Through all the hard times that have plagued the country; from strings of terrorist attacks, never-ending economic and literacy issues, to so much more that has gone wrong, cricket has somehow managed to remain a sport that is followed with the same passion as it was years ago.
People may have thought that the absence of international cricket in Pakistan for such a long period would eventually lead to a loss of interest, however, it has only ever grown among Pakistanis.
And while support of this kind is a thing to be proud of, it has an undeniable negative side to it. Apart from occasional moments of brilliance, it has been a tough few years for Pakistani cricket and for the most part, the blame has been attributed to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the coaches and the players.
It is true that the concerned parties have at times lacked greatly in their attitude, however, something that normally goes unnoticed is that there is a part for fans to play in whatever happens to the cricket team.
It is reasonable to say that the fans are as much a part of a game as the players, coaches and the other staff. Their role extends far beyond just that of seeking entertainment. This role is rarely realized by any of our countrymen and this it is this lack of realisation that is directly proportional to our players’ performance.
To understand this role, we need to first consider the dominance of social media in today’s world and particularly on sports. There are a number of pages made for discussing matters particularly related to cricket. On these pages, we see fans share their opinions on any event that holds relevance to cricket. While it is fine for them to express their thoughts on incidents and events related to the sport, so-called loyalists of the sport are often seen crossing the line with their unnecessary, constant criticism of players, the coach and PCB.
To top it all off, this problem seems to exist in abundance in Pakistan and India. The general public of both the countries is known to reflect real hypocrisy when it comes to their feelings about the team. The same player who is appreciated extensively one day is slated to the core on the next. What our people have repeatedly failed to grasp is that what they say has an effect on the mental states of the players.
A few examples that come to the mind here are Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal, once believed to be two of the most talented young cricketers around.
Umar Akmal had an incredible start to his career. He earned himself a great reputation and went on to boast great statistics almost throughout. Consequently, he was loved by the fans and his performances were widely celebrated. However, then was to come the time of his decline; he suddenly lost form and despite showing flashes of brilliance every now and then, he started looking like a shadow of the player he once was; this is where the fans came in and made things worse.
For a player already low on confidence and struggling with a bad time, Umar was definitely not helped, judging by the brutal comments on social media in which every second person puts him down and presents insults that at times even extend to his family and other parts of his private and social life. A similar experience was faced by Ahmed Shehzad, who was bestowed with derogatory nicknames in addition to the usual insults by his countrymen.
The aim of this article is not to justify the lack of competence and will that is shown by a number of our players over the years. It is to highlight the ignorant and insensitive nature of our team’s fans that have equally contributed to the team’s downfall. At times when players find themselves devoid of hope, it is the duty of the fans to motivate and offer support to them in an attempt to revive their confidence instead of contributing in bringing them further down and squashing their career chances.
It is high time we think about the effect and relevance of our actions on the team’s performance, accept the responsibility we hold and bring a change in our behaviour.
Arman Nadir Chaudhry
*The writer is a student of A-levels at Aitchison College, Lahore. He is interested in socio-political and economic issues and is keen to write for magazines and newsletters.
If Pak cricketers are not mentally strong enough to handle criticism and feedback then they should not play cricket. Period. Look at Indian cricketers. They handle it with aplomb and return back to glory. Great example is Rahul Dravid in the beginning of his career when he failed in ODI matches. Dhoni was criticized recently. At the moment Rohit Sharma going through same challenge. Even Kohli was assailed after test series loss in SA. At international level you need tough men in your team, not boys who crumble under pressure.
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