By REUTERS
Pakistan have long
been regarded as a talented yet inconsistent side, but through a combination of
sheer hard work, application and a little help from some inclement Caribbean
weather, the South Asian side sit atop the test rankings for a first time.
Misbah-ul-Haq´s men
thrashed hosts England at the Oval, the venue of one of the country´s darkest
moments in cricket, earlier this month to earn a 2-2 draw in the four-test
series and prove to many that they can compete on any surface.
Last Wednesday, Sri
Lanka completed a 3-0 whitewash of table-topping Australia to allow India to go
top of the ICC rankings and when four straight days of rain denied the Indians
a 3-0 series win in the West Indies, Pakistan were elevated to the top of the
pile without bowling a ball.
"This is what
cricketers play for and want to achieve in their careers. It is a reward for
something we had planned as a group a few years ago and have worked extremely
hard to achieve it," Misbah told reporters of the rise to the top.
Unable to play at home
since a 2009 militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore and shorn of
bowling prospect Mohammad Amir in the wake of a damaging spot-fixing scandal at
the Oval in 2010, Pakistan have ploughed a lonely furrow in cricket´s
wilderness.
Undaunted by the
isolation, Amir has returned after serving a five-year ban and immediately
added fire to a formidable pace attack that, supplemented by the guile of
imposing leg-spinner Yasir Shah, can run through any batting order.
Led by the evergreen
Misbah and his able aging cohort Younus Khan, their vital experience has
enabled a younger generation of batsmen to shine as Pakistan have capitalised
on the dust bowl pitches in their UAE surrogate home to see off all-comers.
In the last two years,
Pakistan have beaten Australia and England at home, drawn with New Zealand, and
earned impressive away series wins in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh before the 2-2
draw against the English gave the world notice of their class.
"For us, the
number one ranking is not a destination but part of a journey," Misbah
added. "Our long-term objective and strategy is to remain competitive,
continue to challenge the top sides with good cricket and once again become the
most followed side like the Pakistan teams of yesteryear.
"While climbing to the top has been a
long and arduous journey, the real challenge for Pakistan is staying there and
test series in New Zealand and Australia at the end of the year will be the
biggest indicator of just how far they have come.”
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