The Enigma of Youth

The drubbings are starting to gobble away at the minds and hearts of fellow Pakistani fans across the world. The Australian tour was supposed to be one in which we as a nation gained redemption for the many assaults we received at the hands of the invincible Aussies. The expectations were sky high as usual, but even the most level-headed of fans were considering perhaps one test win and a respectable run in the ODI series. Sadly, all of this has been washed away due to many factors such as inexcusable captaincy tactics, appalling batting displays and comical attempts at the art of fielding. Luckily, in all of this gloom and doom there has been a ray of sunlight. No I am not talking about Afridi, although many would tell me that he is the saviour and that's that. They might be right but the solution/remedy is not with the beast instead it's with the youth in our team. We have been gifted two future stars in Umar Akmal and Mohammad Aamer and these two are certainly making the pain feel less agonizing.

Describing these two would be futile as they both have immense qualities and potential on the cricket field. Both have been praised to no end by most known personalities around the cricketing world and it's undoubtedly something to be proud of considering the battering we are receiving right now in Australia. The stories behind these two great cricketers are known as one had to fight death as a youngster and the other was thrown out of the academy back home due to him not focussing hard enough. No one at that point in time would have even considered these two as possible options let alone upcoming stars. Their uprising has been rapid and this has always been the case with the youth of Pakistan. The expectation is that they will continue to ascend and exceed because most fans are clinging on to this final hope of youth leading us to the top and beyond.

Mohammad Aamer has been an interesting prospect from the time Wasim Akram spotted him in the nets. The lad is a nippy bowler that has all the components of becoming a fine pacer over the next 10 or so years. He has the typical Pakistani fast bowler look as well with the long flowing hair and a bursting personality to boost. Perhaps the kissing is a bit over the top but its all part of the ploy. He hits preposterous speeds when in full flow and to reach those speeds at the youthful age of 17 is somewhat shocking and enjoyable at the same time. Mark Nicholas would have you believe that Aamer can't possibly be 17 but who cares?! The sky is the limit for this young seamer and so far he is proving his importance every day. Most pacers are tested to their fullest extent when dropped into pressure situations with the ball in their hand. This was exactly what happened with Mohammad Aamer as he was tossed the ball by skipper Younus Khan in the T20 world cup final. There was no apprehension in Mohammad Aamer's body posture, he was ready to attack and all he needed was to hear the umpire shout "play". Once he started running in you truly knew that Dilshan was going to face some serious heat right from the get go. The barrage of short balls that ensued left everyone mesmerized including Tillekeratne Dilshan. Mohammad Aamer was toying around with Dilshan as if they were playing a pick up game on the streets of Karachi. Dilshan had no idea in regards to how to handle the velocity of the bowling and gave up by miscuing his shot and holing out. The plan had worked and the smirk that followed was a moment that many will commit to memory.

Mohammad Aamer isn't the only enigma we possess at the moment; there is another youngster by the name of Umar Akmal who deserves all of the admiration he receives. Umar Akmal is a flamboyant character/batsman that has no respect for any bowler regardless of who they are. Some of the shots he plays make one shout out "ridiculous!" but that is his style of play and one we all have to acknowledge. He is perhaps more precious in comparison to Mohammad Aamer simply because the current Pakistani line-up reminds one of the terms dismal, useless and pitiable. The country has seldom been gifted with batting geniuses and to find hopefully another one in Umar Akmal would certainly make the future less excruciating. He has started off at an astounding pace and his batting style is atrocious yet consistent. He scores his runs swiftly and truly makes one wait up and watch the game just to see him bat once. Such exhilaration around a youthful Pakistani batsman has not been seen since the time guys like Inzamam, Yousuf and Miandad had started batting. He has all of the strokes in the cricketing manual and then some, but the critics have already started ranting about his immature strokeplay at crucial points in matches. The simple answer to this would be that give him some time, he is a dazzling talent and sooner or later he will learn to adjust and put a colossal price on his wicket.

The future certainly looks bright for Pakistan cricket as the present is mired in mediocrity and lameness. One can only hope that these two are not swept away with the many others who promised a lot but delivered very little of substance as their careers progressed. The success of these two is imperative for the success of Pakistani cricket and they will surely know this themselves as well. Will they be able to cope with such burderning pressure? One will have to wait and see.. until then torment yourself by watching the ongoing ODI series. I am sure it can't get any worse than it is.. right?! The Enigma of youth continues to confuse and please.