Is Pakistan’s next generation ready for the challenge?

Pakistan were helped by Azhar Ali's resilient batting and Asad Shafiq's astute hundred against England in the fourth Test at The Oval where they are now in the driver's seat gaining an edge over the hosts after Day 2.

There comes a time, when batting lineage from one generation to another generation is passed. Every team has either seen this phase or is under the process of a change of guard in its ranks. India were in distress with their batting, after the retirements of — Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. Neighbours, Sri Lanka are currently in a state of transformation following the departure of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. World’s No.1 ranked Australia (for the time being) have been in constant lookout for a congealed batting order, post the era of Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey. Full Cricket Scorecard, England  vs  Pakistan , 4th Test match

The current Pakistan team, who are on their most publicised tour of England right now, seem to have started the generational shift in a more silent manner. With the likes of Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Mohammad Hafeez on the brink of international superannuation, Pakistan may just be a tad bit lucky to have young and steady headed players already being tested out in the middle. Pakistan had already started grooming the likes of Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed and Shan Masood to be ready for international cricket from a very young age.

Azhar was named Pakistan’s One-Day International (ODI) captain within just 5-years of his international debut, while Sarfraz was touted to be the next batting sensation in Pakistan cricket after Javed Miandad. Asad was made to grind his way through but the team has instilled faith on him. With absolutely no defined structure and lackluster administration at offer, it is becoming more and more difficult to unearth diamond in the rough. ALSO READ: Time for Younis Khan to rise for one final time in England

To what has been Pakistan’s cricket biggest loss, the unavailability of Test cricket at their own backyard in Pakistan, young batsmen have agonised hard to skill their technique to world class standards. Pakistan play all their cricket in United Arab Emirates (UAE), which to them is like a second home, but ask the players, they will anytime prefer a packed Gaddafi stadium in Lahore or a hustling National Stadium in Karachi — 24×7, 365 days a year . Having said that Azhar, Asad and Sarfraz haved played almost all of their career up until now on sub-continental pitches, where their batting was much suited and better equipped.

Australia, England and Sri Lanka came, lost and failed in the UAE as their bowlers proved to be fruitless on dead pitches. Playing the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Steven Finn on seaming, green tops and bouncy pitches is a different ball game altogether. On tracks which has nothing in them Asad, Azhar and Sarfraz blasted their way to glory for Pakistan quite a few times, not taking anything away, but real ‘Test’ of a batsmen is on alien conditions. Azhar, who likes to play with his bat dead straight behind the ball has often struggled against bounce. Azhar averaged just 22.16 against South Africa in South Africa, which frankly exposed his technique quite a lot.

Asad recreated his memorable moment after his inaugural tour of South Africa during the ongoing fourth Test against England at The Oval — where he stuck a near-match saving partnership with Younis. (Asad and Younis both ended up making centuries at Centurion as well.) Apart from these two knocks, Asad has nothing to show from his record away from Asia, which is kind of worrying for Pakistan. As exposed by moving ball at Edgbaston, Asad still lacks the knowledge to mentally gauge the situation. Even when Asad was stuck on 99 in the ongoing fourth Test, Anderson was easily able to  frustrate  him with the outside off-stump line, which nearly produced his wicket.

Coming to Sarfraz, who has all the skills in his kitty to counter foreign conditions, lacks confidence and ability to bat according to the situation. Sarfraz’s footwork and his idea of the game has impressed one and all, but what has been the talking point in his career so far is his temperament and grasp of on-field cricketing nuances.  Masood, who idolises Cook’s batting has a sound and clinically technique as a opener. Masood could very well be Pakistan’s answer to a forever incumbent opening position in Tests. On the England tour, Masood has been guilty of providing England’s slip fielders easy catches, thus getting out playing a flashing drive outside off.

Now lets have a look at Pakistan’s schedule for the 2016-17 cricketing season. Pakistan head to New Zealand first to play a two-Test series, than travel across the ocean to Australia, to play a three-Test series. The likes of Younis, Misbah and Hafeez have lots to offer by imparting their knowledge to these young, exuberant and talented lot of batsmen. Playing ODI and Twenty20 (T20I) might be the beast but excelling in Test is an icing on the cake for any player. Azhar, Asad, Sarfraz and Masood have massive boots to fill, which they might not be completely ready to, but are blessed with craftsmanship and willow yielding astonishment.

With the sad demise of batting legend Hanif Mohammad, and stalwarts like Younis and Misbah nearing the fag end of their career, the ever famed batting legacy of Pakistan is looking in safe hand but they need to be polished more. Afterall, the immature will be challenged, the mature will be challenged but it is only how one stares down on face of these challenges that makes a generation stand-out and commence their era of supremacy.

(Vishal Mehra  is a reporter at CricketCountry, currently tripping on #thenightof and #mrrobotS2, and plays cricket once every noon. His twitter handle is @capturethecatch )

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