attempts, and over all averages 25 in the series. Yasir
becomes the fastest man in Pakistan’s history to get to
50 wickets and is declared man of the series. Pakistan
record their first Test series win on the Island in 9 years
as Yasir becomes the most important member of Misbah-ul-Haq's bowling attack.Pakistan fans could have
hardly imagined how Yasir's dream year would end.
King Khan breaks more records
7th July 2015, Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 3rd Test (Pallekele, Kandy, Sri Lanka) Jehan Mubarak comes around
the wicket to Misbah-ul-Haq, who stays in his crease
and launches into the stroke; the ball is dispatched into
the empty stand behind the bowler. The Pakistani captain who has hit more sixes than anyone in Pakistan Test
cricket history is greeted by his chief comrade, Younis
Khan - second on the all time list of six hitters in Pakistan. With the combined age of 79 years they return to
the pavilion after an unbeaten partnership of 127 runs.
At 382/3 they have just recorded Pakistan’s highest ever
fourth inning total and successful run chase, sixth overall
in Test cricket. Younis khan’s 171* becomes the highestever Pakistani fourth inning score and 5th over all behind Arthur Moris, Sir Don Bradman, Gordon Greenidge
and Mark Butcher. Younis steers Pakistan to No.3 in the
ICC Test rankings.
Misbah takes Malik to ground
5th November 2015, Pakistan vs England, 3rd Test
(Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates) Shoaib Malik comes around the wicket to the masterly Alastair Cook. The English captain stands between
a miracle and the inevitable. Malik is one of the last of a
generation of bowlers that directly inherited the pause of
spin wizard Saqlain Mushtaq, the stutter, the split second delay before the ball is released; time moves faster
than the bowlers arm. That extra moment gives Malik
enough time to see Cook dance down the track, he fires
it in quick and pulls his length back. Sarfraz whips the
bails, captain Misbah ul Haq leaps on Malik and takes
him to ground in celebration. The weight of an expectant
nation is upon him. Three balls later, Malik says farewell to Test cricket, Misbah becomes the first Pakistani
captain to get twenty Test match wins under his belt and
Pakistan jumps to second position in the ICC Test Rankings.
Younis Khan's big surprise
11th November 2015, Pakistan vs England, 1st ODI
(Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) Reece Topley of England runs into bowl to Younis Khan who has been at the crease for 28 minutes
but has only managed to score 9 runs.After a two-year
purple patch in Test cricket, Younis is finding it tough to
come up to pace and meet the demands of modern ODI
cricket. He tries to force his way but doesn’t connect and
pulls it straight to mid-on. His last innings summarizes
his ODI career and his relationship with the PCB and
his teammates. He announced his retirement just before the start of that match to leave the Pakistan camp
CRICKET
shocked. Chief selector Haroon Rasheed had fought to
get Younis in the ODI team. It shocking but not surprising because Younis has his ways. He later admits that
he had planned and 'dreamt' of this all along but kept
it close to his heart. Arguably Pakistan’s greatest Test
batsman, Younis could never cement his place in the
ODI Team and averaged a modest 31.24. He is second
lowest among the 35 batsmen with over 7000 runs, only
above Shahid Afridi’s 23.57 runs per innings. He gets a
lukewarm guard of honour from a dressing room where
he commands respect. Khan says farewell to ODI cricket after 256 games, perhaps a few too many.
Photo finish
26th November 2015, Pakistan vs England, 1st T20
(Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, United
Arab Emirates) Two men are racing in a 10-meter dash
towards the finish line. Their arms stretched out wide
and bats sliding in textbook fashion. No one is sure who
has won the sprint and who has to go back to the pavilion. The third umpire has been called into question for
a photo finish usually witnessed on a 100m track. Umar
Akmal has to eventually make the long walk as Sohaib
Maqsood triumphs over his partner. Pakistan is bleeding
at 74-5, but the fans at the stadium erupt in joy as they
see Shahid Afridi walk out. He departs two balls later
without bothering the scorers, and soon people start
emptying out the stands as well. In the space of three
deliveries the team spirit of the Pakistani dressing room
is exposed in slow motion and the mindset of their fans
is broadcasted far and wide. Pakistan loses the next two
T20s against England as well, surrendering the series
3-0.
Hafeez, Amir and karma
8th December 2015, Chittag