There was no Shoaib Malik or Rana Naved in the first ODI (not to mention Imran Nazir who wasn’t even in the squad). In the second ODI, Umar Akmal was dropped and Shoaib Malik was brought in. For today’s game, Mohammad Yousuf made way and back came Umar Akmal. Ask most Pakistan fans and very few would say we went in with our best side in any of these three ODIs.

Consistency in selection usually results in consistency in performance so why the need to make changes? These changes have basically all come about because of the conundrum that Pakistan are having with their openers. Khalid Latif, one of the openers brought in, has done very well averaging 43. His partner on the other hand, Salman Butt, averaged 28. Could we have done without bringing Butt back? Yes in my opinion, because it would have meant Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf were able to play in the same side. Kamran Akmal or Shoaib Malik opening with Khalid Latif could quite easily have given us the 28 runs an innings like Butt has, and evidently, by using fewer deliveries. It was surprising he was recalled in the first instance but to keep him and disturb a settled side was a big mistake.

Today was a big game for the Captain. Having scored 0 and 19 respectively, I was hoping he’d make a match winning century and do the honourable thing of handing over the reins to Afridi and then stepping down. Pressure is piling up on Younis Khan and some would say he brought it on himself with his resignation and subsequent demands for reinstatement. But having scored and excruciating 3 off 16 balls today, the chances are that he will not be going out like this.

Younis comes in at number three, a vital position where innings collapses are either born or die a slow death. Rather than stop a collapse today, Younis triggered one by running out a settled Salman Butt, and in the end, bringing more pressure on himself as was evident from the jeers he received at the presentation.

The final word must go to the two shinning lights of Pakistan cricket, Mohammand Aamer and Saeed Ajmal. Not only were they head and shoulders above the others with the ball, but they also were the two highest scorers in the Pakistan side, taking the game to the last over and almost snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Man of the match Aamer’s 73 not out made him the first Pakistani number 10 to reach a fifty in ODI cricket. His partnership of 103 with Ajmal (33), was the second highest overall for the tenth wicket in an ODI. They were deservedly applauded by the Kiwis.

Meanwhile, Younis has devoured this challenge with an innings that could earn him the highest ever score by a Pakistani. It would be well deserved. The new captaincy, a selection row, criticism of his leadership in the field, a score of over six hundred, and the bowling combination of Murali and Mendis have all made this innings a test of Younis’ mental strength and character. He has passed with a flourish and an ever present smile.

His square drive to reach a century and reverse sweep to the triple hundred were typical Younis: classical yet innovative and fearless. The road to recovery for Pakistan cricket will be long and interrupted by failure. But Younis Khan has already shown that he is a man with the guts to lead Pakistan cricket out of the living hell of the past two years.

Published with the permission of Dr Kamran Abbasi. Also posted at cricinfo.com

“Muralitharan is a great bowler and he deserves the record – which are there to be broken. I noticed his progress in 2003 and realised he was the only man who could break my record.”

“At times I jokingly told him not to play one-day cricket, so that my record would remain intact”

“No matter what type of surface he has played on, no matter in which country and against which team…he is simply great and more than a good bowler, he is a good human being.”

“I don’t think any bowler will be able to break his records,” he went on “If he continues to play for another two or three years, he will cross 1,000 in Tests and 600 in ODIs, which will be tough to break for anyone else.”

Praise indeed from the great Pakistan lefty.

This will be a great time for Murali, who has battled continuous questions over his action and in the past had run-ins with the Australian leggy Shane Warne. It is for those reasons that many have felt that Murali has not been getting the credit he deserves from Australia , England and from the ICC who left him out of there 2004 team of the year in place of Warne though Murali was the better performer. The remarkable thing was, that for more than half the period in question, Warne was serving a drugs ban.

In March last year, Warne was promoting an alcoholic drinks sponsor of his with a doll they had launched. On revealing that the doll was missing a pick up line, he said “I wanted it to say ‘chuck us a VB, Murali’,” as a reference to Murali who had been accused of chucking. Yet the smiling assassin continued quietly on his merry way.

Murali’s wicket taking started off slow until he added his variations especially the doosra, invented by Saqlain Mushtaq whose career has been ravaged by injury. It is certain that Saqlain would have been up there with Murali were it not for his injuries. From bowlers with at least 150 ODI wickets, it is only Saqlain who has a better average than Murali.

But today was about Murali and Akram, who funnily enough, have both taken more wickets against each others nation than against any of the other countries in world cricket.