Exclusive: Michael Kasprowicz’s words on historic Pakistan tour

Pakistan cricket completed its hard-earned cycle when Australian cricket team finally visited the country after a gap of more than two decades for a complete tour.

The series was a much-awaited one as the vast majority of the players in both teams did not even started playing professional cricket the last time Kangaroos visited the country under the leadership of Mark Taylor in 1998.

The three-match Test series ended with Australia deservingly winning with the score of 1-0, courtesy of the visitors’ triumph in the final fixture by 115 runs in Lahore.

In the 50-over contest, the Men-in-Green managed to bounce back and won the three-match series with the score of 2-1 despite the losing the first fixture whereas in the final game of the tour which was the lone T20I, the visitors secured a narrow three-wicket victory.

During the tour, other than the players and the staff members, a few other Australians also visited Pakistan in different roles and one of them was the former fast-bowler Michael Kasprowicz who covered the whole series as a part of the commentary panel in the broadcast.

The 50-year-old — who was the part of the Kangaroos’ Test squad back in 1998 but did not play in any match — while talking to Bol News, expressed gratitude for the arrangements during the series and admitted that the on-field action made the tour memorable.

“My time in Pakistan was amazing,” he said. “I was looked after really well throughout the five weeks where I had the chance to work with some amazing people in the broadcast. It was the second time I was visiting Pakistan and I thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality.”

He continued by saying: “What made this tour even more special was the on-field action. The Test series was highly competitive where Australia won in the last hour. Then Pakistan came from 1-0 down to clinch the ODI series where they had to chase their highest total ever in the 50-over format and then Australia won the only T20I. The action was simply outstanding.”

Highlight of the tour

The series was full of drama where on some occasions, the home team had an edge but on the other occasions, it was the visitors who were calling the shots.

When asked what the highlight of the tour for him was, Kasprowicz suggested that it was difficult to pick a single moment but pointed out the spirit in which the series was played, which according to him, was ‘heartening to see’.

“To be honest, there were so many things that I loved about the tour that it is very hard to pick one but I think the most pleasing thing for me as a former cricketer was to see the spirit in which both teams played the whole series,” he said. “It was heartening to see such comradery between players of both teams which is very rare to see nowadays. Other than that, I just had an awesome time during the Test series because two out of the three games went to the last hour of the match where anything was possible which shows that both teams were extremely competitive.”

The former Queensland pacer was full of praise for the captains of both teams for showing the leadership skills during the five-day format.

“Pat Cummins deserves a lot of credit,” said Kasprowicz. “He has come a long way as a cricketer and as a captain which is very refreshing to see. He along with other bowlers did not only bowl exceptionally well in conditions which were unknown to them having not played there for more than 20 years but his decision-making on the field was spot on. I think that was the difference between the two teams in the eventual outcome. One thing that I will also remember for a long time was Pakistan’s effort in the second Test to save the match where they had to bat for two days which looked impossible at one stage but Babar Azam was just phenomenal. He ensured to play a remarkable knock and that too under pressure.”

Standout performers

The series witnessed some great performances from individuals from both teams. When asked about who stood out in terms of performances from both teams, Kasprowicz highlighted some interesting names including young pacer Naseem Shah and right-handed batter Ben McDermott.

“Well in the Test series, I think Usman Khawaja was undoubtedly the standout performer out of the two teams. His story makes it even more special because he was just unstoppable representing Australia in the country of his birth,” he said.  “Babar Azam for me [obviously] was the standout performer for Pakistan but I really liked Mohammad Rizwan. He is a brilliant wicketkeeper-batsman and his character behind the stumps is also extremely good.”

He continued by saying: “He looks like a fighter who is always up for it and that’s the kind of character you need in your team to succeed against tougher opposition. I was also very impressed with Naseem Shah. I think he has something very special about him and I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes on to do great things for Pakistan. In the limited-overs series, I think for Australia, Ben McDermott stood out. He looked really good in the middle. I also think Nathan Ellis bowled extremely well in the T20I”

Backing for Hasan Ali

Hasan Ali has been in the news for his poor performances with the ball in hand over the last few months, starting from the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates where he was undoubtedly the weakest link in Pakistan’s bowling attack.

The right-arm pacer had a hard time in the series against Australia as well where he was picked in both red and white-ball squads.

Kasprowicz, who represented Kangaroos in 38 Tests and 43 ODIs, claiming 180 wickets across all formats including six five-wicket hauls, backed Hasan to bounce back after having a rough patch.

“Look, I have heard someone saying that ‘form is temporary but class is permanent’ and to be honest, I am a firm believer of that,” said the former Essex fast-bowler. “He [Hasan Ali] is a class act who has been performing for a very long time for the Pakistan cricket team and I am sure he will do good in the future. Anyone can have a dry patch. Like just look at Imam-ul-Haq as an example. He struggled a bit in the Test series but then he was just unstoppable later. With so much cricket coming for Pakistan, I am sure selectors will keep him in their view and he will bounce back.”

Impact of the tour on Pakistan Cricket

The significance of the Australian team’s tour to Pakistan was highlighted by cricketing authorities for numerous reasons.

For more than a decade after the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009, Pakistan had to play their home cricket in the UAE.

Most recently, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) suffered a major setback with New Zealand and England cricket teams’ last-minute refusal to tour the country before the ICC T20 World Cup on security grounds.

When asked about the impact of the series on Pakistan cricket, Kasprowicz was of the opinion that seeing star players playing against a tough opponent on home soil will motivate the future generation to represent their country.

“I think the tour would have a far-reaching impact on Pakistan cricket because it is massive for youngsters to be able to see their star players playing against a tough opponent like Australia in front of their eyes after 24 long years,” he said. “I can tell you from my own experience of living in Brisbane that these things matter for kids, and I am sure such experiences will motivate the future stars of Pakistan cricket.”