Even for the most hardened cynics and critics of the greenshirts, this World Cup has so far been an enormous and, for a change, most pleasant surprise. Pakistan breezed into the semis with almost effortless ease, along the way disposing of co-host Sri Lanka and the reigning champions Australia in the league and contemptuously crushing the Caribbean challenge in the first quarterfinal.
Looks of a champion? Certainly.
At least most of its opposition and critics so think, which is a huge turnaround from the utter hopelessness of a few months back when mired in the spot-fixing controversy our image was mud and the performance of our boys understandably sub-par.
Though there have been hiccups (those six overs against New Zealand) and deficiencies (Kamran Akmals keeping the most pronounced amongst them, quality of fielding and catching overall anything but world class, indifferent form of the openers and Shahid Afridi not getting amongst the runs being some), Pakistans strengths too have been many.
That is why they have emerged as such a potent threat.
Being on the road, taking on the opposition in alien conditions throughout, the spot-fixing controversy and the ban on the tainted trio have all combined to make the squad mentally strong and helped in welding them together in a manner that is seldom seen in a Pakistani outfit. The result is that the team management and skipper Shahid Afridi do not have the additional hassle of disharmony to tackle and can count on everyone to give his hundred per cent.
Then the events location being the sub-continent has delivered advantages associated with home (mostly supportive crowds, the Bengalis of Mirpur in the quarterfinal adopting Pakistan as their own and rejoicing at our success, suggesting that this second Bangladeshi generation since the 1971 dismemberment has overcome the harsh bitterness and agony of those last years of the original Pakistani federation, the low-bounce wickets on which our bowling attack has been weaned). And none of the disadvantages, chief among them the pressure of a full-of-anticipation partisan crowd under which many a side has wilted. That no host has ever won the World Cup is a testimony to the cause and effect of such distraction.
Pakistans strength is so obvious: the craft and the versatility of its bowling. A most cursory glance at the charts reveals that. Pakistan is the only team that has two bowlers in the top five, Afridi leading them all with 21 to be the leading contender for the honour of Man of the Tournament, and Umar Gul at fourth with 14.
The bowling prowess and form of Shahid Afridi and the spin quartet (Mohammad Hafeez being such a revelation first-up), and of late Umar Guls imperious fast bowling, are the bedrock on which the foundation of Pakistans success was based. And they did not disappoint in keeping the greenshirts in the reckoning, creating so many opportunities that despite our consistently inept keeper and occasionally indifferent displays in the outfield, we have not been waylaid.
Going into the semifinal, in all its last three matches Pakistan bowled first and blew the opposition out for well under 200 and the last of their two opponents included Australia and the West Indies. Afridi may have taken more wickets than him, but Gul has been the best opening bowler of the event. His contribution in the last two games, one that ensured that Pakistan ended top of the league and the other progress to the last four, was of critical import, for on both occasions he got the danger man: the form-guy Shane Watson and the possibly devastating Chris Gayle, whose scalp so deflated the Calypsos.
Saeed Ajmal, the off-spinner with a most magical doosra benched in favour of the left-arm slow Abdul Rehman, in his comeback in the quarterfinal showed why it was a mistake to prefer economy over strike rate. He did not take many wickets but the most abiding memory of the match was the way he rendered Shivnarine Chanderpaul being a Guyannese, not a bad player of spin clueless.
The spontaneous across the country celebration that the emphatic entry into the semis sparked reflects what it means to the starved-of-joy Pakistanis. The resolve, the intensity and the skill-set have brought Pakistan this far just two matches away from what could be their second triumph in crickets most sought-after global spectacle.
Will they get to the very pinnacle?
They look awesome. But they have been close to glory before, most recently in 1999, only to be denied for being off guard and for missing focus in the bargain exposing lack of mental strength.
At the moment though, they seem to have the right ingredients foremost amongst them the spirit and solidarity.
Who would they be up against at the next hurdle Australia or India? It does not really matter, as each of the two present a different set of challenges and Afridi and his charges would need to still continue to improve to beat them. That said, after the full dozen years if Australia is dethroned by India at Ahmedabad, this would set up a high-octane contest which would not be for the faint of heart.
Who would be the remaining two making the final four? South Africa and Sri Lanka look most likely, owing to their all-round strengths.
At the business end, the World Cup 2011 is not that drab an affair after all.
The writer is Sports and Magazines Editor, Pakistan Today.
