Pakistan’s ODI woes

The highs of the Test series were quickly forgotten as Pakistan’s One-Day International (ODI) team received a thrashing at the hands of England in the five-match series, losing by a 4-1 margin. England maintained a stranglehold against their largely timid opponents, who despite fighting hard in patches, were no match for the quality that Eoin Morgan’s unit possessed in a format where they have taken their performance to a new level since their harrowing World Cup show last year.

Pakistan continue to languish at number nine in the ODI rankings and this latest battering indicates that the national team’s direct qualification for the 2019 World Cup very much hangs in the balance. That Pakistan are out of touch with the requirements of the modern ODI game was there for all to see during the third match where the hosts plundered a world record 444 in their 50 overs. The much-vaunted bowling attack was brutally exposed while the batting line-up also looked inadequate in matching the demands of modern-day cricket where batsmen tend to go after the bowling from the the very first ball. Azhar Ali’s captaincy remained uninspiring and the PCB needs to decide whether it is worth the risk to stick with a largely subdued leader at the helm of a struggling team. A change in leadership looks inevitable with the sprightly Sarfaraz Ahmed tipped to replace Azhar. The selection for the series was also questionable with some gaping holes left in the squad. Pakistan lack firepower both at the top and end of the innings due to a serious dearth of big hitters. The one positive from the series was the emergence of all-rounder Imad Wasim as a consistent performer with both bat and ball. He has the credentials to play a prominent role in the resurrection of the team’s fortunes. For now, the PCB and the team think tank need to take this setback as an opportunity to identify our many weaknesses and take the steps needed to rectify these.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2016.

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