The word ” Adeel” comes from arabic origin, an alternate to ” Adil” meaning the righteous one.One who is fair. But Sport times is not fair. Certainly Pakistani sport can hardly be called anything as remotely fair.

Though he came as a 15 year old in Rashid  Latif’s cricket academy in 2001, his father being a first class cricketer himself and a notable cricket administrator, not much was known about Fawad Alam till he came into the international scene after one of the worst showings for Greenshirts in 2007 World Cup.He was kept in the Warid Series vs Sri Lanka when a young Shoaib Malik found himself at the the helms of the captaincy in his assignment as skipper.It was a dead rubber as Pakistan had already won the series in Abu Dhabi. Chasing a daunting 297 in the finale,he came to bat at 68/4. It was a forgettable debut as he had a golden duck to begin his ODI career.Bowled by Dilhara Fernando.He never gave up though.

Later that year, it was a surprise he found himself in the inaugural T20 semifinal vs the Kiwis, a game Pak won without his batting services. He was in the 2009 T20 World cup victorius squad and featured though, not with the bat, in all  four must win  games that Greenshirts won to take the trophy. He would only play 11 more T20s and none since 2010.A month later he landed a huge test  debut in Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo chalking up 168 in the second innings .He was given only 4 more test innings. He never gave up though.

In a brief return to the ODI’s in 2014 ,he smashed two innings of note. Firstly against Bangladesh , in a must win game,he scored 74 and then in his biggest innings in a  knockout game, he scored a maiden ton in the final vs Sri lanka.It was amazing.He scored a 62 a few months later on a Lankan tour to lead Greenshirts to a win in Hambantota but under Misbah ul Haq he was only given six more ODI innings and then forever shunned into darkness.He never gave up though.

His first class record is phonomenal though.Amassing 16,000 plus runs with 35 tons, 4 in the last Quaid e Azam season inclusive of  a double ton,he still was not the first choice in the middle order for the selection for the test squad .Could it be a  dream that he still would  chasing a test berth 10 years after last appearing in the national squad ? He never gave up though.

Having heard from a majority of Pakistani cricket journalists, analysts, anchors, friends relatives, professional and recreational cricketers ,even the average Joe on the street stated that they would like to see him back in the squad. There was also a polarising group of fans and critics  who didn’t want the 34 yr old to come back in test cricket largely due to an ageing aura and stance which had deviated from the cricketing norms.My argument was if you could try players who haven’t starred in the domestic scene then why not those who have.What is the new revamped QEA trophy there to begin with ? If Steven Smith can take 38 balls to get off the mark in tests with that trigger movement and be the best surely there is scope for others.

Although he was kept in the squad for the winter home series against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, he was sidelined for both  in favour of Haris Sohail who performed.When Haris refused to travel to the England tour in light of the new COVID restrictions brought into place in light of his travel anxiety, it meant an automatic no 6 spot. Or was it ? Shadab Khan was chosen as the batting – spinning option when he was used for only 13 overs entirely.Shadab had a useful 45 but with not playing any 4 day format cricket, he was hardly a starting test bowler or batsman.

Then, in the light of the debacle at Old Trafford and pressure from media, finally Fawad Alam was called in.The break stood at 3911 days and 88 test matches.He had much to answer now and the weight of expectations showed. With an unorthodox stance that makes Shivnarine Chanderpaul and George Bailey look like spectators, he walked in on  day one after Pakistan won the toss and batted at 117/4.He lasted just 4 balls, 3 from Stuart Broad and then the lbw shout from Woakes which was reviewed to be hitting the stumps.The wait was enormous but the stay was just minutes.He didn’t still give up.

Pakistan managed some rare guard action with Rizwan’s crisis innings of 72 to get to a respectable 236. It was a gutsy and busy innings where the top order had been highlighted only by Abid Ali’s 60.The rest folded again like the second innings of Manchester to the pace of Broad, Jimmy Anderson, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran.However before any progress could be made about the England response, torrential rain took over and swallowed the match like a huge ocean tide on sand.

With most of days three, four and five gone to the downpour, England managed 110/4 before the test was deemed a draw.Zak Crawley who had also come back in the england squad scored a timely 53 before a short flurry of wickets fell on  the final evening to close out the game. Alongside the feeble top order batting of Pakistan, there was another question posed by many : Will Fawad  get another chance ? If to try again is an offence then he is surely guilty in every cricketing court. Only time will tell. One thing was sure, he wont give up.

(To be continued)