We were hoping for a great contest, and we got one!
Dave Warner might have gone out a winner, but there were many moments in that final Test at the SCG where Pakistan showed that they have a lot of good cricketers on the horizon – and even better than that, plenty of talent right here, right now.
They should be commended on the spirit of this series played. Usually, most cricketers can appreciate a good sledge or two, it comes with the turf.
The provincial turn of phrase designed to put off the opposition, or the straight-up old-fashioned insult that cuts right to the chase.
Aamir Jamal was brilliant with the bat and ball, but it wasn’t just that – he was an aggressive bastard. He wanted to get in there, get in the Aussies’ faces, and take his chance to pull off an upset victory.
Aamir Jamal (Photo by Jason McCawley – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
Did he get it? No, but he sure left an impression. The last time I can personally recall a debuting overseas player leaving one that strong was JP Duminy when he played his first Test for the Proteas back in the 2008/09 series, scoring his maiden Test century and powering South Africa to a series win.
It’s impossible to turn Aamir into a villain right on the level of a Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson or Virat Kohli. His lack of baggage works in his favour – but who knows what he can achieve next time he is back on Australian soil?
While there are many disappointments Pakistan will rightly take from this series – the many dropped catches, questionable fielding performances, the fact that their superstar batters Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel failed to fire – there were many players that showed glimpses of greatness.
So…should this be a longer series?
While Shan Masood may have been in over his head as captain at the start of the tour, his decision-making and more aggressive tactics in the Boxing Day and the New Year’s Test matches asked questions of the Australians.
While execution left a lot to be desired, when his players did deliver (enter Aamir, stage left), the visitors put themselves within striking distance of ending their near thirty-year Test victory drought on Australian soil.
As encouraging as the visitors were, Pat Cummins showed why Australia are ranked first in the world. A good side knows that when you are asked questions, you still have to find ways to win.
It’s such a shame then, as it feels like the contest was just starting to get interesting, it’s over. Just like that.
Leave us hanging much? What if this series continued on? There was plenty of spirit shown in the Pakistan side to suggest a win could have been on the cards in a four or five Test series.
Still, it is what it is. Now we await the arrival of the West Indies, hot off their T20 series win over England. Can their Test side continue the promise shown by Pakistan?
Judging by last summer (seriously, that’s when they were last here), they have a long way to go to contend with the side that last defeated Australia at home in February 1997 – in a five Test series.
It does beg the question, though: should longer Test series be brought back?
Dave Warner goes out a winner – now what?
So, he’s gone. David Warner ends his career with his baggy green, a lot of love, and a lot of references to sandpaper.
Considering the discourse seemed neverending about him, to now have the conundrum of who replaces him in front of us is, honestly, relieving.
David Warner sets off to reach his half century. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)
We don’t have to discuss it anymore! Finally, it’s going to happen.
Regardless, what Cricket Australia and the selection committee do next is telling, not just because of who they pick, but what it signifies.
While comparing them against the golden eras of Steve Waugh or Ricky Ponting is next to impossible, there’s no denying that the Cummins tenure has been a huge success so far, with a stacked trophy cabinet, wins aplenty across all formats, and many players making a name for themselves.
That being said, generational change is coming. The average age of the squad that took on Pakistan in Sydney was 33 years and four months, the oldest Australian Test XI to take the field since the 1928-29 Ashes series.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Marcus Harris (31) looms as an obvious choice to replace Warner if they want to maintain the dynamic of an aggressive opener that can tick the run rate over, supported by a more traditional anchor in Usman Khawaja at the other end. However, he wouldn’t be around for long.
The slightly more junior Matt Renshaw (27) or Cameron Bancroft (31) looms as an option as well, but his selection would signify a shift away from the opening style that has yielded so much success for Australia.
The risk is for CA to handle: they need to identify young guns coming through the ranks, and the sooner they can get them in alongside this pack of Australian players, the better.
Otherwise, that trophy cabinet may find itself emptying as quickly as it was filled.
Gamechanger
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the correction.
RobPeters
Roar Rookie
Actually, the 1983/84 season saw Pakistan play a 5 test series in Australia. The 5th and final test in Sydney was the last for Chappell, Marsh and Lillee.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I loved it when the states would play the tourists
All day Roseville all day
Roar Guru
Hi Rowdy, That was certainly the case when the touring side, and its individual players, had nowhere else to be during the summer of a series Down Under. No T20 franchises to link up with, and no South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh etc in a FTP. England in its winter of 1974/75, played games with- SA Country SA Vic Country Vic ACT NSW Qld Country Qld SE Qld 1st Test (Brisbane) WA WA Country 2nd Test (Perth) SA- again ! 3rd Test (Melbourne) ODI (Melbourne) 4th Test (Sydney) Tas Tas- again ! NSW- again ! 5th Test (Adelaide) Northern NSW NZ (as interstate one-day comp winners, in Melbourne !) 6th Test (Melbourne) Wellington 1st Test (Auckland) 2nd Test (Christchurch) NZ XI NZ XI- again ! Hong Kong President's XI Hong Kong XI A mammoth 37 days in Aus before the 1st Test, to help prepare for the series.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Did England, Windies, India, Pakistan play each state prior to the test in those states. That seemed to give the visitors some attempt at acclimatisation.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
But a Poodle in Luton can eat with a fork and knife so there's always that.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
The Mango Musso trying to get immunity from the most biased SCOTUS ever will fall flat. 1) he's asking to be king/dictator. Why'd they then get rid of King George III? 2) if they grant Immunity Biden can say l can do anything l want: I'm in power. 3) all it will be reduced to is a fund-raising effort for the grifter
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Yep. Probably shouldn’t have used the laptop as an example; wasn’t really keen for left-right cheerleading and I don’t give crap about American politics. As far as I’m concerned all media is as bad as each other, and the cheerleading just makes it worse. We should be challenging all media to be neutral and to hold the politicians to account.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Comer is embarrassingly inept. Turns out he’s got his own questions to answer about his own dodgy family’s financial dealings. The hypocrisy is breathtaking…
Opeo
Roar Rookie
What made you think Pakistan would be competitive? They won 2-0 in Sri Lanka recently but before that they had done very little for a few years.
All day Roseville all day
Roar Guru
If only tour games were commercially viable. When Pak last won a Test, in 1995/96, its itinerary was- v Chairman's XI, Lilac Hill v Western Australia (4-day game) v South Australia (4-day game) v Australia, 1st Test v Australia, 2nd Test v Victoria (3-day game) v Australia, 3rd Test
Opeo
Roar Rookie
There is a difference between something merely being mentioned and the volume of reporting and how it is framed. If it is a state government signing an agreement that is purely symbolic and has no influence on anything it gets far more minutes on far more programs, more space in more newspapers, and more time on more radio stations, and it is reported hysterically. If it is another political party trying to put a spy in the national parliament it is mentioned fleetingly, if at all, and with the enthusiasm that a millennial might show off you were to give them a used brand new copy of the yellow pages. There are tools like mediacloud.org that quantity such things.
Prez
Roar Rookie
outside of the dropping of Head in India, selections have been pretty good. So if true about Smith this could be make or break for the reputation of these selectors. In particular if it doesn't work will put the spotlight back on the close relationship between George (hand me a team tracksuit) Bailey and the team.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
And the best Gym and Comer come up with is Devon Archer
ColinT
Roar Rookie
I’m not sure about everyone in Australia BG. Yes, the media constantly wrote them off, but the Australian media always likes to indulge in ‘group think’. I certainly thought they would be competitive, and so they would have been if their fielding hadn’t let them down. I agree with you that they should have been given better practice wickets, although that wouldn’t help their fielding. IMO, the consistent pre-season media portrayal of Pakistan as a weak, uncompetitive team, coupled with the very bad scheduling, contributed to the poor attendance in Perth. And now the WI are being portrayed in the same way. Difficult to promote attendance at the game when the media coverage is so negative. However, I won’t be surprised if they do a lot better than predicted, and I hope they do.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Yes, It's a race to the dugout
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
Agreed. Even a few games against our Academy team with a smattering of Test hopefuls would be useful, if games against Shield teams can't be arranged.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Yes, and despite the right-wing media’s best attempts they still haven’t explained exactly why they’re all hot and bothered over Hunter’s laptop. Other than smearing the President by association with his troubled son that is…
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
60 Minutes reported on that. I know that program is a shadow of its former self, but I’d still class it as part of the “mainstream media”.
Gamechanger
Roar Rookie
Touring sides should get back into the habit of playing Shield sides as preparation