Written by: Muhammad Suhayb
Posted on: August 02, 2023 | 
| 中文
Pakistan's emerging batter Saud Shakil plays a sweep shot against Sri Lanka in the first Test, July 2023
The recently concluded Test series with Sri Lanka saw the emergence of Saud Shakeel as a ‘reliable’ batter, who has the guts to stand up to a challenge. When the 27-year-old batter added 94 valuable runs for the second-last wicket with Naseem Shah in the Galle test, he drew comparisons with the likes of Asif Iqbal and Inzamam-ul-Haq, who had a habit of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
Naseem and Saud made 94-run stand against Sri Lanka in the first Test, July 2023
In days, when drawing an ‘away’ test was as good as a win, Pakistan was lucky to see the rise of Asif Iqbal. Wisden described him as ‘a loose-limbed, athletic, of medium height and a player with a permanent air of restless energy’. From the mid-sixties to the year 1980, the Deccan born Asif was the ‘Man of Crisis’.
On his maiden tour to England, he helped his captain Hanif Muhammad (187*) add 130 runs for the eighth wicket at Lords. He contributed 76 of those runs. Asif was involved in another partnership with Intikhab Alam in the final test of the same series, where he turned a disgraceful innings thrashing into an honorable defeat. Intikhab Alam walked in at 65/8, when Pakistan needed to score 226 runs to avoid an innings defeat. They added 190 runs for the ninth wicket, taking all bowlers to task. Asif was eventually out for 146, making his first century in Tests.
Asif Iqbal batting
Asif was influential in Pakistan’s remarkable performance in Australia, which included a maiden test win and a surrender by the home side. His innings at Adelaide was special, as he added 87 runs with Iqbal Qasim for the last wicket. Debutant Qasim could only manage four runs, while Asif at 152 not out, anchored the innings. Australia decided not to pursue the target due to Qasim’s lethal bowling, and stopped at 261, 24 runs short of the target.
In its 71-year cricket history, Pakistan has managed to win two tests, by one-wicket margin. Thanks to the ‘sleeping giant’ Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was there on both occasions to avert a defeat. In September 1994, he stood alone to defeat the Aussies and defied the odds. When the last man joined him at the National Stadium, 56 runs were still needed. Never known for his batting skills, Mushtaq Ahmed had only managed to reach double figures in his career once, with the highest being 18. Inzamam played with patience and made sure Pakistan gets home. When the winning runs were scored, he was batting at 58, while Mushtaq registered his highest score of 20. Nine years later in his home-town Multan, Inzamam did it again in the third test against Bangladesh. Dropped for his lackluster performance in the World Cup 2003, he was making a comeback in the team. With no big scores to his credit in the series, he stayed around till the end. Inzamam scored an unbeaten 138, adding 32 runs with Saqlain Mushtaq, 41 with Shabbir Ahmed and 52 with Umar Gul, in order to ensure that Pakistan complete the clean sweep.
Inzamam against Australia, 1994
Inzamam’s last hurrah came in Gqebera (Port Elizabeth) in January 2007, when his unbeaten 92 helped Pakistan achieve its second test win in South Africa. In the second test of the series, Pakistan restricted the hosts to 124 in the first innings and were reeling at 191/9. A less than 100 lead seemed a bit difficult, but Inzi, as he was usually referred to, added valuable 74 runs to the score with last man Muhammad Asif. When Asif was dismissed for seven, Inzi was left stranded 8 runs shy of a century, which could have made him the first man to score hundreds against every opposition in Tests. Pakistan managed to win the test due to Muhammad Asif’s five wickets.
Inzamam plays a pull shot, Port Elizebath, 2007
The first win in South Africa was quite similar as well, when all-rounder Azhar Mehmood played the role of a sheet anchor. Joining Moin Khan at 89/5, in the first innings, he managed to score his third test hundred and was the last man to be dismissed at 259. He witnessed the dismissals of Moin Khan, Mushtaq Ahmed and Waqar Younis, before reaching his individual score of 40. He was left with Shoaib Akhtar to steer the innings and added 80 runs for the eighth wicket, Shoaib’s contribution being 6. Pakistan managed to put up a decent total and Shoaib was ruthless in response, picking five wickets. Saeed Anwar’s 100, and another fifer from Mushtaq Ahmed sealed their maiden win on South African soil.
Azhar Mehmood against South Africa in Durban, 1999
Wasim Akram, the greatest left-arm fast bowler ever produced, was involved in an innings where he shielded his partner, steered the innings, and set up a win for his team. Wasim Akram added 80 runs with the last man, off-spinner Arshad Khan, not only helping his team reach a decent score, but celebrated the match by taking a fifer, including his 400th test wicket. In reply to Sri Lanka’s 273, Pakistan’s ninth wicket fell at 176, and then Wasim took charge. He stayed till the end, being dismissed at 266 for 78. Sri Lanka failed to capitalize on the seven-run lead and were bundled off for 123, thanks to Wasim’s five wickets.
Textbook defense from Wasim Akram
Test cricket is the pinnacle of cricket, which tests players’ technique, temperament and game awareness. Along with their classic shots and impeccable defense, it judges batters’ ability to steer chases with the tail. Pakistan is lucky to have found a couple of young batters in Saud Shakil and Abdullah Shafique, who are not only technically correct, but have the game awareness and temperament to emerge victorious in tough situations.
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