Eighteen months ago Pakistan's cricket team were in total disarray. The spot betting allegations, which later led to the conviction and jailing of the guilty parties, led to bad blood between the two nations. Of course it was sad to see three young international cricketers, Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif succumb to greed, and the remnants of such a promising team capitulated at Lord's to lose the series 3-1.
Of course, Pakistan are rarely far from controversy. It's not their fault that terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan coach taking the players to a match a few years ago, since when there have been no Tests on Pakistani soil. However, they were more culpable when refusing to reappear after tea at The Oval in 2006 forfeiting the 4th Test when in a winning position. Umpire Daryl Hair got a bad press but he wasn't the only man who looked foolish that day. Another umpire Shakoor Rana made the headlines for all the wrong reasons in December 1987 when he had a stand-up finger-wagging slanging match with England skipper Mike Gatting at Faisalabad. There could be no doubt that Rana was involved in some dodgy stuff but Gatting hardly covered himself in glory. Like most Test series in which he was captain, Gatting's team went on to lose the series thanks to Abdul Qadir's 13 wickets in the First Test, but the long-term result was that England didn't tour Pakistan for another 13 years.
In the mean time, Pakistani bowlers Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmed plus the likes of Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq lorded it over various English teams during the 1990s. However, in 2000-1, England got their revenge over the hosts by winning the decisive third Test at Karachi, thanks largely to the unlikely figure of Ashley Giles and Darren Gough. Five years later, Inzy's side won the series 2-0 only to be turned over the next summer in that fateful rubber concluding in the farcical situation at The Oval.
Amazingly, given the fact they have lost the services of their two best bowlers to jail and their best batsman Mohammed Yousuf to I don't know what(!), Pakistan had a remarkably successful 2011, winning almost every game over five days, 50 overs or 20 they played, although none of their Test series were against the top four countries. New captain Misbah-ul-Haq can claim he could no more than beat the opposition in front of him, although he has a reputation of safety first. Well, he has proved to be a winner but now, at neutral Dubai, his squad of tyros and old-stagers are up against the best Test team in the world. Can they win?
Despite a rare long break from top-class cricket, Eng;and look in reasonable nick. Alastair Cook scored another hundred last week and most of his team-mates scored some runs. It's a shame that Ian Bell's injured wrist could rule him out, because no Englishman has ever scored more centuries (four) against Pakistan. The heat and dry conditions won't suit England's bowling strengths. No swing-friendly moisture in the air for Jimmy Anderson, nor 90-degree turn for Graeme Swann. However, while not wishing to underestimate the opposition, England should be confident of taking the three-match series. Mohammed Hafeez, Younis Khan, skipper Misbah, Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal are top-drawer players but if Cook, Trott, Pietersen and co get into the batting groove and those England bowlers free of injury take their 2011 form into the new year, they will be more than a match for Pakistan. Let's just hope there are no controversies and the game is played in the right spirit. There have been some cracking Test matches this winter and hopefully Dubai/Abu Dhabi will produce some more.
Finally, some trivia which would bring Sachin Tendulkar out in a cold sweat. When the two sides met at Karachi in March 1973, the final result reads: match drawn. However, the game featured something which I believe has never happened before or since in a Test. There were no centuries, but three players, Majid Khan, Mushtaq Mohammad and Dennis Amiss were all dismissed on 99. Gutted or what?!
