What does Pakistan’s victory in the Champion’s Trophy mean for the world of cricket?
Pakistan’s
victory in the Champions Trophy final is already one of the sporting stories of
the year and proves once again the unpredictable nature of cricket is what makes
it so great.
Nobody
gave them a prayer after the way they tamely succumbed to India in their
opening group game and the fact that India skipper Virat Kohi let them have first
use of a belting Oval pitch suggested he did not either.
What
followed was a powerhouse display of batting and bowling that Pakistan’s
neighbours could not live with and a side tipped to win everything were simply
annihilated.
Pakistan
have always blown hot and cold and those who are slightly longer in the tooth
will remember the 1992 World Cup when they
fought back from near elimination to beat England in the final.
Fast
forward 25 years and, once again, they refused to give in and, with fierce
criticism still ringing in their ears from many ex-players after the early
India defeat, turned things around to land the spoils.
Although
it is somewhat of a cliché, the result was certainly good for the game as it
capped an excellent tournament that began in the wet but ended in glorious
sunshine with raw emotion pouring from Sarfraz Ahmed’s side.
The
usual suspects were tipped to do well, with England favourites to win on home
soil but dispatched with ease in the semi-finals by the eventual winners, while
Australia did not even reach the last four.
Everyone
loves an underdog and, with no home base and devoid of experience after the
retirement of a number of veterans, Pakistan certainly fitted that bill.
The
fact they were able to beat such a talented India team will give hope to others
that the result is never a foregone conclusion if you have belief.
Bangladesh
were the other surprise side of the Champions Trophy and, despite the one-sided
nature of their semi-final loss to India, were a credit to their nation.
The
Tigers have come a long way since the days when they were the whipping boys of
international cricket and the fact that commentators were not surprised to see
them qualify for the semis shows the progress they have made.
They
too will have been pleased to see David down Goliath on Sunday as it is a
battle they have fought many times in the past and are starting to reap the
rewards of their persistence.
Pakistan
are unlikely ever to dominate the cricket world like the great West Indies and
Australia sides of the past, as it is not in their nature to be consistent.
They
always have talented and exciting players in their ranks but it is getting them
to perform at the same time that has been the problem.
When
it all clicks it is a joy to watch and stars such as Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad
Amir and Hasan Ali have the class to be huge players on the world stage for
years to come.
Nobody
expected Pakistan to win the tournament and few thought they could even get out
of the group, with the result breathing life into a format that has been choked
by the emergence of Twenty20 cricket.
The
ecstasy written on the faces of the Pakistan supporters is evidence enough that
one-day international cricket is still important and can provide just as much
excitement as any T20 event around the world.
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Very well written post! But with due respect, I'd say that we still can't expect Pakistan to beat the strong teams on a regular basis.
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