Pakistan, Amir and Flight of The Phoenix

ACT 1: Rise

ICC WT20 Final, Lords 2009:  Dilshan who was coming into the final as leading run scorer. He was stunned, demolished and sent packing by a largely unknown Mohammad Amir. An unknown star was born.

Pakistan started ICC Champions Trophy 2017 campaign against Bangladesh, in first warmup match, a late order surge led by largely unknown Fahim Ashraf won the match, and they chased 341 runs. An unknown star was born.

ACT 2: Fall

Amir turned out to be a cheat, a sellout, a teenage boy who could not handle the pressure of his corrupt seniors and was jailed. That was rock bottom.

Pakistan lost to India in first match of Champions Trophy 2017, humiliated rather. As coach Mickey Arthur said that he didn't see the belief in the dressing room. Things were so bleak that pundits from archrival country were posting videos about how terrible Pakistan has got and how much they would love see a good competition. Not a victory that they used to long for, a decade or so ago but "A good competition". That was rock bottom.

ACT 3: Hustle

Amir apologized and was handed over a 5 years ban. He promised to not to get lost in wilderness, but will try his best to make amends he needs to. PCB initialized a rehabilitation program. There were few new faces Pakistan tried to fill the void with. Some worked, others didn't. But it all felt temporary, fans were not convinced, Amir was still the lost hero, still a cheat and there was no way back.

Pakistan faced South Africa in second match, Mickey promised that he had "serious conversations" with senior players without "sugar coating". He even dropped Ahmed Shehzad because he was not "buying into team's culture". Pakistan huffed and puffed to a rain aided victory against South Africa too. But it all felt temporary, fans were not convinced, Hafeez was still batting at 4, still the team was behind the international cricket standards and there was no way back.

ACT 4: Struggle

Amir made the international comeback. He was forgiven by a percentage of fans, other had a very stiff stance. Azhar threatened to leave the captaincy if he is selected in his team. But on it went. He had the skills but neither the rhythm nor the luck hence no success. Looked like cricketing gods had not forgiven him after all. Fans, beside the fact that had they forgiven Amir or not still watched his new ball spells, second by second. It was not Amir of 2010. He was still a very fine left arm bowler but he was not the hero that Pakistan lost. Pakistan got what they needed, but it was not nowhere near what they wanted. 

Sarfraz was dropped a couple of times, survived close runout calls a few other times before taking his team home against Sri Lanka. Mickey, later, termed the victory as 'Ugly'. Pakistan seemed to have a groove back in their bowling anyhow, a swagger that was missing. A left handed opener, only 2 ODIs old was getting a lot attention too, yet their fragile and ill-assorted batting lineup made the victory 'ugly'. But it was a knockout game nonetheless. They were in the Semifinals. Pakistan got what they needed, but it was not nowhere near what they wanted.

ACT 4: Fly

Source: www.espncricinfo.com

The Belief was Back. The Phoenix had taken the flight.

Pakistan steam rolled Tournament favorites England. In their own backyard. Absolute carnage. Commanding and clinical victory. Such was the momentum that even the Million Dollar Baby was not able to hit a single boundary in 64 balls. There was no glitch in the batting either. Or the fielding or the takeoff. The Belief was Back. The Phoenix had taken the flight.

ACT 5: Peak.

Amir sent Rohit, Virat and Shikhar in 23 balls for 14 runs and match was done. Rest was formality. There was no science behind it. Rohit knew a ball would come back into his pads, he could do nothing about it. Kohli knew his 4th stump would be attacked and he too, could nothing about it, twice in two balls. This was Amir with in rhythm. This was untouchable, world beater and menacing Amir. This was the peak Amir.

Left handed opener hitting a customary hundred before middle and lower middle order accumulated to a strong total to leave the left handed attack bowler to put the archrivals out of their misery. Final of ICC Champions trophy 2017 was more a nostalgia than a scientific method drawn after data analysis or studies. This was Pakistan in rhythm. This was untouchable, world beater and menacing Pakistan. This was the peak Pakistan.

  

Be a Younis to a Misbah

When it rains, it pours.

It all started from Pakistan's tour of Australia 2009/10. Misbah was called in by Captain Yousuf to share the burden of what he saw as an inevitable thrashing. Yousuf never got along with Misbah well, perhaps because he always felt that it was his place Misbah played at in 2007 World T20. Misbah was dropped afterwards for English Summer, Younis meanwhile was on his fishing trips and Afridi bit some cricket balls in Australia before becoming the captain of test team which he only stayed until one match against Australia and practically retired mid-match.

Salman Butt was named captain only weeks before going to jail with the most valuable commodities of test team at that time. Pakistan Cricket Team was in a free fall.

Man, after threatening to burn his Kit in front of PCB Headquarters could hardly believe when he was called and asked to lead Pakistan Test team, a decision not very well received by Cricket circuit around the Pakistan turned out to be the best decision taken in last 2 decades.

Yousuf was sidelined with groin injury in the first series of Captain Misbah, he never played another test and he never let any moment get away when he could or couldn't criticize Misbah over his batting, captaincy or defensive approach.

But Misbah got Younis back in the team and they drew two matches in UAE against South Africa.

Misbah went onto win 26 matches and 11 Series in next 7 years the most by any Asian Captain ever, whitewashed England and Australia, never lost a neutral (Adopted home) series, scored fastest test century, doctored a last day chase in fading light, won a series in South Africa, scored a 100 at the Lord's(and did push-ups), gave Pakistan the Test Mace and won them a series in West Indies for the first time. All with Younis Khan by his side and all with dozens of critics finding excuses to criticize him as a full time job. Probably, he is the only player which was criticized even by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan as well; when a spokesperson termed him as "Pathetic Player".

Younis was to Misbah what a gutsy Deputy Director Development would be to a Great Director. Younis not only helped Misbah by scoring runs, he helped Misbah in developing the team he wanted. Guiding youngsters like Azhar and Asad on the other end of the pitch or plotting the kill with Saeed, Yasir and co. while standing in slips in his trademark campaign hat.

Most importantly, Younis gave Misbah a confidence no other senior player could give to their respective captains in Pakistan History. A confidence and surety that there is no coup around the corner. Misbah trusted Younis and Younis commended Misbah. Which made them most iconic duo of Pakistan in batting. Probably several clicks above what Wasim-Waqar duo was in Bowling.

It was only fitting that Misbah and Younis left together and both getting out in their last innings on the shots that gave them most of their runs.

It was only fitting that Younis crossed 10,000 runs mark and went where no other Pakistani went because there was no one like him.

It was only fitting that Misbah scored couple of 99s because only that showed how little the numbers mattered in the stature of Captain Misbah.

It was only fitting that Younis crafted the final wicket with Yasir shah to claim the series for Captain Misbah's Pakistan

And it was only fitting that Misbah won Pakistan what Kardads, Mushtaqs, Imrans, Wasims and Inzimams couldn't.

No one, can possibly know: would Misbah had achieved all this without Younis and had Younis played any test after his fishing trips if Misbah wasn't made Captain?

But we Certainly know: not everyone gets to be a Misbah, which Yousuf failed to understand, someone has to be a Younis as well. So, if you cannot be a Misbah, at least be a Younis to a Misbah.