The two T20 games between Pakistan and Scotland have been invaluable for both sides…
From the Scottish perspective, the opportunity to play against the top T20 side provided them with an unprecedented chance to learn and mature as a side, and display their talent to the rest of the world. Their recent victory over England provided them with a much needed confidence boost going into this T20 series against Pakistan.
Personally, I was struck by the calm and cool attitude of the Scottish team captain, Kyle Coetzer, which was more prominent in the first T-20 and oddly reminded me of former Indian skipper M.S. Dhoni. Their positive approach in the first game while chasing a target of over 200 against arguably the best bowling attack in the T20 circuit was a pleasant surprise. At one point during the first match, the Scottish team were cruising along while chasing a target of 205 as they scored with a run rate of higher than 10 runs an over in the first 6 overs.
Their technique against the Pakistani fast bowlers was commendable as they thrashed the likes of Muhammad Amir and Hasan Ali. Had it not been for the Pakistani spinners, the first T20 would definitely have gone down the wire. Yet a dismal performance in the second T20 shows that consistency is one of the many aspects the Scottish team still has to work on.
The key role Pakistan has played in the development of cricket's emerging teams https://t.co/fC0jtXaHUD
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 14, 2018
On the other hand, from the Pakistani perspective, a return to the shorter format was a welcome change after playing three consecutive test matches against England and Ireland. The masterclass by Shoaib Malik is a positive sign for the Pakistani team as they prepare themselves for the upcoming tri-series against Australia and Zimbabwe.
Yet the most significant positive attribute for the Pakistani side from this series is that their skipper is back amongst the runs. Continuous failures with the bat ever since assuming the role of captain had led to a number of people raising the question whether the role of captaincy was having a negative effect on his batting performance. It was heartening to see Sarfaraz promoting himself up the order and displaying his notorious sense of aggression. Despite the fact that Sarfaraz was not entirely comfortable at the start of his innings in the first T20, unlike his previous innings he took his time – for which he was duly rewarded.
While the two matches against Scotland provided an emphatic end to Pakistan’s tour of Britain and Ireland, it also provided the Scottish team with the necessary exposure they need to further mature as a side.