Pakistan Cricket - The story of it's downfall
The downfall of Pakistan cricket did not just suddenly happen in Australia. Pakistan who have been starved for test cricket on home soil, due to security situation in the country have not won a test series in more than 3 years. A home test series against West Indies in 2006 was the last series win for Pakistan, in 2007 Pakistan played 8 test matches with just a single win. A 3 match test series against South Africa resulted in a 2-1 loss for the men in green, and followed it up with a 3-1 series loss in the ODIs. However the biggest blow was the debacle to Pakistan cricket was of the 2007 World Cup, where Pakistan did not even mange to make to the 2nd round after an embarrassing defeat to Ireland.
There was a ray of light in all the doom and gloom as the new look young Pakistan side made it to the final of the inaugural T20 World Cup, but only to come short against the arch rivals India later that year Proteas came to Pakistan for a return test series which once again Pakistan lost 1-0, failing to make any use of the home conditions, as South Africans romped all over Pakistan. Then followed the tour of India at the end of the year, which included 3 test matches in which the home side prevailed 1 nil, with the last 2 tests drawn, and once again Pakistan came back empty handed from a test series.
Pakistan started 2008 with 11 consecutive wins in Odis, but don’t be carried away by the stats as they were all against below par sides like Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Then came the Tri Series in Bangladesh involving the hosts, Pakistan and India. Pakistan after losing the league match did manage to win the final against India. Later it was the Asia Cup at home where Pakistan failed to make it to the final with Sri Lanka triumphing over India to take the cup, it was once again a weak side like West Indies which gave solace to Pakistan with a 3 nil white wash in Dubai. Pakistan did not play a single test in 2008. Amid serious security threats in the country Sri Lanka still agreed to visit Pakistan for an ODI and test series in 2009, Lankans beat Pakistan 2-1 in ODIs and after first test in Karachi being drawn, then came the unfortunate attack on the Sri Lanka team which resulted in the match being called off which pretty much marked the end of
International cricket in Pakistan for any foreseeable future. As a result Pakistan played a 5 match home series in Abu Dhabi against Australia, which once again Australia won 3-2. Pakistan did manage to win the T20 though. In April 2009 was Pakistan’s biggest win since Imran Khan lifted the World Cup in 1992.Younis Khan lead his team against all odds made it to the T20 World Cup final in South Africa for the 2nd consecutive time, but this time Pakistan went all the way beating Sri Lanka to take the trophy.
Many believed this will spark a revival of Pakistan cricket but it was not to be as in the summer of 2009 Pakistan toured Sri Lanka, the hosts comprehensively beat Pakistan to nil in the test series where Pakistan on both occasions lost the match from the verge of victory and once they could not even chase down 140 odds in the 4th innings. Later that year it was the Champions trophy, the biggest multination tournament after the ICC World Cup, Pakistan looked altogether a different side, beating West Indies and India on the way to the semi-final, but felt badly at the penultimate stage at the hands of New Zealand.
Pakistan later toured New Zealand for a rescheduled home series, to be played in New Zealand, after winning the first ODI. Pakistan lost the last 2 to lose the series 2-1, and in the test series after losing the first test comprehensively Pakistan did show some metal to win the 2nd test to level the series, but still a test series win eluded the men in green. A bigger test was to follow; as Pakistan crossed the Kiwi border to head down under, for a 3 test and 5 ODI series; which can only be termed as the worst nightmare for Pakistan cricket.
As Pakistan were blown away in the first test by the World Champions they did have the Aussies on the ropes in the 2nd, and had to chase down only 176 in Sydney to level the series. Moreover the fragile Pakistan batting crumbled under pressure handing the series to Australia, and the hosts also clinched the 3rd test with ease handing Pakistan an embarrassing 4th straight whitewash against Australia. The T20 Champions were banking on the ODIs to make a comeback, but it just did not happen, as a depleted Pakistan side plagued with infighting could not register a single win in the 5 match series, followed by a loss in the one off T20 International. Which completed the worst ever tour by any team. As they did not manage a single win in any format of the game, it summed up the last few years for the Pakistan team, and the massacre in Australia was the final nail in the coffin for Pakistan cricket.
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