Were Pakistan really earnest in trying to win Wednesday's match against Australia
Were Pakistan really earnest in trying to win Wednesday's match against Australia, despite their captain Younus Khan's now seemingly hypocritical assurance to the media on the eve of the match that there would be no 'conspiracy' against India?
I think not. In my book, Younus's assurance seems of a piece with the brazenly two-faced utterances of his country's politicians.
Having already qualified for the semi-final stage of the Champions Trophy, Pakistan were in a position to "throw" their match and, by allowing Australia to win, ensure the demise of India, their arch enemies at cricket and other spheres.
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True? Pakistan middle-order batsman Misbah-ul-Haq |
As events panned out in a match in which Pakistan's performance was strange, to say the least, Australia won the heart-stopping match by two wickets off the last ball of the match. Their win was good enough to ensure that they, and not India, qualified for the last four stage of the tournament.
Had Pakistan lost, since India thrashed the West Indies by seven wickets in a one-sided affair, the fourth place in the semi-finals would have been decided on net rate and India could have, conceivably, squeezed through ahead of holders Australia, even though the latter were ahead of India on net run rate before both matches commenced.
Batting first, after being put in to bat, Pakistan played in a manner that defied comprehension, their accomplished batsmen who had put the Indian and West Indian bowlers to the sword, giving the distinct impression that they cared little for the outcome.
Incredible dismissal But the incredible manner of dismissal of Misbah ul Haq hit wicket to a Shane Watson delivery made knowledgeable fans and journalists in the press box do a double-take.
In the words of Kevin McCallum of The Star newspaper: "Around the stadium hackles raised on the backs of the hacks in the press box, suspicions formed and conspiracy theories pondered.
"It takes some doing to take three steps back on to your own stumps to a ball that poses you no threat whatsoever. It almost seemed as though Misbah ul Haq was more afraid of missing his stumps with his right foot than hitting them. We must assume that it was totally innocent, that he did not know where his stumps were, but, damn, it looked iffy."
Having seen the dismissal and its replay on television times without number, I can attest that I have seldom seen a more generous gifting away of one's wicket.
Misbah, who blossomed as an international player only at the age of 28, is reputed the world over for his batting prowess.
Said to be holder of an MBA degree, Misbah is also remembered for offering a simple catch to S Sreesanth that enabled India to defeat Pakistan by five runs in the final of the Twenty20 cricket tournament in Johannesburg, '07. Could this have been his way of making amends for team and country?
In the words of The Star: "For a large part of the match, Pakistan looked like they cared little for the outcome u2013 the hit wicket dismissal the focal point of that.
"Then the obtuse nature of Pakistan shone through u2013 in an instant, their bowling was incisive, their fielding lifted up several notches and Australia's cruise home turned into a frantic scamper for the line.
"We cannot know which Pakistan will turn up against New Zealand at the Wanderers on Saturday that is the horror and beauty of them, hit wickets, suspicions and all."
"Throwing" of matches has been the bane of sport for as long as one can remember.
It seems to me that Pakistan's shenanigans in this instance constitute an eminently fit case for investigation by the ICC, custodian of the fair name of the game.
