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Saturday, October 5, 2024

Pakistan rejoices as Cricket comes back home: Naseem and Abid turned Spartans on SL

Pakistani cricket team cheered the fans with a historic win on the homecoming test match series against Sri Lanka after 13 years. Where the test match series marked the return of international cricket in Pakistan, it also discovered potential talents that will revamp the tumbling Pakistani cricket team.

Pakistan clinched a decisive victory against Sri Lanka in a second and last test match of the homecoming series on Monday morning. Green shirts defeated the islanders by 236 runs marking the first test match victory at home ground in 13 years.

The first test match of the series was drawn between Sri Lankan and Pakistan in Rawalpindi. The second and last test match in Karachi commenced on Thursday 19th December in which Pakistani players put up a pack of match-winning performances.

The test match series’ triumph has smashed the streak of losses, Pakistan had been witnessing lately. Pakistan’s previous tour to Australia, just ahead of homecoming series against Sri Lanka, was a flop show in which the team reeled on with low-spirited performances in all the cricket formats.

Nevertheless, the criticism mounted after defeats in Australia withered off marginally following the test match series win against Sri Lanka. Pakistan has ascended to the third spot in the list of ICC World Test with Champions with 240 points following the gain of 80 points. While India and Australia are seated at the first and second positions in the list respectively.

Messages of felicitation pour in on social media following the triumph. The spectacular performances by nascent Naseem Shah and Abid Ali were the highlights of the test match series. Abid Ali has become the talking point in the Pakistani cricket, following his century in debut test against Sri Lanka, in Rawalpindi.

He again scored his second century in his second test match against Sri Lanka. A third consecutive century from Abid Ali will bring him at par with India’s prolific cricketer Muhammad Azharuddin, who scored consecutive centuries in the first three test matches of his career.

Abid Ali is the first Pakistani player to win both man-of-the-match awards in each of his first two tests. Hence, he is also bestowed with a Man of the Series accolade on Monday. Collectively, Abid Ali has scored 321 in his first two test matches.

Read more: There is still hope for Pakistan cricket team

Certainly, a momentous return for the cricketer after years-long perseverance. He had already won the hearts of Pakistani cricket fans with his ODI century against Australia while chasing 277-7, the match which Pakistan lost by just 6 runs.

Abid Ali has waited 12 years playing domestic cricket, with a record of humongous 7716 runs, and 106 first-class games before being roped in Pakistan’s national cricket team.

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Pacer, Naseem Shah was another highlight in the homecoming test match series. At the age of 16, Shah has become the youngest fastest bowler to get a five-wicket haul in test cricket. He got his name registered on the National Stadium’s honor board.

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However, overwhelmed Naseem Shah wept following his success when journalists asked him of his deceased mother in a post-match press conference. Shah wanted to dedicate his victory to his mother but since she is no more he has dedicated his victory to his father.

Read more: Pakistan holds special place in my Heart: Mickey Arthur gloats

Shah suffered a painstaking tragedy just before his debut with Pakistan cricket in Australia. The news of his mother’s passing away led the youngster bowler devastated, he, however, decided to stay back with the team and not attend the funeral of his mother at home.