It was a fitting end to a fabulous tournament: Hassan Ali, an unknown before the first ball of the ICC Champions Trophy had been bowled, came steaming in, banging the ball into the pitch with the distinctive aggression he had displayed all tournament. It was all the hapless Jasprit Bumrah could do to spoon the ball straight down the throat of Pakistan’s captain.
No sooner had Sarfraz Ahmed taken the catch than he was wheeling away, arms spread-eagled in delight as Pakistan secured their first 50-over trophy since the superb 1992 World Cup triumph in Australia.
It was a performance tinged with more than a hint of nostalgia. Mohammad Amir conjured scenes reminiscent of his hero Wasim Akram as his pace and skill accounted for Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and the wicket that surely won Pakistan the match, that of Indian captain Virat Kohli. When it came to Pakistan’s batting, forget heroes and nostalgia: Fakhar Zaman was writing a history all of his own.
The Pakistan team, led out by Fazal Mahmood, leave the ground after levelling the series, England v Pakistan, 4th Test, The Oval, 5th day, August 17, 1954
To most observers this was a triumph for the underdog in a match in which few observers had given Pakistan a chance of withstanding the might of India. What nobody had taken into account was the ground at which the match was being played.
The Oval in South London really is a home away from home for the Pakistan cricket team. They have amassed a win ratio of 50% in test matches there, higher than any other visiting nation to the ground. It is a rare occasion that Pakistan turn up at The Oval and fail to perform. The only difference here was the opponent: India on the wrong end of a hiding on this occasion, rather than England.
The 2017 Champions Trophy was notable in particular for the inexorable rise of the Asian cricketing powers. Pakistan, India and Bangladesh dominated on the pitch as they all reached the semi-finals. But it was off the pitch that the Asian influence was felt most keenly. The relentless support of the sub-continental fans turned a competition that could have been lost (when the host nation crashed out) into a non-stop carnival.
The final between Pakistan and India encapsulated this perfectly. Fans from each nation danced together outside the ground before the game, created a cacophony as the action unfolded, and the Pakistan fans rounded off a momentous triumph by dancing in the streets of London long into the evening.
The Oval itself is set to celebrate a very special milestone this summer: on July 27 it will host its 100th Test Match, a remarkable feat achieved by only three other grounds in world cricket: the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Sydney Cricket Ground and Lord’s.
Its significance to world sport has been profound. From a cricketing perspective, it hosted the first ever Test Match to be played in England, was the scene of Don Bradman’s final Test Match and is also the birthplace of the Ashes. Beyond cricket, it also hosted the first FA Cup Final and the first recognised international football match.
Pakistan’s relationship with the ground dates back more than six decades and has been characterised by jubilant highs as well as the occasional crushing low:
August 12, 1954: Pakistan always wear the underdog tag well, and, fittingly, their first visit to The Oval saw one of the greatest cricketing upsets as they defeated a much-fancied England by 24 runs in August of 1954.
The Oval in South London really is a home away from home for the Pakistan cricket team. They have amassed a win ratio of 50% in test matches at The Oval, higher than any other visiting nation to the ground. It is a rare occasion that Pakistan turn up at The Oval and fail to perform
Pakistan’s tail fought tooth and nail in both innings as the tourists posted low scores in wet conditions. The hero of the hour was 20-year-old Fazal Mahmood whose accuracy, swing and bounce saw him take match figures of 12/99 to vanquish England and send the away supporters wild.
Mahmood’s stellar career saw him take 139 test wickets at an average of 24.70, and Pakistan would remain the only nation to win on their first test visit to the Oval until Sri Lanka equalled the feat in 1998.
August 22, 1974: In a game packed with some of the greatest players of the game, neither side were able to land a knockout blow as the two teams played out a draw. Pakistan’s XI contained Zaheer Abbas, Imran Khan, Sarfraz Nawaz and Intikhab Alam, while England boasted Derek Underwood, Bob Willis, John Edrich and Alan Knott.
Abbas struck a virtuoso 240 as Pakistan declared on 600-7, with England compiling 545 in reply, eventually being bowled out in large part thanks to the brilliance of Intikhab who took 5 wickets. The match and series would end up meandering to a draw.
August 6, 1987: In 1987 a supreme batting display saw Pakistan compile one of their highest ever test totals as they batted for 15 hours to reach 708. Javed Miandad struck 28 fours in an innings of 260 while Saleem Malik and Imran Khan also struck centuries.
The iconic Ian Botham was the recipient of particular punishment as the Pakistan batsman struck an eye-watering 217 runs off 52 overs of his bowling alone – which would have been almost enough to beat England in the Champions Trophy semi-final! England did manage to bat out a draw, but the series belonged to Pakistan 1-0. And 708 remains the second highest test total ever posted at the Oval.
August 6, 1992: Perhaps irked by England’s narrow escape in 1987, Pakistan returned exactly five years later to demolish the home side in a 10-wicket thumping. This was the first occasion that the Oval crowd had been treated to the dual axis of unbridled terror that was Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, and they certainly did not disappoint.
Wasim ripped through England with 6 wickets in the first innings, Waqar with 5 wickets in the second, as the deadly pair took 15 wickets between them in the match to condemn England to defeat, and a series loss, this time 2-1 to the tourists.
August 17, 2006: The 2006 test at the Oval remains one of the most controversial moments in cricketing history. Pakistan had dominated England, who were trying desperately to save the game, but after umpire Darrell Hair accused the Pakistan team of ball-tampering, the away side refused to take to the field.
What followed was unprecedented and unseemly as the match was abandoned due to Pakistan’s refusal to return to the field of play and the win awarded to England. Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was later acquitted of tampering charges and Hair was subsequently banned, going some way to vindicate the team’s decision to protest. This remains the only test match in history to be forfeited.
Pakistan have since gone some way to exacting revenge following the debacle of the abandoned test, beating England in 2010 and handsomely once more in 2016 to further assert their historic Oval dominance.
So, Pakistan fans will look forward with confidence to their team’s next visit to England in the summer of 2018 and hoping for a chance to play again at the Oval. They will find change is afoot at this iconic cricketing venue, which can boast a sporting heritage dating back to the nineteenth century, but is now expanding to become a 40,000 capacity stadium, easily the biggest in England.
