Real Tests await

One could hear the alarm bells ring when Pakistani batting lineup fell like deck of cards against New Zealand on day five of the last Test match. Abu Dhabi and other UAE grounds including Dubai and Sharjah have been batsmen’s heaven for a long time now, but day five has always been tough for whoever was asked to yield the willow.

Dead pitches, which helped batsman rack up single and double tons with ease, transform into rank turners with the ball jumping, bouncing too courtesy footmarks. However, Pakistan, the hosts in the UAE, knew the demon they were to face. They have churned out victories in the UAE courtesy the same withering patterns of the pitches and have been quite successful.

Only two series defeats in the UAE in the last decade clearly state the fact that Pakistan are the dominant force there, but the point to note here is that both defeats came under Sarfraz Ahmed’s captaincy. Yes, the man himself who helped Pakistan to Champions Trophy victory and to T20I dominance is flailing and failing in the UAE when it comes to the longest format.

However, come the upcoming tour of South Africa, the loss to New Zealand might look like nothing, since Pakistan will be asked to bat on not favourable tracks like the ones in the UAE, but on surfaces which produce bounce and pace — the Men in Green’s age-old nemeses.

In the past, Pakistan have tried all that is possible to learn to cope with pace and bounce, using marble slabs in the training nets, but none have proved effective when the real test arrived. It is to be seen how Pakistan will play in their upcoming tour of South Africa, most importantly in the Tests, since Sarfraz’s future as Test captain might now rely on that performance.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2018.

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