PERHAPS, several Pakistan fielders had been `hypnotised` to believe it was Sachin Tendulkar`s birthday who received four `memorable gifts` from the visitors while an inching Misbah-ul-Haq, it seemed, had not even heard of `Need for Speed` in his life, on that buzzing day in Mohali!
Chasing 261 against a moderate Indian bowling on an absolute belter was by no means a tall order for an outfit brimming with confidence. However, to one`s misery, Pakistan`s longstanding batting woes, above everything, raised its ugly head once again to sink them in the World Cup. Shahid Afridi and his brigade had made many proficient moves on their way to the semi-finals, only raising the expectations of tens of millions of enthusiasts back home. However, the ultimate glory was not going to be theirs.
Many believe it was only a matter of time for a fairly brittle-looking Pakistan batting to get exposed in the mega event, irrespective of the quality of opposition bowlers. And unfortunately it happened in once-in-a-lifetime clash at Mohali which demanded a world-class effort. In the group stage, our batting, had already shown alarming fragility to be shot out for 192 while in pursuit of 303 against the Kiwis.
One reckons `exclusive` games require `exclusive` stuff which features two major components –– surprise moves and plan `B` (in case of initial setback) while taking into account one`s strengths and weaknesses. Regrettably, it was quite arduous to spot any of these two components by Pakistan, particularly during the second half in Mohali, for which primarily the team management is responsible.
Surprise moves involve risks of varying degrees which can be calculated and minimised with intelligently plotted tactics. After his man-of-the-match bowling show against the West Indies a spirited Mohammad Hafeez could be given the new ball which didn`t happen. While Umar Gul was being smashed around by Sehwag, Hafeez could cause plenty of trouble for the strong yet tentative top-order Indian batting. Eventually, it was Hafeez who broke the Tendulkar-Gambhir stand.
Wahab Riaz ran in with a big heart in the high-voltage match and his bowling also featured great precision and passion. The left-armer, replacing none other than Shoaib Akhtar in a game of this much immense significance, was the prime factor in limiting India to 260-9.
Pakistan`s field placements after India diminished from 141-2 to 205-6 did not symbolise all-out aggression our bowlers are known to take advantage of.
And why Razzaq was not bowled at all after his pretty satisfactory two-over new ball spell (0-14) and why a totally off-colour Gul was persisted with remains a puzzle.
The team management`s lethargic set of strategy in batting topped it all as Pakistan, despite getting a brisk 44-run opening stand, went haywire in the middle. Misbah and Younis Khan, coming in at four and five respectively, snoozed just when the job required nimbleness, putting young guns Asad Shafiq and Umar Akmal under unnecessary pressure.
After Younis, sending Umar Akmal in could have been a better choice, to keep the scoreboard ticking up, in place of an ageing Misbah (26 off the first 51 balls he faced!) whose enigmatic dawdle was unspeakably appalling. Why Misbah didn`t change gears when needed and how he could do so in the dying moments before a sorry 231 all out blinked on the scoreboard for Pakistan, warrants some plain explanation!
To make matters worse if Hafeez`s howler (after making an elegant 43) was not enough, batting powerplay was delayed till the mandatory 46-50 block, simply for no logical reason.
And then there was keeping a perilous willow holder like Razzaq under wraps, which had been the case almost throughout the spectacle! If he was not bowled sufficiently (against India) and was to be given the bat at number seven, then why was he actually picked in the playing eleven? The mighty hitter could be used as a surprise peformer up the order. But perhaps, the team management couldn`t even gauge the worth of the veteran all-rounder in the lead-up to the World Cup, which in all probability was his last.
Looking at the positive side of it, Pakistan team fared far better in this edition than their predecessors who had wilted in 2003 and 2007 in the preliminary stage.
We won six out of eight 2011 World Cup games including well-earned group-stage victories over runners-up Sri Lanka and defending champions Australia. The team, considered pushovers amid all sorts of anomalies –– from a highly-damaging spot-fixing saga to reported differences within the team, leading up to the spectacle –– gelled prolifically. And despite agonisingly late appointment of captain for the World Cup, Afridi`s team managed to reach the semis as their leader shone with the leather with 21 wickets.
The World Cup came, continued with its unprecedented thrill in the subcontinent and ended with a party in Mumbai as MS Dhoni- captained India thrashed Sri Lanka to regain the title after 28 years.
The moment Pakistan squad lands in the Caribbean the 2011 World Cup becomes history. The PCB, which undoubtedly committed a glut of embarrassing mistakes over the past two years directly impacting the national team`s on-field show, needs to do some genuine and urgent soul-searching so that we can expect some improvement from now on. The captain, players and selectors have their own responsibilities.
Mohsin Khan and his selection partners, at least for a fresh start, have taken a step in the right direction by picking some emerging youngsters for the West Indies limited-overs series.
Let us all focus on future. The 2011 World Cup was indeed not the end of the world, for all contestants!
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