The saga of the 1988 Pakistan Tour of the West...

From 28A

“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.” – John C Maxwell

Pakistan versus West Indies Board XI at Bourda, 24 – 27 March. Scores: Pakistan, 495; Shoaib Mohammad, 208*, Aamer Malik, 51, and 230 for four wickets declared, Mudassar Nazar, 72. Board XI, 341; K Arthurton, 132, and 90 for four. Match drawn.

Fifth ODI, at Bourda, 30th March. Scores: Pakistan, 221 for seven wickets; J Miandad, 100*, Rameez Raja, 67. West Indies, 225 for three wickets, P Simmons, 79, R Richardson, 68. West Indies won by seven wickets. West Indies sweep ODI series 5 – 0.

Khan might have mused in a quiet moment early one morning sitting alone on the balcony of his room at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, squinting into the distant Atlantic Ocean as the sun crested the horizon: ‘This is my fourth crack at the World Champs, who are now undefeated in a Test series since the summer of 1980. As a 24-year-old, I was a young member of a highly talented Pakistan squad – one of the best ever – which visited the Caribbean in 1977, just as the West Indies’ star was commencing its ascendancy. The score was 2-1 in favour of the hosts but still did not reflect how close the series actually was. The First Test in Barbados, especially after Wasim Raja’s splendid knocks had given us a chance, had been there for the taking. The Second at the Queen’s Park Oval should have been salvaged, like we did here in the Third at Bourda, with that superb second inning fightback led by Majid [Khan] and Zaheer [Abbas]. After taking the Fourth in Trinidad, we allowed the momentum and the series to slip away in the Fifth and deciding Test. It was a huge letdown, after coming here directly from Australia where we had won the Third Test to draw that encounter.

‘The memories of the West Indies 1980/81 Tour of Pakistan are bittersweet. I scored my first century in Test cricket on my 28th birthday in the opening encounter at Lahore, a drawn match. The West Indies snatched the Second Test at Faisalabad behind two contrasting 50s from Viv [Richards] – I dropped him early in the first innings – and excellent fast bowling from [Colin] Croft, [Malcolm] Marshall, and [Sylvester] Clarke. The other two Tests were drawn; low-scoring affairs, badly affected by the weather. In the Third Test at Karachi, Wasim [Raja], who just thrives on their fast bowling, defied them once again to save the match. In the final match, the first ever at Qasim Bagh in Multan, Viv carved out a century for the ages on a difficult wicket for batting, and who can forget the near riot when Clarke threw the brick into the crowd after being pelted with oranges. They were the first team since the 1969/70 New Zealanders to win a series in Pakistan, and the only one so far this decade.

‘Two years ago, we had the West Indies on the run, after Qadir [six for 16] rooted them for 53 – their lowest score since acquiring Test status in 1928 – in the First Test at Faisalabad, only for Marshall and Walsh to destroy us by an innings in three days in the Second Test at Lahore. All out for 77 in the second innings, our lowest total in a home Test. On my 34th birthday, Tauseef and I held out for dear life to save the Third Test at Karachi, surviving the last session of the series by a miracle. Those pitches, which had all been relaid, were unfit for first class cricket, much less Test cricket. No one made a century. Still, we had the advantage after one match, but just couldn’t hold it. These West Indians just never quit fighting. We must meet them head on. We have to hold it this time.

‘In conquering – it’s a conquest to be had, more than a victory – the West Indies, we must adopt the mindset of Shylock, from the Shakespeare play The

Merchant of Venice, “If I can catch him [Antonio] once upon the hip, I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him”.’