When Misbah-ul-Haq and his charges step onto the field in what is their last but one encounter, Friday’s Twenty20 match their last of the ongoing rubber, they’d surely fancy their chances of heaping more misery on their hapless opponents. After the series-wrapping victory in the fourth game that must have deflated the Sri Lankans no end, the momentum definitely is with Pakistan. Seemingly down and out, with Sri Lanka cruising after having made three-fourths of the required 200 with two of the best wielders of the willow in business on the crease and batting like a dream, who could have thought of Pakistan making a comeback? But that they did, on the back of Shahid Afridi’s superlative bowling. It was Afridi’s day after a long time, and he wouldn’t have allowed anything and anyone to stand between him and glory – not even the injury that at one point looked crippling. The result was another fascinating all-round performance that decisively changed the sway in favour of Pakistan.
The series having already been won, this is a dead rubber game. But other than maintaining the run that has seen just one reverse on this tour in the second overs-limited game, there is added incentive here for Pakistan. Winning the series 4-1 would help them jump ahead of England in the ODI rankings, and that is the kind of boost they’d be aiming for, particularly because England is the next foe come New Year. Being ahead in rankings thus would be of some psychological advantage. The steadiness, and lately the never say die spirit, that the Pakistanis under Misbah have shown reflects well on the skipper and his man management. In the aftermath of the scandalous happenings of 2010, that culminated in the sentencing of the infamous fixing trio only recently, this is indeed remarkable that the captain has been able to maintain his composure, despite having to make do with some serious depletion in resources.
Calm and fair in his dealings, Misbah was effusive in his praise for Shahid Afridi, in his post-match press conference and later in his various interviews. “We were in impossible situation twice. When batting it looked impossible to get to 200. Afridi got us there, playing sensibly yet at a decent clip. Then bowling, it seemed there was no containing the Sri Lankans, and Afridi delivered again,” said Misbah.
And Afridi too acknowledged the skipper’s influence on the team and on himself. “Misbah is leading the side very well. I came back with the objective of performing well and the manner in which the captain has handled me has indeed helped me settle down. This was very important,” said he. Though the win happened to gloss over it, but the point that Pakistan’s batting collapsed to put itself in dire straits is not lost on the skipper. “We’re analysing it, and I am also keen to get back my own form with the bat”. Such self-analysis and accent on everyone contributing the team’s success is perhaps the reason Pakistan has consistently held its own against almost every opposition that it has come across in recent times.
