Comment: When little errors make a big difference

Pakistan’s loss has brought out the cogs that needed oiling, service and even replacing.

Pakistan’s always been a flashy side – either going for wins in spectacular fashion or folding dramatically, both providing the often – unwanted entertainment to those around.

The dazzle, coupled with a win, is often deceiving, enshrouding the many little mistakes or the recurring errors. Or even an inbred problem that refuses to mend its ways. The results may be achieved in a draggy manner but the connatural urge to draft in the fireworks often signal departure, not progress. As often with any major exit, Pakistan’s loss brought out the cogs that needed oiling, service and even replacing.

It's the batting, stupid

An Umar Gul cameo or Nasir Jamshed’s flicks aside, Pakistan’s batting remained the main culprit. Having backup is good but having too many at your disposal fails to add up. Pakistan went into the event having recalled Kamran Akmal and Imran Nazir but with captain Mohammad Hafeez keen on opening, Kamran was forced to play at four and not at the top despite having scored more than half his Twenty20 internationals runs and hit over half his fours and sixes opening.

Nazir continues to look clueless – scoring 176 runs in the nine innings since the comeback. His recall preceded clean, crisp strokes in domestic events but his recent wafts aptly displayed the gulf that exists. Umar Akmal, who has recently realised its runs that keep you in the side and not flashes of brilliance, then becomes a floater, often entering the stage when much is lost.

Hogging strike

Pakistan’s inability to rotate the strike has been a grave cause for concern but often gets overlooked given the batsmen’s ability to hit hard. On an awful dustbowl, however, nudges, flicks and dabs are as good as gold.

Unless, carrying that aggressive mentality, you wipe out their existence from your mind completely. Pakistan played 56 dot balls in the 16-run loss –almost half the quota - and hit just 11 fours and a solitary parried six. Hafeez sat top of the list with 53% dot balls (88 out of 167) in the tournament.

Earlier, as Tillakaratne Dilshan flashed endlessly, Mahela Jayawardene measured and assessed, moulding his art accordingly while also teaching all those around on why Twenty20 is more skills and less thrills.

Hafeez and Nazir, meanwhile, arrived to impress and dazzle but ended up doing neither. Pakistan managed 31 in the Powerplay but also played 23 dot balls in the process.

Finally, what of Shahid Afridi? Thirty runs in six innings that included two ducks and four wickets. The zip is gone and so has the back. The celebrations aren’t that stretched anymore and neither is his stay at the crease. There is the presence and plenty of advice but is that the only thing that Pakistan need from him? In 27 matches this year, Afridi has scored 300 runs (avg 14.3) and taken 23 wickets (39.9). Last year, he scored 500 runs (21.0) from 30 matches and took 46 wickets (21.8).

An underperforming Afridi is nothing new and needs to be treated as a leg-spinner only – he must not hang up his boots but planning needs to be done for when he does... again.

They must also remember our short-term memory. Every win, grand and auspicious, will be blown away by surrender. The team has often risen from the depths of despair and reached new heights. But reminders of individual brilliance in the past cannot justify one’s repeated selection.

For some the line must be drawn when the next squad is picked. For others, about to tip over the edge, the series against India in December might just be a timely swansong.

The writer is Sports Editor of The Express Tribune

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2012.