Like the script of an inspirational Hollywood film, 2009 was a year of tragedy and triumph for Pakistan cricket. The only difference being, it was an unending reel that produced some of the most complicated circle of events and characters just when it seemed there was nothing more to the story.
The beginning of 2009 saw the International Cricket Council finally adopt the concept of a Hall of Fame to honour and celebrate greats of the game. For Pakistan it was matter of great pride as the names of three of its heroes namely Hanif Mohammad, Imran Khan and Javed Miandad were engraved side by side with those of Sir Donald Bradman, WG Grace, Sydney Barnes, Harold Larwood, Garfield Sobers and Sunil Gavaskar among others. Another Pakistani great and arguably the best left-arm fast bowler ever, Wasim Akram, was inducted later in the year in October. “It’s also a great honour for me, means a lot to be part of such an elite list and shows I have done something worthwhile in my life and worked hard to achieve what I did,” the Pakistani great remarked.
March 3, 2009 was a day that Pakistan and the world of cricket would rather forget. The unthinkable happened that morning hours before the start of the second test match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka as both teams headed towards the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. As the Sri Lankan team bus, which was leading the procession of vehicles carrying players and match officials, approached the stadium, it came under intense gun fire from camouflaged gunmen who had lodged themselves at Lahore’s Liberty Square, the main roundabout before the stadium. Chaminda Vaas, Ajantha Mendis, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Kumar Sangakkara, Tharanga Paranavitana and Suranga Lakmal and Pakistani umpire Ahsan Raza were the men injured. The attack claimed the lives of five Pakistani policemen escorting the team and also killed any prospects of international cricket in Pakistan. New Zealand and Australia both pulled out of tours to Pakistan. Furthermore, Pakistan was also stripped off its share of World Cup 2011 matches. The incident shattered the myth of sportsmen, especially cricketer, as being immune from terrorist attacks and also heralded in an era of private security guards who now accompany all teams during ICC fixtures.
Cricket Australia cancelled their tour of Pakistan in the wake of the heightened violence in Pakistan. With Australia’s last tour to Pakistan in 1998, chances of them making a trip seemed unlikely as it was but the brazen attack in Lahore the preceding year put paid to any doubts that may have been lingering. The series was not only shifted to UAE, as had been the case in 2002, but was trimmed down to five ODIs and two Twenty20s. New Zeeland would follow suit soon after.
In the aftermath of the Lahore attack and strained relation between India and Pakistan following the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008, Pakistani players were banned from participation in the second edition of the Indian Premier League. There were conflicting statements from both the PCB and BCCI and their respective foreign ministries as to why the Pakistani players were left out. It would prove to be a blessing in disguise for the Pakistanis as top international players competing in the league would look worn out and undercooked for the ICC World Twenty20 that was to take place in England in June.
Confidence in tatters and shunned by the international cricketing community and the world, for that matter, Pakistan set out for England to take place in the ICC World Twenty20. The country condemned to pariah status in the cricket world after the Lahore attack, its World Cup share stripped and its players barred from the IPL there was a feeling of isolation. It was probably the first instance in the last couple of decades when it seemed the game of cricket and a victory would provide the ideal tonic for a nation to stand back on its feet. A month later the cricketing world was turned on its head. The moment that symbolised what this victory meant for Pakistan as a whole came as Afridi strode for the match-winning run. It came as a result of a leg-bye, a searing Lasith Malinga yorker that bruised Afridi’s inner ankle. The pain had finally been overshadowed by triumph, for Afridi and for Pakistan
Like many who have come before him, left-armer Mohammad Aamer, who made his debut for Pakistan in the ICC World Twenty20 at the age of 17, already had the added pressure of filling in Wasim Akram’s large boots, or at least show shades of that kind of brilliance. Express pace, lethal bouncers and immaculate slower balls were all virtues Aamer possessed and something that would have made Akram, upon whose insistence Aamer was fast tracked into the national side, proud. But the teenager from Gujjar Khan possessed another weapon in his armoury that was a surprise to many, the confidence of a seasoned international cricketer. During the T20 event he delivered in pressure situations and was surprisingly economical for a new generation of Pakistani tearaways. Aamer continues to impress one and all and has just become the second youngest bowler to grab five-wicket haul in test cricket in the ongoing series against Australia.
The return tour of Pakistan to Sri Lanka was a torrid one for the visitors. It saw them lose their first ever test series in Sri Lanka, losing two out of three test matches from winning positions. It was also the first time rumours of rifts between Pakistani captain Younis Khan and the other members of the team began surfing. Their losses also prompted some in the national assembly of the country to suggest that the matches might have been fixed.
The Pakistanis did manage to find something on the tour of Sri Lanka worth enough to beat their drums about. It was the emergence of Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal’s younger brother, and according to some commentators a batsman worthy of carrying the torch Inzamam-ul-Haq and Javed Miandad had left behind. One former Australian cricketer has already likened him as a mix of Sachin Tendulkar and Javed Miandad and whether it to early to say is only spoiling the joy that the Pakistan team is experiencing at arrival of the 19-year-old. With an average of 63.16 in test and 44.42 in ODIs it is surely cause for celebration for them.
Pakistan finally broke their jinx of not beating India in an ICC world event by beating them in the Champions Trophy that took place in South Africa. They managed to do it in style on the back of a brilliant Shoaib Malik century. Having amassed 302 runs in their 50 overs they bowled out India for 248 in a thrilling encounter. The victory was overshadowed days later as Pakistan lost the semi-final against New Zealand, once again igniting claims of match-fixing. The claim by the National Standing Committee for Sports in Pakistan, however baseless they turned out to be, managed to drive a nail in the psyche of the team captain Younis Khan had carefully managed to motivate.
During the Champions Trophy, South Africa hosted the ICC Annual Awards. While no Pakistani cricketer featured among the winners, it was ‘elite umpire’ Aleem Dar who brought glory to the country by being nominated the Umpire of the Year. He edged Simon Taufel, widely regarded as the best umpire in recent times. “Indeed it’s a great honour for Pakistan because what I’m today is because of the country I love and represent. I feel very proud to be a Pakistani at this moment. It’s a just reward for all the hard work put into the job,” the 41-year-old Aleem told Dawn in an interview from Johannesburg.
One felt when Younis Khan dropped ‘that’ catch against New Zealand during the semi-final of the Champions Trophy, which the Kiws eventually won, the wheels for leading to a bigger disaster had been set in motion. Upon returning to Pakistan and attending a notice by the sports committee of the lower house in Islamabad on Oct. 13, 2009, Younis Khan resigned as captain of Pakistan. Although the committee did not find any substance to match-fixing allegations levelled against the team, Younis found it ‘hard to bear being called a cheat.’ He has since accepted back the captaincy only to “take a break” from international cricket.
In the first of perhaps many ‘home’ test series that Pakistan played abroad in the aftermath of the Lahore attack the Black Caps were held to a draw. The highlights of the series were Mohammad Asif, who made a stunning comeback to test cricket and ended as the highest wicket taker, and Umar Akmal who flayed the Kiwis to all parts and rocketed to a century on debut.
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