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| Pak-Afghan cricket 'friendship' and chatter, Sami Chaudhry's column |
After the tension on the political and diplomatic front, now Pakistan and Afghanistan want to compete in the field of cricket as well. This is the first regular bilateral series between the two teams in the short history of Pak-Afghan Cricket 'Friendship'.
Pak-Afghan cricket did not need the decades-old bitter history of Pakistan-India relations to flourish. So far, Pakistan and Afghanistan have rarely come out except for the Asia Cup and the World Cup, but why have Afghan cricketers conditioned their ability to beat Pakistan, even Asghar Afghan retired in grief. Never beat Pakistan.
And then last year, the severity of the Pak-Afghan cricket relationship was seen in full force in Sharjah Stadium when Naseem Shah's sixes not only won the hearts of millions of Pakistanis but also hurt the feelings of countless Afghans and as a result, Sharjah Stadium was also a field. It became a war.
Now, the Emirati government is aware of the sensitivity of this irreconcilable cricketing rivalry, and fans of both sides will be provided with seats at a safe distance. To avoid possible myths, strict action has also been taken against those involved in fraud.
Amid all this commotion, if cricket can gain central importance, the best competitive cricket will be seen here. The Afghan team has reached such a level in a very short time that even the Tagari teams are filled with caution, if not fear when coming against it.
Rashid Khan is a global superstar and successfully defended his PSL title in Lahore just a few days ago. Pakistan rested the senior players given their busy calendar and gave a chance to the new faces, Rashid Khan has been known better than all of them during the PSL.
Shadab Khan has emerged as an aggressive captain in the PSL and has that Australian flair that values his approach more than results. Shadab is not such a captain who starts to revise his strategy for fear of defeat.
The Afghan team will enter the field with its full strength and Mohammad Nabi will also make a comeback. Dealing with spinners in these conditions can be a challenge and the Afghan spin attack has the finesse and flair to surprise the novice Pakistani batsmen.
Some problems are going on behind the scenes for Pakistan. Some of the conspiracies surrounding Babur Azam's respite became so overwhelming to some observers that new factions were brought into the team and the whole affair was politicized.
While the facts on the ground indicate that after the PSL, the entire team was to be rested until the arrival of New Zealand, Najam Sethi awakened his diplomacy as soon as he became the chairman, and after the boycott by Australia, the dwindling capital of the Afghan Cricket Board. The details of this T20 series are set to strengthen.
This development is a very positive step on the part of Pakistan Cricket after a long period, it has been decided to rest the top players and the bench strength has started to be developed in the true sense.
Shadab Khan has shown his leadership qualities in the shorter format and can use the experience gained from Islamabad United's dressing room to inspire these new faces.
Whatever the outcome of the series, Pakistani fans and observers should be reassured that this result does not necessarily lead to team politics. If Pakistan is to run its busy calendar without the shadow of injuries, then having a second XI in place is essential. After all, not everything is about Babar Azam.