’s tour to England begins on July 14 and all eyes are on the Green Shirts. The question is: Will they perform or is the nation in for another disappointment?
What awaits Pakistan on tour of England?
Never before in the history of cricket, if not all sports, an away team has been under as much scrutiny as Pakistan will be on their tour of England. For when the Men in Green, on July 14, take the field at Lord’s, they will not be returning just to the spiritual home of cricket, they will also be returning to the scene of the most heinous of crimes the gentleman’s game has ever seen.
Pakistan to wear Edhi foundation logo on kit during England tour
Six years ago, at the very place, Pakistan’s batting line-up crumbled on the fourth day of the fourth and final Test, but not due to the brilliance of England bowlers — at least not entirely. The foundation of their demise was laid a day earlier when the now defunct News of the World implicated three Pakistan cricketers in the infamous spot-fixing scandal.
The rest, as they say, is history — but the kind the entire cricket fraternity hopes is never repeated.
That infamy means every single move of each and every Pakistan player, both on and off the field, will be monitored during the two-and-a-half months they will spend in the United Kingdom.
It also makes the tour possibly the most important one Pakistan has been on in years. With bat and ball, and regarding integrity and fair play, points need to be proved.
To make sure the targets are achieved, the Pakistan Cricket Board has dispatched the touring party more than two weeks before it even has to play a practice match. The extra time, it is believed, will help players get used to local conditions and put them in the best position to claim a first Test series win in England in two decades.
Since a Mushtaq Ahmed-inspired Pakistan crushed their hosts 2-0 in 1996, the tourists have been to England thrice — drawing one Test series and losing the other two. But they have also returned the favour when England visited them in the UAE in recent years, nearly whitewashing them both times, including once late last year.
Pakistan's success depends on bowling England over
However, that would mean little in England where the conditions are vastly different to what Pakistan is accustomed to. Moreover, the current English side is in a rich vein of form, having recently steamrolled Sri Lanka 2-0 in a three-Test series and beating South Africa in South Africa 2-1 before that.
Key players
Pakistan’s 17-man squad for the five-day format has some veterans, a few newbies and of course Mohammad Amir, one of the three busted in the aforementioned betting scandal. The left-arm quick will undoubtedly be Pakistan’s primary weapon of choice. With English batsmen tending to struggle against leg-spinners, the returning Yasir Shah could also be the key.
Meanwhile, in batting, skipper Misbahul Haq, Younis Khan and the two shorter formats’ captains, Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed, will lead the charge.
The English, currently busy dealing with Sri Lanka, haven’t named their squad yet. But it’s unlikely to deviate too much from the group that defeated the Islanders 2-0 in Tests, with Nick Compton expected to be the only casualty.
Captain Alistair Cook and in-form Jonny Bairstow will be the main threat to Pakistan with the bat, whereas the two-pronged pace attack of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, in all likeliness, will test the mettle of the visiting batsmen.
Dark horses
Opening batsman Shan Masood has spent a considerable amount of time in England and is familiar with the conditions there, unlike some of his teammates. The left-hander, known for his sound technique, will not get a better chance than this to become a regular fixture of the Pakistan side.
For the home side, the one with the best chance of a breakthrough series is fast-bowler Steven Finn. At 6 feet 7 inches, he is tall, can hit the deck, has pace and can move the ball both ways. That’s the prototypical pacer to trouble the bounce-fearing subcontinent batsmen.
Published in The Express Tribune, Hi Five, June 26, 2016.
What awaits Pakistan on tour of England?
Never before in the history of cricket, if not all sports, an away team has been under as much scrutiny as Pakistan will be on their tour of England. For when the Men in Green, on July 14, take the field at Lord’s, they will not be returning just to the spiritual home of cricket, they will also be returning to the scene of the most heinous of crimes the gentleman’s game has ever seen.
Pakistan to wear Edhi foundation logo on kit during England tour
Six years ago, at the very place, Pakistan’s batting line-up crumbled on the fourth day of the fourth and final Test, but not due to the brilliance of England bowlers — at least not entirely. The foundation of their demise was laid a day earlier when the now defunct News of the World implicated three Pakistan cricketers in the infamous spot-fixing scandal.
The rest, as they say, is history — but the kind the entire cricket fraternity hopes is never repeated.
That infamy means every single move of each and every Pakistan player, both on and off the field, will be monitored during the two-and-a-half months they will spend in the United Kingdom.
It also makes the tour possibly the most important one Pakistan has been on in years. With bat and ball, and regarding integrity and fair play, points need to be proved.
To make sure the targets are achieved, the Pakistan Cricket Board has dispatched the touring party more than two weeks before it even has to play a practice match. The extra time, it is believed, will help players get used to local conditions and put them in the best position to claim a first Test series win in England in two decades.
Since a Mushtaq Ahmed-inspired Pakistan crushed their hosts 2-0 in 1996, the tourists have been to England thrice — drawing one Test series and losing the other two. But they have also returned the favour when England visited them in the UAE in recent years, nearly whitewashing them both times, including once late last year.
Pakistan's success depends on bowling England over
However, that would mean little in England where the conditions are vastly different to what Pakistan is accustomed to. Moreover, the current English side is in a rich vein of form, having recently steamrolled Sri Lanka 2-0 in a three-Test series and beating South Africa in South Africa 2-1 before that.
Key players
Pakistan’s 17-man squad for the five-day format has some veterans, a few newbies and of course Mohammad Amir, one of the three busted in the aforementioned betting scandal. The left-arm quick will undoubtedly be Pakistan’s primary weapon of choice. With English batsmen tending to struggle against leg-spinners, the returning Yasir Shah could also be the key.
Meanwhile, in batting, skipper Misbahul Haq, Younis Khan and the two shorter formats’ captains, Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed, will lead the charge.
The English, currently busy dealing with Sri Lanka, haven’t named their squad yet. But it’s unlikely to deviate too much from the group that defeated the Islanders 2-0 in Tests, with Nick Compton expected to be the only casualty.
Captain Alistair Cook and in-form Jonny Bairstow will be the main threat to Pakistan with the bat, whereas the two-pronged pace attack of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, in all likeliness, will test the mettle of the visiting batsmen.
Dark horses
Opening batsman Shan Masood has spent a considerable amount of time in England and is familiar with the conditions there, unlike some of his teammates. The left-hander, known for his sound technique, will not get a better chance than this to become a regular fixture of the Pakistan side.
For the home side, the one with the best chance of a breakthrough series is fast-bowler Steven Finn. At 6 feet 7 inches, he is tall, can hit the deck, has pace and can move the ball both ways. That’s the prototypical pacer to trouble the bounce-fearing subcontinent batsmen.
Published in The Express Tribune, Hi Five, June 26, 2016.