The last time the two teams met was in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 in England. But the last time these two teams met on a Test cricket pitch was back in March when Lahore saw a terrorist outfit reduce cricketers to mere hapless victims. Now once again, the attempt is to compete, thankfully only on the cricket field.
The Pakistan team returned home to showers of bouquets from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the renewed cricket loving public of Pakistan. Now they travel to Sri Lanka with a brand new mission – to show that their Test status has not lagged despite the lack of cricket in their country.
Sri Lanka were brutally shocked for their hospitality in accommodating a tour to Pakistan when India refused the scheduled tour to Pakistan. The attack on the cricketers as well as officialdom outside the Gaddafi Stadium left scars and wounds, and not all physical. Now the attempt would be not only to apply some soothing balm but also, hopefully to erase the painful memories of that tour with scintillating cricket on this tour.
Though Shahid Afridi is not participating in the Test series, he feels Pakistan may struggle in Sri Lanka, a matter that Pakistan captain Younis Khan refutes with confidence. Sri Lanka though will be missing Muttiah Muralitharan who has a knee injury and Lasith Malinga also to injury. It could see Angelo Matthews in the first Test tomorrow with Ajantha Mendis leading the spin attack for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka may also be pressed for a stand in wicket keeper in the absence of Prasanna Jayawardene and it could well be the captain, Kumar Sangakkara, who will not only officially captain Sri Lanka for the first time in Test cricket but also, perhaps keep wickets.
For Pakistan, there are happy forebodings with Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq winning the PCB’s vote as far as returning to mainstream cricket is concerned. Shoaib Akhtar has definitely missed the recall and it would be remembered that he also missed the ICC World Twenty20 in England. A newcomer like Mohammad Aamer may well seal the speedster’s fate.
It promises a good match, stars or no stars. Can Galle erase memories of Lahore?
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