One of the most fascinating aspects of Saeed Ajmal’s time was that he was, effectively, the first spinner ever to really lead a Pakistan attack. There have been plenty of good and great spinners, an Abdul Qadir, an Iqbal Qasim, a Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq, and Danish Kaneria.
But they have always been tasked with support duties, the finishing touches to extravagantly varied but predominantly pace-based attacks.
Sure there were moments when Pakistan gave themselves whole and soul to spin, mostly under the captaincy of Javed Miandad. He was even happy playing three spinners at home, using Qadir, Qasim and Tauseef Ahmed to wonderful and successful effect in two home series in 1987/88 and 1988/89.
But these were rare concessions, until Ajmal came along. And they are concessions because, really, Pakistan was always a country for spinners – and left-arm spinners in particular – until the emergence of Imran Khan.
Domestic wicket-taking charts for every season from inception were dominated by slower bowlers, until well into the 90s. The effect of Imran on a generation only became evident around the mid-90s.
So, one way to view the rise of Ajmal as the leader of the attack – and Misbah-ul-Haq’s reliance on spin in that time – is as a historic course correction and not an anomaly.
Such has been Misbah’s use of spin, in fact, that it is worth asking whether Pakistan are actually India in disguise, or at least the India of the early 90s. You remember those sides of course: as sturdy as wet paper away but as immense as cement at home.
Whitewashes of England and Sri Lanka in successive seasons, a drawn series with West Indies, wins over New Zealand and Australia all were constructed on the back of three spinners: Anil Kumble at the core and a revolving cast around him, including Venkat Raju and Rajesh Chauhan.
Away from home through the 90s, they lost 11 series out of 16; they only beat Sri Lanka and Bangladesh away.
This age of Pakistan cricket has felt a little like that, too. Away from home they do not look up to much, though it is worth noting they are still resourced enough to win in places such as New Zealand.
But it is at home in the UAE that the likeness is strongest and never more so than the last few weeks, in which they have swept aside Australia and now stand on the verge of doing likewise to New Zealand. The pattern of performances has been identical. On surfaces made to suit their strengths – and that, remember, is the way of all cricket nations – their batsmen have batted long and batted big. On the same surfaces, only slight more worn after two days, their spinners have found ways not only to hustle out opposition, but also to make them look peculiarly inept.
Three Tests in a row now they have done exactly the same thing. That is the eeriest thing: how formulaic it has become.
The difference with India of that time, of course, is pace. There are always pace options for Pakistan, like the many-headed Hydra, two more for every one that is lost. It is what keeps them alive away from the comfort of home.
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
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