-Hashim N. Malik
As if the ills of match-fixing, ball tempering, players’ revolts, adhocism and International isolation were becoming stale that they suddenly got blessed with fresh derivatives of horrendous indiscipline, deep-rooted lobbying, ball biting, nepotistic rather patriotic passion, hope-crushing streak of defeats, talk-show wars and the concluding lordliest act of going over-Burj Khalifa’s-top to fire bans and fines here, there, everywhere!
And why shouldn’t it be like this? When relics of the bygone era are hell-bend to prove themselves to be remembered as the most incompetent, abrasive, clueless and unimaginative administration ever to don the office, when players are playing each other and not the opposition, when desperation to win anything tips such heights that eating a ball in front of a galaxy of cameras becomes the only ray of survival. And when the best leader in the country is not only marginalized by ‘a team’ within the team but for good ironical measures is being lashed an indefinite ban, and that after bringing home the world-glory for a nation craving for hopec- then even the most ardent of fans are to be convinced that it is not a Bollywood movie but Pakistan cricket.
As Harsha Bhogle would put it “Pakistan continues to make every other nation look like the epitome of good management”.
To say we are in a mess sounds like a blessing. We are nigh to death. The very fabric of every discipline on and off the field is either rotten or in a shambles, with the sole exception of continuous stream of good bowlers. We have long lost the hope of having good openers, instead we pray for stable decency. We have started considering holding-all-the-chances unrealistic rather we endear for them to hold more then they let go. Since two Ys are handed the pictures of their waterloos, we might consider giving Miandad a recall, at whose age Wilfred Rhodes played test cricket regularly, only if the bans are not overturned, of course.
Perhaps, Younis lacked the panache and suave of Imran Khan who in toughest of times held his pride and authority upright, through complete command over his men and the men who gave the impression of controlling his team. Yet, where he lacked in panache, Younis substituted it with Imran-esque brand of courage, lion-heartedness and awful positivity, and in present of times is by far the only sane option to pluck Pakistan’s pride back in the purest version of the game and Younis the-skipper and Younis the-batter must be included for Tour De Britain this summer. Or our love for butchering our leaders, figuratively and literally, will realize again.
As, after the global T20 hoopla, there’s a certain matter of playing unprecedented six tests in Britain against the ashes foes. If we are to match Australia’s test record of sixteen victories with equal number of defeats, then we should not only encourage bans on Younis, Yousuf but should encourage conspiracies against Salman Butt, Fawad Alam and Misbah – get them banned too and write to ICC to withdraw our test status for an indefinite period. For the law says you may also need batsmen and we have none of them.
Yet, we, the innate supporters of our team and its antics somehow manage to find something to cling on to, a Hammad Azam here, a Mohammad Aamer there, a he-will-grow Umar Akmal somewhere in the middle and we waste no time in stitching new hopes.
Practically, radical shifts should be considered normality if any hope to replicate silver-lining of yester years is to be harbored. Despite all of its unprecedented high handedness, the bans will not affect T20 worldcup campaign that much, as Pakistan still got one of the strongest bowling attack around, and a batting line-up one can count to last at least 20 overs. However, by not announcing the captain, PCB again showed why they are so dearly loved by the cricket-freak masses.
The less we say about the board, the better. Every healthy and functional board across the cricketing world elects its members, but here hand-picked masters are planted from the top. The sooner we bring brains equipped with wisdom to cope with the finer nuances of modern sports management, the quicker we will move on from the starting line. The need is to first except the ground realities by heart and then vouch for cricket Pakistan on any and every global forum through diplomatic and ambassadorial exercises’ to initiate a process that will surly take a long while to reap any real benefit.
The bans – way off the line, unheard of or whatever, will at least set a glaring example in front of young colts who in the wake of an age of mighty commercialization of sports are more vulnerable to commitment, discipline and issues of player power. They would know succinctly what is and not cricket.
I hate to write this, but we thrive in turmoil. Just last year, when the third of third in Lahore jittered the cricketing fraternity to the hilt and with it flew away the home games and worldcup 2011, a bunch of spirited men – disregarded by IPL, isolated by cricketing fraternity silently won the world title for its terrorism-struck & hope-starved nation and proved the adage that when united in their skill-display team green is the most instinctive and naturally-gifted one among its global peers.
Another disappointment by IPL can well and truly become another reason to dance and laugh. As, for next forty odd days when majority of international players would be busy redeeming their happy hours in India, the prematurely announced 15-man squad for the T20 worldcup would be trying to jell together and to let go the recent past as quickly as humanly possible. For it contains nothing but intrigue, squabbling and utter hopelessness.
May be, when they meet tired international players at the worldcup they might have a plan. May be, Waqar & Ijaz tune them enough for them to shrug off technical and mental hurdles, may be they truly play for Pakistan again. May be they win again!
