Pakistan Series Was a Success, but Doubts Still Remain

Pakistan and the rest of the cricketing world can breathe a sigh of relief. Their first home series in six years was a relative success. That depends on your definition of success, though. Is it the fact that no players or spectators were harmed during the series? Or does the definition reach wider than that?

A suicide attack near the Gaddafi Stadium during the second one-day international killed two people and injured several others, but the incident did not deter Zimbabwe from playing the third and final ODI. Would the attack have happened if no cricket was being played at the stadium, and would two lives have been saved as a result? Nobody can tell. But what is clear is that this series was no easy feat for Pakistan.

Security was bolstered beyond the norm, according to Hassan Cheema of ESPNcricinfo: "There had been six checkposts and a kilometre-long walk leading up to the Gaddafi for the first four games. On Sunday, for the third ODI, the number of checkposts was increased and the walk doubled."

Cheema added:

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The fact that the attacker on Friday could not even clear the first line of defence would be seen as a success. This, after all is a country where apathy often gets confused with resilience and which is so used to such incidents that a low death toll can be considered a "success" - however disgusting that idea might seem from afar.

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Despite all of this, the matches sold out, and even when the rain was pouring down during the final ODI, the fans stayed and hoped the cricket would resume. It didn't, but on the field, it was a successful series for Pakistan.

Azhar Ali led from the front as captain, and he was not bogged down by the responsibility, scoring 227 runs at an average of 75.66. Shoaib Malik had a good return, and Mohammad Hafeez showed some consistency. The bowlers were less impressive, barring Wahab Riaz, who picked up where he'd left off during the World Cup. After the disappointment of losing to Bangladesh, the series offered some hope for Pakistan's limited-overs side. But it's important that they carry this forward to their next tour.

Pakistan will travel to Sri Lanka in June for three Tests, five ODIs and two T20s, and the blueprint for success they built during this tour must persist if they wish to grow from here. It was easy to get carried away in the moment and in the occasion of cricket returning to Pakistan, but they must not lose sight of the greater goal, which is improving and performing consistently as a team. They must not get complacent and must focus on the task of qualifying for the 2017 Champions Trophy.

In the bigger scheme of things and off the field, the key question now is whether a tour to Pakistan is a risk other teams are willing to take. The short answer is probably no. With a few corners still warning against the risks that come with touring the country, it might be some time before Pakistan will see a full tour and a return to former glory.