Accustomed to their team blowing hot and cold, Pakistani cricket fans were disappointed but not necessarily surprised when it left the desire to reach Asia Cup final in the hands of their opponents.
In hindsight, perhaps complacency did them in. For instance, in the pipe-opener against India, when they had notched up 299 not only had they under-achieved given the solid platform provided by the duo of Younis Khan and Salman Butt but also lulled themselves into believing they had batted India out of the game.
The false sense of comfort was audacious on two counts:
(a) it conveniently overlooked the paradigm shift in the global game where now teams are regularly breaching the 300-mark in the chase (if evidence was needed, it happened thrice in this very edition of the Asia Cup); and
(b) India is the finest Twenty20 side in the world and have, of late, brought the kind of urgency associated with the shortest form of the game to the regular ODI arena as well.
But if it was complacency in the first encounter, they were under the weather against Sri Lanka.
Having lived in the Pearl Island for six years no less and knowing their cricket structure inside out, I can safely suggest to their opponents: be always on your toes against a side which loves its fielding as much as it does batting and bowling.
The hosts failed to rise to the occasion although to be fair to them, they were without the services of Umar Gul — in case you have not noticed, such is the abysmal depths to which Pakistan Cricket has plunged with the likes of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif going wayward that even the presence of Gul is central to Pakistan’s scheme of things!
After going down to India and Sri Lanka in succession, the beleaguered Pakistanis needed to win against India and then bet Sri Lanka to do an encore.
As is their wont, Pakistan surprised the pundits but most of all, themselves when they browbeat India into submission with the kind of professional ease not seen in years.

The genesis
But let no one be in any doubt as to how the outcome came about. Far more than the thoroughly lean, mean performance by Younis Khan — he even knelt down to do a couple of push-ups in the likely direction of Geoff Lawson to prove a point about his fitness following his hundred — it was the refreshingly, engaging approach of Misbah ul Haq as captain that turned the tide.
He performed such an exceptional job that many of us were left shaking their heads in disbelief over how and why his like aren’t in the place of authority that they should be by right alone.
Every time you watch him put his hand up and fight like a man, you wonder in nearly mournful numbers how much better Pakistan’s fortunes have been, had he been around this past half-a-decade if not more.
Sadly, with the endemic culture of sticking around well beyond one’s sell by date — Inzamamul Haq is a case in point — people like Misbah are left in the lurch.
In the last year or so, he has shown professional commitment like no one else: supreme fitness, high-mark discipline, impeccable on-and-off the field behaviour and magnificent performance.
What is remarkable about Misbah’s consistent performance is his ‘crisis man’ mien — standing on the burning deck willingly and fighting it out. Twice in succession, he saved Pakistan from possible Test defeat on Indian soil last year in memorable rearguard action.
Admittedly, he is still to master the “finishing” business but that hasn’t been for want of trying. In his first match as captain, he was able to accomplish even that.

The commandment
It was obvious on the field that he commanded the respect of his players. His hands-on approach was as visible as the sense of urgency in his responsive teammates. Pakistan suddenly looked transformed. A pointer was how later during the chase, Younis continued to carry the momentum with alacrity even after completing a superb century.
At no point in the field, did Misbah’s shoulders droop or the game appeared drifting, as is often the case with Shoaib Malik, who, to begin with, is a picture of worry as if carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. A less-than-confident captain, needless to say, is a surefire recipe to undermine the assurance of his charges.
No disrespect to Shoaib, but nearly a year after assuming charge — the result of a compromise after Younis turned down the offer — he is struggling to cope with the onerous responsibility.
Ironically, he was just flowering as a solid batsman after some toil when the crown was thrust upon him.
Ever since Shoaib’s bowling action was called into question, his confidence plummeted to the extent that he stopped turning his arm over, leaving his team with one less option — a critical selection conundrum, especially in the make-up of the ODI and Twenty20 outfits.
But even more than Shoaib’s own performance being under the microscope — experts question his place in the Test squad on merit — is the internal demons he has to fight in order to run the ship. There are issues of keeping players with inflated egos at bay and contending with the selectors to get the squad he wants.
While little is known about how he manages the former, we do know that he is regularly overruled by the selectors, which further undermines his authority and dents his confidence.

The proposition
So what should be done?
At the risk of this sounding like a revolutionary idea, may be the Pakistan Cricket Board could seriously consider the idea of elevating Misbahul Haq as captain with Shoaib Malik his deputy.
Needless to say, this must be a well thought-out decision with the necessary consultation of senior players. 
The merit of such a decision is premised in the theory that it would allow Shoaib time to get a grip on his game as well as grow in the job with assurance about taking the reins in the future.
In short, there is no harm in exploring the option. At least, it is a better bet than just hoping that the fare will somehow get better.