Pakistan vs Australia - the drought of runs and the sand dunes which follow - Part 2 - Opinion
Continued from Part 1...
In light of this, the rescue job has lied with two very important players in their largely fallible batting line up. One of them is http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Umar-Akmal-c94595, who is Pakistan’s most accomplished young batsman. He has been at the receiving end of Pakistan's defeats despite
his match winning contributions. The weight of expectations which lie on Akmal’s shoulders has been immense, and he has been the regular ‘go-to’ man for Pakistan whenever Misbah ul Haq’s presence dries up runs. His array of strokes which range from astonishing
cover drives, gigantic sixes, back foot punches, caressing the ball through the gaps and neat deflections, have made him Pakistan’s most established batsman, and he seldom disappoints.
The stand out batsman who continues to impress on a consistent basis however, is http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Asad-Shafiq-c46208. His compact technique and penchant for doggedness stands in stark contrast to his contemporaries who tend to resort to extravagant strokes needlessly. Shafiq however,
is from the classical school of thought and believes in resurrecting the innings through prudence, calculation and tactical stroke play. His magnificent innings against Australia in the first one dayer was reminiscent of his match winning performance in the
Group Stages of the 2011 Cricket World Cup against the very same opposition. Set a target of 177 runs to win, Pakistan underwent a familiar batting collapse that left the team reeling at 98 for 4 at one stage. Shafiq’s calm approach and classy stroke play
however, ensured that the odds of losing were defied, and with 46 off 81 deliveries, he ensured that Pakistan secured a memorable victory over their opposition. That innings stood in stark contrast to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-c89347 Afridi’s wild heave to the leg side which plunged
Pakistan into further trouble in that match. For Shafiq however, he prefers brain to brawl.
Yet, beyond http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohammad-Hafeez-c76898 tend to blow hot and cold, yet Hafeez is still indispensable, because of his bowling
exploits. The same is the case with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nasir-Jamshed-c78752 on the other hand, is a fine batsman who timed the ball magnificently against the Aussies,
yet with wickets tumbling at the other end, there is not much that a young batsman of his stature could do to resurrect the innings. This fact, in itself is a damning indictment for a team which oozes with talent.
For a side like Pakistan, a score of even 230 or 240 is defendable given the potency of their bowling attack. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Saeed-Ajmal-c87859, is the best spinner in the world by a distance, and Australia have had to bear the scars of a faltering campaign by looking to tackle
him whenever they came across Pakistan. Ajmal ripped through http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 in the first ODI and gave Pakistan a realistic chance of winning a game from what looked like a precarious situation. Yet the fact that the batsmen disappointed once again, meant that Pakistan
had to settle for a four-wicket defeat at the hands of a side that could easily have been pushed over the line. Had the batting not capitulated, the script could have been very different.
It is thus, not surprising that Pakistan is currently ranked 6th in the world. Unless and until the batting woes are not addressed, Pakistan will not be able to win a lot of games. Cricket has never been a game of bowling the opposition out of
the game and it is about time that Pakistan realizes this fact and addresses it.
Disclaimer: Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the author and do not represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy
Tags: