Daily Times

A terrible and disgusting performance was witnessed at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Thursday. Batting once again let Pakistan down. Chasing a modest target of 188, the entire team were bundled out for a meager 81. What a shame! Had wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmad not top scored 23, it would have been even worse for skipper Misbahul Haq and his charges. Poor Sarfraz didn’t find support at the other end and eventually perished. The second highest scorer was fast bowler Mohammad Amir with 20. At one stage it seemed that men in green would not be able to cross even 50 mark on a deteriorating pitch. West Indies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel plundered five wickets as his team scored a stunning victory on the final day of the second Test. He finished with match figures of 9-92. Captain Jason Holder claimed three wickets, while Alzarri Joseph picked up the other two as the hosts won by 106 runs and level the three-match Test series at 1-1. Pakistan had won the opening Test at Sabina Park by seven wickets.

Only once have Pakistan made a lower score in Tests against West Indies than 81 in the second innings of the Bridgetown Test. They were dismissed for 77 in Lahore in 1986-87. Pakistan’s 81 is their tenth lowest Test score. Pakistan, who attained top ICC Test Ranking after drawing a four-match series 2-2 to England in August last year, have slipped since then, now losing seven of nine Tests. They defeated West Indies 2-1 in a home series in the United Arab Emirates but subsequently lost 2-0 to New Zealand and 3-0 to Australia in away series.

It is not just the defeat, but rather the manner in which it came about that has infuriated all and sundry. None of the Pakistan batsmen looked confident. They remained confused and under pressure through out their innings and ultimately ‘helped’ their team not only lose the match but also squander an opportunity to win a series in the Caribbean. It was a poor showing from the favourites, who slumped to an unbelievable low. All the good work done by the bowlers – Amir, Yasir Shah and Mohammad Abbas – of reducing the hosts went in vain. Set an achievable target after leg spinner Yasir’s seven for 94 wrapped up the home side’s second innings at 268 at the start of the day, the tourists had a golden chance to rewrite history. But Pakistan kept their unpredictability tag intact.

Pakistan top guns Ahmad Shahzad, Misbah, Azhar Ali, Younus Khan, Babar Azam and Asad Shafiq were the worst culprits who went into oblivion without a trace. They batted like a bunch of novices. Pakistan never looked a front line cricketing nation. So clueless, so inept and so devoid of spirit the fight was that one could easily associate Pakistan with the minnows. There was absence of game plan and lack of thought and application. As the wickets tumbled it was hard to tell who was more befuddled: the Pakistan batsmen, the West Indies fielders or the fans, around the globe, watching the contest. It seems that the seeds of the win were sown during the course of the fourth afternoon when Shai Hope, who averaged little over 15 in eight Tests prior to this, negated the Yasir threat to make a gritty 90 that stretched the West Indies lead to 187.

Twenty years ago, West Indies, led by Brian Lara, set India 120 for victory at the Kensington Oval. They had never lost a Test in Bridgetown to a subcontinent side, but that record looked in serious threat with India having services of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Mohammad Azharuddin, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. West Indies, however, took just 35.5 overs to skittle India out for 81 to extend a glorious run at their stronghold. And on May 4, 2017 history was repeated at the same venue but against another subcontinent powerhouse, Pakistan.