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Over the last few years, the Pakistan national cricket team has made headlines for all the wrong seasons. Spot-fixing allegations claimed the careers of Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Amir, respectively, leaving the Green Caps in a rather depressing state. While the bowling wears a somewhat settled look with the emergence of pacers Junaid Khan and the seven-foot tall Mohammad Irfan, it is the batting which has struggled to return the side to its days of glory. This area was very well exploited by all the three sides which defeated Pakistan in the league stages of the Champions Trophy, prompting batting legend Zaheer Abbas to bemoan the lack of quality batters in the side. He’s right about this.
So why does the dearth exist? Why is poor batting swept under the rug by the successes of the bowling attack? I think there are four main reasons for this discrepancy. Let’s take a look at them one by one:
1. No Role Models For New Faces
Abbas hit the nail on the head when he stated that the young players in the current national squad did not have enough role models to look up to in terms of batting. With the retirement of Inzamam-ul-Haq and veteran batsmen Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf out of favour with the PCB, fans would have expected the likes of Nasir Jamshed and Umar Amin to look up to captain Misbah-ul-Haq and all-rounder Shoaib Malik for guidance as they are the most experienced players in the current line-up. Instead, they were left to fend for themselves when the Champions Trophy rolled around the corner. While younger Indian contemporaries such as Virat Kohli had the benefit of guidance and some mentoring from established senior pros such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag etc., Pakistan players such as Fawad Alam and Jamshed haven’t had that many opportunities to interact with the likes of Shahid Afridi, Younus and Yousuf. The transition process from the old guard to the young turks hasn’t been smooth or effective at all.
2. Flawed Selection Policies
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is no stranger to controversial moves and strange selection policies. First, they dropped all-rounders Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq from the CT squad in addition to Younus and Yousuf. But the team’s dismal showing in England has prompted the powers-that-be to re-consider their decision. In addition, talented youngsters like Ahmed Shehzad and Hammad Azam were overlooked in favour of Umar Amin and Asad Shafiq respectively. While Shafiq has done decently in the Champions Trophy and in other matches whenever he’s got a chance, he hasn’t quite converted his starts into substantial scores. The selectors had a great chance to bring back veteran opener Yasir Hameed, as he had been in excellent form at the domestic level and would have been a better choice than Kamran Akmal as opener. Hameed’s game is built on timing and elegance, and he has also shown the ability to graft runs when needed. When you pick a squad, the emphasis has to be on the bigger picture instead of individual departments such as bowling or batting. Sadly, the PCB seems to have forgotten how to do that.
3. No Willingness to Bat till The End
The hallmark of a quality batsman is to bat till the end and either try to accelerate the scoring or provide steady support to the well-set partner by running the ones and twos and rotating the strike. None of the Green Caps – save for Misbah – showed that tenacity. Experienced guys such as Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal are also guilty of this. When you play in a tournament where every league game is crucial, you need to ensure that at least one of your key batsmen stays in till the end. That’s what separates Pakistan from the rest of the teams – that grit is missing.
4. Batting Is A Mental Game
Just like any other aspect of cricket, batting is also a mental game. Not just limited to the kind of shots to be played or choosing an area of the ground to score the maximum amount of runs, a batsman must also be able to negate the psychological impact key opposition bowlers might have on him. It is this psychological aspect which the Pakistan batsmen have completely messed up in the recent past. A powerful mental make-up lets you reflect upon your game, and that is where your quality improves. Rigorous training and long hours at the nets condition the body, but it is the mental approach that drives a batsman’s instincts. Consequently, the quality levels also go up. The Green Caps looked as if they’d already given up the psychological advantage to the opposition.
As long as these areas are rectified, and more imagination included in selection policies, Pakistan’s batting should be able to return to its once-glorious age. Till then, they’re meat and drink for bowlers around the world.
