Image Credit- Getty
It was a chaotic year, and while unrest is frequently
a necessary element for Pakistani cricket, there wasn’t much good to be found
within the turbulence. The World Cup was always going to be the highlight of
the year, and Pakistan ended on somewhat of a whimper. They were unable to
recover from a crushing defeat to India and a loss to Afghanistan that
destroyed their points and net run rate.
Even more depressingly, Pakistan’s performance in the
Asia Cup that preceded it was marked by its bowlers suffering persistent
ailments and finishing bottom of the Super Fours. Pakistan’s positive win-loss
record at the end of the year was largely due to the opposition they faced
rather than any advancements they made. Of their 14 victories, five came
against a weaker version of New Zealand, and the remaining seven came against
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands.
Red-ball year’s high point was an away series win
against Sri Lanka. A defeat in Perth to begin a series against Australia in
December served as a wake-up call.
Pakistan finished the year with four victories, six
losses, and their first-ever series loss to Afghanistan despite playing all 11
Twenty20 internationals against weaker or limited opposition.
Off the pitch, there was also unheard-of pandemonium
when Zaka Ashraf was named as a caretaker when Najam Sethi, who had joined
shortly before the season began, resigned halfway through for political
reasons. Shan Masood and Shaheen Afridi were named in lieu of Babar Azam, who
reluctantly resigned as captain at the beginning of his turbulent term.
The women’s team may not have had the best ODI or T20
World Cup year, but they did make history by winning an away series in New
Zealand, being the first Asian team to do so. This helped to dispel the
pessimism that had enveloped Pakistani cricket in the latter part of the year.
A 3-0 home thumping of South Africa and three exhibition matches prior to the
PSL sparked hopes of a potential future women’s T20 league in Pakistan. It was
something of a breakthrough year for the women’s T20 cricket game in Pakistan.
While there are several options, the Asia Cup is
perhaps the best option. Injury struck just when Pakistan’s formidable pace
trio of Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Afridi appeared to be getting
close to their scorching ODI best. All three of the bowlers left the game
against India at different points due to injury, and Naseem later took a knock
that kept him out for several months. Pakistan lost that match to India by 228
runs, the most in the rivalry’s history, and Afridi’s speed has never fully recovered.
They would ultimately have their poorest Asia Cup performance ever after losing
to Sri Lanka.