Daily Times

Whipping the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is our favourite pastime these days. With reason or without reason, we just love to flay the PCB. PCB detractors know this can give them ‘fame’ they are looking for. Pakistan cricket has seen many ups and downs for the last couple of years. Whenever there are poor performances or controversies involving our eccentric, egoistic and unprofessional players, the entire blame is shifted on the PCB and its officials. And our few ‘sagacious’ former cricketers, who love to be in the limelight, and a bunch of so-called critics, commence their campaign for the ‘blood’ of the PCB officials. They just ‘forget’ about the players, who are the real culprits.

They just want the PCB officials to be ‘hanged’ for the ‘crimes’ that they have not ‘committed’. Exaggerated expectations always lead to unnecessary public pressure. We want results according to our own wishes, and at once. We want to win all the time. We have no patience. We don’t want modern changes in Pakistan cricket. We love to live in the past. Now this is really comical.

What is more, the statements given by our former players in national media, both print and electronic, aim at to make people believe that the sport has gone to the dogs, and that there is no light at the end of the tunnel. It is ironic these very former players, who once did the country proud by excelling on the field, are instrumental in blotting the game by either indulging in needless ego tussles or resorting to selfish gains at the game’s expense. In other countries, former players and critics contribute by giving their competent inputs rather than acting on their personal preference and bias. But, frankly, we are not such a nation. In fact we have become prophets of doom, having our own hidden agendas.

Building a strong team is not an overnight process and it takes years to put together a balanced side keeping in view the modern approach to competitive international cricket, and the exacting scientific preparations that the international teams now favour. The standard of the game is changing so rapidly that the gap between the best and the second in line has narrowed considerably. We must understand that Pakistan cricket needs to get modernised. Outdated and dictatorial methods can not take Pakistan cricket forward. And Pakistan cricket needs strong leadership for that. Pakistan cricket, historically suffering from partisanship and power struggles, is lurching from one crisis to another. These hullabaloos have damaged the game in the country more than ball-tampering and match-fixing controversies combined. People of this ‘Land of the Pure’ fail to understand that the sport can not thrive merely on the back of talent or ‘relationships’. It needs to be structured and structuring it also needs grooming the players for good conduct on and off the field.

Whenever the PCB brings in changes either in national squads or team managements or tries to bring in modern changes to the game, a ‘storm’ engulfs the entire country as a ‘big sin’ has been ‘committed’ and the board must pay the ‘penalty.’ These ‘storms’ have an inexorable and profoundly depressing logic about them. These ‘storms’ make country a laughing stock around the globe. Unfortunately, such shameless ‘conspiracies’ and ‘amateurism’ is the hallmark of Pakistan cricket.

Since Najam Sethi’s involvement in Pakistan cricket, many former cricketers and a group of media personnel, who knows nothing about cricket and have their own axe to grind, are at daggers drawn with him. One fails to understand whey they take so much pleasure in ‘hating’ Sethi? Is it because he is more educated and learned than them? Is it because he can represent Pakistan at international forums with much more dignity, command and respect? Is it because he is extremely well-read, articulate and has better intelligence and speaking and writing (English particularly) power? Is it because he was able to convince India to play series against Pakistan (though India backed-out)? Is it because he was able to successfully hold the inaugural Pakistan Super League? Is it because he is trying to glamourise domestic cricket of Pakistan? Is it because he is trying to modernise and take Pakistan cricket forward? May be his biggest ‘crime’ is involving former stars Wasim Akram, Moin Khan, Ramiz Raja, Inzamamul Haq and hiring a foreign coach for betterment of Pakistan cricket. Pakistan cricket is dominated by the premise that when we fight, it is because we lack the skills or insight required to resolve issues. We don’t have the solutions to give and we don’t know how to get along because we just don’t want to. Our petty egos compete with our ability. Whenever our team fails to perform or something bad happens in Pakistan cricket, the entire blame is put on Sethi who gets all the abuse and flak on Twitter, Facebook and the like. This ‘joy in hostility’ is rooted in our culture.

Improving Pakistan cricket or putting things in the right direction is no rocket science. We must keep in mind that the change of command in no way promises success, planning does. But we are not a nation of sage souls. Rather we indulge in thoughtless decisions. If changing top PCB officials after every defeat or poor performance had been the best remedy, Pakistan would have been top team of the world. Unfortunately, the technical understanding of issues is always ignored, and it triggers a rot. Due to our impatience, we don’t want to give time to managers of Pakistan cricket. This lack of patient and having ‘personal agendas’ are playing havoc with Pakistan cricket. This lethal combination of unbridled former players and media anchors always put undue pressure on top PCB officials with a clear and sole aim that the board should toe their line. Instead of strengthening the PCB, we just want those heads to roll whom we hate for personal reasons. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the PCB patron, made a right choice when he appointed Sethi to cut through the awkward and messy politics of the PCB to once again make it a profitable and well-oiled machine that it once was, especially before foreign teams stopped visiting Pakistan after the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan squad by extremists.

It is imperative to understand that putting the PCB on the back-foot will never turn the fortunes of Pakistan cricket around. No cricket board wants bad things for their country. Every cricket board tries to give best to its country. We should never suspect the intentions of the PCB officials. Sethi is working out a blueprint aimed at long-term success and stability, and he is genuinely interested in resurrecting Pakistan cricket fortunes. The ailments among the players have always shown the PCB in the worst possible light and drawn attention to the lack of unified vision. The choice is clear: Pakistan cricket can continue to wallow in the depths, where it will ultimately perish, or summon every ounce of reserve and rise to the surface. The PCB must get support from all and sundry in its endeavours to take cricket forward. The prophets of doom are portraying the present scenario as gloomy as everything has been lost. This defensive and passive outlook has sucked the passion out of Pakistan cricket. Pakistan cricket must return to the values that made it great: aggression, passion and fearlessness. And it must start now. Of course, Sethi’s cricket role, given by the Prime Minister, has not gone well with many and generated a new set of critics. But Sethi, a strong administrator, has the ability to turn the fortunes of Pakistan cricket around.