Hammad Shakil
It came as a surprise to some, joy to many when Pakistan drew their Test series against England in England. Well one could argue had there been no sudden collapse in the 4th innings of Edgbaston Test, Pakistan might have won the series, for the first time in England since 1996, but still it was a series well fought between two quality Test sides and the result was only fair if not more.
Long before in 2010 when Misbah-ul-Haq took the reign of the team, no one would’ve predicted Misbah would become the greatest Pakistan Test captain ever, and he would continue playing beyond the age of 42, and if anyone would’ve told such thing to Misbah, he himself might’ve just blown this thing in laughter, and yet now he is the greatest captain of Pakistan, with a very fine lieutenant in Younis Khan. In 2010, they were Misbah and Younis who guided Pakistan towards the start of a ‘Naya Pakistan’ when Pak drew the 2-match series against SA, with Misbah scoring 3 50s in 4 innings and Younis Khan producing a great second innings 131* to save the first test alongside Misbah.
The world never took Pakistan as a serious Test side even when they started a great winning spree, including beating NZ in NZ, and going on to remain unbeaten in 7 consecutive series, and at the top of all that, beating England, then No. 1 team, 3-0 in the UAE. Pakistan were never favourites at the start of the series, and very less was expected from them even while playing in the UAE. And once again in that series were the pillars of Pakistan batting Misbah and Younis, with support from young Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq who were now starting to look themselves as permanent members of the side and were high in confidence. Pakistan always bowl well, and when it comes to the duo of UAE and Saeed Ajmal, there is never a better love story than this. Ajmal bowled Pakistan to a series whitewash taking 24 wickets, with his deputy Abdul Rehman taking 19 wickets. And even after the series, Pakistan, somehow, were never rated as a top Test side. Still Captain Misbah and Lieutenant Younis kept going, with youngsters Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq now evolving into fine and promising sergeants.
Pakistan toured South Africa in 2013 and were blank-faced in front of the SA pacers, being bowled out for a mere 49 in the first innings of first Test. Pakistan came back well in the second Test, with Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq, in his first outing to a major tour, scoring commendable centuries and Saeed Ajmal picking up a ten-wicket haul. Yet Pakistan lost the match, and then the series 3-0. All the work Pakistan had done to make the world look at them as a top Test side had been razed to the ground, and Pakistan went back to UAE to seek answers, and of course to get back on winning track.
Pakistan continued playing in the UAE unnoticed, and still maintained the 4th position in the rankings every year, and incredibly chased down 307 in two sessions on the last day of the 3rd Test against Sri Lanka in Sharjah to draw the series. Things now started to change, and according to many, Pakistan’s fortunes were about to go down, as their premium bowler Saeed Ajmal was banned for chucking, and not long before Mohammad Hafeez was also banned. Pakistan went to Sri Lanka only to lose the series. Here came the Australia series, and Pakistan introduced Yasir Shah in the Test arena, who didn’t have any luck in his limited overs debut in Zimbabwe in 2011. Till then Pakistan had never beaten Australia in a Test series for 20 years, and Pakistan weren’t looking quite good this time to win the series too. First Test started and it wasn’t long before both Pak openers back in the hut with almost nothing on the board when Younis Khan came out to the middle. Younis Khan hadn’t played against Australia since 2006, and Australia was the only team he didn’t have a Test hundred against. He marshalled the Pakistan innings brilliantly with a fantastic 106, which was the turning point of the series and Pakistan’s path towards glory. Younis scored a 100 in each innings, followed by a double century in the second Test. Younis Khan’s 106 gave Pakistan such confidence that Pak batsmen scored 9 centuries in the 2 Tests, with Younis Khan, Misbah and Azhar Ali scoring 100s in each innings of a Test. Pakistan completed a thumping 2-0 victory over Australia in 20 years. NZ are always a tough team, and when Brendon McCullum fires, you can do nothing but sit back and admire. Pak drew 3-match series 1-1 to NZ.
Pakistan geared up to tour Sri Lanka once again, a place where they had never won a Test series since 2007. Pak won first Test, lost second, and outstandingly chased down 370+ in the 3rd Test to win the series, courtesy, yet again Younis Khan 171*, and young Shan Masood 125. Captain Misbah gave the final touches to win the series with a six. They played against England again in Oct 2015, and started the series as favourites unlike 2012. Since they lost to Sri Lanka in Aug 2014, they hadn’t lost a single Test series, and were clear favourites, and got all things right to win 2-0, apart from a sloppy final day of the first Test, series was all Pakistan’s.
Pak don’t play Test cricket much in a calendar year, but still 8-months gap is a long gap. Pakistan landed in England to play the 4-Test series, with not much good memories of their last two tours of 2006 and 2010. Captain Misbah, yet again, started the series with a first day hundred at Lord’s which gave Pak exact confidence which Younis Khan’s 106 against Australia had given, and even though after losing the 2nd Test convincingly and the 3rd Test dramatically, they bounced back to draw the series 2 each, for the first time since 2001 when Pakistan drew 2-match series 1-1. Misbah was a relieved man at the post match presentation, like a father is when he sees his children succeed at individual levels, and of course the 42-year old captain was the father of these young guys, who drew in England, a feat which even Australia hasn’t done since 2009. Misbah won, Pakistan won. If anyone had predicted such thing six years ago, or after the final of World T20 2007 and the semi-final of WC 2011, Misbah would’ve taken it just as a joke, but now he stands tall with a Pakistan team which is nothing less than the great Imran Khan’s team of the 80s. All hail Captain Misbah, and his lieutenant Younis Khan.
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