Misbah backs competing with Sri Lanka regularly

Given how few Tests both sides play, Pakistan captain is happy to face all-too-familiar rivals Sri Lanka, writes Osman Samiuddin from Abu Dhabi.

Sri Lanka practise at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The Angelo Mathews-led side has been bolstered by the return of some of their experienced players such as Mahela Jayawardene. Ishara S Kodikara / AFPShow less

ABU DHABI // It is on days like this that the world of cricket feels particularly small.

Australia and England have played nine Tests in the past six months and will begin their 10th this week. India and South Africa are playing their fourth series since 2008. In the UAE, meanwhile, Pakistan and Sri Lanka begin on Tuesday their fifth Test series since the start of 2009.

If you only have 10 Test-playing members, there can only be a handful of permutations and combinations of contests before today starts feeling exactly like yesterday and tomorrow, before last season is this season and the next.

Factoring in the ongoing insidious and unsaid, but very real, bifurcation of the calendar between the big three (India, Australia and England) who play each other as often as possible and the rest, who play whoever they can get, skews this even more.

It feels like Pakistan and Sri Lanka clash every day, but who else is there to play? In the case of these two sides, as Pakistan’s captain Misbah-ul-Haq pointed out in Abu Dhabi on Monday, it is better to play each other than to not play Tests at all.

By their usual standards, Pakistan have had a busy year of Tests (this will be their eighth). But their past few seasons have had long gaps between series; after Sri Lanka finish in January, Pakistan do not have a Test assignment until October next year.

Sri Lanka have not played a Test since March and only three all year. Two Test series, against West Indies and South Africa, have been cancelled or postponed by their own board.

No matter the opposition, just some Tests will do.

“I think what is important is to play Test cricket regularly whoever the opposition is,” Misbah said. “At least your players get exposure and you get the taste of this form of the game. Even if you play excessively against the same opponent, it eventually is beneficial.”

Familiarity has its perils, as Misbah conceded. “Sometimes it isn’t easy as when you play regularly against each other it’s difficult to find weaknesses and find new ideas, but it’s fine. As far as we are playing cricket, it’s good.”

One thing that is – relatively – new is the Sri Lanka captain, Angelo Mathews. He led the side in the two-Test series with Bangladesh in March, though Pakistan represent a stiffer and potentially more revealing examination.

If nothing else, he has already mastered the art of captaincy non-speak. Asked about the importance of doing well against a strong side, he said: “Any game is important for all of us. Playing and performing is the main objective. No matter who our opponent is, we need to go out there and enjoy our cricket and try and win. That is our objective.”

There is a fair bit of jostling for spaces in the final XI of both sides. Umar Gul, just returned from a knee injury, is thought to be a 50-50 pick. One of Mohammad Talha or Rahat Ali is expected to partner Junaid Khan in his place.

Mohammad Hafeez’s ODI form has, in all likelihood, propelled him back into the XI, maybe at the expense of Azhar Ali, who has had a difficult year at one down. There was even talk of a possible debut for Ahmed Shehzad.

Sri Lanka will wait on Lahiru Thirimanne’s injury before nailing down their XI, though the return of Mahela Jayawardene and Rangana Herath (after they missed the ODI series) will add considerable robustness to whatever combination they play.