Year of gloom and doom for Pakistan cricket (30 December 1998)

30 December 1998

Year of gloom and doom for Pakistan cricket

By Samiul Hasan

During the year 1998 Pakistan cricket and its management remained in a state of total disarray mainly due to a prolonged phase of dismal performances in the field as well as poor management decisions off the field.

In all, Pakistan was involved in 10 Tests and 26 one-day internationals during the year out of which it could win only two Tests and 12 one-dayers. Most demoralizing were the defeats it sustained against Australia(1-0) in a home series, first against that country in 39 years, and against Zimbabwe (also 1-0), which proved to be their first overseas series triumph. Both humiliations were heaped at the end of the year.

The bewildered selectors tried every possible combination by resorting to changes in the team for every Test, both against Australia and Zimbabwe. But all these trial and error methods were in vain as neitherthe right combination could be found nor the teams selected were able to play like a composed unit. Ijaz Ahmad, who was dropped from the opening Test of the season against Australia, came back strongly to slam back-to-back centuries. But Salim Malik, who was drafted late into the side for the second Test against Zimbabwe after being dropped earlier on, struggled regularly to find his form. However, by playing at Lahore, he became only the second Pakistani (Javed Miandad was the first) to play in 100 Tests.

Adjustment problems continued to plague the national team as Aamir Sohail failed to establish himself as an effective leader. He found enormous difficulty in commanding the situation and extracting the best out of his team mates mainly because he was leading the cricketers against whom he had levelled betting and match-fixing allegations in early 1997.

Dressing room tensions also cast their shadow on the working of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), but it was the appointment of a one-man judicial commission which overshadowed all the other issues. Headed by Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum, it was appointed by the government on the request of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in September to investigate the charges of corruption in Pakistan cricket. The players considered as idols and role models, faced the allegations of betting and fixing matches. In about 16 weeks, more than 50 witnesses appeared before the Lahore High Court judge and recorded their testimonies, including Australians Mark Taylor and Mark Waugh.

When all appeared set for Justice Qayyum to submit his report to President Rafiq Tarrar in the second week of December, sensational admissions by Mark Waugh and Shane Warne that they accepted money from an Indian bookmaker to provide weather and pitch reports in 1994, gave an intriguing turn to the investigations. But Justice Qayyum was not overawed by the Aussies confessions and Salim Malik's claims that he was innocent.

Before the appointment of the judicial commission, Pakistan had suffered a severe setback when PCB probe committee's report was leaked to domestic and international media. The interim report had suggested that Salim Malik, Wasim Akram and Ijaz Ahmad should not be selected until the betting and match-fixing investigations were completed. Interestingly, the executive council overlooked the recommendations made by the probe committee which included members of the executive council.

Change of guards in the top hierarchy; Khalid Mahmood taking over from Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah Bokhari as PCB chairman, Javed Miandad replacing Haroon Rasheed as coach, Salim Altaf's selection panel making way for Wasim Bari's trio, and last but not the least, three captains leading the team in 11 Tests and 17 one-day internationals. The declining graph of the team which finally touched its lowest ebb in November when cricket babes Zimbabwe drubbed them by seven wickets at Peshawar to eventually clinch the series 1-0.

As a result of all these corroding controversies and their after effects, the Pakistan cricket team was reduced to a pale shadow of the outfit that last year had bounced back from a series defeat against South Africa to white-wash the West Indies.

Pakistan cricket team began the year under wicketkeeper Rashid Latif who skippered the side to Dhaka for Bangladesh's Independence Cup three-nation tournament. In the final, Pakistan failed to match India's huge score andIndia won the tournament under fading lights.

Latif was retained as captain for the following tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe with the memories of the African safari four years ago still fresh in his mind. It was on that tour that Latif had first levelled match-fixing allegations against the then Pakistan captain Salim Malik. It was also during that tour when Australian trio of Mark Waugh, Shane Warne and Tim May accused Salim Malik of offering them bribe in the 1994-95 series in Pakistan.

Latif remained indisposed for the first two Tests against South Africa because of neck injury. But under stand-in captain Aamir Sohail, Pakistan managed a respectable draw at Johannesburg and took a 1-0 lead at Durban. Later on Latif declared himself fit and captained the side at Port-of-Spain where Pakistan was thrashed despite Wasim Akram's arrival.

Pakistan, after playing a one-all draw in South Africa, proceeded to Zimbabwe where they won the two-Test series 1-0. They also clinched the one-day rubber. But on their return trip to South Africa for the triangular series, Pakistan never found their touch and after qualifying for the final with South Africa ahead of Sri Lanka, were comprehensively beaten.

Between April and August, Pakistan cricketers took a holiday except for Wasim Akram who led Lancashire in his testimonial year in the English country championships. He guided the Red Rose team to two titles - NatWest Trophy and Sunday League - while finishing runners-up in the county championships.

Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmad and Saqlain Mushtaq also represented Glamorgan, Somerset and Surrey but only Saqlain could play in the entire season. Waqar and Mushtaq returned before the season could reach half way mark because of injuries.

Pakistan began a fresh 1998-99 season with legendary Javed Miandad as new coach and Aamir Sohail as captain. They were off to a flying start in the Sahara Cup in September when after losing the first match, Pakistan won the next four to win the third edition 4-1. No doubt India missed Sachin Tendulkar who was playing in the Commonwealth Games, Pakistan team were the deserving winners after excelling in all departments of the game.

But the celebrations of Sahara Cup victory were short-lived. What happened after that was nothing but a nightmare.

The home series against Australia never lived up to the reputation of being a closely fought rubber when Australia after winning the first Test at Rawalpindi by an innings never looked back. It was Australia's first victory over Pakistan in Pakistan in 39 years.

The second Test at Peshawar ended in a high scoring draw. But the Test would go down in the annals of history as Mark Taylor's Test since he scored a phenomenal 334 not out in Australia's 599 for five declared. Taylor, who scored 112 on the first day and added another 222 on the second day, preferred to be bracketed with Sir Donald Bradman rather than targeting Brian Lara's record 375.

Pakistan, in the third Test at Karachi, failed to seize the advantage when after dismissing Australia for 280 they themselves crumbled to Glenn McGrath's pace to surrender a 28-run first innings lead despite Sohail's 133. Australia put the Test beyond Pakistan's reach by totalling 390 - thanks to a brilliant 117 by Mark Waugh. In fact, Pakistan were left tottering at 75 for four in the second innings on the fifth day but Ijaz Ahmad (120 not out) and Moin Khan (75) saved Pakistan's blushes by sharing in a 153-run fifth wicket stand.

Defeat in the first Test followed up by successive draws at Peshawar and Karachi gave Australia their first series victory in 39 years which entitled then to make a rightful claim to be honoured with the status of unofficial Test champions.

Pakistan and Australia left together for Dhaka for the International Trophy. The official stay of both the sides was not for more than one day when Australia were whipped by India and the West Indies outclassed Pakistan.

The two sides returned for the second half of the tour comprising three one-day internationals at Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore. The matches exposedthe limitations of leadership team work.

At Karachi, Australia scored 324 to win the match by 86 runs and at Peshawar took an impregnable 2-0 lead by winning by five wickets. At Lahore, Pakistan scored 315 but failed to restrict the tourists who created history while beating Pakistan by five wickets.

Defeat after defeat had apparently taken its toll on skipper Aamir Sohail who started having problems with his players, coach and selectors. He finally lost his composure after defeat by Zimbabwe with five sessions to spare when he blamed the selectors and their team selections.

He withdrew from the Lahore Test in mysterious circumstances to leave a big question mark over his future. Wicketkeeper Moin Khan, who was surprisingly named vice-captain took over for the second and third Tests which were marred by fog. Only two day's play was possible at Lahore while at Faisalabad the Test was abandoned without a ball being delivered.

On the domestic front, Habib Bank retained the Patron's Trophy title when they defeated Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan (ADBP) by an innings margin. Rawalpindi won the honours of the National Juniors Cup title by defeating Karachi.

TAIL PIECE: 1999 will be the most important year for Pakistan cricket. The national team is scheduled to tour India from Jan 21 for their first Test tour of India in 13 years. It would later taken part in the inaugural Asian Test Championship which will be followed up by a triangular series.

In April, Pakistan travel to Sharjah for a four-nation tournament and then faces the biggest challenge in England in May when the seventh World Cup begins from 16th. After the World Cup, Pakistan face the West Indies in a three-Test home series followed up by a tour of Australia.

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