Pakistan in 1997: Light & shadows on our cricket horizon (30 Dec 1997)

30 December 1997

Light & shadows on our cricket horizon

By Samiul Hasan

Pakistan suffered a series of setbacks on the cricket front during the Golden Jubilee Year but the start of 1997 was marked by a rousing victory in the World Series Cup at Melbourne (Australia) and the month of December registered a remarkable whitewash against Pakistan played three Test series' (eight Tests) against Sri Lanka (two away Tests), South Africa (three Tests, home) and the West Indies (three Tests, home). It only won three Tests against the beleaguered West Indies but lost one against South Africa besides drawing two others against South Africa and two against Sri Lanka.

In so far as one-day internationals are concerned, Pakistan played a total of 35 one-dayers, won 15 and lost 19 (one no-result), seven times to world champions Sri Lanka. We lost all the six tournaments - Sharjah Cup, Indian Independence Cup, Asia Cup, Sahara Cup, Pakistan golden jubilee, and Champions Trophy. An extremely discomforting situation, indeed.

The experts attributed this lacklustre performance to the recurring changes in the team. Five cricketers made their Test debuts in the home season with only Azhar Mahmood, undoubtedly the find of the year, playing in all six Tests.

The year had started with a rousing victory in Australia where Pakistan clinched the World Series Cup for the first time in 17 years. But those celebrations were short-lived when opener Aamir Sohail ran into trouble with PCB Chief Executive Majid Khan. Sohail was banned for two months for his verbal confrontation with Majid.

Sohail further compounded his problems when he accused some of his teammates and selectors of taking bribe and their involvement in fixing matches. The ban was extended to two years and it appeared that Sohail headed for a dead-end when government intervened. The PCB had to revise their earlier decision and the two-year ban was suspended but a cash fine of Rs 50,000 was imposed for breach of Code of Conduct.

Wasim Akram on the two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in April announced he had shoulder injury which sidelined him till October. Ramiz Raja replaced him and managed to play a drawn series. But Mohammad Zahid, who was over-bowled in very hot and humid conditions, sustained back injury and is yet to make a comeback after undergoing successful surgery in August. From Sri Lanka, Pakistan travelled to India for the Independence Cup with Ramiz Raja incharge of the team. However, the feature was the return of opener Saeed Anwar who had not played cricket since November because of his mysterious illness that still remains undiagnosed. And Anwar celebrated his return in style when he made a record 194 against India at Chinnai. Pakistan set up a final clash with world champions Sri Lanka but were beaten in straight matches in the best-of-three finals. It was not a bad show as the team was without Aamir Sohail, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram and Mushtaq Ahmad. In India, Mushtaq Mohammad, Pakistan coach, announced his break with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) saying the authorities had failed to fulfil the promises besides citing under-payment.

Haroon Rasheed replaced Mushtaq and took the team to Sri Lanka in August for the Asia Cup where Pakistan again failed to qualify for the final. India won the tournament.

Pakistan cricket authorities persisted with Ramiz Raja who led the team to Canada in September for the second edition of the Sahara Cup. Pakistan were thrashed 4-1 but the saddest part of it was an unfortunate incident when Inzamamul Haq jumped into one of the stands and had a scuffle with a spectator who was allegedly calling him 'fat potato'. A case was registered by the law enforcing agencies which was dropped late in October.

The defeat in Canada led to removal of Raja and appointment of Saeed Anwar as captain for the three matches one-day international series against India.

India, for the first time in nine years, crossed the border on Sept 26 in what appears to be an end of the nine-year deadlock of cricketing relations.

India soundly lost the opener at Hyderabad but levelled the series at Karachi by winning a high scoring violence-marred thriller by three wickets. But it was a one-way traffic for Pakistan at Lahore where Ijaz Ahmad's electrifying 137 destroyed India. This series win was a welcome relief for the administrators and players after a string of defeats in the last six months.

Immediately after India's departure, Pakistan got involved in what was billed as a gruelling three-Test series against South Africa. But the folly of allocating Tests in the upcountry in early winter and preparations of placid tracks completely ruined the first two Tests. So Faisalabad became the venue of the series decider. Much to the satisfaction of Pakistan, Wasim Akram passed fitness test and was included along with over-looked Aamir Sohail and Waqar Younis. But a comedy of errors followed by a pathetic batting display saw Pakistan crashing out for 93 in the second innings to lose the Test by 53 runs and the series 1-0.

With this upsetting and depressing defeat, the Pakistan administrators reappointed Wasim Akram as captain for the quadrangular tournament but he too failed to inspire the team in the opener when Pakistan slumped to defeat against Sri Lanka. Pakistan lifted themselves with an eight-wicket win over the West Indies but were denied entry into the final by South Africa who again humbled them. They went on to win the tournament beating Sri Lanka in the final.

The four-nation tournament, the showpiece event of the golden jubilee season, turned out to be a big disaster except for the impressive closing ceremony where President Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari awarded gold medals to former Test captains and other former stalwarts.

The matches in the four-nation tournament were virtually won on the spin of the coin as except for South Africa, no team won a game while fielding last. It was because of the heavy dew which made the ball and the ground wet, thus difficult for stroke-play and getting boundaries. Had the authorities been well-informed and wise, they could have improved the playing conditions by either the use of two white balls in an innings or using super-sucker which sucks all the water on the field. Pakistan salvaged some of their lost pride by white-washing the West Indies in the three-Test series. It was the Caribbeans first clean sweep since their inaugural series in 1928.

Pakistan won the first Test at Peshawar by an innings and 19 runs inside four days and then wrapped up the second Test at Rawalpindi by an innings and 29 runs on the morning of the fifth day. The home team completely routed the West Indies at Karachi where they won by 10 wickets on the fourth morning.

Aamir Sohail, playing in a full Test series for the first time in nearly 12 months, won the Man-of-the-Series award for his 4, 160 and 160. Inzamamul Haq also notched up his maiden Test century on home soil at Rawalpindi after an unbeaten 92 at Peshawar.

Saqlain Mushtaq captured nine wickets at Karachi after being dropped from the first two Tests. Wasim Akram, emerged as Pakistan's most successful bowler with 14 wickets.

But the series against West Indies too was hampered by a controversy when the tourists refused to avail the accommodation provided to them at Hyderabad and returned to Karachi. West Indies skipper Courtney Walsh said scorpions, cockroaches and lizards were roaming in the congested rooms in which three to four players were booked besides the poor quality of food.

A day after completing the West Indies assignment, the Pakistanis, still basking in glory, were brought down to earth by the same opposition in Sharjah. The West Indies won the Champions Trophy opener and though Pakistan beat India, failed to qualify for the final after losing to England by eight runs. England lifted the Champions Trophy after beating the West Indies in the final.

In the year 1997, Pakistan's cricket was not at all to be proud of. But one sincerely hopes 1998 brings something better fortunes and results for the Pakistan cricket team which will play three Tests against South Africa besides a triangular series also involving Sri Lanka, two Tests against Zimbabwe, a proposed five-Test series against India and three-Test series against Australia

Source:: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)