Team spirit

Pakistan defeated England at the Oval to draw the much fought Test series last week. The game was won in style, with four runs required; Azhar Ali clubbed Moeen Ali over the head for a six, taking the game with it. While the ball landed in the crowd, the camera shifted towards the Pakistani dressing room, where one of the Pakistani players punched his arm three times in to the air while doing so he grind his teeth with each arm blow and was jubilant.

This particular player was not the team’s captain, nor was it the man of the match winner. This player had been Pakistan’s main pace bowler over the long 12 months in Test cricket, and for this particular series he had to warm the benches due to different bowling conditions. This Pakistani bowler is known as Imran Khan, who even after not playing in the whole series still seemed happy, in fact joyful, as his team won. With him stood Mohammad Rizwan, who had been part of both the UAE and the England Test Tours, but was still yet to make his Test debut; even he celebrated with a cheerful smile on his face while holding both his arms in motion. While these two players celebrated, a dejected Junaid Khan who has been ousted from the team has not only complained to the media about his ouster but has also indirectly threatened the PCB of moving to England restarting his career over there, instead of owing up to his mistakes. Players without team spirit can destroy the environment of the dressing room. In the past we have seen how such problems find their way onto the playing field and the final results. The dressing room spirit of the Pakistani team does seem to look high for now. Let us hope it continues this way.

Shah Rukh Khalid

Rawalpindi