Pak vs Eng - closer to call than you might think

England’s forthcoming tour to Dubai and Abu Dhabi to play Pakistan (first Test beginning on January 17) is somewhat unchartered territory for the English team. England have only ever played two Twenty20 internationals in Dubai and they’ve never played in Abu Dhabi. A couple of players may have some experience with their county teams in pre-season matches out there but other than that playing in the Emirates will be a completely new experience for the England squad. They may well be the number one Test team at the minute but I think this Test series could be closely contested against a somewhat rejuvenated Pakistan team. Their decision to arrive in the Emirates four days prior to their ‘hosts’ suggests that the England set-up thinks so too.

No international team has toured Pakistan since the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus back in 2009; hence the reason they’ve adopted the Emirates as their home base. Since moving their home games over there, Pakistan have not lost a ‘home’ Test match (playing 5, winning 1 & drawing 4). More interestingly, since the 2010 England series (and the removal of the spot fixers) Pakistan have only lost one Test home or away: playing 12, winning 6, drawing 5 and losing a solitary Test away to the West Indies in the summer just gone. A pretty good record. Pakistan have also played 5 Tests in the last 10 weeks. 5 more than England.

Their resurgence seems to be a combination of getting rid of the spot fixers (that includes ‘Teflon’ Akmal behind the stumps) and the individual performances of a side that seems relatively settled under the leadership of 37-year-old skipper Misbah Ul-Haq. Since becoming captain for the South Africa Series in November 2010, batting at No.5, he has averaged an impressive 75.76. Also impressing with the bat in that 12-match period has been the top four of Taufeeq Umar (three centuries), Younis Khan (averaging 78.75), Azhar Ali (51.00) and all-rounder Mohammed Hafeez, who has succeeded in the much-feted double of averaging more than 30 with the bat and less than 30 with the ball. To add to the batting they seem to have an abundance of bowling options similar to England’s. Pace-wise they have the veteran right arm seamers Umar Gul and Aziaz Cheema (who has impressed since debuting this year) and options in two left arm seamers who have recently showed their potential in domestic cricket in England – Junaid Khan (Lancashire) and Wahab Riaz (Kent). Spinners Saeed Ajmal (53 wickets in his last 9 games) and Abdur Rehman (45 wickets in his last 10) have also had an excellent time recently.

Now these stats may be a bit skewed because Pakistan haven’t been playing the best of sides over the last 12 games. Of their opponents only South Africa feature in the top four sides in the world. Pakistan is a relatively inexperienced side. Taking Umar Gul out of the equation, their seam attack only has 15 Test matches between them. However, this is what should make it such a fascinating series. Not that it’s the first time the teams have met since the spot fixing scandal (I’m sure that EVERY newspaper article leading up to the series will mention this).but that England are currently the best team in the world. They are now playing an in-form team in a brand new environment. It should be good.

@tom_benj