Published: Mar 16, 2016, 08:06 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 16, 2016, 11:58 PM (IST)
Shahid Afridi was not only Pakistan’s captain on Wednesday afternoon against Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup 2016 match at Eden Gardens; he was their Midas. All he touched on the hot, sultry Kolkata afternoon went in Pakistan’s favour. He won the toss; Pakistan’s perpetually floundering batsmen stepped up; and Afridi himself came close to creating the Pakistani record for the fastest T20I fifty but missed agonisingly by a whisker, falling for a 19-ball 49. Pakistan’s bowling was efficient, if not special, and Pakistan had a field day to ensure they start on a strong note in the T20 World Cup 2016. It was a perfect day, and all Pakistan need to do now is to try and replicate this performance whenever they take field in this tournament. Live Cricket Scorecard: Pakistan vs Bangladesh,14th T20 Match, Super 10 Group 2, ICC T20 World Cup 2016
Before this game, Pakistan had lost five limited-overs game on the trot to Bangladesh, certainly an embarrassing record. Bangladesh had beaten Afridi’s men comprehensively the last time these two teams met, and looking at their recent run, they were outright favourites. But then, Pakistan are unpredictable, and they showed what they can do. They recorded their highest T20I score, and handed a monumental thrashing to the Bangladeshis. ALSO READ: Pakistan annihilate Bangladesh by 55 runs in T20 World Cup match at Kolkata
The win will settle a lot of nerves in the Pakistani camp, including fans who have been fretting over their dwindling fortunes. However, it will be better for Pakistan to put the day behind them as soon as they can, take the pluses, and most importantly, gear up for greater challenges ahead.
Pakistan will face a wounded India at their backyard. The Pakistani camp has settled down pretty well at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, where they will face India in front of a 66,000-strong crowd. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and others have had a terrific run at Eden Gardens, and Pakistan will have to be aware of their individual records at the venue. ALSO READ – ICC T20 World T20 2016: Where is young batting talent from Pakistan?
The key to success over a sustained period of time lies in being consistent, and Pakistan’s unpredictability proves they are far off from being a side that can travel on the same road. If they are splendid one day, they go spiralling downward the next. Combine this with the unpredictability of T20 cricket, and what you get is a challenge so humongous that you need a stroke of luck to remain at your best.
Pakistan’s win comprised of an all-round show of their captain, but not the entire team. The bowlers, Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Irfan, failed to create any effect whatsoever. Even Mohammad Aamer, who uprooted Soumya Sarkar’s off-stump on a brilliant delivery, gave width and strayed to different lines, and was duly punished.
The Kolkata wicket will support batsmen, and Pakistan will need to score heaps of runs in order to challenge India’s firepower. Their top order has been a worry, and despite an excellent show on Wednesday against Bangladesh, they have a long way to travel to regain respect.
T20 cricket leaves little room for consistency; the demands often force players to take risks that they will not ideally. The challenge, thus, lies in consistency and Pakistan’s focus should be on that.
(Devarchit Varma is senior writer with CricketCountry. He can be followed on Twitter @Devarchit)
