After a disastorous first half of 2010, an erratic cricket board made, what seemed to be, yet another idiotic choice; recalling an out of favor Misbah as not just a player but the test captain. Misbah had his hands full as the south africans came to the UAE for what was expected to be a walkover. Pakistan thrashed in the T-20's, got pipped in the ODI's 2-3 were expected to wilt without a fight in the test matches but this is where Misbah showed why he is considered the best cricketing brain in Pakistan. Though both matches were drawn, the result was heartening for a side that hadnt won anything for a while. Pakistan took on the Kiwis in New Zealand at the start of 2011 and won both the ODI's and the test match series and from there on there was nothing stopping Pakistan. From being on the mat in 2010, Pakistan emerged as one of the most succesful sides in 2011 with its players dominating every aspect of the game.
Pakistan hasnt seen such a strong team since the days of Imran khan in the late 80's and early 90's. Even after that there were some succesful sides but they all relied on individual brilliance and spark. Wasim or waqar ripping the opposition apart, Inzi, Anwar or Yousaf playing blinders to see Pakistan home, Afridi or Razzaq playing some sort of a cameo, whatever it was the previous teams relied on individual brilliance of an elite few to see them home. Rather than being the sum of its parts the previous teams were like a boxer who relied on one knockout punch rather than a complete technique to skittle out an opponent. This current team has a different flavor, to be honest one cant recall from previous memory any Pakistani team that has been so united and has every cog in its wheel pulling its weight.
There are the rare instances where one individual performance has seen the team home, like afridi at sharjah, but other than that the bowlers have pulled their weight and the batting, which has been Pakistans Achilees heel in the past, has performed rather consistently with Hafeez, Omar, Umar Akmal, Misbah, Younis, and Azhar all coming to the party and ensuring that the traditional batting collapses, that Pakistan is so prone to, have stayed away. The bowling, however, has been Pakistans sharp edge throughout the year. With Saeed Ajmal the leading wicket taker in the test arena even all the support bowlers like Junaid Khan, Wahab, Maana and Umar Gul have provided fantastic support to the wily off spinner. Pakistani bowlers dominate the ODI charts with the three spinners, Ajmal, Hafeez and Afridi at 1,2 and 9 respectively in the ICC rankings.
So what does 2012 hold? This team has performed near miracles in 2011 and the acid test of all this unity and method to the beast shall be against the British on the sands of the UAE. The England tour shall be decisive one and will expose the direction of how this team will play in coming times. Pakistan have a packed schedule in 2012 and should this team play like the well oiled machine that it is now, there is no reason to doubt it performance, credibility or its potential to dominate for the next few years.
Pakistan hasnt seen such a strong team since the days of Imran khan in the late 80's and early 90's. Even after that there were some succesful sides but they all relied on individual brilliance and spark. Wasim or waqar ripping the opposition apart, Inzi, Anwar or Yousaf playing blinders to see Pakistan home, Afridi or Razzaq playing some sort of a cameo, whatever it was the previous teams relied on individual brilliance of an elite few to see them home. Rather than being the sum of its parts the previous teams were like a boxer who relied on one knockout punch rather than a complete technique to skittle out an opponent. This current team has a different flavor, to be honest one cant recall from previous memory any Pakistani team that has been so united and has every cog in its wheel pulling its weight.
There are the rare instances where one individual performance has seen the team home, like afridi at sharjah, but other than that the bowlers have pulled their weight and the batting, which has been Pakistans Achilees heel in the past, has performed rather consistently with Hafeez, Omar, Umar Akmal, Misbah, Younis, and Azhar all coming to the party and ensuring that the traditional batting collapses, that Pakistan is so prone to, have stayed away. The bowling, however, has been Pakistans sharp edge throughout the year. With Saeed Ajmal the leading wicket taker in the test arena even all the support bowlers like Junaid Khan, Wahab, Maana and Umar Gul have provided fantastic support to the wily off spinner. Pakistani bowlers dominate the ODI charts with the three spinners, Ajmal, Hafeez and Afridi at 1,2 and 9 respectively in the ICC rankings.
So what does 2012 hold? This team has performed near miracles in 2011 and the acid test of all this unity and method to the beast shall be against the British on the sands of the UAE. The England tour shall be decisive one and will expose the direction of how this team will play in coming times. Pakistan have a packed schedule in 2012 and should this team play like the well oiled machine that it is now, there is no reason to doubt it performance, credibility or its potential to dominate for the next few years.
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I am doing my best to encourage me it 's peoples choice..