When will this whimsical and funny cricket show going to end?

The Pakistan cricket team is just like the Brazilian soccer team-it can dazzle, delight and demolish opposition in a wonderful demonstration in the different departments of the game. That can be a connoisseur’s joy. The paradox is that it can falter, flounder and fall like a pack of cards. And for which the fans, which start dancing in one match tend to be found raging with anger and frustration in the other match.

At Abu Dhabi, till the third day, the men in green were in total control of the Test match. On the first day, on an absolute benign track, the Pakistani sensational bowlers in the form of Cheema and Junaid, simply made the Lankan batsmen dance with skill and pace and had skittle them out below 200. In reply, despite a somnolence batting display by the Pakistani batsmen, they had taken a lead of almost 300 and asked Sri Lanka to bat again with two days to spare.

In the age of T20, to survive two days isn’t an easy task but if the team is Pakistan who changes colours in session after session then anything is possible. The Pakistani bowlers kept on piling pressure upon the Sri Lankan batsmen but the Pakistani fielders, led by Mohammad Hafeez, started an exhibition of dropped catches. It turned out to be a total comedy show as lollypops went down leaving the hardworking Pakistani pacemen in total frustration.

Almost six catches went down and the Pakistani bowlers simply felt down on which the Sri Lankan batsmen cashed in. Safely and steadily the Lankans drew the first Test at Abu Dhabi, a venue which is yet to witness a Test result.

Sangakkara and co must thank Pakistan’s nature of cricket which is either rubbish or stupendous. Time moved, decades after decades have passed away but the whimsical nature of Pakistan cricket didn’t change. Perhaps it was during Imran’s era in which the team as a whole exhibited such whimsical nature on rare occasions. But otherwise the nation’s cricketing history is full of “Hot one day and cold the other day.”

As a Pakistan cricket fan I would love to enjoy the unpredictable nature of the team with a positive note and which is to script victories in a more thrilling way rather than ending up at the receiving end with whimsical and funny cricket.

But will this whimsical and funny cricket show going to end?

I don’t know.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar