After a decade, Pakistan get set to play Test cricket on home soil
RAWALPINDI: The moment of truth has finally arrived for Pakistan to play host to Test cricket for the first time in 10 years and nine months.
From Wednesday onwards Sri Lanka — who ironically were the last visiting side to play at the highest level in this country — would be bidding to extend their dominance over Pakistan here at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.
Over the years Pakistan and Sri Lanka have been inseparable cricketing brothers because it was on Pakistan’s insistence that Sri Lanka were granted Test status, rather belatedly by the game’s governing body the International Cricket Council, in 1981.
The camaraderie among these two friendly nations was glimpsed by the mingling of past with the present as Javed Miandad and Bandula Warnapura, respective skippers of Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the first-ever Test between their countries in March 1982 at Karachi, were part of the special photo-call during the trophy unveiling alongside current leaders Azhar Ali and Dimuth Karunaratne. While Miandad and Karunaratne stood on side, Azhar and Warnapura were on the other side.
These teams have competed in 53 Tests since 1982 with Pakistan slightly ahead with 19 victories to Sri Lanka’s 16. Pakistan’s last win was in Pallekele during the 2015 tour of the island, while Sri Lanka won the previous series in the UAE 2-0 by close margins and also been winners — by a slender two-wicket difference — in the only Test they played in this old-fashioned city of just above eight million people.
The venue, which made its international debut in December 1993 when Zimbabwe were the guests in the inaugural Test, has undergone a facelift in recent months with a new block now hosting the media centre across the main pavilion building. But while the overall structure of the ground remains literally the same, the winter is gradually moving to its natural progression as it is gettong colder with each passing day, the lack of adequate daylight would be a major talking point. On top of it, the meteorological department has forecast rain on Thursday and Friday — the second and third days of the scheduled fixture.
Sri Lanka, who are currently two spots above the eighth-ranked Pakistan, will be playing their first series since sharing the home series 1-1 with New Zealand last August. Pakistan are on a hiding as they go the 152nd Test on home soil on the back of six successive defeats in South Africa last season and Australia recently after the rot began during the final game of the three-match series in Abu Dhabi last year which enabled New Zealand clinch the series.
Pakistan’s morale is on the low side in terms of results but their spirits must on high as none of the current squad has played a Test on the home soil until now. Therefore, this factor alone is enough to make Pakistan charged up with the challenge of getting back into the winning habit.
Azhar Ali, the embattled Pakistan skipper who averages just 26.07 this year, had no qualm in saying Sri Lanka are a dangerous team with ex-captains Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal adding loads of experience. And Azhar’s pre-series assumption is spot because Sri Lanka’s previous series abroad was in South Africa where they made history by becoming the first Asian country to win the series in the Rainbow Nation just days after Faf du Plessis’ men trounced Pakistan.