Pakistan being Pakistan

The name of the cricket team is Pakistan. 

They are one of the mysterious sides in world cricket. 

Just when you think that they would breathe fire they end up burning their own pants and become a laughingstock. Just when you think that you have humiliated enough to gift them shame – from nowhere – they will start kicking your back, slap on the face and punch on the rib cage to a point from where it would take time for you to recover. You take a break and try to analyze this mysterious unit - you end up with no result because no one ever has been able to define the Pakistan Cricket Team.  

They have a board that keeps on changing like a train on a railway platform. Even a railway engine has a destination but the Pakistan Cricket Board – aka PCB does not know what they are doing and what it will do in the future. They have a media whose only job is to blame each other and the arch-rival. The fans are always passionate but remain confused. There had been a history of groping, in-fights, ego clashes, arguments, and pathetic petty politics among the players. The talented players are misguided. The talents fade and the talents keep on coming. But they have no definitive system like India – but they show up – perform and yes, win matches.

In the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup in India – Pakistan’s performance has been below par. They had been pale against Holland. Mighty against Sri Lanka. Worst against India. Lost their mind against Australia. Looked out of ideas against Afghanistan. And, broke the hearts of everyone against South Africa.  

Well, the story of this team is over and out.

But – they are Pakistan – Freak. Perennially fractious. Mysterious. Unpredictable.  

A couple of weeks back – in Bangalore, Australia taught Pakistan a lesson for not batting first and punished them for their sloppy fielding and pathetic bowling that lacked skill and control. Australia posted a huge total. Pakistan’s response was positive but they lost their way as usual on a flat deck letting David Warner and Adam Zampa come back in form – such generous work!

A few weeks later – in a do-or-die encounter – Babar repeated the mistakes against New Zealand, whose team was experiencing a setback due to injuries.

The ideal task was to win the toss and exploit the injury-prone Kiwi attack via Fakhar Zaman on a flat deck and small boundaries – well, it was New Zealand, who went all guns blazing Kane Williamson and Racn Ravindra had a jolly bash against Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali – a match where Pakistan went with an all-pace-attack with a little benefit except the young Wasim Junior.

Afridi remains pale with the new ball and his figures in this tournament have been terrible whereas the ICC ranking says that he is the number 1 fast bowler in the world. He leaked 90 runs from 10 while Rauf leaked 85. Just after Rauf conceded the highest runs leaked by a Pakistani bowler in the World Cup, Afridi broke the record of his colleague – it was a total mockery out there while Pakistan’s sloppiness on the field was as consistent as ever.  

New Zealand put on 140 runs in the 14.1 overs since Ravindra fell, breaching the 400 barrier against a battered, broken Pakistan fielding unit.

Pakistan’s hopes in this tournament are dead and buried – the coffin would land safely at Lahore after the final match of the group stage.

But the team is Pakistan!

Fakhar Zaman – who had scored 4, 30, 27, 4, and 12 in the last five ODIs before regaining his form against Bangladesh at Kolkata – transformed into Muhammad Ali and used his willow like Ali that was flying like a bee and stinging like a bee.

Two fours and a six in the third over of Trent Boult set the tone, with the 17 he conceded was Boult's most expensive World Cup over. It was followed up by another 16 in his next as Babar was playing the role of sheet anchor but didn’t step back from hitting the loose ones.

Tim Southee was also taken on, as was Santner By Fakhar, for whom the white ball seemed like a football and sent the ball out of Bangalore City several times. Glenn Phillips felt how it feels to be taken to the cleaners. Just when you stopped cheering those hits, Mitchell Santer was taken to the cleaners brutally.

The evening turns out to be Pakistan’s party and when they are having their time in the middle – the galaxy and the multiverse start supporting them.

The heavens opened – and the rain started pouring down.

Pakistan were ten runs according to DLS

When the match commenced, Pakistan started the party again, with the target becoming 342 off 41 overs.

 Williamson fatefully turned to Sodhi, who conceded 32 in the two overs he sent down, including two gigantic sixes off Fakhar.

The heavens opened up again – and the match never took off – Pakistan ended up as the winner.

No one knows how to analyze this match. The cricket experts out there have no words. The fans are still recovering from the Fakhar show. New Zealand is left clueless. The Cricketing Gods are still figuring out how to define Pakistan cricket.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar