A victory to cherish

Pakistan finally broke their jinx against South Africa, beating the hosts 2-1 in a three-match ODI series.

So soon after being decimated by the touring South Africans in the One-Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 series held in the UAE last month, only the most diehard of Pakistan fans would have predicted a series-win for the national team playing against the same opposition in their home ground. But this is exactly what happened, with Pakistan finally breaking their jinx against South Africa, beating the hosts 2-1 in a three-match ODI series, their first series-win against the Proteas.

With one disappointing performance after the other in the UAE, this turnaround in fortunes, while bringing great joy to the team and fans, also underlines one important feature: the display put up by the younger members of the team proved crucial in recording the victory. This has gone a long way in proving all those wrong, who have been persistent in claiming that the younger lot does not have it in them to replace the seniors at the international level. While a lot of work still remains to be done in honing the skills of these players before they can become consistent performers, the initial signs point towards a brighter future for Pakistan cricket. The likes of Bilawal Bhatti, Anwar Ali, Ahmed Shahzad and Junaid Khan delivered when the going was tough, which has encouraged the selectors to try more young players in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. At the same time, old hands like Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi continued to shine with the ball. In addition, the grit and self-belief shown in the field was heartening to witness, especially in the second ODI where Pakistan inched over the line by just one run. However, problems with the batting line-up continue. Batting collapses remain a feature, with Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez repeatedly failing. Notwithstanding these problems, which need to be sorted out if Pakistan want to progress further in the world rankings, this was indeed a victory to cherish and something which the much-criticised team management can take heart from.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2013.

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