A clean act

Team Pakistan peaks ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, with a historic 3-0 clean sweep over South Africa.

Team Pakistan is peaking at the right time. The ICC Champions Trophy is just two months away, and the Green Shirts clearly look like gelling into a fighting unit. A 3-0 clean sweep handed down to mighty South Africans in the ODI series, and that too on their own soil, is indeed remarkable. Given that it's the first time the Proteas have had to suffer such a humiliation on their home turf makes Team Pakistan's feat even more special, and admirable.

For far too long, the bowlers have spearheaded Pakistan's victories. But this time around, it were the batters who led from the front. Almost all – Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Babar Azam, skipper Muhammad Rizwan and Kamran Ghulam – were among the runs. Saim, in particular, has emerged from the tour as an impact player. His two centuries in the three games turned out to be the difference between the two sides. The left-handed opener proved that he not only has the ability to build up his innings with perfect book strokes, but can also use long handle to propel the run rate. He also picked up a wicket – of danger man David Miller – in the final one-dayer, offering himself as a sixth bowler to give depth to the batting line. And while our fast bowlers did bowl to their potential, it was the left arm wrist spinner Sufiyan Muqeem who made his presence felt by taking four wickets when given the chance in the final match.

Suddenly, there is an air of expectancy in the Pakistan camp. It would be the job of the Pakistan think tank – including the selection committee, the skipper and senior players – to work on how to keep the momentum going. The Rizwan Men have still to play a couple of games to provide them the chance to fine-tune their preparations for the defence of the ICC Champions Trophy title.