Defeats compel PCB to revisit Test playing strategies

RAWALPINDI: Back-to-back Test defeats from relatively winning positions seem to have shaken all those who were confident that Pakistan squad will make the best use of home conditions. Instead, the tourists picked their game on key moments to win the series and almost put curtains on hosts’ chances of making it to the World Test Championship final.

Irrespective of whether England would progress to the Championship final, their exhibition of quality cricket has impressed all and sundry. English team’s ability to take the situation head on rather shying away from the situation was the hallmark of their two successive Test wins.

There came many situations in both the Tests where Pakistan looked favourites to take the ultimate honours, yet England stayed steadfast and struck when it mattered the most. Pakistan on the other hand were missing the confidence and required strategy to tilt the balance of the game in their favour.

From a relatively strong position in the second Test, Pakistan threw away the advantage even when a few more overs with persistent approach could have yielded the required results. Barring Saud Shakeel, who looked possibly the only newcomer who knew the value of staying long at the wicket in Test format, rest of the players never showed any signs of having the required potential to stay long at the wicket and to take the attack back to England bowlers.

The playing XI at Multan was filled with all-rounders as no less than three were there to fill in spaces that went vacant with the absence of key pace bowlers. The players including Agha Salman and Faheem Ashraf can neither be termed as true bowlers nor true batsmen. They are good enough for limited-overs cricket where a set role is entrusted upon every playing member but for Test cricket there is a dire requirement for the specialists knowing well as to what the five-day cricket is all about. You need to be at the top of your speciality (area) to contribute for the team rather than making little contributions here and there that hardly make any difference.

Test cricket is all about making a real impact rather than coming in and contributing in bits and pieces. The cricketers capable of making major contributions towards a set department make a Test worth-remembering.

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) selectors have also awarded debuts in the series to two top domestic cricket performers, Abrar Ahmed (leg-spinner) and Saud Shakeel (batsman). Both the players not only made the opportunity count but have grabbed a permanent place in the Pakistan Test side.

The duo was there on the national team more because of their domestic performance especially in the just-concluded Quaid-i-Azam Trophy.

Their success has surely opened the doors for other performers as well. There is dire need to include some fresh faces-truly specialists in each department. Those who have performed outstandingly at the domestic level especially in the Quaid Trophy must and should be given opportunities to play for the country.

The limited-overs specialists must be separated from Test cricketers. Though there are a few players like captain Babar Azam and three tear away pacers who deserved permanent places in the Test squad, rest of the Test places should be set open for performers to grab.

Top performers in Quaid Trophy including the likes of Mohammad Huraira, Umar Amin (batsmen) should be considered in the playing XI for the third Test that will now serve as the preparation stage for the forthcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand. The earlier we realize the urgency of making Test as the format solely meant for the specialists, the better it would be for Pakistan cricket.

Secondly, the game of cricket is now more known for pursuing a set strategy rather confronting every situation as it comes. That part of the game is also missing from the Pakistan approach.