National Editorial
The Pakistan cricket team has been in exile since the 2009 attack by violent extremists on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore. The actions of those gunmen turned the country into a cricketing no-go area and Pakistan has made the UAE its home away from home ever since.
It is hard to fully comprehend the complexities of being away from home for such an extended period. In this context, Pakistan’s rise to top spot in the ICC Test rankings is a spectacular achievement. It’s also a testament to the quality of cricket the team has consistently played and, indeed, to their strength of character over the past few years.
The ranking is also a personal achievement for the captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, who led the test team’s revival by taking charge at a critical time in 2010, when a spot-fixing scandal in England resulted in a five-year ban for then skipper Salman Butt and seam bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif. Misbah deserves all the acclaim that is currently being lavished on him.
