One of the main reasons for Pakistan cricket team’s continuing abysmal performance in the shorter versions at international level is the fading quality of domestic cricket in the country. Pakistan is definitely in dire need of improvement. In recent times, the way Pakistan is playing is simply disappointing, and to word it more bluntly, shameful. This is not the way Pakistan had played in the past. One major reason of this drawback is that there is a lack of professionalism in our domestic set-up. This system is supposed to act as the breeding ground but it is not doing enough to uplift the standard of cricket compared to other nations. If the aim is to have quality batsmen, bowlers and fielders, then there is need to upgrade the quality of domestic cricket. There are no two ways about it. Attention needs to be paid to club and first-class cricket, and both these formats should be turned into highly competitive domains.
Another burning question: does the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) even understands how to use its resources? It is unfortunate but true that the PCB culture, even that of the country, does not give importance to fitness, professionalism, domestic pitches and balls that actively turn players away from learning. Instead of trying to diagnose these problems, futile blame games come into play. At the same time, it must be understood that Test, ODI and Twenty20 (T20) are entirely different and distinct formats, but in Pakistan cricket a trend has been formed that all three formats are uniform subjects. The PCB does not wish to understand how different formats work, and this is probably the main cause of Pakistan failing in ODI and T20 cricket. The PCB should not only bring drastic changes in domestic cricket to bring it at par with the game in other countries but also glamourise it with pouring more money into it, just like the Pakistan Super League (PSL). We also need to enhance remuneration — which is inadequate at the moment — of players and umpires to a respectable level.
Holding of the PSL was the most extraordinary moment for Pakistan cricket since the country was exiled from the international game. It was like a dream come true. The PSL, apart from giving the country’s domestic game a shot in the arm, has given the nation something to cheer about. It has done more to capture our attention than the seven decades of domestic cricket that preceded it. This is no small feat. The first edition of the PSL was a turning-point, not just for the country’s cash-strapped cricket board but also for young cricketers who had missed out on opportunities to interact with and learn from leading international players. The first edition of the PSL did not boast the glamour of the Indian Premier League (IPL) or that of the Big Bash of Australia, or the history of England’s T20 competition, but it was no less significant. It has emerged as a lifeline for Pakistan cricket.
Chairman of PSL Governing Council Najam Sethi and his team should be complimented for the launch and successful hosting of country’s first T20 league. Despite harsh criticism and hurdles, Sethi had vowed to deliver “the biggest and most exciting product in Pakistan’s history.” Sethi’s critics were not convinced. They were not even expecting the PSL to be held in February this year, but Sethi delivered and proved his critics wrong.
Apart from holding the PSL on regular basis, it is also equally important for PCB to develop and iron out issues in our domestic cricket. We need to take some drastic measures and make some sacrifices along the way. If such steps make people unhappy, so be it, as the larger goal of improving our cricket is more important. The combination of PSL and an improved domestic cricket structure is what will deliver a product that will be the pride of Pakistan and put us among the top teams in world cricket. *