Shoaib Akhtar cherishes a record-breaking day. [Source: @ICC/X]
118 pacers have picked 4,123 wickets for Pakistan in ODIs. While four more countries have produced more fast bowlers, only Australian (5,329) and New Zealand (4,346) bowlers have picked more wickets.
49 pacers have picked 878 wickets for Pakistan in T20Is. While six more countries have produced more fast bowlers, only Australian (927) bowlers have picked more wickets.The numbers do convey something special about Pakistani fast bowlers. Don’t they? Pacers emerging from the country not only made opposition batters dance to their tunes but also graduated to become successful captains.
For a large period of time, Pakistan cricket thrived because of this genre of bowling. More than the ever-increasing number of bowlers, it was the captivating manner in which they used to bowl. It is not to say that Pakistan haven’t had great spinners but pacers (even at home) outnumber them in terms of both quality and quantity.
Is Pakistan Cricket Moving On From Fast Bowling?
However, a crop which was always considered entertaining is now becoming endangered. During the first Test of England’s tour of Pakistan in October last year, Pakistan fielded two specialist fast bowlers, one pace-bowling all-rounder and one specialist spinner as part of their bowling attack. A gigantic loss by an innings and 47 runs resulted in a sudden U-turn in terms of tactics.
Since then, Pakistan have won three home Tests in a row. While the all-rounder remained intact, Pakistan replaced their specialist pacers with specialist spinners. Desperate for ICC World Test Championship points, as they should be, Pakistan took refuse in the spin-to-win ploy and haven’t put a foot wrong since then.
Pakistan's Desperation For Dry Pitches
Pitches have been dried up with urgency with the use of industrial fans. If it wasn’t enough, PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) used the greenhouse concept to further dehydrate pitches as per their preference before the recently concluded first Test against West Indies in Multan. These successful measures have resulted in spinners picking all 60 wickets across their three latest Test wins at home.
Pacers namely Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, etc., who were once considered as players who would take Pakistan cricket forward, aren’t even in contention for home Tests anymore.
Once presumed to operate like a relentless manufacturing unit, where does this leave the future of fast bowling in the nation? While all one has at the moment are wild guesses, Test captain Shan Masood’s goal of winning all six ICC World Test Championship 2025/27 home Tests strongly hints at Pakistan cricket further distancing itself from pacers.
Pace is pace, yaar. Surely. But it won’t remain so if Pakistan continue to play home Tests without pacers.