Mohammad Aamer had work to do with the bat because his colleagues at the top failed © Getty Images

For the first hour and a quarter of Friday's play, Pakistan relived the euphoria of Headingley. In ideal conditions, Mohammad Asif produced a beautiful spell of swing bowling to wrap up England's innings unexpectedly quickly.

The fear for Pakistan was that ideal conditions for their bowlers would equate to undesirable conditions for their rookie batsmen. And so it transpired. England, especially James Anderson, bowled almost flawlessly, a performance befitting their growing status in world cricket. But there is no substitute for batting experience in English conditions, and Pakistan's top order simply doesn't have enough of it.

It is a rum do for the bowlers, especially the youngster Mohammad Aamer. You spend just over a day bowling your heart out. You believe you have earned a well-deserved rest, and within a couple of hours you are back at the crease expected to save the team with your batting. In fairness, Aamer and Umar Gul made a decent fist of supporting Shoaib Malik. But Pakistan's bowlers require a mental break as well as a physical one.

That's why the batsmen need to step up. This will be a long and arduous tour. There will be better days for Pakistan's batsmen when the sun shines and the wicket is placid. But it is days of gloom and swing that Pakistan's batsmen will learn most from. Let's hope they have learnt something more about footwork and defence against a moving ball.

Pakistan hang tantalisingly short of the follow on target. Ironically, in the context of this match, an enforced follow on might be Pakistan's best chance. The fourth innings in this match, if there is one, will be a difficult one to negotiate even chasing a smallish total. Hence, all hope isn't lost yet but Pakistan must now show that they will not go down without a fight. A defeat with dignity will still leave them with some optimism for future battles.

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Mohammad Aamer - the jewel in the bowling crown © Getty Images

As Pakistan registered their first win in over a decade against Australia it was fitting that two bowlers were at the crease. Without a doubt it is the bowlers who have won the match and settled the nerves of Pakistan’s supporters.

In Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul, and the exhilarating Mohammad Aamer, Pakistan have a world-beating bowling attack—one that can provide the backbone for Pakistan’s recovery in international cricket. If Pakistan had batsmen to match, the world might truly be fearful. But that would be too much to ask and atypical of the Pakistan cricket we know, love, and pull our hair out over.

These young bowlers are fortunate to be supported by the wisdom of Waqar Younis, whose passion for his team has been evident on this tour. All the signals from the camp have been that the mood is good and the team upbeat despite a perpetual whirlwind that swirls around Pakistan cricket. The quick recovery from Shahid Afridi’s dramatic departure vindicates their claims.

Yet these solitary swallows of summer must multiply and fill the sky. Can Pakistan cricket make a habit out of winning? At least, for now, this season has taken a satisfying turn. And with fantastic Mr Aamer to lead the attack, the England series might not be quite the calamity that was expected.

In truth, Pakistan do need to strengthen their batting line-up even though the youngsters have done well and offered promise. The bowlers did just enough here to cover for the inexperience of the batsmen. Pakistan cricket is strongest when it has a formidable pace attack. Now that Aamer, Asif, and Gul are rising to the challenge, Pakistan supporters can begin to rest assured that they have a bowling line-up that does justice to the legacy of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and Waqar.

A welcome victory, then, for Pakistan. But a more important outcome is the influential role that Mohammad Aamer, the jewel in the bowling crown, played in this enthralling series.

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Imran Khan missed out on a big opportunity to address some important issues concerned with the future of cricket © AFP

Imran Khan is a hero, a role model. He was Pakistan's greatest captain and probably the country's greatest cricketer. He was known for attack not defence. He is a man who speaks his mind, fearless in word and deed. Last week he was inducted into the MCC Hall of Fame, and this week he had the honour of delivering the MCC's Spirit of Cricket Lecture. Today, he is off awarding degrees at Bradford University in his capacity as chancellor of the university. I wonder how he will reflect on his lecture at Lord's?

It was an opportunity to send out a powerful message, a global platform for a Pakistani voice. It was a chance to set out a grand vision, to challenge the establishment, and to provoke. Yet Imran chose defence over attack. The great captain and leader did something I least expected - he played safe.

Imran's themes were familiar, hard to disagree with, and full of entertaining anecdote. Fast bowling, his own specialty, is a dying art that needs revival. Neutral umpires, his initiative, helped restore the spirit of cricket. West Indies of the 1980s, his greatest opponents, were the greatest team in the history of cricket. When your biggest statements are that limited overs cricket is killing Test cricket and that we need more technology to support umpires, you leave your audience with the sense of an opportunity missed.

Pakistan's leading cricketer ventured no comment on his country's plight in international cricket. Nothing to address the decline in attendances at Test matches. No formula to grow cricket as a global enterprise while preserving its values. No whiff of a renaissance except a nod towards the popularity of T20 cricket. A notable lecture only for what was left unsaid.

In the absence of a visionary agenda from Imran, here are a few themes he might wish to consider when he is next invited to pontificate:

1 How to save Pakistan cricket. Tours at neutral venues are a lifeline but what needs to be done to restore Pakistan as a venue for international cricket and end its exclusion?

2 How to save cricket relations between India and Pakistan. It should be sport's biggest rivalry but it is ruled by politics.

3 How to save Test cricket. Fewer and fewer people are able to excuse themselves from work to watch Test cricket. Day-night cricket is a proposal that the ICC is sitting on. It needs to be accelerated to offer supporters a better opportunity to watch Test cricket after work. Paying spectators are the lifeblood of any sport. A full stadium under lights creates the spectacle that Test cricket deserves.

4 How to save the spirit of cricket for players. Why isn't the review system available for all international matches? Imran touched on this but didn't elaborate. A comprehensive system would increase fairness for players in the way that Imran argued neutral umpires had done. Money should not be a barrier.

5 How to save the spirit of cricket for spectators. Bad light should no longer be a reason to stop a match. We have floodlights and the competing nations need to agree to use them. Why didn't Pakistan and Australia do so, for example, at Lord's? The success of this series and this neutral venue will be heavily influenced by attendances. Surely both teams and umpires would want to do everything in their power to continue play? One reservation is that the red ball is hard to pick up under lights. The MCC has conducted a trial with a pink ball under lights, and the trial was a success. The ICC and the cricket boards have no more excuses, only a lack of vision.

6 How does cricket become a truly global sport? Is T20 the route to establishing cricket outside the Test playing nations and then gradually improving standards? How do we accelerate this process?

7 What can be done about the political divide in cricket, as exemplified by the recent row over John Howard's failed bid for the ICC vice-presidency? Shouldn't the ICC be abolished and replaced by a new governing body?

Sometimes our heroes do let us down. Here Imran left his admirers baffled.

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Shahid Afridi's decision to retire midway through the series is disappointing © Getty Images

Shahid Afridi's decision to quit the captaincy of the Test team and retire from the format has caused a crisis quicker than anybody could have expected. The reaction has been mixed. Afridi has been blamed, and so has the PCB. Others have sympathised with Afridi's plight and praised him for his honesty.

After a weekend of reflection I remain disappointed with Afridi's decision. Yes, it is admirable to be honest and admit your limitations, and perhaps it is best for Pakistan cricket to move on quickly. And, yes, ultimately the cricket board is responsible. But with power comes responsibility and Afridi is experienced enough to know what he was letting himself in for.

My view is that Afridi should have waited until the end of the Australia series before making a decision. Ideally, he would have decided to fight through his own limitations, establish his role in the team, and grow into a worthy captain over this summer. Indeed, there were signs at Lord's that, despite the defeat and an inexperienced batting line up, some of the magic ingredients of Pakistan cricket had returned.

Instead, Afridi is gone and Pakistan cricket is in an even worse mess than before. Mr Boom Boom has gone bust, and he has disappointed his many fans with a lack of tenacity and determination to overcome the odds stacked against Pakistan cricket.

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Salman Butt needs a better opening partner © AFP

Pakistan's batting fortunes have changed with the Lord's weather. Facing a world record fourth-innings target, Pakistan have begun to restore some credibility if not hope. At the outset Pakistan's coach Waqar Younis argued this tour was a learning experience for him and his charges.

Lots of good has come out of this Test. The overall bowling effort, two new batsmen have debuted, and Salman Butt and Umar Gul have begun to reassert themselves in Test cricket. But lessons are usually focused on areas for improvement and here are some lessons Waqar might want to consider:

1. Play your best batsman at No.3. Umar Akmal has continued a peculiarly Pakistani tradition of the best batsman in the team shying away from the top spot in the batting order. Senior status comes with a cushion that helps you warm the bench while more junior colleagues suffer. The most alarming statistic of this contest is that it is the first time since Pakistan's inaugural match that the batsmen at Nos 3 and 4 have been making a debut. Umar should have grasped the mantle in the manner that he charges out to the crease.

2. Find a better opening partner for Salman Butt. For some inexplicable reason Imran Farhat has become Pakistan's Test opener of choice. The justification for his continued selection is minimal. Farhat has always looked like a batsman who might succeed in Pakistan but will require a healthy dose of luck outside, as he received in New Zealand. Why bring Yasir Hameed on tour and not play him? Even the malign, and the maligned, Shoaib Malik might be a better use of available resources.

3, Find a balance between defence and attack. In Pakistan's first innings they understandably began in super cautious mode. But what they ended up doing was simply hanging around until they got out. When Shahid Afridi entered the arena he was in blitz mode, and began an exhilarating but brief assault. There is a balance that needs to be struck and Waqar must help find it because his captain has only one mode.

4, Keep up the pressure in the field. On two occasions in this match Pakistan helped Australia into a strong position. The first innings partnership between Simon Katich and Michael Clarke was followed by the even more unsatisfactory attempt to dislodge Tim Paine and Ben Hilfenhaus. On both occasions Pakistan lacked focus, energy, and a plan B. They allowed the game to drift, easy singles easy runs. Those partnerships will make the difference between victory and defeat.

5. Is it possible to play Afridi and four bowlers? The tail becomes too long. Should Afridi always be the fourth bowler?

Meanwhile, Pakistan fans will hope and pray for a miracle on Friday. A lesser but still valuable reward would be a century or two to help the batsmen gather some confidence and momentum.

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Shahid Afridi's attacking approach was refreshing to watch © Associated Press

Same bowlers, same opposition - but different captain. This was Shahid Afridi's day. In the beginning he sat wrapped up on the balcony of the Lord's pavilion, a fluffy owl. Later, he appeared for the toss, a dapper country gent in blazer and whites, to win an important toss.

The Pakistan captain's final incarnation was as an attacking leader, a giant among midgets--this is after all, one of the shortest Pakistan teams ever to take the field.

Afridi has laid claim to an oubreak of right thinking in the Pakistan camp. It might be true. For a start, the Pakistan players all strode out proudly in green caps, not a floppy hat in sight. Next, Afridi set five slips in an attempt to pressurise the mighty Australians. He has the bowlers to justify his actions. It is the batsmen who he will be most nervous about, if he ever feels nerves.

For the most part Afridi's bowlers responded. Mohammad Aamer, nerveless as ever, spreading uncertainty with early swing. Asif turned the match from the Pavilion End, favoured by no lesser bowlers than Waqar Younis and Glenn McGrath. Even Danish Kaneria and Umar Gul, unreliable Test fellows, provided worthy support.

Throughout all this, Afridi attacked in the field. Even when his instincts looked foolish, as Simon Katich and Michael Clarke defied the conditions with some sparkling strokeplay, Afridi was on the hunt. He juggled his bowlers but the attacking field placings remained.

If nothing else, Afridi's captaincy is the starkest possible contrast to that of Mohammad Yousuf. In the end, the result might be the same but Afridi's instinct is closer to the senses of his country's supporters.

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The spirit of cricket will be put on hold when the Lord's bell tolls eleven on Tuesday morning © Getty Images

The spirit of cricket is open to interpretation. Idris Baig, the Pakistani umpire, debagged and doused with water by a touring MCC team, might not appreciate the term. The history of Pakistan cricket in England is a catalogue of conflict, right up to the last tour and the abandoned Hair-Inzamam Test match at The Oval. Australia against Pakistan is similarly loaded, with Lillee-Miandad and Malik-Warne evoking painful memories.

Yet the spirit of cricket strikes the right note for this series. The ECB has turned over part of its summer schedule to the irritants from Pakistan. Cricket Australia has crammed another series into a tight international calendar, already saturated with victories over Pakistan. Lord's and the MCC are welcoming Pakistan cricket in its time of crisis. A fresh wind blows optimism into the hearts of Pakistan supporters.

After an appetising pair of Twenty20 matches, a sterner challenge awaits Shahid Afridi's team. Australia will be unforgiving opponents in Test cricket. Ricky Ponting will return to reassert his team's authority, and the trivial matter of consecutive Twenty20 defeats will be enough incentive to prove a point. The spirit of cricket will be put on hold when the Lord's bell tolls on Tuesday morning.

This might not be the formidable Australian team that strutted the international stage for over a decade, and how could it be, without Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. But it has punished Pakistan on home turf. Incredibly, Pakistan were on the brink of victory and levelling the series in Sydney but calamitous captaincy and worse batting destroyed Pakistan's ambitions.

A new mood, however, grips this Pakistan team. Afridi is an energetic and enthusiastic captain, a diametric opposite to the stand-in Mohammad Yousuf, whose method was ill-suited to Pakistan's firebrand play. The coaching combination of Waqar Younis and Ejaz Ahmed, while lacking experience, looks comfortable with its young charges. Two victories against Australia have added legitimacy to the new management team, and it matters little for Pakistan's psyche that those wins came in Twenty20 internationals.

But Australia are capable of extinguishing every hint of optimism. Michael Hussey was merely stating the obvious when he identified Pakistan's inexperienced batting order as a weakness. To embark on perhaps your most important summer of cricket with a novice middle order smacks of stupidity. Salman Butt and Umar Akmal are the leading lights, a scenario that sends shivers down my spine.

Pakistan needed Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf for this dual challenge. Experience in Test cricket and English conditions are essential requirements for tackling two of the strongest teams in world cricket. While Yousuf looks to have cut himself adrift, Younis's exclusion has now become vindictive. Has a player ever been punished more for putting honour first?

Their replacements will need to become instant heroes. Yasir Hameed is one of many Pakistan batsmen whose careers have been mishandled. A free scoring right-hander, too free in that he is usually the master of his own dismissal, Yasir might have grown into a regular international cricketer. Will his fate be better second time around? Of the rest, Umar Amin is the brightest prospect but Australia know how to ruin fledgling careers.

In short, Pakistan's batting order is deep-filled with inexperience and inability at Test level. Shoaib Malik and Afridi, the two most senior players, have huge question marks against them in this format. Little wonder the selection of this touring side attracted outrage when it was announced. Afridi and Waqar have since done little to hide their concerns about the selection. A learning experience, is how Waqar has chosen to describe it. But so much hinges on the cricketing and commercial success of this summer that Pakistan's batsmen will have to learn fast.

As ever, Pakistan's salvation is in bowling. Mohammad Aamer is a revelation. Mohammad Asif, the last revelation, is back in a favourable environment for his seam bowling. Umar Gul, Twenty20 hero, needs to discover a method that achieves consistent success at Test level. And Danish Kaneria will be the premier spinner on display in the series, but with many points still to prove.

While Australia will respect Pakistan's bowling, they will be far from overawed by it. Indeed, the bowling also boasts a superficiality that will not tolerate poor form or injury.

The beginning of this historic series fills me with anticipation but also some concern. Australia will start strong favourites, and any success for Pakistan will be unexpected. If Afridi's Army do succeed in either match against Australia they will do so by playing with aggression and pride. Pakistan's supporters are aware of the limitations of their team but they are also aware that the only limits on spirit on a cricket field are self imposed.

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Umar Gul is difference between this Pakistan and the one that relinquished its T20 crown in the Caribbean © Getty Images

Geoff Boycott described T20 as a game of luck - and it might be the luckiest of cricket's formats - but Pakistan, Australia, and England would beg to differ. Australia and England have both applied a new approach to their T20 thinking that has delivered success in recent months.

Australia have opted for a pace blitz, turning a batsman's thrash into a test of reflexes, while England have added aggression and top-order blasters to their cricket. Pakistan, meanwhile, have enjoyed continuous success by relying on their wicket-taking bowlers to pull them out of any situation. These are not strokes of fortune, they are deliberate strategies.

Pakistan's escape from Australian dominance is a welcome start to a crucial summer. Ecstatic, packed crowds at Edgbaston demonstrated the potential of England as a temporary home venue for Pakistan cricket. Even pindrop silence at every Aussie triumph--though Pakistan fans might learn some generosity from their English hosts--and a couple of dodgy umpiring decisions were a reminder of home comforts.

Australia had both matches within their grasp but the difference between this Pakistan and the one that relinquished its T20 crown in the Caribbean was simply one man. Umar Gul has become the supreme T20 bowler, his effectiveness enhanced the shorter the cricket contest.

What is it that elevates Gul in T20 cricket? Yes he has pace, though less than Shaun Tait and several others. Yes he can reverse swing the ball late, though he isn't alone in mastering this once mysterious art. The difference between Gul and other pacemen is his unerring discipline and accuracy in a four-over spell. Yorker after laser-guided yorker, Gul loads the percentages in his favour crippling any run chase. This isn't luck, it is pure skill.

The conundrum for Pakistan is that outside T20 cricket he struggles to find the right game plan or the discipline to stick to it, confused by choice. And perhaps that is the secret of Gul in T20 cricket? Simplicity is king. He knows exactly what to do every ball. Introduce uncertainty and Gul becomes mortal. Interestingly, he now has a captain, the manic enthusiast Shahid Afridi, who will also keep it simple.

Gul's laser finished Australia in the T20 series, but the real Test of Gul's development will be at Lord's next week. For now, Pakistan fans will savour a rare whitewash of Australia. It might only be two T20 matches but after the last year of hell for Pakistan cricket, believe me, we'll take it.

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	Shahid Afridi's men will look to gather momentum ahead of the Tests © AFP

Could this be the biggest summer in Pakistan's cricket history? Some of the hype from that other tournament in South Africa might have disturbed my logic but it's an argument that's beginning to convince. Following the humdrum of another Asia Cup and a further revival of the Pakistan-Australia T20 franchise it's easy to lose sight of the deeper meaning of a sport that for Pakistanis is often akin to life, the universe, and everything.

Indeed, BBC Radio 4's Today Programme spoke with Ramiz Raja this morning, a sure sign that something really important is taking place. Ramiz didn't disappoint. Cricket, he said, is often the only reason that a country divided by religion, politics, and ethnicity hangs together.

Now Pakistan must hang together in England, home of large numbers of expatriate Pakistanis but also a former Imperial master. In truth, Imperialism is becoming a distant memory replaced by more recent and equally divisive religious confrontations. Where cricket was once Pakistan's attempt to lance the Imperialist boil, the ECB's hand of friendship in hosting this tour has helped further recast the rationale for the Pakistan-England rivalry.

By choosing Australia as their first opponent on English home territory, Pakistan have also given a reason for English and Pakistani fans to unite over the next few weeks. And it is the fans who will be the main arbiters of the success of this neutral venue. Pakistan's enforced home exile means these neutral venues are a lifeline, and most cricket fans would surely prefer the green fields of England over the dustbowls of the Middle East.

Spectators and television viewers will determine revenues and the commercial success of Pakistan's new home. But the enthusiasm of fans is related to the quality of cricket on offer. In this regard, Pakistan cricket has had an unfortunate year since winning last year's World T20. The circumstances are well documented but the simple truth is that Pakistan have been hammered by Australia all around the globe.

For commercial success as much for the pride of fans, Pakistan must be competitive over this summer. Australia had a stuttering start to their own tour but have begun to rediscover their power play. A good start to this summer is essential because, as the winter Down Under proved, this Pakistan squad can fall apart over the course of a long tour.

Hence, while at face value we approach another routine T20 series, it is yet another significant contest for Pakistan. Shahid Afridi's team will want to build some momentum before next week's Test series opener at Lord's, which in turn will be expected to ready Pakistan for the subsequent away clash against England.

Pakistan fans have reasons for optimism, in T20 cricket at least. It has become Pakistan's strongest format, reflected by the squad selected. The two to watch are Shahzaib Hasan, a World Cup winner who was inexplicably discarded but has won his place back, and Shoaib Akhtar, making another comeback against all expectations.

Shahzaib is a fierce striker and compulsive shot-maker, whose run of form will be tested by Australia. Shoaib, as ever, has something to prove, not least that he can work with Afridi. Yet a four-over burst has always been Shoaib's optimal distance, and he adds a further dimension to a Pakistan attack that probably has the edge over Australia's in T20 cricket.

It is in T20 cricket that Pakistan have pushed Australia closest over the last year, although any true Pakistan fan will have blanked from memory the horror of the most recent encounter. Whenever Pakistan have sensed victory Australia's iron will has crushed their ambition. Pakistan cricketers and Pakistan cricket need to break free--and this is the tour that will liberate or incarcerate.

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