With Pakistan in a perpetual state of disarray, it’s easy to overlook the fact that they can be a brilliant side every now and again. It seems like they have conspired to give away cricket matches on a regular basis over the years, willingly or unwillingly, and do their utmost to waste such a hotbed of talent in their possession by taking their rotation policy well outside the limits of normalcy.
Pakistanis really are fervent supporters of their cricket, but with the sport so closely tied to the state and its politics it’s hard to wedge in a leadership figure who can grab the system by the scruff, shake it up and pat it down so that it’s a functioning member of society again. Honestly, if there was ever a perfect job for Imran Kahn, it has to be the CEO of Pakistan Cricket HQ. But the influence of government ministers who call for the heads of players after a poor match is telling.
Unfortunately, new generations of cricket fans only know Pakistan to be the proverbial hot and cold performer. They never had Immy, 1992, the two W’s, multiple bamboozling spinners, Inzamam as a lithe 22 year old in Auckland, Inzamam as a burly 32 year old with an aversion to the quick single (or the simple 2), the majestic Miandad, the slimy but street-fighting Saleem Malik and The 12th Man at his best in Still The 12th Man with all those impossible Pakistani names. True comedy, but it was enviable. Ye gods they were a frightening prospect in the 80’s and 90’s. Especially with one of their own in the white coat.
All the more impressive then to see them drown the Aussies – in England of all places – the other week. True to form, though, they received an almighty shellacking by the Poms a week later. But this is what we’ve come to expect. Equally so, one of the worst cases of letting a team off the hook happened in Sydney earlier this summer. A first innings lead of 200 and they couldn’t seal the deal was almost as shameful as the endless line of dropped catches from their listless keeper Kamran Akmal. But it was on this tour that the emergence of a great new ball pairing was seen.
Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer (Amir) are probably the most exciting opening bowlers in the world today. Asif, the right arm seamer who ambles up to the wicket and effortlessly floats the ball down is a BYC simulator’s dream. Beyond having a smooth and easy action to replicate, he is one of the finer proponents of swing bowling in the world. Some say James Anderson holds the mantle however Asif’s record (20 tests, 100 wickets @ 23, strike rate of 46) is better than world class. (For the record, Anderson’s 49 tests have reaped 176 wickets @ 32.5, strike rate of 58).
Such an effortless operator is nice to see. We live in a very moorish cricket society: there must be more runs; quicker runs; faster bowlers; more sixes; more boundaries. Everything must be bigger, faster or better, so it’s nice to see a successful artisan like Asif from the 80’s school of swing bowling. At 27 he still has a few good years in him and with his stress-free action and penchant for moving the ball, he could own the third seamer’s role well into his 30’s.
Mohammad Aamer reminds a lot of people of a young Wasim Akram. It’s probably fair since they are both lefties, however Aamer’s boy-band charms should never be held against Akram’s suave, nasal allure. There’s no contest. Likewise, there’s no contest when comparing their records after 11 tests, since Wasim was a far more efficient bowler (average of 25 compared to Aamer’s 34) at that stage of his career. Yet after 11 tests, the young southpaw from the Punjab region – in fact they’re both Punjabi lefties, so the younger of the two – has 36 wickets to Wasim’s 35. And this is a valid statistic when singing Aamer’s praises. He must be the unluckiest bowler in the world; the rate he beats the bat, then comes back and keeps beating the bat over and over without reward…his ability to sustain this pressure belies his mere 18 years.
At such a young age he is an impressive cricketer. One of the only bowlers who wears a headband, he’s also one of the best celebrators on the circuit – his arms-wide or running airplane is great, while he has a variety of fist pumps in his kit bag – legs wide, leaning back, or one knee down on the pitch – as well as being a good team celebrator and a good exponent of the high five. He also likes a bit of verbal with the batsman and has the highest score by a number 10 in an ODI: 73* against NZ.
His average will surely fall in the coming seasons, especially with three more tests in England this summer. Hopefully his batsmen will provide him something to defend, because his mixture of pace (regular attendant of the 140kph club), swing and accuracy should be a frightening prospect.
Especially with his mate at the other end.
