Defeats bring in internal controversies especially when they come in a row. The winning streak may produce the same effect if the case is Pakistani cricket team.
Should we ditch Dav Whatmore, or tame the exhilarated Khan, or fifty-fifty? While the debate about the hot seat has been getting more intense with every passing triumph some owls are pondering what to do with the ‘ultimate block’ for the rest of the tour. The all patient Azhar Ali did not only create problems for the English bowling attack with his astute woodwork but also left the cricket pundits in a fix who did not think of him even as a contender for the short versions of the game before the legend killer series.
It would be pertinent to mention here that the youngster who has already played 39 test innings only appeared once in the ODIs.
But did selectors have a choice after he crafted 251 marathon runs on pitches where only two of the batsmen, including himself, could score a ton but to keep him in the one-day menu? In reality they exercised the little choice they had. 727 balls he faced in the series with absolute temperament, more than what the opponent lot could survive collectively in any of their six innings, were more than enough to keep him out of the twenty-twenty squad!
However, this is hardly a controversy.
Actually, it would be the Pakistan batting lineup and the order which could pose a big challenge in the coming days, for both the captain and the coach. Don’t forget the fresh inclusions of Umer Akmal, Imran Farhat, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, and Hammad Azam in the one-day squad with Younis Khan, Misbahul Haq, Muhammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, and Adnan Akmal already in Dubai. Potentially, Pakistan can even place an all-batters eleven in the field!
There is a way out only if the captain can assert himself against the odds of the cricket board.
Let the aggressive Muhammad Hafeeez open the innings with the straight batted Azhar Ali, instead of the tested Imran Farhat. After all, the young son of a pitch is a natural opener. No, this statement is not derisive of Taufeeq Umer’s half failure; Azhar indeed opens the innings in the domestic circuit while representing his department. So scratching the fresh surface would be not be something new for him.
The move will surely surprise the perplexed England captain who must be bending his back to find some lost glory out of the limited overs format. Meeting the haunting humiliation occupying the crease right from the start of the innings would not be a morale booster for the English bowlers either. On the other hand the change will also make an easy space for another all rounder, say Shahid Afridi, in the team Pakistan without sacrificing the specialist wicket keeper for his hard hitting brother.
With the sound technique at the other end, Hafeez will surely feel more confident while responding to the intimidating pace attack. This may also free up the often fire fighting shoulders of Misbahul Haq in case the top order manages to stretch themselves beyond 25 overs.
No future juncture would be more suitable to experiment the idea especially when English bowlers, spinners as well as pacers, only wondered how to bowl Azhar out.
If successful, the proposed pair has the potential of solving our long prevailing opening woes for many coming years at-least for the one days.
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