From cancelling a cricket tour midway to promising to come twice in one year, the New Zealand cricket board and indeed their government seem to have realized, and finally appreciate, that things have changed for the better in these parts. And just like their decision to pull out earlier inspired some others to do the same, a similar change of mind, and mindset, is expected elsewhere as well. It seems that the new team at the head of the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) is finally coming together and the results are beginning to show. It makes things a lot better that the team is also back to its winning ways. Finally Pakistan’s cricket starved public can get a feel of something that it has missed out on for far too long. And just as they get to watch top quality international cricket in Pakistan’s long empty stadiums once again, the national team will also be able to hone its skills the way it can only be done on home ground. It’s for good reason that experts keep pointing out that it is essential to play on home soil in order for international outfits to mature properly. It’s fair to say that the concept of cricket being a team game has different connotations in countries like Pakistan. Here it is not just the playing eleven that forms the national team, but also the support staff, practically all members of the Board, and also the rest of the nation that not just watches the matches but also prays for the team’s victory. In fact there was a time, when the current prime minister used to be the national cricket captain, when Pakistan’s victories over India in the iconic Sharjah matches were attributed by many to the power of the Friday prayer. It’s time to line up the teams coming to play in Pakistan and make sure they go back happy and impressed. *