Successful series

It’s unusual for a country like Pakistan to declare a home series in which its team lost in two of the three formats as a successful one. But the country’s cricketing fraternity isn’t off the mark in its assessment of the recently-concluded home series against Australia. The fact that the series was held without any untoward incident makes it the single biggest step towards a complete resumption of international sporting action in Pakistan. The Australian visitors were not just impressed by the tight security cover that they received in the country, but were completely bowled over by the Pakistani hospitality. This should encourage other teams like New Zealand and England, both of them having shied away from touring the country in the recent past, to send their teams to Pakistan without any concerns.

The Australians, meanwhile, have returned home with cherished memories and not just because of Pakistan’s legendary hospitality. Returning to the country for the first time in more than 23 years, the Aussies began the much-anticipated tour by braving docile wickets to win the three-Test series 1-0 with a memorable triumph at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium – the home of Pakistan cricket. The tourists ended the historic sojourn with a narrow victory in the one-off Twenty20 International, also in Lahore before heading for home with two trophies. Their only blemish of the tour came in the three-match One-day International series in which Pakistan came back from a thrashing in the opening game to record back-to-back wins. The Pakistanis could have done better in the Tests as well but in an attempt to blunt Australia’s much-vaunted bowling attack with benign pitches, they dented their own hopes of winning the home series.

For the best part of Australia’s tour, it was feared that the series would be remembered for the lifeless surface at the Pindi Stadium which hosted the series-opening first Test. But a memorable draw in Karachi where Babar Azam played an innings for the ages and Australia’s thrilling win in Lahore in the finale made sure that the series will evoke far better memories than that of the Pindi horror-show. Seldom does a cricket series end with a win-win for all involved. But this one did. The Australians won matches and, perhaps more importantly, won Pakistani hearts. Pakistan might not have had success on the field in equal measure but for them the biggest reward was a successful home series against the world’s top team. The news that it helped the country’s cricket board make a big financial profit is just icing on the cake.