Pakistan, The Fastest-falling Titleholders In History
The Age
Thursday January 14, 1993
Ever heard the song `Four Wheels On My Wagon'? A cowboy is passing through Indian territory and the scalp hunters are not far behind. He is relying on his wagon to go full pelt. Alas, life is betraying him and slowly the wheels fall off until he is left balefully intoning: ``No wheels on my wagon, and I'm still rolling along, the Cherokees are after me ..." Javed Miandad will know the feeling, for his team are sliding from defeat to defeat. True, they are fighting the pygmy wars, and Pakistan remains strong in Test cricket, but even so they are plainly in decline.
Pakistan were dreadful in Brisbane, between breakfast and coffee losing their right to be regarded with the respect commonly assigned to champions. Nor were they much cop in Melbourne. Not since Sonny Liston can any titleholder have fallen so quickly.
Two incidents in Brisbane encapsulated their predicament.
Having juggled the batting order in an attempt to land the first blow (which is, after all, half the battle), Pakistan lost an early wicket. Enter Inzamam Ul Haq, puppy fat of body and mind, to play to his sixth ball a shot so rash as to embarrass a blacksmith playing in a twilight park match.
Perhaps Inzamam was reacting to the stoning of his house in Multan, the very house to which he was carried in triumph after the World Cup. Possibly those dazzling World Cup innings harmed Inzamam.
Pakistan continue to rely upon him plundering 70 in 40 balls, but it has not happened since.
Saeed Anwar was the second offender, needlessly hurling overthrows as Desmond Haynes stole a single. To see Wasim Akram's withering glare afterwards was to see a man enraged by perfidy. Nor did a stream of no-balls, wides and swipes help Pakistan's cause.
They were not much better at the MCG, delivering a pot-pourri of half- volleys, slower balls, bumpers and beauties, as the laws of line and length were disdained. Only Akram and a couple of the lesser bowlers concentrated upon accuracy. Waqar Younis and Aaqib Javed bowled as if it were a Test match, trying to blast batsmen out and giving them chances to hook and drive.
In full flight, Waqar is a glorious sight, but he somewhat resembles a rich man's Manoj Prabhakar, a maverick dedicated to straining every muscle in pursuit of blood and wickets. Teammates may regret that economy is not higher on his scale of priorities.
To blame Miandad entirely for this decline is to go too far. Pakistan never were all that good. They were lucky, in some respects, to win the World Cup. Had it not rained in Adelaide, they would not have reached the final four, had Martin Crowe not been injured, had Inzamam not struck twice, the list goes on. Pakistan were outstanding only in the final, and throughout, their batting was vulnerable, especially at the top.
Moreover it was a World Cup of poor standard. Australia, West Indies and India being below their best. But Australia, and, especially, the West Indies have revived since and were ready and eager to lynch the unsuspecting champions as they arrived here.
Pakistan's easy win in Perth might have been a misfortune because it bred complacency. Difficulties, once they arose, were ignored, for surely salvation was just around the corner as it had been during the World Cup. Rather than returning to basics, Pakistan relied ever more upon bursts from their great bowlers, and grew ever more self- indulgent.
Their tactics in Hobart were bizarre, as the massacre of Mushtaq Ahmed began, a good spinner being asked to bowl flat and wide because he had no protection on the leg side. Not even a team of geniuses could afford to give this much away.
Once Pakistan began relying upon a mixture of talent and supposedly smart manoeuvres, rather than returning to basics, they were doomed.
Their fielding, running, and teamwork, apart from among the younger blokes, has deteriorated, and the batting has lost all authority.
Quite simply, Pakistan remain a powerful Test team but are now inept at the biff-and-bash game, only Akram, who may soon be captain, bowling with his head. They have been beaten by two better and more diligent teams, and must go in search of a top batsman and an approach founded in humility.
© 1993 The Age