Yasir Shah - not Babar Azam - real victim of Pakistan cricket flying under the radar
Have circumstances curtailed Yasir Shah's ceiling?
|‘GOT HIM!!! WHY DID HE DO THAT??????? YASIR SHAH WINS THE MATCH, WINS THE SERIES FOR THE FIRST TIME, FOR PAKISTAN’ Fazeer Mohammed’s words from three years ago are still fresh in the minds of every cricket fan who witnessed the unmissable classic between Windies and Pakistan at Roseau in 2017.
It was certainly one of the finest pieces of commentary in sport in the previous decade. A West Indian himself, pain, agony and heartbreak dripped in Fazeer’s voice after Shannon Gabriel did what he did - with just 7 balls left in the game. Yet, keeping his emotions in check, Fazeer delivered a monologue of the highest order that immortalized the moment which, incidentally, turned out to be the final appearance of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan on a cricket field.
For Yasir Shah, the man who was the protagonist of the Roseau Drama in 2017, the stage was not too different at Old Trafford last week: he was once again entrusted by his captain to bowl his side to victory and he had to, once again, make the impossible happen with the second new ball in his hand. This time, too, he had Nasser, Bumble, Athers and a plethora of other voices who could capture the moment to perfection should he emerge victorious. Unfortunately for Shah, there was going to be no euphoria like the evening at Roseau three years ago. But regardless of the result, the moments towards the close of play on Day 4 were yet another manifestation of his stature and ability and perhaps another clear indication of the leg-spinner being an imminent inductee in Pakistan’s Hall of Fame.
Ahead of the first Test at Old Trafford, there was so much buzz surrounding both Mohammad Abbas and the young duo of Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi that it made fans, experts and perhaps even the English players themselves forget about the existence of Yasir Shah. Thus it was only fitting that the leg-spinner, through his performance, gave a timely reminder of why he was still amongst the best in the world. Shah’s match figures of 8/165 are great in itself, but even these impeccable numbers do little justice to the actual impact he had in the game.
Even ignoring his 33 at the start of Day 4 which helped Pakistan edge ahead in the contest, Shah did everything a captain could ask of his talisman - he complimented the pacers in the first innings and ran through England in the middle overs, he bowled a lion’s share of the overs in the second dig as the wicket started to crumble and, as the stakes got higher and higher, he took it upon himself to win the match for his country. All this whilst sporting a cheeky grin that has almost become an exclusive part of his identity.
Put simply, it was a performance that underscored how Pakistan and the rest of the world have taken Yasir’s genius and brilliance for granted. Nasser Hussain, during the first innings, spoke of how people not batting an eye about Babar Azam’s performances is a consequence of Pakistan falling off a cliff in international cricket’s radar, but really, if there is one cricketer in the entire Pakistan team that hasn’t gotten the due credit, appreciation and acknowledgement he’s deserved, it is Yasir Shah.
It is easy to overlook Shah’s achievements in red-ball cricket. In fact, unfortunately, more often than not, his achievements have been brushed aside and borderline disrespected as if he’s a stat-padder who has gobbled up all his wickets in a lower division. But from an unbiased perspective, there is every reason to consider him to be one of the best of all time. Some of his accolades are, quite frankly, outrageous - he is the second fastest to 100 Test wickets in the sport’s history; he is the fastest to 200 Test wickets in the format’s history and, should he continue bowling the way he did at Old Trafford, he could very well eclipse Ashwin to become the fastest to 300 Test wickets.
It is hard to think of any cricketer, let alone bowler, with such a sound CV whose achievements have been contemptuously disregarded. And one cannot help but imagine Pakistan being isolated from the rest of the world for the entirety of the previous decade played a huge role in it. Because, quite honestly, the impact Shah has had on this Pakistan team has been simply phenomenal. It was after Shah made his Test debut in 2014 at the age of 28 that Pakistan went on a two-year unbeaten run across the world, a run which eventually culminated in them attaining the summit of the Test rankings in August 2016.
In this period, Shah claimed 116 Test wickets - more than every other bowler in the world barring Ashwin - as Pakistan beat England and Australia at home, drew away in England while they also conquered the shores of both Sri Lanka and West Indies. These wins might look and sound regulation, but, to put them into perspective, prior to Shah’s debut, Pakistan had gone two-and-a-half-years without a Test series win. Shah’s addition, in many ways, changed the dynamics of Pakistan’s Test side but them quarantining themselves in the UAE - a place which, let’s be honest, no one cared or cares if not for IPL this year - has meant that his achievements have always come with an asterisk next to them, which is why me, you or no one will take his name when asked to name the three best spinners in the world from the tip of our tongues.
Shah is not a flawless spinner by any means - his record away from home, particularly in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, proves that he is far from a reliable commodity, let alone a match-winner, in unfavourable conditions. But what cannot be overlooked or denied is that he would, undoubtedly, have benefited from some exposure and, certainly, regarded more highly.
Would Nathan Lyon have been the giant he is today had he been denied the opportunity to slay the monster that is India? Would Warne have scaled the heights he did had he been barred from coming up against his biggest rival and starved from playing in the biggest stage in world cricket? Or would Ashwin be considered as one of the all-time greats had he spent 75% of his Test career claiming inconsequential wickets in front of empty stands? We can only speculate, but one cannot help but think that Shah would definitely have been considered as one of the elites had Pakistan been at the forefront of international cricket.
For what it’s worth, Shah will at least, most likely, end his career - at least statistically - as Pakistan’s most prolific Test spinner of all-time - he is 40 shy of Danish Kaneria’s tally of 261 and, despite him being 34, one does get a feeling that he’ll knock that number off in no time.
Recognized or not, appreciated or not, credited or not, Yasir Shah’s numbers have ensured that he has some space and a place for himself in the annals of cricketing history. Time is not his dearest friend anymore and chances will be limited, but, like Rangana Herath, there is no reason why the leggie cannot leave a lasting impression by flourishing in the twilight of his career. Old Trafford was certainly a great start and come Thursday at the Ageas Bowl, the responsibility will once again fall on his shoulders - to both enhance his reputation and carry his side - in what could potentially be his penultimate Test in the United Kingdom.
