Pakistan’s tryst with destiny

Misbah must produce a match-winning strategy to halt Michael Clarke’s juggernaut at the Adelaide Oval on March 20

If Pakistan had the option of choosing their quarter-final rivals, then surely Australia would have been their last pick. But then again, the World Cup knockout stage is as big as it gets in the One-Day International (ODI) format and teams harbouring hopes of wearing the world champion’s crown must beat the best in the business. Pakistan’s ultimate test is upon them.

Buoyed by home support and in conditions suited to the Australian aggressive approach on the field, the hosts have pulverised weaker teams like Scotland and Afghanistan besides gunning down Sri Lanka and England with their grit and gusto. The only blemish was the nail-biter at Auckland where even a 152-run target briefly looked insurmountable for New Zealand as one batsman after the other was left scarred by the searing pace of Mitchell Starc.

If Misbahul Haq wants to turn his cherished dream of lifting the silverware at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on March 29 into reality, he must produce a match-winning strategy to bring to a halt Michael Clarke’s juggernaut at the Adelaide Oval on March 20. Pakistan’s recent ODI record against the Aussies is hardly inspiring and includes a whitewash defeat suffered in the familiar confines of the UAE last year. But records and history hardly hold relevance on a new day in sport, else Misbah’s charges would have no business playing the quarters after their spineless surrender to India and the West Indies at the start of the World Cup. With the much bandied-about ‘momentum’ on their side, Pakistan can give the Australians an almighty shake, especially on a wicket that suits their style of play —comparatively low bounce and help for the slower bowlers.

One feels that Australia would not risk leaving even a tinge of green on the surface considering the rich vein of form of Pakistan’s pace bowling attack that has come off age under the tutelage of Waqar Younis. The trio of Wahab Riaz — arguably the fastest bowler in the world — Rahat Ali and Sohail Khan has used the short ball and the variations at their disposal tremendously well in the preliminary stages of the tournament — a major transformation from the Pakistani tradition of swinging or reverse swinging pitched-up deliveries.

Mohammad Irfan’s unfortunate injury may spell the end of his international career but Pakistan must not let the disappointment linger on their minds in the field. The bowling attack still has potency and Yasir Shah’s induction in place of Ehsan Adil will make the greenshirts capable of chaining the blazing bats of David Warner, Aaron Finch and Co, provided they bowl with the same vigour and penetration that strangled the South Africans at Auckland’s Eden Park.

While the bowling looks capable of reining in the Aussies, the batting line-up must also build further on the positives of the Ireland clash. Sarfraz Ahmed, in only two appearances, has proved that purposeful batting through strike rotation and conviction in shot-making can bring success even against the best in the business. One hopes that the rest of the line-up closely studies the Sarfraz model and takes the Australians head-on rather than cowing down and camping on the back-foot.

The quarter-final is a big stage game and Shahid Afridi, the most mercurial cricketer of his generation, must make a serious impact. The preliminary round has passed away without even a single Afridi assault with the bat; the wiles of his fizzing leg-spinners have also been largely lacklustre but even in the predominantly drab performances, Afridi has had his moments: the maiden 47^th over of the Zimbabwe chase on his 35^th birthday tops the list. Despite his maddening lows, Afridi has had some incredibly intoxicating highs too that have stunned the world time and again ever since that maiden ODI hundred in Kenya — almost a lifetime ago. The most flamboyant and cavalier Pakistan cricketer ever has clearly been the darling of destiny. The Adelaide clash would be the 398^th ODI of Afridi’s career and if the greenshirts go the distance, he would round off his career with a 400^th appearance at the MCG with a clear shot at the world champion’s crown. Perhaps, destiny has a grander farewell planned for Afridi than the Nairobi welcome of 1996. One hopes that he is ready to pounce at all opportunities in the true Afridi way.

Published in The Express Tribune, March  19^th,  2015.

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