OPINION
Follow UsIt has been over two years since the first covid-19 case was detected and humanity’s success strategy against the dreaded virus is a work in progress. The Omnicron variant is the new hurdle lurking around the corner which could only add to the logistical dent covid-19 had on sports.
For Pakistan Cricket Board, it’s a two-pronged stab to their aims of restoring their nation's image as a great international cricket host. New Zealand and England had security reasons for their withdrawal in August, but West Indies were willing to fulfil their obligations for a tour. But covid wouldn’t let them finish it.
When the action kicked off, the Windies lost 3-0 but things were far less than an expected landslide. Despite the number of cases mounting up within their contingent and having a heavily depleted side against the most successful T20I side this year, the Windies showed fight against all odds.
They lost the services of Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell and Kyle Mayers even before the series kicked off while Akeal Hosein along with two other staff members tested positive. Even with the likes of Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard and Lendl Simmons, the visitors were never guaranteed an automatic swoop against a highly-driven Pakistan team who stand at 20 T20I wins in 2021 - the highest for any side in a calendar year.
The team was unable to gel properly amid the circumstances, but some individual performances can be discounted from their collective failure.
Brandon King is at the top of that pile, as he showed that counter attacking strokeplay pays dividends on batting-friendly sub-continent pitches. The opener had played only twice in the conditions prior to the Pakistan series, where his high scores were 31 and 46. He was out in the second over for a single run in the first T20I, which flattened their middle order. However, he was quick to adjust his trigger movements to the pitch conditions and went on to score two blistering fifties which provided the early impetus West Indies were craving for.
Old habits die hard and visiting captain Nicholas Pooran took a couple of games to learn that with his batting. The left-hander possesses a perpetual ease while hitting in the arc but could lose his cool while trying to make things happen.
In the first two games in the series, he was foxed by Mohammad Wasim and Mohammad Nawaz to fuller length deliveries which got him off balance. Pooran rectified this in the third game as he showed caution against Nawaz, Shahnawaz Dahani and Shadab Khan who got the ball to move away from him and hit Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Hasnain and Wasim for six sixes and two boundaries in his 37-ball 64. As a captain, there is a lot of learning to do for Pooran as he did not have enough fire power in the bowling unit to trouble confident Pakistan batters.
Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd, and Darren Bravo had flashes of brilliance but the disjointed team effort prevented them from turning games around.
For Pakistan, this was the series to put on a show for their fans after the New Zealand and England series fell through. There was limited attendance at the Karachi National Stadium and the crowds got their ticket’s worth with the home team flexing their might.
There was barely any doubt over Mohammad Rizwan’s form and abilities as one of the finest opening batters in the game. The keeper-batter only added to his stupendous year with scores of 78, 38 and 87 as he became the first batter to score more than 2000 T20 runs in a calendar year. His 45-ball 87 in the final game chasing 208 was a masterclass on how to bat in the sub continent.
Babar Azam wasn’t at his best in the first two games but got his groove back in the final game with a classy 79 off 53 balls.
Haider Ali, who unfortunately did not get a game in the T20 World Cup, is proving to be an unstoppable force in the shortest format. The 21-year old can clear the ropes with relative ease and his 39-ball 68 in the first T20I was a good example of it. More importantly, Haider’s presence in the upper middle-order will provide Pakistan with a safety net whenever their in-form openers do not fire while keeping the scoreboard galloping.
Pakistan’s bowling departments collective effort was shouldered by a superb Mohammad Wasim Jr who bamboozled the batters with his scorching yorkers and well-directed short balls. The 20-year old has the unique ability to keep his release points very similar while producing unplayable deliveries just with a slight adjustment to his wrist position. Pooran, Shepherd, Devon Thomas and Oshane Thomas were left in the dust as Wasim triggered a collapse tilted the first match in Pakistan’s favour.
The third match was the only time when the home team’s bowling unit was truly tested as they conceded over 200, but the batters more than made up for it. Even though Windies were majorly disadvantaged, Pakistan’s win percentage 76.9% is sensational by all means. They will next have Australia series to host in March and Babar Azam’s men are looking good enough to continue their dominance into the new year. For West Indies, there are still a lot of combinations to figure out once the regulars are back, after a lacklustre post-World Cup era.
