The future arrived on a cool and unremarkable evening at Dubai in February.
There were only a smattering of supporters in, this being a weekday at the Dubai International Stadium, and this being the Pakistan Super League in exile.
Thinking about it, in fact, it was noteworthy, but remarkable chiefly for negatives.
Lahore Qalandars were bowled out for 59 by Peshawar Zalmi.
It was the lowest total yet made by a team in the PSL, and the second briefest innings in the format’s history, in terms of balls faced, as the innings were completed in 10.2 overs.
A wicket fell every 6.2 deliveries.
Eesh.
A record like that is always expressed in those terms.
Worst evers.
Looked at in another, less conventional way, the bowling team should earn plaudits.
Zalmi’s was, presumably, the best collective bowling display in the brief history of Pakistan’s Twenty20 franchise league.
The fact they then took 17 overs to get the runs, though, in an excruciating run chase, rendered the night memorable mainly for batting ineptitude.
But through all the carnage, Fakhar Zaman finally earned a name check.
The nondescript left-hander was the only non-international player in the Qalandars’ side at that point, other than their nominated emerging player, the bowler Mohammed Irfan Jr.
While some of his Qalandars colleagues had made their pile playing in the richest T20 leagues around the world.
Zaman had been operating in the game’s margins with the likes of Karachi Blues, Karachi Zebras and the Pakistan Navy.
Scoring 33 in a throwaway PSL game was not exactly going to earn him international renown by itself.
But it did represent 56 per cent of his side’s total haul.
And, at the very least, it did show he had some pluck and stickability.
The destroyer for Peshawar with the ball that evening was Hasan Ali.
He took the wickets of Jason Roy, Umar Akmal and Grant Elliott, three pillars of the Qalandars’ top order.
He was farther down the road to recognition than Zaman at that point, with a handful of Pakistan caps to his name and a reputation as a canny operator in the death overs.
This was the latest pointer to suggest that maybe he is a little more than promising. Maybe he is the real deal, a bowler of genuine substance.
Fast forward four months and the two adversaries from that evening in Dubai have a proper platform on which to advertise their merits.
How they have shone, and how their supporters have reason to cheer.
Zaman’s emergence at the top of the order has infused Pakistan with hope since the opening day collapse to India.
He was struck a fearful blow in the face by South Africa’s Morne Morkel, yet still went again next time around, and combatted English bowlers of similar fire.
Hasan, meanwhile, has shown he is more than just a box of tricks at the death.
He has managed to arc the white ball, which was said to have stopped swinging of late.
The results have been telling, and in overs that used to be of little consequence.
His best work has come neither in the opening power play, nor during the slog overs, when he was previously thought to come into his own.
Instead, he made the middle-over incisions that brought about the downfall of England, Sri Lanka and South Africa.
And so Pakistan have made it, against all expectations, to a final.
And, thanks to Zaman and Hasan, they have hope of something better.
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