- Pakistan cricket emulating its hockey and squash decline
Though it has fortunately not reached rock bottom despite the best efforts of vastly overpaid but clueless, infighting administrators and collapse-prone players, Pakistan cricket is poised on the greasy slippery slope, with its winning ways and self-respect remaining only in the Twenty20 version, in which greenshirts cling tenaciously to their number one world ranking. The rot started in November –December 2018, in the ‘home’ series against New Zealand ironically in its cricket citadel, the UAE, where Pakistan was trounced 2-1, the Kiwi’s first away win against them since 1969. It redounds doubly to New Zealand’s credit that its cricketers adjusted quickly in batting and bowling from fast greentop wickets to slow sand-based UAE grounds. Blaming dissimilar climatic or playing conditions cannot be accepted as an excuse for greenshirts’s repeated defeats as professional cricketers are expected to adapt their technique, if they have one, that is.
Though defeat was always on the cards in South Africa, the humiliating manner of the Test match rout, by six wickets in Centurion within three days, and by nine wickets in Cape Town in three-and-a half, left the fans angry and disillusioned. No doubt the Proteas pace attack was formidable especially on bouncy tracks, but the batting was brittle, as Pakistan bowled them out for 223 in the first innings at Centurion, but failed both with willow and cherry in Cape Town. Pakistan could only manage totals of 181, 190, 177, and 294 in their four outings, without any batsman scoring a century. There were indeed times when Pakistanis held a definite advantage, but the opportunity was squandered by lack of technique and determination, with wickets being gifted away by rash shot selection. While Pakistan lost the three Test South Africa series 2-0, with one to play, India won a historic away Test series 2-1 Down Under, against a fighting, albeit weakened by the ball-tampering scandal Australia, it’s first since 1947. Winning and morale are inter-dependent and Pakistan batsmen must display spine, skills-set and self-confidence or face relegation to the bottom of world cricket, despite possessing laudable individual talent. Three separate teams for each cricket format, inculcating team spirit, selection on merit and appointment of knowledgeable administrators are essential.
