The Pakistan Cricket Board selection committee has announced the squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka in the UAE. Although it is a home series but would be played away from home due to the security concerns in Pakistan. First there will be three Test matches which will be played at Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. The ODI series will follow the Test series with first three ODIs to be played in Dubai, while the fourth and fifth one will be played at Sharjah and Abu Dhabi respectively. And finally the one off T20 will also be played at Abu Dhabi. This will be the first since 2003 when international cricket involving two Test playing nations will be held at Sharjah. This series will be an important one for Pakistan keeping in view that Sri Lanka are a formidable unit and won’t be an easy opposition. Plus the greenshirts will also take on world’s number one Test team England at the same venue in January next year and there is also a possibility of a full series against India in India in March and April next year.
Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan in both the Test and ODI series last time round when these two teams came face to face in 2009. However things have changed this time round. The Sri Lankans will be without the two best bowlers in their history i.e. Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas.
The retirement of the two champion bowlers have left a big void in the Sri Lankan bowling line which the islanders are finding difficult to fill. The Sri Lankans are more or less in the same sticky situation in which Australia was when Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath hung their boots in 2007. Plus with Lasith Malinga not playing Test cricket, life has become difficult for Sri Lankans as far as the bowling department is concerned. Chanaka Welegedara, Dhammika Prasad, Suranga Lakmal and Shaminda Eranga are four pacers selected for this tour by Sri Lanka and the four don’t have much experience within them with a combined Test wicket tally of 63 wickets. Rangana Herath and Suraj Randiv are the two main spinners in the side and both of them will be expected to play together as the pitches are expected to be slow in the UAE.
In the batting department Sri Lankans have depth with Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara acting as the two pivots around which the Sri Lankan batting will revolve. Both are proven performers and have had good time against Pakistan in the past. So Pakistan will have to plan well to force them on the back foot. Tillakaratne Dilshan is having an indifferent time with the bat of late which can be helpful. Also if Dilshan does not get space to free his arms, he can be tied down.
One name that adds immense value and balance to the Sri Lankan side is Angelo Mathews. The all rounder is pretty nifty with both bat and ball and always is a player to watch out for.
Coming to the Pakistan team they have been doing well in the last year or so with victories against New Zealand, West Indies and Zimbabwe plus good shows against South Africa and in the World Cup. The conditions in the UAE will definitely help Pakistan.
Late last year in the UAE Pakistan gave South Africa a run for their money before losing out a close ODI series which could have gone either way. It’s good to see Misbah-ul-Haq settling down well as a captain. In this series Misbah will have to lead from the front as Pakistan needs a stabilising factor like him to guide them through.
The squad announced by selectors for this Test series is a balanced one. The only big name to miss out is Umar Akmal who hasn’t been picked for the Test series. Junior Akmal is pocket dynamo but was off colour for quite some time now and should take this break positively.
Umar’s non inclusion will provide others to establish themselves in the middle order where there is a certain lack of depth apart from Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq. Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali have started off well in international cricket and will have to prove themselves now in this tough series. Shoaib Malik has also been recalled to the side after playing his last Test in the summer of 2010 in England. Mohammad Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar have done well as openers for a while now and now they should try to up their game and convert their good starts into higher scores.
Umar Gul is back after resting in the Zimbabwe series and will be leading the bowling attack once again but one feels that he needs to develop and take his game to another level in Test cricket. Gul certainly has the ability to become a world class bowler but somehow or the other he hasn’t been able to graduate to the next league which is disappointing bearing in mind the talent that he has.
The conditions in the UAE will be not be much favourable for him but its high time he delivers big in Test cricket. Wahab Riaz has also come back after being rested for the Zimbabwean tour as is the left arm spinner Abdur Rehman. The southpaw is expected to partner Saeed Ajmal as the second spinner as Pakistan will look to go in with two spinners. Junaid Khan and Aizaz Cheema are the two other pacers in the side.
Overall the team selected looks to be a balanced one and people will always debate on one or two selections. Pakistan should aim and go all out in this series as they certainly have the ability to make it big and it’s just that they have to plan well and then execute those plans to the fullest with application, determination and hard work.
Sri Lanka are a capable team and can cause problems for anyone on their day. Pakistan team will have to take them seriously and avoid complacency at all times. All three formats shouldn’t be a problem for Pakistan given the balanced squad and the potential they have. It’s an ideal opportunity for Misbah and his men to prepare themselves for their next tough assignments.
Pakistan definitely have got the right resources at their disposal lets see if they are able to make full use of these resources and do the job required of them.
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