Inzamam-ul-Haq bats for The News
I had never imagined that the end result of the first Test match of a series, which had been eagerly awaited for several months by players and enthusiasts alike, would be such a depressing one. Due to the state of the pitch and the deteriorating weather conditions, the Lahore Test match ended on Tuesday in controversial circumstances.
Even in my role as captain of the Pakistan team, I have found myself helpless. It would not be right to blame me as discussion about the state of the wicket rages in the media as I am only the team’s skipper. Which captain in the world would not want to capitalise on the home advantage? Even before the series against India started, I had asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) curator to prepare sporting pitches.
However, I couldn’t have gone into the grounds to prepare the wickets myself. I had expressed the desire to have bouncy pitches for the Tests in at least a dozen interviews prior to the series. In spite of my demands, if someone goes on and prepares ‘batting paradise’ wickets, is it right to put the blame on me?
The likes of the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore wicket, on which the first Test match between Pakistan and England was played, are certainly not conducive to good cricket. Test cricket has for long been considered ‘boring’ worldwide but, in recent years, these longer-duration matches have started producing exciting results.
That’s one reason why the spectators have started returning to Test matches in big numbers. In most such encounters between Pakistan and England recently, the stands were full to capacity. However, if curators continue to prepare pitches like the one in Lahore, then it would be difficult to lure the fans even to the most high-profile games.
Millions of cricket enthusiasts had waited patiently for the Pakistan-India Test series for months. I had always wanted that such sporting wickets be made for the rubber that help the batsmen and bowlers alike. As captain of the team, it was my fervent desire to have bouncy wickets for the Tests.
However, some people are trying to spread the impression that the batting wicket in Lahore was prepared on my instructions. And that I entered the Gaddafi Stadium with a defensive bent of mind. Nothing can be farther from the truth.
I am bound by the cricket board’s code of conduct as the team captain not to speak on controversial subjects. I do not want to break that trust by discussing every thing and talking to the media about all matters. However, I must reiterate that bouncy pitches should be prepared for the series against India.
Foggy weather conditions in the Lahore winter were the main reason why a ‘standard’ wicket could not be prepared at the Gaddafi Stadium. All three pitches in the three Tests against England came up to the required standards and were really good ones. I had given out my suggestions, I admit, but the wickets are eventually prepared by the curator.
Every Pakistan cricket captain wants to beat India in the Test matches. Thus why would I have wanted to lose the advantage that I had in the presence of our excellent fast bowlers? I certainly did not ask anyone to shave the grass off the Lahore wicket.
No one has control over the weather. The India vice-captain and opener Virender Sehwag has said that Pakistan in the first Test were on the defensive. On the one hand, while I have the greatest of praise for Sehwag’s innings of 254 — as one experiences such outstanding knocks at the Test level only rarely, I do not agree with his criticism of the Pakistan team and the Lahore wicket.
I won’t like to get into a slanging match with Sehwag, I would rather want to prove my point on the cricket ground. But I must stress on this point that if future Test series between Pakistan and India are played on wickets such as the one in Lahore then all encounters between the two arch-rivals will lose their charm and excitement totally.
In my personal opinion, it is not right to launch Pakistan-India Test series from Lahore in the month of January. The first Test should have been staged in Karachi, where the weather is ideal for such cricket. The PCB had actually suggested a Karachi start for the Test series, but the Indian board rejected this idea. Gradually, the weather in the Punjab would improve, but only after a week or so. Call it what you may but, unforunately, the fate of this very important series is not going to be decided before the third Test in Karachi. Whichever team is able to play even a single good session in Karachi, it will be able to put its opponent under tremendous pressure.
While the debate about the pitch reached a particular crescendo, during the Lahore Test also came the suggestion of holding matches over six days instead of five. I do not subscribe to this idea, because bowling or facing 90 overs a day for six days could aggravate fitness problems for the players.
On the other hand, before finalising tour itineraries the expected weather conditions should be kept in view. Traditional Test cricket is played with the red ball. I am not in favour of doing the same with blue or yellow balls. However, it is imperative that the provision of turning on the floodlights due to fading light is seriously looked into, because all umpires have differing views on this matter.
In the first Test, the Pakistani batsmen performed outstandingly. But in the remaining matches, the bowlers would need to lift their game considerably. Sehwag and Rahul Dravid played really well, but I have great faith in my bowlers’ abilities.
Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Danish Kaneria all will enter the Tests in Faisalabad and Karachi with the intention of defeating India. For the last one year and a half, most of our wins have been due to just these bowlers.
I would request the cricket fans not to be disappointed by the result — or the lack of it — of just one Test match. They should express the utmost faith in the Pakistan team’s players. This outfit is capable of turning the tables in the remaining two matches. Every Pakistan player is aware of the expectations he is entrusted with.
