Pakistan are in limbo - this has to be their year then, right?

Picture a scenario where nothing is going right for you, irrespective of what kind of endeavor you are striving to achieve. Your professional work has suffered and has scaled depths that once seemed unimaginable and barring an extraordinarily divine intervention, it seems primed to tread a similar path for the foreseeable future.

People who you thought were friends have stopped talking to you and have deserted you when in need, despite you having gone out of your way to support them previously. In fact, they’ve been so inconsiderate that they’ve incessantly put off meetings that could lead to a resolution of past problems.

To add to that, you have, mostly out of frustration and partly out of helplessness, begun picking fights with anyone and everyone willing to disagree with your notions.

The event you conduct, which enables you to puff out your chest with pride has also gone slightly awry and hasn’t been enough to convince your friends to attempt reconciliation.

The work that you’ve specialized in over the years, has suddenly come under the scanner because relative greenhorns have seemingly overtaken you. Your usual source of inspiration – your mentors, have also decided to step away from your spotlight, quipping that they are much more comfortable in their own bubble.

And, you are now having to go back to an option you thought you had left behind because, well, there are simply no other alternatives available.

Sounds quite disheartening, right?

Unfortunately, these are the exact circumstances that have gripped Pakistan cricket over the past few months – months that haven’t been short of drama and positives but have largely been overridden by the ebbs that have accompanied it.

Back in July, when Pakistan toured the United Kingdom, they looked set to upset the established English order. Not just because the Three Lions had to select a different squad altogether for the ODI series (due to a COVID-19 scare) but also because the Men In Green seemed destined to finally leave a mark on the international calendar in 2021.

None of that transpired, though, as Pakistan wilted to a crushing series defeat – against a massively second-string English side and in conditions where they would’ve backed their experienced stars to come up trumps.

Pakistan struggled in England in July 2021

In the aftermath of that series, there were plenty of questions around Pakistan cricket – something not too dissimilar to average outings in the past. The difference, however, was that this came at a time when the Pakistan cricketing community was looking for on-field performances to bridge the gap with those around them.

A couple of months later, Ramiz Raja was elected unopposed as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board in a bid to restore Pakistan to its former glory. Things, though, haven’t exactly gone to plan, it must be said.

Since taking over, Ramiz Raja has had a lot of opinions about everything under the cricketing sun, meaning that a board which had minimal publicity until August 2021, has to now contend with each of its decisions being scrutinized.

To an extent, the former Pakistan batter hasn’t been dumbfounded, considering most of those have stemmed out of frustration – frustration that the likes of England and New Zealand haven’t replicated what Pakistan did for them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pakistan have been one of the few cricketing outfits that have been ready to travel, despite the troubled times we live in. They’ve toured countless countries already and even did so when the pandemic was at its peak in the English summer of 2020.

They also toured New Zealand a few months later and provided the Kiwi cricket fans with the spectacle they craved. So, from that perspective alone, it seems a travesty that England and New Zealand abandoned Pakistan at a time when they needed them most.

When looked at in isolation, the cancellations are massive enough. Long-term effects, however, are much more damning, with most nations not being too inclined to tour Pakistan in the near future.

Ramiz Raja’s appointment has also coincided with coaches Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis stepping down. While their reasoning of wanting to spend lesser time in bubbles is perfectly fine, the fact that the current PCB Chairman hasn’t been their greatest supporter is certain to have played a part.

Thus, in a nutshell, Pakistan cricket is down in the dumps at the moment. Not just because one odd element has turned pear-shaped but because almost all have, for some reason or the other, gone haywire.

When that happens, nations generally find themselves trying to rummage for a solution that simply doesn’t exist. Pakistan, though, don’t do things according to conventional logic and wisdom. Instead, they embrace the siege mentality like no other and somehow, put their best foot forward.

Remember in 2017, when Sarfaraz Ahmed was panned for Pakistan’s defeat to India in the ICC Champions Trophy opener? At the time, the Men In Green were ranked 8th in ODI cricket. It ended with Pakistan lifting the Champions Trophy aloft at The Oval – of course, at India’s expense.

This time, too, there seems to be something special brewing in the Pakistan ranks – something that might not be very identifiable from the outside but definitely something that can carve a path for a watershed tournament.

Pakistan haven't won the T20 World Cup since 2009

For starters, Babar Azam seems a batter capable of single-handedly winning Pakistan the T20 World Cup crown. While his strike rate has been questioned earlier, it might perhaps be what the Men In Green require, considering the sluggish surfaces on offer.

Rizwan (L) has been irresistible at the top of the order

Mohammad Rizwan has also turned a corner in T20I cricket and is a behemoth at the top of the order. In fact, it wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest that Babar and Rizwan form one of the best opening partnerships on the planet.

The inclusions of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik – each on the wrong side of 40, doesn’t seem to harbor a lot of long-term thinking. But now that they are in the mix, Pakistan would hope they can recreate the magic that was once synonymous with them.

On the bowling front, Shaheen Shah Afridi is arguably the premier left-arm fast bowler in white-ball cricket. Hassan Ali, too, seems close to his best, with Haris Rauf acting as the ideal foil for the aforementioned.

Moreover, the pitches in the UAE tend to not be conducive to stroke-making, meaning that Pakistan’s perceived inability to rack up huge scores might not be as much of a sticky point as previously. On the flip side, their bowling brilliance and their batters’ propensity to post par totals could be the need of the hour.

From a poetic standpoint, it seems aligned in the stars that Pakistan are going to make a proper fist of the T20 World Cup. From a cricketing perspective, too, that seems to be the case.

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Most importantly, though, Pakistan seem to have a bit of unpredictability surrounding their cricket – something that has always existed in their ranks but something that could define their campaign, considering the presence of Matthew Hayden and Vernon Philander in their coaching ranks.

Thus, it could be entirely possible that Pakistan themselves don’t know which version will turn up at the event, meaning that oppositions will most certainly not have a clue about it.

What opponents will know, however, is that the Men In Green have been backed into a corner and that they have something to prove to almost every single individual in the cricketing fraternity. And, with Pakistan being Pakistan, that is, rather astonishingly an enviable situation for them.

Pakistan are in limbo, make no mistake about it. They are in turmoil. They are in shambles. No non-Asian country has shown an inclination to tour (or complete a tour) Pakistan, for goodness’ sake. And yet, this could still be their year.

Sounds crazy, right?

From Pakistan’s perspective, it just illustrates that they remain capable of scaling glorious crests even when marooned at their deepest trough. Or, in other words, just when everything is seemingly going wrong, Pakistan can make it right – almost in the blink of an eye.

Maybe it’s just another day at the office. And, not as disheartening, after all!