Beyond the boundary - Back With A Vengeance (12 June 1999)

12 June 1999

Beyond the boundary - Back With A Vengeance

Shakil Kasem

Pakistan zeroed in to claim a semi final spot, in the most convincing manner yesterday. Wasim Akram led a highly motivated and committed side on to the Oval, hardly reminiscent of the ragtag group in green they had been for the last three matches. The Pakistanis made no bones of the fact that they needed to win this match. Not only that, they were quite determined to finish the job as thoroughly and professionally as possible. Zimbabwe were most unfortunate in running up against a side that had managed to mislead the world the last few days, but were out now to prove a point.

Zimbabwe's cause was harmed first by Neil Johnson's inability to bowl at all. Their next cause of concern was the return to form of Saeed Anwar, who chose this particular match to rediscover his touch and score his 16th one day hundred. Pakistan tried out Wasti in the opener's slot, and he teamed up magnificently with his senior partner, to prepare the perfect launching pad for the perfect assault in the end overs. For a while, Pakistan were bogged down by the loss of some quick wickets. The Zimbabweans briefly clawed themselves back into the game, and looked like keeping the score down to manageable proportions. It was Shahid Afridi, batting lower down the order, who bludgeoned a quickfire 30 plus, to set up 271 runs for the Zimbabweans to chase.

It was a tall order, and Zimbabwe were, predictably, found short of class in coping with the challenges posed by the potent Pakistani attack. It was again Neil Johnson, who had to fight a lone battle to keep his team afloat. Here is a man, who is destined in this tournament to stamp his class on every big match that he plays. He had just scored a heroic hundred against the Aussies, and now he singlehandedly kept Pakistan at bay, for as long as he could. It was a pity that he received no support from his compatriots. The rest of the batting order basically watched the game from the dressing room.

Pakistan let loose its fast bowlers from the word go. Shoaib Akhtar found his rhythm which was missing in the match against India. Here, he set the tone for the innings with an express delivery that thudded into Johnson's helmet. The message was also meant for the other teams left in contention for the Cup. He was hostile and he was quick. The captain gave him only a short burst with the new ball, but he did enough during that spell to soften up the Zimbabweans. It was just a question of time before the inevitable took place. The batting simply caved in, and had it not been for Johnson's lonely vigil, the Zimbabwean embarrassment would have been more than complete.

In the general turmoil that followed, Saqlain Mushtaq rehabilitated himself with a classic display of off-spin bowling. All in all, Pakistan delivered the coup de grace in style, and promised they have the resources for coming up with more of the same. There will be no quarter given, and none asked. The chips are down now. The winner takes all. The fact that Saqlain took a hattrick as well, summed up Pakistan's total dominance of the day's proceedings.

Pakistan, meanwhile, would be laughing all the way to the bank. They have come back from the doldrums of three defeats and have found their confidence and form. The batting looks like it has found its bearings, the bowling gives enough indication that its depth and variety should be able to trouble the best of opponents.

Many eyebrows have been raised at the prospect of Zimbabwe playing the semi-final without winning any of their matches in the Super Six. Teams like Australia and India, are still hard pushed to claim a spot in the last four, but they only have themselves to blame for their present predicament. The rules of the competition were the same for everybody, and if they have not taken advantage of them, they must leave themselves open to charity. Now, that is a commodity in very short supply at this time and place. This is the here and the now. Existentialism is back in fashion.

Source :: The Daily Star