In the heat of the shockwaves created by the violence that rocked Karachi and the national fury that ever-more vicious and abominable Altaf’s abusive speech provoked, we have allowed a glorious event in the history of Pakistan pass uncelebrated.
On the 22nd of August 2016, the day Altaf Hussain himself confirmed that he was this country’s most despicable traitor and enemy, Pakistan jumped up to occupy the proud position of being the world’s No 1 team in Test Cricket.
Under the skippership of incomparable Imran Khan, Pakistan had won the World Cup in 1992 in limited overs cricket. And more than 24 years later, Pakistan, under the skippership of Misbah ul Haque leads the world in Test Cricket.
This singular achievement has come at a time when our team, in the eyes of many analysts and evaluators in our own country, was regarded as a bunch of hopelessly inadequate and over-rated cricketers.
The turnaround has come quietly and without much ado and drama. In this turnaround three centuries have played a decisive role— two by Misbah ul Haque himself and one by Azhar Ali. One century of Misbah was against Australia— which made him alongwith illustrious Vivian Richards, the holder of the world record of the fast test ton. The second century came against the recently concluded Test series against England which enabled his country to win the first test quite thumpingly.
Azhar Ali’s hundred against Sri Lanka, in a match-winning partnership with his captain Misbah, will long be remembered.
Misbah at 42 can rightly regard himself a magician. No cricketer at this age is expected to be sprinting in the field .
Let the whole of Pakistan rise to salute this great national hero.
