Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, suspension of controversial star batsman Umar Akmal, former Test skipper Misbahul Haq stepping down from his role of chief selector, the national team’s tour to England and pacer Mohammad Amir hanging up his boots after claiming to be ‘mentally tortured’ by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) dominated Pakistan cricket in the year 2020. ‘Postponed’, ‘cancelled’, ‘pay cut’ and pulls out’ were the most common terms and themes associated with cricket in 2020. Like any other sports, and in fact any other walk of life, COVID-19 ran riot for a major part of the year and threatened to ruin the game. Even the biggest tournament scheduled for the year –– the ICC T20 World Cup ––- had to be postponed by a year. Coronavirus fortunately couldn’t quite ‘ruin’ cricket, but did manage to change the game in many ways, at least temporarily. It ensured the game couldn’t be played at the international level for 117 days ––– the longest break after the world wars. Bubbles, quarantines, extended squads and constant COVID-19 tests were not easy by any means. Despite all this, Pakistan played four Tests (won 01, lost 01 and drew 02), three ODIs (won 02 and lost 01) and eleven T20Is (won 07, lost 03 and 01 with no result). Perhaps the biggest news of the year was Pakistan’s relentless campaign to convince top teams to shed their security apprehensions and tour the country bore fruit with England and South Africa committing to visit in 2021. South Africa will tour Pakistan for the first time in 14 years to play two Tests and three T20Is in January and February 2021. The five-day matches form part of the ICC Test Championship and will be staged in Karachi (January 26-30) and Rawalpindi (February 4-8), before T20I fixtures in Lahore, ending on February 14. This will be South Africa’s first visit to Pakistan since the 2007 tour when they won the Karachi Test by 160 runs to clinch the series 1-0. The subsequent series in 2010 and 2013 were played in the United Arab Emirates. Perhaps the biggest news of the year was Pakistan’s relentless campaign to convince top teams to shed their security apprehensions and tour the country bore fruit with England and South Africa committing to visit in 2021 England will make their first trip to Pakistan in 16 years for a two-match T20I series in October 2021 as part of a reciprocal agreement reached between the two cricket boards. The two games, to be held in Karachi on October 14 and 15, 2021, will form part of the 2021 T20 World Cup build-up. The tour will take place just before the mega-event in India. This will be England’s first visit to Pakistan after many years and will open the door for both Test and white-ball tours in the 2022-23 season. England will arrive in Karachi on October 12, and both the sides will depart for India on October 16 for the ICC T20 World Cup. England last toured Pakistan in 2005 when they played three Tests and five One-day Internationals. The subsequent series between the two sides in 2012 and 2015 were played in the United Arab Emirates. There was sad news also. Pakistan lost its two former first class cricketers to COVID-19. Former cricketer Zafar Sarfraz became the first professional player in the country to die after contracting coronavirus in April. The 50-year-old first fell ill and was put on a ventilator at a hospital in Peshawar after his condition deteriorated. He died on April 14. Sarfraz, a middle-order batsman, played 15 first-class games in Peshawar and retired in 1994. In June, Riaz Sheikh became the second professional player in the country to die of COVID-19. Sheikh, a leg-spinner who took 116 wickets in 43 first-class matches and was once considered for national selection, died aged 51. Pakistan also lost former Test batsman Waqar Hasan who passed away at the age of 87 on February 10. He was the last surviving member of Pakistan’s first-ever Test XI that played India in New Delhi in October 1952. His last Test came against Australia in Lahore in November 1959. Overall, he played 21 Tests for Pakistan. The Amritsar-born cricketer also served as Pakistan’s national selector in spells post retirement. In June, Khalid Wazir, a part of Pakistan’s historic 1954 tour of England, died. Khalid had been ill for some time and passed away at the age of 84 in Chester, United Kingdom. A tall and athletic medium-pace bowler and hard-hitting middle-order batsman, Khalid was the 16th Test cricketer for Pakistan and the second-youngest for his country at the time of his debut against England at Lord’s ––- only Hanif Mohammad was younger on debut until then. Khalid only played two Tests on that tour but it was a monumental one to be part of, because it announced Pakistan’s arrival as a serious cricketing nation. Khalid was the son of Wazir Ali, who ––- and his brother Nazir Ali ––- played Test cricket for India in the 1930s. Bangladesh in Pakistan: The year 2020 started with Bangladesh team’s tour to Pakistan in January. The Pakistan Cricket Board had reached consensus with the Bangladesh Cricket Board on the series, which was part of the Future Tours Programme. The process was facilitated by the International Cricket Council. According to the revised arrangement, Bangladesh would play three T20Is in Lahore from January 24 to 27. They will return to Pakistan for the first ICC World Test Championship fixture, to be held from February 7 to 11 in Rawalpindi. Pakistan won the T20I series 2–0, with the third match abandoned due to rain. Pakistan won the first Test by an innings to take a 1–0 lead in the series. Bangladesh were then scheduled to return to Pakistan in April after conclusion of the Pakistan Super League to play a one-off ODI and the second Test, with both fixtures to be played in Karachi. However, on March 16, the third leg of the tour was called off due to COVID-19 pandemic. Pakistan Super League 5: The fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League commenced with much fanfare in February but was postponed on March 17, ahead of its semi-finals due to outbreak of coronavirus, with the PCB saying the rest of the tournament would be rescheduled for a later date. With the pandemic spreading with increasing intensity, and plenty of overseas players opting to cut short their stint in Pakistan and return home, many squads were left threadbare. The PSL was one of the last remaining mainstream cricket tournaments to carry on amid cancellations and postponements of other bilateral international series and franchise tournaments the world over. Umar Akmal’s suspension for failing to report approaches: In April, Pakistan’s controversial batsman Umar Akmal was handed a three-year ban from all forms of cricket after he was found guilty of failing to report two fixing approaches to the relevant authorities. The PCB disciplinary panel found him guilty of breaching the country’s Anti-Corruption Code. The decision was announced by Justice (r) Fazal-i-Miran Chauhan, the chairman of the disciplinary panel. Akmal has played in 200 internationals across three formats of the game since 2009. Akmal’s ban was effective from February 20, when he was provisionally suspended by the PCB before the start of PSL V under its Anti-Corruption Code, which states a player must report being approached to fix games. Akmal was charged with two breaches of PCB’s Anti-Corruption Code on March 20. However, on the batsman’s appeal, an independent adjudicator, appointed by the PCB, reduced Akmal’s three years ban for an anti-corruption breach to 18 months. Independent adjudicator Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, a retired judge of Supreme Court of Pakistan, announced the decision in on July 29. The legal battle between Akmal and the PCB took another turn in August after the batsman filed an appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland to overturn his ban, which was halved from its original three-year term. Akmal’s move came after the PCB had challenged the ban’s reduction in the Court of Arbitration for Sports. Sana Mir announces retirement from international cricket: In April, Sana Mir, who led Pakistan to two World Cups and five T20 World Cups, announced her retirement from international cricket after a glittering career that saw her become the most successful female spinner in one-day international history. The 34-year-old took the top spot in women’s ODI rankings in 2018 and helmed the team that took home gold from the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games. Her rise dovetailed with the growth in sporting opportunities for Pakistani women, who were not allowed to play in open fields until the early 2000s. Sana played 226 international matches since her 2005 debut. She is one of only nine women cricketers to have taken 100 wickets and scored 1,000 runs in ODI matches. England tour amid pandemic: Pakistan toured England in August and September to play three Tests and three T20Is amid COVID-19. The PCB agreed to the tour of coronavirus-ravaged country but told the England and Wales Cricket Board that it would not force players to agree for the assignment should they have reservations owing to the pandemic. Prime Minister Imran Khan gave special clearance to the tour with direction to the PCB to follow strict SOPs as people wanted to see cricket. It is pertinent to mention that the pandemic had caused cricket activities to come to a screeching halt as many major events, including the ICC T20 World and the Asia Cup 2020, were postponed. Nonetheless, the England and Wales Cricket Board managed to safely resume its international activities as it managed to host West Indies and Pakistan under strict measures. Pakistan were lauded by all and sundry including England for successfully completing the tour under unprecedented circumstances caused by COVID-19. The squad members ––– 29 players and 14 officials ––– spent 14-days in quarantine after reaching England and then another three to four weeks in a bio-secure environment. The Test series formed part of the inaugural 2019–21 ICC World Test Championship. The first Test was played at Old Trafford while the second and third Tests were played at Rose Bowl. The T20Is were held at Old Trafford. All of the fixtures were played behind closed doors due to COVID-19. England won the three-match Test series 1–0, after the second and third Tests were drawn. The T20I series was drawn 1–1, with the first match being washed out. Misbahul Haq steps down as chief selector: Misbahul Haq stepped down from his role as the chief selector of the Pakistan men’s team to focus on coaching duties alone on October 14. Misbah took over the dual role for Pakistan cricket in September 2019, being in charge of both selecting and coaching the team. He was appointed coach for three-year tenure, a few months after the team, under Mickey Arthur, missed out on a semi-final spot in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. Misbah said he had been feeling pressure in his bid to conduct both responsibilities. His decision had been influenced by the PCB’s new code of ethics ratified in July 2020, which aimed to put greater emphasis on resolving issues of conflict of interest. Pakistan have had mixed results under Misbah’ chief selector-coaching tenure, winning seven of their 19 matches since he took over and losing nine. Zimbabwe tour to Pakistan: Zimbabwe toured Pakistan in October and November to play three ODIs and three T20Is. All matches were played behind closed doors at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The ODI series formed part of the inaugural 2020–23 ICC Cricket World Cup Super League. Babar Azam captained the national team for the first time in ODI cricket. Pakistan won the first two ODIs (by 26 runs and 06 wickets) to take an unassailable lead in the series. The third match was tied, with Zimbabwe winning the Super Over. It was Zimbabwe’s first win in an ODI in Pakistan since November 1998. Pakistan also won the T20I series 3-0, whitewashing Zimbabwe. Pakistan won the first T20I by six wickets while the second and third by same margin of 08 wickets. Zimbabwe’s Elton Chigumbura retired from international cricket following the conclusion of the tour. Babar Azam takes charge of all three formats: The PCB named Babar Azam as new Test captain on November 10, putting the batsman in charge of teams across all formats. Babar replaced Azhar Ali, who led Pakistan to a 1-0 series defeat in England earlier in August-September. Azhar led Pakistan in eight Tests since he was appointed captain in 2019. He won two home Test matches against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh but lost in Australia 2-0 and in England 1-0. Babar was the third Pakistan Test captain in 13 months after Sarfaraz Ahmed was sacked in October 2019. The PCB made the announcement after Babar led the team to Twenty-20 and one-day international series victories over Zimbabwe on home soil. Babar has been a prolific scorer for Pakistan and currently ranks among the top five batsmen in all three formats. Karachi Kings become new PSL champions: The PSL 5 had started on February 20, and thirty matches were played until March 15 when the tournament had to be stopped due to COVID-19. The PCB announced to hold PSL playoffs in November in a bio-secure environment. There were doubts about the participation of foreign players due to scheduling, but those doubts were put to rest as all the teams revealed their squads with foreign players. Karachi Kings became the new champions. Karachi thrashed Lahore Qalandars by five wickets in the final to win the PSL 2020 title at the National Stadium Karachi on November 17. Chasing a modest target of 135, Karachi, led by Imad Wasim and coached by former Test captain Wasim Akram, raced home in 18.4 overs for the loss of five scalps. Babar played an undefeated scintillating knock of 63 to make sure his team lift the coveted trophy. Earlier, Karachi speedsters Waqas Maqsood, Umaid Asif and Arshad Iqbal captured two wickets each to restrict Lahore to 134 for the loss of seven wickets in their 20 overs. The top scorer for Lahore was Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal, who scored 35 off 38 balls while Fakhar Zaman chipped in with a 24-ball 27, after Lahore captain Sohail Akhtar won the toss and opted to bat first. Mohammad Amir calls time on his international career: Claiming to be ‘tortured mentally’ by the PCB, fast bowler Mohammad Amir called time on his international career at the age of 28 on December 17. The Pakistan quick claimed he could no longer play in an atmosphere where he did not feel welcome in the national team. Amir featured in 36 Test matches, bagging 119 scalps, over the course of his career, after making his debut against Sri Lanka in 2009. He has also played 61 ODIs and 50 T20Is in his limited-overs career, taking 81 and 59 wickets respectively. He last played for Pakistan in the T20Is in England in August. Amir, who was jailed in 2011 for his part in a spot-fixing scandal, retired from Test cricket in 2019 to focus on white-ball cricket. He also served three months in prison and a five-year ban from all forms of cricket before returning to the Pakistan squad in January 2016. Following his comeback, he was never quite at that scintillating best in Test cricket but the left-arm bowler excelled in limited-overs cricket, helping Pakistan to the ICC Champions Trophy title in 2017. Malcontent between Amir and the PCB had been simmering since he was dropped from the squad to tour New Zealand in November. He said an environment had been created in which he was receiving ‘taunts on everything’ and his personal decision to quit Test match cricket was being manipulated to suggest that he was not interested to play for the national team. Former Test batsman Muhammad Wasim takes over as new chief selector: The PCB on December 19 named former Test batsman Muhammad Wasim as new chief selector till World Cup 2023. The PCB also appointed former Test wicketkeeper-batsman Saleem Yousuf as chairman of the cricket committee. The chief selector post was lying vacant after Misbah stepped down in October to concentrate on his job as head coach of the national team. The PCB had initially considered former cricketer Mohammad Akram for the position, but the deal fell through over disagreement on the structure of the selection committee. Wasim, who hails from Rawalpindi, played 18 Tests and 25 one-day internationals for Pakistan between 1996 and 2000. He also served as coach of the Sweden men’s team in 2018 before being appointed as Northern Cricket Association head coach in 2019. On the other hand, cricket committee chairman Saleem had more sparkling career than Wasim. He played 32 Tests and 86 ODIs from 1982-1990. He previously also served as a member of the national selection committee from 2013-2015. Thrashing at the hands of New Zealand Down Under: At fag end of the year, Pakistan lost a three-match T20I series 2-1 against New Zealand in New Zealand. New Zealand trounced Pakistan by 05 wickets in the first game and in second by 09 wickets. Pakistan avoided clean sweep of the series after winning the last game. Mohammad Rizwan scored 89 from 59 balls as Pakistan defeated New Zealand by four wickets in a thrilling contest. Rizwan hit 10 fours and three sixes as the tourists reached their target of 174 with two balls to spare. The writer is Sports Editor at Daily Times and can be reached at mali319@hotmail.com