No star is bigger than the team

If a bowler is even slightly unfit, he simply does not deserve a place in the team. Pakistan realized that to their peril on the 1st day. If your mainline bowlers can’t even bowl ten overs in a day, that speaks volumes not only about the think-tank, but also about the quality of bowling at a side’s disposal.

Probably Akhtar did not want his commitment to the cause to be questioned, especially with Pak winning the toss and, like India, batting for nearly one and a half days.

But then, Akhtar's inability to play an important role on the most important day of the series for Pakistan, virtually took Kolkatta out of winning equation for Pak.

It was also the flawed thinking of the highest order to have played an unfit bowler in a four bowler attack. Probably, Pakistan could have afforded Akhtar in a five-bowler attack. Or if they had someone like Sourav Ganguly to take care of some of the overs.

If it was a gamble, it misfired completely!