ALL BASES COVERED
It was a year of promise for Pakistan in various sports; one that has left sports aficionados in anticipation of a fruitful 2012.
MIXED BAG FOR PAKISTAN HOCKEY
Pakistan hockey team ended 2010 on a high at Guangzhou. The Asian gold medal – the first gold that the hockey team had conjured up on the global stage since 1994 – was a luminous bolt of the blue after the lows of Beijing and New Delhi. And hence 2011 was being touted as the year when Pakistan hockey team would finally turn the protracted corner.
At the Azlan Shah Cup in May Pakistan peddled a breathtaking brand of hockey and even the two teams that got the better of the green shirts – Great Britain and Australia – were stretched to their limits. The performance against Australia in the final was truly momentous and our side stretched their universally extolled rivals to their last joule of energy. After an impressive showing in Malaysia, the hockey side embarked upon a European tour which was flaunted as the warm up to bigger challenges that were to follow, and while the results were a mixed bag, the primary task of conditioning the squad for bigger challenges was served.
At the Asian Champions Trophy, that followed the European tour, Pakistan were undone at the final hurdle against India, who managed to capitalise on their supremacy in midfield to further ameliorate their recent record over us and in turn extended our run of middle-of-the-road performance at the global stage. Then Pakistan had a couple of expeditions Down Under; first up was the innovatory tournament called the Super 9s, where Pakistani youngsters paraded some sublime skills and played their full part in entertaining the hockey fans. After the Super 9s, the next task was the tri-nation series that featured Pakistan, Australia and India. The group stages were marred by an Indo-Pak brawl where Indian players instigated a needless fight that led culprit Indian players and their manager being justifiably suspended. After reaching the final, Pakistan pulled off a masterstroke and overcame Australia 4-3 in a pulsating final, recording their first win over the Kookaburas since 2004. Not only was the win unexpected, since Australia were playing in front of their home crowd it also showcased the lionhearted spirit of our boys. The win was heralded as the jumping board for the national sport.
The remodeled Champions Trophy at the tail end of the year was the final major hockey event before next year’s London Olympics. Pakistan were in the same pool as Australia, Spain and Great Britain and we failed to make our mark in the games against these European sides. Losing 2-1 to Great Britain in a closely fought encounter, we then went on to lose heavily against Spain and Australia, which meant that we filtered into the lower tier in the next pool. Another hammering against Germany was a big blow as we finished 7th – definitely not the position we were vying for. There was a stark contrast in the fitness and speed between Pakistan and the rest of the sides. The forward line was pedestrian throughout the tournament, and they flaunted an inability to keep hold of the ball. The Champions Trophy was another unfortunate throw back to the demons of malfunction in global events for the hockey side.
China’s tour in December has ended the year on a high for Pakistan hockey, in that it has proclaimed the return of International hockey to Pakistan after six long years. The on field showing was a ragbag throughout the year, and with the London Olympics merely months away, the current crop needs to get their act together and display some mettle and desire. The gauntlet has been thrown to the men in green, for a prosperous 2012.
MISBAH BRINGS STABILITY
Misbah took over the reigns of out Test side following the controversy marred tour of England after the summer of 2010. He then brought a sense of steadiness to the side, and since August 2010 Pakistan is yet to lose a test series. Pakistan faced West Indies, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh this year in the test arena; and while barring Sri Lanka none of the other trio exactly qualifies as a cricketing powerhouse, the clinical way in which we dispatched their challenges was noteworthy. The biggest catch was indubitably Sri Lanka, who were convincingly beaten in the three match series – even if the final scoreline of 1-0 showcased a narrow margin. However, frittering away the chance of beating West Indies for the very first time in their own backyard was a blemish in what was an uncharacteristically unwavering year for us.
We had a relatively lucrative year in the limited-overs format as well. Prior to the World Cup, when Pakistan were in New Zealand, PCB – led by the “astute” Ejaz Butt – bizarrely announced the squad for the tournament without announcing the captain. The justification behind this brain detonation act was that the body was taking its time in choosing between the then captain Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq. As things panned out, these two went on to make the headlines for an assortment of reasons throughout the year.
Reaching the semifinals of the World Cup was a highlight; even though things could have been better had we curbed our profligacy in Mohali. After a successful West Indies tour the Butt-Afridi soap opera became a tedious affair, with the former throwing his toys out of the pram and the latter redefining retirement antics. Wins over Ireland and Zimbabwe followed; but again it was the 4-1 thumping of Sri Lanka that announced Pakistan’s return to the big stage. Following the series our spinning trio of Ajmal, Hafeez and Afridi – arguably the best in the business – climbed up the ODI rankings as well; with the former two at numbers one and two respectively. And to round off a prosperous year we also managed to improve on our recent slump in T-20 cricket at the end of the year.
While spot fixing scandal and changes at the helm of PCB had their ramifications as well, the year stood out for an influx of stability – a term one has never associated with Pakistan cricket. Misbah deserves most of the credit for that.
AISAM’S RESURGENCE
Whilst the year 2010 brought the Indo-Pak Express to the fore, 2011 brought some previously elusive accolades, before the pair disbanded at the end citing London Olympics as the reason. The Aisam-Bopanna partnership had a promising year and managed to cement their place among the Who’s Who of tennis teams by qualifying for the year ending ATP World Tour Finals. The Indo-Pak Express also vanquished its first ATP Masters 1000 title in Paris, as Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi continues to reassert himself as a preeminent doubles player in world tennis, winning approbation from the pundits and his peers alike.
On the Grand Slam front, the year wasn’t quite as fruitful for the team. The semifinal berth in the U.S Open was their best run of the year, following which there was a dip in form which led to a continuum of first round exits. After the culmination of the season, Aisam and Bopanna parted ways, with the latter ostensibly pursuing Olympics glory. Aisam would now be partnered by Jean-Julien Rojer – a top 20 player – and great things are expected from them with the Australian Open on the horizon. With our national hero tying his knot with his better half recently, the next few months are going to be pivotal for Aisam as he copes with changes, both on and off the court.
AQEEL CONTINUES HIS DOMINATION
The Khan brothers; Aqeel, Jaleel and Yasir continued their domination of the local circuit, as the trio continues to hog the top three rankings in the sport. Samir Iftikhar’s participations in the tournaments was sporadic. However, Abid Mushtaq managed to climb up the national pecking order this year. And with Abid Ali Akbar making a name for himself in University of Idaho in the US tennis circuit, Abid Mushtaq looks like being the strongest contender from the current crop featuring the likes of Waqas Malak, Faizan Khurram and Heera Ashiq et al to disturb the status quo at the summit of local tennis. In fact, last month Abid Mushtaq managed to beat Yasir Khan in a three set thriller at Karachi and might have the big two in his sights soon. The highlight of the year was possibly the men’s final in Model Town club Lahore between Aqeel Khan and Jaleel Khan, which went to a third set tie-break. This writer had the fortune of being the chair umpire for the match.
SABA AZIZ RISES TO THE TOP
Saba Aziz ended the year as the new ladies number one in Pakistan, courtesy three triumphs in national tournaments. Saba was at her ruthless best throughout the year, and literally swept the tournament held at Karachi recently. Ushna Sohail meanwhile has been touring abroad mostly and Sarah Mehboob has gone to University of New Mexico to pursue further studies.
KABADDI’s doping shame
The Kabaddi World Cup this year was engulfed by doping. Pakistan nevertheless managed to leave an imprint on the matters in India by reaching the semifinals; and by doing so fairly. Paksitan were toppled by the two North American sides, America – in the first pool game – and then Canada – in the semifinals; thus ensuring that our side didn’t manage to realise their dream of going one step better than last world cup, by actually winning the whole thing. India went on to win the Kabaddi world cup again, but after the performance put on display by our side, we can safely say that we’re on the coattails of the mightiest side in the realm of kabaddi.
PAK FOOTBALL MOVING FORWARD
After hosting a tie against Palestine in March, Pakistan played practice matches in Thailand and Malaysia home and away as well. We gave all these teams a run for their money, and in fact managed to hold Malaysia – a prestigious name in Asian football – for a draw as well. We were lucky not to beat Malaysia at Lahore, after controlling most matters on the pitch barring the goal count as the match ended in a 0-0 draw. Pakistan’s Under-16 team provided the highlight of the year for football by winning the SAFF Championship in Bangladesh. The senior side also did well in the SAFF Championship in India, by returning home unbeaten from their pool. Pakistan football is on a steady ascent, and we wish the sport – which is gaining popularity in the country – and the team all the very best for 2012.
