Back to losing ways
So much for the ‘number one position in Tests’ euphoria. All that was needed was to turn the leaf to the day after, and the Pakistani cricket team quickly reverted to its losing ways in the one-day format. It’s not just that they lost, again; it’s how they lost, again. Hopefully it will also become clear to people who control the game in Pakistan, somewhere far, far away from where the game is really played, that the PCB is not exactly working like a well oiled machine. And if the future is anything like the past, the thrashing will be registered as business as usual – which it has unfortunately become – and political appointees running the Board will continue to draw their fat salary cheques.
It’s clear to everyone, even if not the PCB, that the team can only win on occasions of individual brilliance; like Younis Khan hitting an unlikely double-ton and not only winning the match but also propelling team in international rankings. But when team effort is required, especially to slog it out in a long grind, there’s just no show. And since breakdowns are now the norm rather than the exception, it is also abundantly clear that the problem lies in the machinery that controls the sport here, not just the coaches and managers assigned to the team.
Despite the number one Test ranking, Pakistan is no longer really a force to be reckoned with in international cricket. And if we are to stay competitive there needs to be a radical change at the PCB. The first step must be brining cricket-oriented professionals to take control of proceedings. The present duo, which has questionable knowledge at best regarding the sport or management, has simply not delivered. If things don’t change quickly, cricket too will go the way of hockey and squash.
