Monday 11 July 2016 10:33, UK
Sajid Sadiq of Pak.Passion.net looks at Pakistan's controversial past tours of England as the team readies itself for the upcoming Test series.
There is undoubtedly something special when Pakistan tour England.
A touring Pakistan team holds such interest for a variety of reasons. Take for instance the sheer raw talent and technical wizardry of some Pakistan greats to have dazzled in England over the years, from Imran Khan's majestic run-up and delivery stride, to the unplayable pairing of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.
However it's not just the bowlers who have captured the English viewing public's imagination, batsmen like Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam-ul-Haq have also made their mark.
But there is a forgettable side to those wonderful summers of cricket that Pakistan have provided. Newspaper headlines on the events of the 2006 and 2010 tours were particularly unwelcome and placed a dark spin on Pakistan tours of England.
On the fourth day of the fourth Test between England and Pakistan at the Oval in 2006, umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove ruled that the Pakistani team had been involved in ball tampering - five penalty runs were awarded to England and a decision was made to replace the ball.
The Pakistan team, led by Inzamam-ul-Haq, refused to take the field after the tea break in protest at the decision and England were eventually declared winners by forfeiture, the first such instance to end a Test match.
While a few in England may have taken this as affirmation of their long-standing doubts over Pakistan bowlers' abilities to make the ball move in strange ways, in Pakistan there was shock and revulsion at such perceived injustice.
The seeds of mistrust were now firmly planted in Pakistani minds and Hair's eventual ban from officiating international matches was seen as complete vindication of Inzamam's stand during the Oval Test.
One would have imagined that forfeiture would probably have been the limit of how bad things could deteriorate. What followed on the next tour of England, however, probably changed perceptions of Pakistan cricket for a long time.
Mohammad Amir had been labelled the true successor to Wasim and his career seemed to be following an upward trajectory until a tabloid-based sting exposed his, Mohammad Asif's and Salman Butt's involvement in a spot-fixing scandal.
He and the other two perpetrators were banned for a period of five years but the mental anguish on Pakistan supporters and the scars on Pakistan cricket were a terrible cross to bear. Many die-hard fans switched off from following the team as the true extent of the long-term damage to Pakistan cricket sunk in.
There was disbelief at that time and to this day, a few still believe that all three were victims of an elaborate scheme against Pakistan. However, for most, the feeling was that this was self-inflicted.
Unlike the previous tours where allegations of impropriety could merely be attributed to conjecture by journalists and a few players, the spot-fixing case changed the hero-like perception of Pakistan cricketers.
Fast-forward to 2016. Amir after having served his ban has had his status as a Pakistan cricketer restored and he returns to England to play his first Test match since his ban in 2010. It will be an emotional moment for many when he steps back on to the Lord's pitch on July 14.
While some believe that Amir has served his sentence and deserves redemption, the events of 2010 damaged cricket forever.
If the words of Chief Selector, Inzamam, and Test captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, are of any comfort to the cricket-loving masses, this Pakistan team comes to British shores with the hope that the only memories of this tour will be those related to cricket and that the past painful moments will be confined to history.
