Semi-finals? No problem

KARACHI: Performance, coupled with various permutations, a helping hand and lethal swing have helped Pakistan reach this far with ease in the World T20, 2012. Of the five semi-finals they have played since the 2007 double blow in Jamaica, three have resulted in late, unpredictable and excruciating agony for Pakistan.

The respite, though, was the triumphant 2009 campaign but nothing about this team at this year’s World Twenty20 resembles that of the England sojourn. Yet, it could end up with the same result.

Then, under Younus Khan, the preparation started on the hills of Bhurban, where players were accompanied by families and a psychologist.

The team arrived in London less than 24 hours before their first warm-up over 200 kilometres away as the weather played a huge role in dampening the players’ spirits and the team going off course. The team lost both practice matches and only won just one of the next three competitive fixtures. But we all know how that culminated into a fairy tale ending under the solstice sun at Lord’s.

Today, many captains, coaches and batting line-ups later, Pakistan take on then-beaten finalists and current hosts Sri Lanka after having scampered past many hurdles that threatened to derail their progress. The preparations included playing in extreme heat, playing past 2am and, for some members, looking past the lucrative Champions League that follows the global event.

The run-up to the semi-final has not been smooth, often unflattering and repeatedly deceiving. While inconsistency will be the least of their worries – Pakistan thrive under the tag of unpredictability, attacking the alert opposition with their guard down – the problems swept under the carpet with each win, and the prevailing overreliance on bowling, can prove to be the team’s undoing.

But for all the worries about our batting, Nasir Jamshed has been phenomenal. The problem is that he, probably, has realised that too. Jamshed sits top of the run-scorers list for Pakistan, having scored two half-centuries in four matches. He has also scored a duck – a moment of madness fast-tracked into his mind after the awe-inspiring sixes off Nathan McCullum made him realise his worth.

Also, Mohammad Hafeez’s inability to rotate the strike remains a concern but, while this works both ways, the depth in batting at his disposal allows a reshuffle late in the day. The late surge, often the team’s saviour on a bad day when the slow-and-steady approach backfires, is yet to be seen.

Bowling was touted as Pakistan’s stronger suit but with Bangladesh and New Zealand easing past the 150-mark – and South Africa and Australia restricted to below that – how much can we actually rely on them? The emergence of Raza Hasan has given Hafeez added options but, despite the miracles produced thus far in the tournament, the state of Umar Gul – who produced swing at will as he homed in at the toes in 2009 – remains a worry.

Shoaib Malik can chip in with the ball but will that ease the pressure off the batting side? Should it be Abdul Razzaq or Yasir Arafat and what should their roles be in the playing-XI? Why exactly did we bring Mohammad Sami to Sri Lanka?

And even though Saeed Ajmal has not been at his menacing best either but he has done enough in the last 12 months to keep us happy.

Also, what of the fielding? Julien Fountain does not give much away when the camera zooms into the fielding coach after every blunder but, given the state of ground fielding and catching, Pakistan’s under-par batting lineup needs to make those 20 extra runs for the total to be competitive. But, somehow, things often just sit into place for Pakistan, clicking when you least expect them to.

The only worry is how far Pakistan can go with Shahid Afridi repeatedly failing to deliver.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2012.