Number one

This is a moment to savour. India’s rain-soaked draw against the West Indies means that Pakistan is the number one ranked Test cricket nation in the world for the first time since the rankings were introduced in 2003. To consider how monumental an achievement this is, one only has to go back to the dark days of 2010. The militant attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team had already made us cricketing nomads. The spot fixing scandal in England then made us cricketing pariahs too. That is when the Pakistan Cricket Board – not an institution normally known for its good judgement – decide to appoint an ageing Test captain who had been in and out of the team for years without establishing himself. Enter Misbah-ul-Haq, who has now ensured his name will be spoken in the same revered tones previously reserved for Imran Khan. At the time, the PCB was criticised for choosing a 36-year-old with a defensive mindset. He is now 42 – and better than ever. Misbah’s pragmatism, combined with his deep knowledge and scandal-free demeanour, have made him one of the most respected names in cricket and Pakistan one of the most feared teams. The number one ranking is simply confirmation of the Misbah revolution.

There have, of course, been others who have made the journey with Misbah. One thinks instantly of Younus Khan, whose pride, integrity and passion have led to his owning the highest Test batting average ever for a Pakistani. There has been a battery of fast bowlers, canny spinners like Saeed Ajmal and Yasir Shah and even the occasional decent batsman or two. Now the team which had no home has built a residence for itself at the top of the rankings. We should be elated, especially since this achievement came after Pakistan was the most populous nation in the world not to win a medal in the summer Olympics, but let’s also take a leaf from Misbah’s book and pragmatically plan for the future. Misbah and Younus do not have long left in their careers and we must ensure there is no decline. International cricket is still not coming back to Pakistan and there is a danger the next generation may turn its back on cricket through lack of exposure. These are challenges the PCB will have to challenge head-on to show this rise to the cricketing summit was not a fluke.