The tennis whitewash in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Ggroup I at the hands of Taiwan at the latter's synthetic courts in Taipei came as a forewarning to the coming debacle and tragedy that overtook Pakistan in the one-dayers and Test matches against India, a gloom and doom which will take considerable time to be forgotten. In fact Pakistan had suffered a reverse in the first limited-overs fixture in Karachi when this country was passing through the defeat syndrome in tennis overseas.
The tennis federation would explain the causes of stumble as due to short training, a depleted quartet and a surface alien to the courts available in this country. As far as the drills are concerned their duration should have been extended. The absence of the main weapon, Aisamul Haq, has to be taken as one of the key factors in Pakistan's failure to overcome the better prepared Taiwanese, who by no reckoning are among the leading stars of the region. It is regrettable that Aisam, who plays season after season outside the country and earns large amounts, put money before the country's interests.
He should have assisted the young Pakistan racket-wielders in measuring strength with the Taiwanese. It is another thing that he may have found the going too strong and like the Davis Cup tie against South Korea last September he may not have been able to stand the stress and pressure of the islanders. However, his own demand of monetary compensation was illogical and no sane person and fan of the game would be prepared to bow to his greed of a hefty sum of hard currency.
The modes of training have acquired a measure of sophistication and perhaps the exercises were below par and not upto world standards. Anyway the humiliation of a 5-0 defeat handed out by the Taiwanese was a hard blow. It is to be seen how Pakistan can avoid relegation to group II, after having weaved their way to a higher and better grouping. They are set to lock horns with New Zealand in a playoff in the coming September that would either push them to a lower bracket or save their skin and allow them to stay where they are.
Fortunately the fixtures are slated to be staged on the clay courts of Islamabad. The slow surface may put the New Zealand players ill at ease, whatever may be the visitors level of the game and their preparations, and the Pakistan squad may cash in on the weakness of the visitors, Aisamul Haq or no Aisam Haq in the outfit.
One hopes that this time the preparations are started rightaway to hone up the shotplay of the selectees. It was a sad day for Pakistan at Taipei that only Aqeel Khan could take a set against Taiwan's No. 2, Wang Yeu-Tzuoo, in the initial singles.
The Taiwanese fielded only their second string in the reverse singles. A serious approach is needed by the home players and the coach.