We belong to a country who have the patriotic souls & crazily-passionate about sports, cricket particularly. From teenagers, to college students, and grandpa resting at home – we all are equally crazy about the game of cricket, and in some way, experts of the game. Alike others, I’m the one too – who although didn’t swing the ball like Sultans neither the bat like Richards, but yes, I consider myself an expert of the game.
As a Pakistani, I support my team – even the worst goes all the time. I don’t blame the team entirely, because we can’t only win with soldiers, we need commanders too. And if we talk about our cricket team, we seriously lack in this domain. To continue this story and my analysis, I’d shed spotlight on the decision made by our dearest board, yes the great PCB! World Cup 2015 is over now. We saw the champions, defending champions and the great spell by Wahab Riaz. The whole event went good, but not for us as majority of the lads didn’t focus to play for the country. TV and Social media are all flooded with news and analysis – critics are on top.
We can’t expect good from our Cricket board, and we’re downrightly correct too. I have never fully grasped the strategy our cricket board. In simple words, their exercise is beyond imagination. Recently, the announcement they made was heartrending. Azhar Ali named as Captain of Pakistan Team. Come on, are you kidding? I personally admire the cricketing skills Azhar Ali has been blessed with. But captaincy is something not that he worth at this moment. The lad didn’t play ODI cricket for 2 years and he will lead the team. This is some serious shit now! By the way, it is a common practice of our cricket board to make radical changes after the lost of World Cup.
The history is no different after 2003, 2007, 2011 and now 2015. Let’s accept this now. Azhar Ali will captain our side so with all heart and soul, I hope for the best. But wait! Our team is not just weak with cricketing skills, but they are much worst in team building skills. We have double standard people playing in the Green XI – and they have became such nuisance to us. I won’t take name as their Cyber Warriors will come and defend them for no reason! Our new captain has a BIG job to do here. Learn and taught them how to play and control the highborn superstars, which to many are nothing but shit.
Wasim Akram and other sports legends have raised this issue quiet often that Pakistan need to focus its infrastructure first. I endorse Wasim Bhai here! Because we haven’t seen PCB doing anything. As a Cricket lover, I can confidently say that without basic infrastructure and domestic cricket, we can’t win tournaments, I mean never! We have lost oodles of young talents because of the pathetic management and infrastructure and the PARCHI culture still remains high. There is no one and someone to take charge of the NCA (which was meant to polish the young lads), but unfortunately, we didn’t see boys like Hammad Azam, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Usman Salahuddin and countless more.
Where are they and why there didn’t get a chance to play? Poor skills, alright! Who’s going to train them? Mohammad Akram, who took heavy fee as coach to NCA didn’t actually come to visit the place. Oh yes, the incapable expert was making some more bucks on the TV with his analytical skills. He seriously lacks there too! For upcoming breed of players like Yaser Shah, Fawad Alam & Raza Hassan should be given maximum opportunities to prove their mettle once again (which they have already proved to world.)
PCB & selection committee should understand whenever we drop a player even after good performances it shatters their confidence (as making a fresh start is always termed as a difficult option) & it put extra pressure on them whenever they got a recall to the team Just as they did with Fawad Alam recently whose bad performance in 2 matches become the reason for his expulsion from the team whereas players like Umar Akmal can remain part of the side on reputation & expectations.
[junkie-alert style=”white”] The time has come that PCB should change its mindset of keeping high value players in the side. [/junkie-alert]
Performance should be the only criteria. We don’t need players who get hair duos every series & wear stylish goggles. We need players who are down to earth & put team first. In the end I wish Azhar & PCB best of luck for their vision WC2019 & must hope that deserving & upcoming players will get the chance in the team which will get announced in couple of days. I hope once in my lifetime I can see this vision fulfilled! Otherwise this will remain my dream!
By Ehsan Muhammad Khan. He tweets as @ehsanmkhan.