Our tour in the United Arab Emirates against Pakistan
View(s):It is always better to play international cricket in neutral venues. Our National Team had an opportunity to battle with Pakistan which loves to play in the U.A.E. Most of the time they were lucky to win there because the Pakistanis believe that Almighty God helps them to win whenever they play in the U.A.E. When all is said and done, however, it is not their home ground and, consequently, it was an interesting battle for both teams.
Our cricketers first encountered Pakistan in the T20 matches. In the first match our poor batting performance helped Pakistan to carry all before them. But the lion hearted Sri Lankans fought hard and leveled the series by winning the second T20 match very 
convincingly. When we look at the two teams we see that we had a very solid side with a wealth of experience. But that’s the way it happens. Even in T20 cricket victory does not come on a silver platter. Our lads have to play well and fight hard in order to win.
When it come to the ODI matches Pakistan won the series 3-2. Before the final encounter our opponents had already won the series. Our lads should know that their performance must be of a very high standard if they are to win matches. As well as this, they ought to learn to play serious cricket if they are to stand any chance of beating their opponents. The other side always plays to beat you. Therefore, you have to play the game better than they do. Only then can you dictate terms to your adversary.
At last the two teams contested the all important three Test matches. In the First Test we lost the first innings. However, our batsmen played magnificently in the second innings and secured an honourable draw. Our skipper, Angelo Mathews, played a gem of an innings. It was a treat to watch him play so responsibly.
When it came to the second Test our lads bamboozled the opposition in all departments and registered a very credible win. When we came to the third Test our morale was very high because we were leading 1-0. But all our good work was spoiled on the last day of the match. Our captain said that our poor batting disappointed us. I do not agree with him. Pakistan had to score over 304 runs to win the match and they only had 59 overs in which to do so. It is extremely difficult to score over 300 runs within 59 overs. Our negative tactics, along with playing for a draw, made us eat humble pie. Our players should have attacked and tried to get their wickets. When you play not to lose then you will never win. Also, there is a 90% chance of losing the match. On that fateful day our players were completely outplayed by the Pakistani batsmen. In the second innings they came to bat with a strong determination to chase the massive total and, consequently, they reached the target in style. We have to blame our team for playing the way they did in order to avoid defeat and for allowing Pakistan to do the impossible. I hope and pray that they will not repeat the same mistake in the future.
- Rev. Bro Nimal
Gurusinghe F.S.C.