“Pakistan cricket at its best: one minute down, next minute up,” screamed former England captain Naseer Hussain on air when Mohammed Amir dismissed Virat Kohli just a ball after the then Indian skipper was dropped in the slips in the 2017 Champions Trophy final. (More Cricket News)
Nothing comes close to describing Pakistan cricket than Hussain's words. Unpredictability runs in the veins of this side. They can beat the best on their night and can look like absolute novices the very next morning. Neutrals love following this team, but for their fans, it is nothing less than torture. A nation of cricket lovers is kept at mercy of mercurial form of their players in every single game that they play.
The England Test series at home perfectly encapsulates the enigma that is Pakistan cricket.
In the opening Test, Pakistan became the first team in the history of the format to lose by an innings despite scoring over 500 runs in the first innings. This was after they had, for the first time in their cricketing history, lost to Bangladesh in a Test series.
The loss in the first Test elongated Pakistan's winless record at home to a staggering 11 games. Embarrassing seemed like a soft word for this record.
Things were getting desperate and that led to same bold calls which some thought was an overreaction. The Shan Masood-led side, however, went ahead with it.
Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, all among the top players in the team, were dropped or as later revealed 'rested'. Two veteran spinners, Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, were called up. Kamran Ghulam, who had been knocking on the doors of Pakistani Test team, was given Babar's spot on debut. The typical flat Pakistani surfaces were altered. Large heaters and fans were summoned to dry the pitch.
Pakistan went all in. Shan Masood knew he would be blasted if things go wrong. But everything just clicked.
Kamran Ghulam hit a hundred on debut. Noman Ali and Sajid Khan took an astonishing 39 out of the 40 England wickets in the last two matches. The spin duo also provided useful runs down the order to ensure England were pushed out of the game even when the Ben Stokes-led side threatened to get ahead.
Ultimately, 'Bazball' was neutralised. England lost the second Test by 112 runs and then the third Test by nine wickets. Pakistan won their first Test series at home in three years and eight months and Shan Masood finally got back-to-back wins as captain after losing first six matches as Test skipper. Sajid and Noman, who had just four and 23 Test wickets respectively, took a stunning 19 and 20 wickets respectively in the series.
Pakistan found unlikely heroes and their fans got something to cheer for. Will it become a formula to be consistent at home? Will this result mean the musical chairs in the selection committee stop? Will Pakistan now be a team to beat at home?
Knowing Pakistan's track record, you can say only one thing: whatever happens, it will be entertaining. Few losses and you might see them press the panic button yet again. Few poor outings and the demand to get back the stars like Babar and Shaheen will grow. For now, though, Pakistan fans can celebrate a brilliant Test series victory.
