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The uncertainty that surrounds Pakistan means that they can turn the game at any point of time. They have the
aura that a World Cup winning side should have, says Vaibhav Sharma THE person who said cricket is a game of uncertainties was probably watching Pakistan play. Since the time they started playing the gentleman’s game, the immensely talented subcontinent giants have built and reinforced their reputation for turning a game on its head, and it doesn’t always turn in their favour. But writing them off is a risk no cricket pundit will ever take. They have that X Factor, which always ends up surprising people. Going by their run-up to the World Cup, this time around it should be no different. While all other major teams have been busy playing out the best 11 men from their 15, over the past six-eight months, Pakistan have been struggling to find players, who are either not banned, reprimanded or unfit. The spot-fixing scandal took away one of their best batsmen in Salman Butt, and along side him, one of the most lethal swing bowlers in world cricket, Mohammed Asif. For young Mohammed Aamir, this could have been the chance to turn up with the goods on the ultimate stage, but he, too, had literally "crossed the line." Among the others out of the squad are one-time middle-order lynchpin Mohammed Yousuf and India’s not-so-favourite son-in-law Shoaib Malik. For the former, this should pretty much be curtains to what has been an illustrious career. As for Malik, he got one match made last year, but the one on the field seems a little out of reach right now. But all is not lost, and despite the absence of so many big names, the ever-talented Pakistanis have some impressive players on the final15 list. One of the best players of spin and pace bowling from the subcontinent, Younis Khan, finds a place, as do the gritty Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid "Boom Boom" Afridi. The quintessential allrounder comes in the form of Abdul Razzaq, and there is also the exciting new opening prospect in the form of Ahmed Shahzad. The Akmal brothers are no mugs with the bat either, and despite Umar having a slightly indifferent past six months, his credentials are still in place. For elder brother and wicketkeeper Kamran, the going has been tougher as his butterfingers have been exposed once too often over the past couple of years. But the diminutive Lahore lad can pack a punch at the top of the batting line-up. The bowling department is where Pakistan look a little jaded and are running a little thin, too, something they are not too used to. Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanveer and Saeed Ajmal are among the established names. Although they sound like a potent force, there are some areas of real concern within. Shoaib was, and the key word is WAS, a real big threat with the new ball. He might still touch the 150 kmph mark, but his fitness, accuracy and consistency are real doubts. He can put in a spell of two overs where the batsmen will have to duck, leave or take other evasive actions, but the constant threat of the Rawalpindi Express steaming in for four to five overs looks unlikely. Gul has been a loyal servant to Pakistan cricket and his nagging line and length can cause many problems to the best of players. But the world knows that bowlers hunt in pairs, and he might not be able to get the kind of menacing support bowling, he would require from the other end. Tanveer was a revelation when he started out his career, but the years and some indifferent patches of form are taking a toll on his bowling. The awkward action did confuse many players, but he, too, has not been peaking or showing signs of doing so. Ajmal is a more than handy off-spinner who tosses up the ball invitingly and often gets vital breakthroughs. For a change, and not a good one from Pakistan’s point of view, he looks like the best bet in the current bowling line-up. Of course, Afridi’s leg-spin can always be relied upon for the filling-in job. But as mentioned earlier, the uncertainty that surrounds Pakistan’s game means that it can turn around in a matter of few days. They have the aura that a World Cup winning side should have, even if they don’t have the experience. They have almost never walked into any World Cup as hot favourites, but they did go the distance in 1992. It was not because Wasim Akram was on fire, or Inzamam was in the form of his life. They were young and inexperienced, just like so many of the players now. But they believed that they could play as a team. They had an outstanding captain in Imran Khan, who was not so much about strategising, but about grit. In fact, before the moment of reckoning, in the final against England, Wasim, who was the star with the ball in that match, had taken a lot of stick all through the tournament. But he delivered when it mattered, as had Inzamam against New Zealand. While the events of the past year have taken a toll on players, it is for the unit to rise as a team and show character. Simply put, if this team believes, with all its heart, that it can go the distance, then so should you. If they don’t, you should still believe, for, in the words of Canadian author Kevin Patterson, "The whole world loves a maverick and the whole world wants the maverick to achieve something nobler than simple rebellion."
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