Even Umar Gul, who is incredibly polite by Pakistani fast bowlers’ standards, was frustrated. The ineptitude of Pakistan’s quick bowlers and the batters’ general dislike of spending more time than absolutely necessary out in the middle may have contributed significantly to the team’s defeat at Headingley under chilly, gloomy conditions.
Gul, however, had a grievance against the English weather, the most renowned custodian of promises, as every aspect of Pakistan’s cowardly performance had now been dissected to within an inch of its life.
It was scorching when we arrived from Wisconsin,” Gul remarked on Tuesday at Lord’s. “The summer was sweltering. It was much colder than we anticipated. It was scorching even during the Croydon practice match. It was quite different when we got to Headingley. The temperature was chilly and it was raining. It goes without saying that you must endure the cold for a while. Because of the weather, we were unable to execute and bowl as well as we could have. However, I’m hoping they adjust to the weather and perform well in the upcoming match.”
The fact that they seemed to be putting more pressure on UK weather forecasts than they have in the past may indicate something about the current state of Pakistani cricket. During the appropriately called warm-up match at Beckenham, the weather did indeed hold true, but Gul said Pakistan seemed taken off guard when things started to shift.
As the guests travelled up to Yorkshire by bus, they trusted that the hot weather in the south of England would hold, which felt like a shaky foundation upon which to build a strategy that quickly fell apart.
Gul thought that the fast bowlers’ relative inefficiency in the first Test, where England had to bat just once and score 409 runs, would be explained by the difficulty of acclimating. “I felt that the bowlers were a little stiff because of the [temperature shift]. You must adjust to the weather.
And I’m hoping they’ll be prepared for this upcoming match. We thought of using four seamers in the days before the test. However, the pitch had shifted significantly the day before the game, thus it was wise to use a spinner. However, you need time when you come here.
Gul may be right in feeling frustrated by anything that is beyond his control.
He had a great time playing both domestically and abroad in England, and at almost any point in his career, he would have fit right in with Pakistan’s current pace attack.
Although he promoted Ubaid Shah as a future prospect, his potential inclusion would probably give off some nous for a yard of more pace. He can do little to help them become faster bowlers.
Most notably, he deliberately referred to Shaheen Afridi as “Pakistan’s best bowler” before deflecting a query about him to the selection committee. Afridi just guided his team to a domestic one-day cup victory.
Perhaps they decided it would be best to let him relax. Although our other bowlers are also performing well, he is our top bowler. Ubaid Shah in particular gave a fantastic performance, and we anticipate great things from him going forward. We had an edge since Abbas and Mohammad Ali were playing county cricket. However, I believe the selection committee can provide you with a more accurate response regarding Shaheen.”
The swiftly shifting mood of every Pakistani screening committee might be the one thing that most closely resembles the erratic nature of the English weather. When a man as kind-hearted as Umar Gul has to cope with both at the same time, it’s hardly a fair world.
