LAHORE: When South Africa agreed to tour Pakistan last year for the ongoing cricket series, it was termed as a huge boost to Pakistan’s hopes of regularly hosting international matches. This is the first time in the best part of a decade that Pakistan has attracted a major cricketing nation to visit the country. South Africa are touring Pakistan for a two-Test series as part of the ICC World Test Championship. The Tests will be followed by three T20Is which will offer both teams some much-needed practice ahead of the ICC T20I World Cup, which is due to take place in India later this year. The Pakistan Cricket Board announced a list of international commentators for Pakistan-South Africa series. The list includes former captains Ramiz Raja, Wasim Akram and former batsman Bazid Khan who are joined by former South Africa batsman Daryll Cullinan, renowned commentator Mike Haysman and former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull. It is really odd that former Pakistan captain Aamir Sohail is not part of the commentary panel for the reasons best known to the PCB which is being run by some very eccentric and unprofessional personnel.
A left arm batsman, Sohail formed one of Pakistan’s best opening pairs along with Saeed Anwar in the 1990s, something which Pakistan have yearned for unsuccessfully in the 2000s. He made his ODI debut in 1990 and played an important part in Pakistan’s triumph at the 1992 World Cup. He was an aggressive player by nature, both with the bat and the mouth. He captained Pakistan between 1996 and 98, and became the first captain to lead Pakistan to a Test win over South Africa. However, it was the period when match-fixing rocked Pakistan cricket, and Sohail the whistle-blower paid the price, and it seems that he is still paying the price. Sohail played 47 Tests and 146 ODIs. Whereas Bazid Khan played one Test and five ODIs, Wasim Akram played 104 Tests and 356 ODIs, Ramiz Raja played 57 Tests and 198 ODIs, Daryll Cullinan played 70 Tests and 138 ODIs, Mike Haysman played 103 First-Class and 81 List A matches and Simon Doull played 32 Tests and 42 ODIs.
After retiring, Sohail served at different positions in the PCB and later joined broadcasting. And over the years, Sohail has garnered enough respect around the globe as one of the finest commentators in cricket world, who knows all technicalities and intricacies of the sport. Not inviting or including cricketer like of Soahil’s stature in the commentary panel is nothing but a personal vendetta of the PCB. Sohail is very outspoken and honest in his views, always calling spade a spade. There is nothing inspiring in watching a television broadcast in which the players and commentators allow themselves to be remote-controlled by the PCB. There is nothing about Pakistan cricket that lifts the heart. Despite making a hue and cry regarding merit and transparency in the PCB, the controversial top personnel still occupy crucial administrative positions within the Board as well as Pakistan Super League (PSL) and take decisions that are beyond everyone’s comprehension.
The disheartening thing about Pakistan cricket isn’t only that its top officials are arrogant and incompetent, it is that its former or present cricketers, attached with the PCB, are such obedient clients. In other countries, players and Cricket Boards have public disagreements. These aren’t always constructive, but they indicate that players in these countries aren’t creatures of their Boards. It is no surprise that present PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani and his henchmen, since their appointments by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, are destroying Pakistan cricket with their insane policies and decisions. It is lamentable that both in the national sphere and the sporting arena the root of our dilemma is the notorious system of patronage and imposed cronies, to the exclusion of merit and professionalism. Under the powerful patron’s benevolent gaze, the pick and choose appointees can survive scandals and failures that would crush an ordinary mortal.
In other countries, respected and independent commentators don’t toe the line of the Boards, because the Boards have no control over the commentators who cover cricket that they administer. But this is not the case with Pakistan cricket. Here every commentator signs a contract with the PCB where he undertakes not to comment on or criticise matters connected to team selection, or to say anything that might be seen by the PCB’s panjandrums as lése majesté. Every former player, who likes commentating, knows what’s good for him and will never contradict the PCB, not unless he wants to be exiled to the outer wilderness. Less indiscreet, more ingratiating retirees have made careers out of the self-congratulatory banter that passes for commentary in Pakistan. Listening to former England and Australian players commentating, you know that they aren’t censoring themselves. They have their tics and foibles and they can be intensely irritating, but they speak as independent professionals, not as helots in suits. Former Australian captain Ian Chappell once refused to commentate on a limited-overs series between India and Australia because the broadcaster conveyed to him that he would be subject to BCCI restrictions. Chappell turned the contract down because he didn’t think he could do his job properly within those limitations. No Pakistan commentator has ever taken a similar stand, which probably explains the toothless, neutered quality of PCB-vetted commentary. Is it too much to ask that players and ex-players take principled stands against the Board when their livelihoods hang in the balance? It is certainly the case that English and Australian players face less institutional pressure to conform because their Cricket Boards aren’t as vindictive and domineering as the PCB. The way Pakistan cricket is played, administered and broadcast has been systematically debauched over the past decade. The PCB just doesn’t want to invite or include those experts in the commentary box who speak their minds. The PCB is just too scared of dissenting and sane voices. It seems that only God can save Pakistan cricket from insanity prevailing in the PCB!