Pakistan: Roadmap for a return to the top
England and Pakistan are ranked No.5 and No.7 respectively in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings but Pakistan have a chance to race ahead of their opponents, England, in the upcoming two-Test series. While the difference between the rating points – England are at 98 while Pakistan have 87 – seems large, Pakistan can overtake England by winning the series 2-0."
It’s an interesting one for Pakistan, especially when you consider where they stand in the Twenty20 International rankings – right up at No.1. Interestingly, despite being the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 winners, they are at No.6 in the one-day international rankings.
The disparity in the rankings for England is almost as stark. While India are No.1 in Tests and No.2 and No.3 in ODIs and T20Is respectively – suggesting a multi-format, consistent set-up – England are No.1 in ODIs but No.5 in both Tests and T20Is.
As for Pakistan, rebuilding as a young side under Sarfraz Ahmed, the two-Test series offers a great chance to re-establish their Test credentials. The last time they were there, after all, Pakistan drew the four-Test series 2-2 and became the No.1 Test team in the world.
The Mis-You EffectWhen two of your stalwarts leave the scene together, there is bound to be a hole. From Australia in the early 1980s to the Windies for the last two decades to India more recently – and many before and in between – teams have suffered when their top players have quit. At the end of the Test series in the Caribbean in April-May 2017, when Pakistan won 2-1, Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq retired. That took away 193 Test matches and 15,321 runs, plus Misbah’s exemplary captaincy.
Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq have gone about their jobs manfully in trying to make up for the absence of the older duo, but it’s been a tough ask. The two have plenty of potential, though, and the sooner they realise it, the sooner Pakistan become a force again.
Babar Azam – waiting to make a markThe 23-year-old batsman averages 51.11 in ODIs and 53.00 in T20Is, but 24.90 in Test matches. He has hit five half-centuries in the format without getting to three figures, but the ability is clearly there. The 59 in the second innings of the Test in Ireland was a great effort. As Younis says, “I think he’s extremely stylish and he has the potential. If he plays, and he works on his fitness, then I think he will perform a lot for Pakistan.” If that comes true, Pakistan will be happy.
Amir, and the missing bowling leaderMohammad Amir has now played 31 Test matches for exactly 100 wickets. Not bad, of course, but when you break it up into the two halves of his career, the difference is puzzling. He picked up 51 wickets in his first 14 Tests. In 17 Tests since coming back after serving a ban, he has 49 wickets.
“He needs to take a bit more responsibility and get more wickets for us,” said Azhar Mahmood, Pakistan’s bowling coach, recently. “If he's the leader of this attack, he needs to show us a bit more. I'm sure he will do that and that's what we want from him.”
With not much experience in the rest of the pace attack, Amir must hit his best form, as he has done so memorably on at least two occasions against India in limited-overs internationals recently: The ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final and the Asia Cup (T20I) 2016 match in Dhaka.
**Leg-up time for the T20 regulars?**It’s a thought. Jos Buttler has just been brought back into the Test side. We don’t know how that will go, but with Shadab Khan – in the absence of Yasir Shah – and Fakhar Zaman, among others, coming into the Test side and the young leg-spinner doing exceedingly well since landing in England, it might be worth trying out more and more of the limited-overs specialists to fill the gaps. Hasan Ali, for example. The star of Pakistan’s ICC Champions Trophy win has played only two Tests so far – time to bring him into the Test XI?
In Imam-ul-Haq at the top of the batting order and Mohammad Abbas, the right-arm paceman, the team has unearthed two good Test-match prospects in recent times. But there must be more of them in a country famous for raw ability and skill. If the pieces of the jigsaw come together, Sarfraz Ahmed’s men could well emulate the Class of 2016 in getting to the top of the Test rankings.