- Greenshirts’ glorious comeback against England
The two teams which met at Trent Bridge cricket ground in their ICC World Cup match on June 3 were poles apart in performance during 2018-19. England, currently the world’s number one ODI side, won 15 of their last 16 ODIs during this period, and 17 out of 20 ODIs against Pakistan in the last eight years. The Pakistan team, contrarily, was lurching through its longest losing streak in the 50-overs format, 11 defeats in a row. Moreover, in their first outing in World Cup 2019 on May 30, the Greenshirts were handed a humiliating, confidence-shattering mauling by the West Indian battery of speedsters, bowling the short stuff at speeds in excess of 90 mph.
But what a brilliant turnaround the cricketing world witnessed on Monday when ‘David slew Goliath’ and the greenshirts emerged deserving victors by 14 runs after a hard-fought contest in which they outplayed hosts England in batting, bowling, and delightfully, also in fielding. The long losing jinx or curse was expelled, not outwitted by some dark occult strategy, but by playing a hard, focused, determined game of cricket. How morale-lifting, how marvellous these figures appear after the record row of losses: Pakistan 348/8, England 334/9. Pleasure after pain, indeed.
A lot has been written about the unpredictability of Pakistan cricket, sublime one day, ridiculous the next, with some even regarding this randomness as an asset or strength, since rival teams are often left wondering as to ‘which’ Pakistani side would turn up on a particular day! While cricket may be a game of ‘glorious uncertainty’, it must be confessed that the greenshirts have, with their frequent fickle displays, tested the patience, goodwill and even genteel language of their loyal fans to the utmost. Optimistic parallels are being drawn with the 1992 World Cup, which also started on the sour note of Pakistan’s ten-wicket loss to the West Indies, being shot out for their lowest World Cup score (74) by England, and still emerging as world champions. Realistically, many chinks still remain in Pakistan’s cricketing armour: playing for personal glory rather than for the team, glaring lack of aggressive hitters, needless run outs, ‘butterfingers’ fielding, and a usually timorous and defensive, rather than an attacking, playing mindset. But fans, indeed the whole nation, cannot help hoping.
