Corned Tigers 2.0
It has been 5 months since the ICC Champions Trophy had been lifted by Pakistan and the whole cricketing world stood and applauded for what was an incredibly symbolic journey. Pakistan had entered this elite tournament as least favourites, considering that they were almost unable to qualify. However, this tournament will be remembered and romanticized for its many upsets and the rise of the so-called "underdogs". The first question asked before the first ball of the final was even bowled was: "who even saw this coming?". How did Pakistan even get to finals?
Pakistan's journey towards this tournament can be seen to have started from their tour to England in 2016, which saw the subtle transformations of mindset within the team. The tour began with Pakistan levelling the test series 2-2 against a very strong England test side, which slowly began the twilight of test legends; Younis Khan and Misbah ul Haq. Their match-winning performances at Lords and The Oval saw Pakistan defy the odds and capture the hearts of many cricket lovers around the world. This incredible series saw Pakistan reach the summit of Test cricket and claiming the test mace. However, smiles and celebrations quickly doused for Pakistani fans as England had crushed Pakistan in 4-1 in an embarrassing ODI series. However, after Pakistan's only win against the England ODI side in the final match at Cardiff there was some light at the end of the tunnel for a team that was down and out. After being set 302 to win, it was obvious that England were easy favourites as Pakistan had shown no sense of modern limited overs cricket and resembled a side that was playing a 90s style of conservative cricket. However, that game saw Pakistan claim a crucial 4 wicket win over England to avoid a series whitewash which saw an emergence of a new brand of cricket being created from the coaching of Mickey Arthur. This tour ultimately showed the sparks of talent emerging from the Pakistan side with the likes of Hasan Ali and explosive opening batsman Sharjeel Khan.
However, the smiles soon disappeared for Pakistan as they experienced a 2-0 series loss to New Zealand and a 3-0 thumping against Australia. However, despite the tour disappointments, the test tour to Australia saw some incredibly inspiring performances that left Australia with little answers. Azhar Ali's dominating 205 not out against a strong Australian bowling line up at the MCG was a testimony to his outstanding year of 2016 which ended with a peak batting average of 63.05. However, the series will be known for the effort that Pakistan showed against Australia at the Gabba during the first test. Being set a final target of 490 to win, the stadiums quickly emptied as an Australian victory was certain. However, no one could have predicted that Pakistan after a poor first innings performance would take the test match to the final day and being 39 runs short for what a record-breaking performance courtesy of a classy Asad Shafiq masterclass (137 runs). The test series ended with a shattering performance again by Pakistan after Younis Khan returned to form with a fighting 175 not out at the SCG. Much like the England ODI series Pakistan again suffered from a 4-1 series defeat which this time saw more promising results and changes to mindset for the team despite the losses. In particular, the explosive nature of opening batsman Sharjeel Khan bamboozled the Aussies along with the consistent performances of Babar Azam finishing the summer with a classy century in the fifth ODI.
After the conclusion of a bumpy tour down under, Pakistan's reply in the T20 and ODI series saw yet again the emergence of a new youngster. This time, 18-year-old PSL 2 sensation Shadab Khan. His incredible spells of 3/7, 4/14 and 2/18 saw the start of young talent beginning to find its way through the ranks of domestic cricket in Pakistan and the Pakistan Super League. However, the tour could not have ended in a more thrilling fashion which saw the end of test legends Mishbah ul Haq and Younis Khan. The series saw Younis Khan, in particular, sit on the throne of batting royalties of Pakistan becoming the leading run scorer for them in test cricket and with Misbah ul Haq becoming Pakistan's most successful test captain surpassing the great Imran Khan and Javed Miandad. However, this series will be remembered for the thrilling finale to Misbah's and Younis' outstanding careers, seeing the Pakistan's first ever series win in the Carribean from the final ball of second last over of the final deciding test match. It is fair to say that a better script could not have been written and that test cricket was the ultimate winner besides Pakistan. It is without a shadow of a doubt that this was by far my most favourite game of cricket as it summed up test cricket as being the most exciting game as a whole. With 3 days of hard-fought cricket and no clear sense of direction, the fourth day began with a Pakistani collapse which saw the batting heroics of tail-ender Yasir Shah and Hasan Ali combine a defendable score. Furthermore, the collapse began early for the West Indies in the last session of the fourth day before the man of the match Roston Chase lead the West Indies to a nail-biting thriller. However, unfortunately for the West Indies Roston Chase's innings went unrewarded after a horrible shot by number 11 batsman Shanon Gabriel gave Pakistan a memorable victory.
Pakistan are in the final! Prior to the tournament, an interview was taken by retired Pakistani opening batsman and commentator; Ramiz Raja who famously quoted before a ball was bowled; "Pakistan versus India, PAKISTAN TO WIN!" So much joy had surrounded the idea that Pakistan had actually reached the final and when the news came that India was playing them, it was again the same story: "Pakistan won't win". However, from listening to the press conferences the night before, I noticed a certain vibe that was going around. "We are going to see it as a normal game" - Indian captain Virat Kohli said, which ultimately screamed to me that Pakistan was a chance. An India versus Pakistan game cannot be seen as a 'normal' game, the strength of the rivalry and passion is too great, plus it is the final. This, in my opinion, resembled the arrogance that Indian side took into that final game which to no doubt certainly backfired on them rapidly. The no-ball dismissal of Fakhr Zaman resulted in suppressed celebrations, but to the Indian's surprise, that no-ball bowled by Jasprit Bumrah had turned the game around. The match saw a brilliant opening 100 run partnership with Azhar Ali and Fakhr Zaman, before the run-out of Ali. However, this was the catalyst to Fakhr going ballistic and reaching to his maiden ODI century, before Mohammad Hafeez playing a blinder of an innings along with a belting display of sixes by Imad Wasim. Pakistan finished with 4/338, and if there was one team that had the capacity to chase down a monster total, it was certainly India. But this, in my opinion, was the moment of the tournament, as Mohammad Amir, ripped through the Indian top order claiming the wicket of Rohit Sharma in the first over and Shikhar Dhawan. In addition, the final can be summed up in two balls that were bowled to Virat Kohli. First one; good length, edged to first slip and...dropped. Second one: good length edged to point and...out. To hear Pakistani fans erupt in the filled stadium ultimately began the dismantling of a very strong Indian side. Pakistan continued there form and momentum to dismiss India for 158 and claim a 180 run win in the final.
It is least to say that the Pakistan cricket team has a long reputation for being the most unpredictable team in world cricket. Their performances can leave their supporters in tears but another day they can shock the cricketing world with devastatingly strong performances. Pakistan are often referred to as a team in which, on their day they can beat anyone, which is exactly what was seen in the Champions Trophy.
Pakistan's journey towards this tournament can be seen to have started from their tour to England in 2016, which saw the subtle transformations of mindset within the team. The tour began with Pakistan levelling the test series 2-2 against a very strong England test side, which slowly began the twilight of test legends; Younis Khan and Misbah ul Haq. Their match-winning performances at Lords and The Oval saw Pakistan defy the odds and capture the hearts of many cricket lovers around the world. This incredible series saw Pakistan reach the summit of Test cricket and claiming the test mace. However, smiles and celebrations quickly doused for Pakistani fans as England had crushed Pakistan in 4-1 in an embarrassing ODI series. However, after Pakistan's only win against the England ODI side in the final match at Cardiff there was some light at the end of the tunnel for a team that was down and out. After being set 302 to win, it was obvious that England were easy favourites as Pakistan had shown no sense of modern limited overs cricket and resembled a side that was playing a 90s style of conservative cricket. However, that game saw Pakistan claim a crucial 4 wicket win over England to avoid a series whitewash which saw an emergence of a new brand of cricket being created from the coaching of Mickey Arthur. This tour ultimately showed the sparks of talent emerging from the Pakistan side with the likes of Hasan Ali and explosive opening batsman Sharjeel Khan.
Pakistan continued their limited overs form against a very fragile West Indies side in the UAE with 3-0 whitewashes in the T20 and ODI formats. This series saw the emergence of a classy number 3 batsman Babar Azam complete a record 3 consecutive ODI centuries against the West Indies and allrounder Imad Wasim reaching the top of the T20 rankings. Moreover, glimmers of hope for Pakistan continued to shine as Azhar Ali continued his magnificent test form that pinnacled with an incredible 302 not out against an embarrassing West Indies team.
However, the smiles soon disappeared for Pakistan as they experienced a 2-0 series loss to New Zealand and a 3-0 thumping against Australia. However, despite the tour disappointments, the test tour to Australia saw some incredibly inspiring performances that left Australia with little answers. Azhar Ali's dominating 205 not out against a strong Australian bowling line up at the MCG was a testimony to his outstanding year of 2016 which ended with a peak batting average of 63.05. However, the series will be known for the effort that Pakistan showed against Australia at the Gabba during the first test. Being set a final target of 490 to win, the stadiums quickly emptied as an Australian victory was certain. However, no one could have predicted that Pakistan after a poor first innings performance would take the test match to the final day and being 39 runs short for what a record-breaking performance courtesy of a classy Asad Shafiq masterclass (137 runs). The test series ended with a shattering performance again by Pakistan after Younis Khan returned to form with a fighting 175 not out at the SCG. Much like the England ODI series Pakistan again suffered from a 4-1 series defeat which this time saw more promising results and changes to mindset for the team despite the losses. In particular, the explosive nature of opening batsman Sharjeel Khan bamboozled the Aussies along with the consistent performances of Babar Azam finishing the summer with a classy century in the fifth ODI. 
After the conclusion of a bumpy tour down under, Pakistan's reply in the T20 and ODI series saw yet again the emergence of a new youngster. This time, 18-year-old PSL 2 sensation Shadab Khan. His incredible spells of 3/7, 4/14 and 2/18 saw the start of young talent beginning to find its way through the ranks of domestic cricket in Pakistan and the Pakistan Super League. However, the tour could not have ended in a more thrilling fashion which saw the end of test legends Mishbah ul Haq and Younis Khan. The series saw Younis Khan, in particular, sit on the throne of batting royalties of Pakistan becoming the leading run scorer for them in test cricket and with Misbah ul Haq becoming Pakistan's most successful test captain surpassing the great Imran Khan and Javed Miandad. However, this series will be remembered for the thrilling finale to Misbah's and Younis' outstanding careers, seeing the Pakistan's first ever series win in the Carribean from the final ball of second last over of the final deciding test match. It is fair to say that a better script could not have been written and that test cricket was the ultimate winner besides Pakistan. It is without a shadow of a doubt that this was by far my most favourite game of cricket as it summed up test cricket as being the most exciting game as a whole. With 3 days of hard-fought cricket and no clear sense of direction, the fourth day began with a Pakistani collapse which saw the batting heroics of tail-ender Yasir Shah and Hasan Ali combine a defendable score. Furthermore, the collapse began early for the West Indies in the last session of the fourth day before the man of the match Roston Chase lead the West Indies to a nail-biting thriller. However, unfortunately for the West Indies Roston Chase's innings went unrewarded after a horrible shot by number 11 batsman Shanon Gabriel gave Pakistan a memorable victory.
It was this test match in which I believed that Pakistan's fighting spirit was going to win them the ICC Champions Trophy. However, my hopes for the team were quickly brought back down to earth after Pakistan were absolutely mauled by what was an extremely confident Indian side which saw them dismantle Pakistan for 164 after conceding 319 in the first innings. However, I felt that Pakistan was a lot better than what they had shown in the first match and that certainly resembled in their win against the number one ODI ranked team; South Africa. The second match saw the inclusions of aggressive opening batsman Fakhr Zaman and the inclusion of consistent left-arm fast bowler Junaid Khan. It is least to say that these key selections were the catalyst to Pakistan's incredible turnaround as a new brand of aggressive cricket was reintroduced by the explosive opener. Moreover, the spirited young fast bowler and man of the tournament; Hasan Ali lead the Pakistani bowling attack to dismantle every batting attack that it came up against picking 3 wickets in every match. I interpreted the events of the ICC Champions Trophy like the famous 1992 World Cup where Pakistan was regarded as the "cornered tigers" by Imran Khan. This resembled the very spirit of the team, when they are left with no options of losing and at their most vulnerable, they somehow come up with the most incredible performances. Some say including me that Pakistan's wins against South Africa to some extent was due to the rain that allowed Pakistan to sneak into a position to qualify for the finals. Moreover, the match against Sri Lanka could be summed up as a fluke, after a brilliant bowling display by Pakistan to dismiss Sri Lanka to a low total was followed by yet another Pakistani batting collapse. However, this scenario led to Pakistani captain Sarfaraz Ahmed combine in a crucial partnership with tail-ender Mohammad Amir to see Pakistan over the line by the skin of their teeth after Sri Lanka putting down some very easy catches.
Pakistan's journey was not going to get any easier as they were coming up against tournament favourites; England who were seen as being the most aggressive side in the tournament along with India. After England's dominating performance against a very ordinary Australian side, Pakistan were the least favourites. Yet again, to my own surprise, Pakistan had completed one of the most convincing victories I had ever seen, by dismissing a side that was known for producing high totals for less than 250 and chasing the runs down with 8 wickets left to spare certainly threw me off guard.
Pakistan are in the final! Prior to the tournament, an interview was taken by retired Pakistani opening batsman and commentator; Ramiz Raja who famously quoted before a ball was bowled; "Pakistan versus India, PAKISTAN TO WIN!" So much joy had surrounded the idea that Pakistan had actually reached the final and when the news came that India was playing them, it was again the same story: "Pakistan won't win". However, from listening to the press conferences the night before, I noticed a certain vibe that was going around. "We are going to see it as a normal game" - Indian captain Virat Kohli said, which ultimately screamed to me that Pakistan was a chance. An India versus Pakistan game cannot be seen as a 'normal' game, the strength of the rivalry and passion is too great, plus it is the final. This, in my opinion, resembled the arrogance that Indian side took into that final game which to no doubt certainly backfired on them rapidly. The no-ball dismissal of Fakhr Zaman resulted in suppressed celebrations, but to the Indian's surprise, that no-ball bowled by Jasprit Bumrah had turned the game around. The match saw a brilliant opening 100 run partnership with Azhar Ali and Fakhr Zaman, before the run-out of Ali. However, this was the catalyst to Fakhr going ballistic and reaching to his maiden ODI century, before Mohammad Hafeez playing a blinder of an innings along with a belting display of sixes by Imad Wasim. Pakistan finished with 4/338, and if there was one team that had the capacity to chase down a monster total, it was certainly India. But this, in my opinion, was the moment of the tournament, as Mohammad Amir, ripped through the Indian top order claiming the wicket of Rohit Sharma in the first over and Shikhar Dhawan. In addition, the final can be summed up in two balls that were bowled to Virat Kohli. First one; good length, edged to first slip and...dropped. Second one: good length edged to point and...out. To hear Pakistani fans erupt in the filled stadium ultimately began the dismantling of a very strong Indian side. Pakistan continued there form and momentum to dismiss India for 158 and claim a 180 run win in the final.
To see Pakistan lift the champions trophy, certainly gave me emotions, to see a side that has never played in their home country since 2009 to go an win a world trophy and capture the hearts of the whole world. This story, I believe will be remembered in cricket folklore for generations to come as it demonstrated the spirit of Pakistan cricket and the re-birth of the "cornered tigers".
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