“What’s the score?”
“What score? Is there a match going on?”
“Yes, Pakistan vs West Indies.”
“I don’t know, man. I’ve stopped watching cricket. They don’t win anyway, so what’s the point?”
This is a conversation between two friends in Karachi, but it reflects the mindset of the entire country. We don’t even realize how far behind we have fallen in cricket. In the ICC world Test Championship, there are 9 teams, and the Green Caps are at the very bottom. Recently, the eighth-ranked West Indies side defeated us in the first Test. Before that, we had already lost to Bangladesh. Where is our cricket heading?
If this continues, we may soon face the same fate as hockey. Instead of addressing the real issues, how long will we keep following the policy of “just change the captain”? Even if you make Ricky Ponting the captain, he won’t be able to deliver consistent victories. The real problems need to be identified. Are deserving players getting opportunities?
Babar Azam did himself an injustice by accepting captaincy. After this recent defeat, he will be under even more pressure. His batting in the second innings clearly showed that he was playing for himself rather than the team. Taking a single on the first ball and exposing the tailenders, what kind of bravery is that? He should have kept more strike. He should thank Abbas for showing courage; otherwise, even reaching 100 runs seemed unlikely.
Yes, defeat looked inevitable, but the captain should have shown fight through his approach. Perhaps building partnerships with tailenders could have improved the situation. The main issue with our team is that too many batters go into a defensive shell. Shan Masood was the only player who played aggressively, but now his finger is fractured, and he may not even play the next match.
The first Test was played at Brian Lara Stadium. A player like Brian Lara, who scored 400 in a Test and 500 in first-class cricket, must be wondering how his name is being disgraced. Our batters should have drawn inspiration from him.
A team goes in with five specialist bowlers when its top order is world-class. Do we have any Bradmans? As a result, after early wickets fell, there was no one to stabilize the batting line. Rizwan dropped chances in wicketkeeping and disappointed with the bat as well. Perhaps it is time to give Ghazi Ghori a chance.
Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, and Salman Agha also need to show consistency. Abbas’s performance was the only positive of the match. He is often criticized for his age and pace, but he continues to perform better than others. Shaheen Afridi was dropped due to reduced speed, but are the current pacers bowling at Shoaib Akhtar’s pace?
Before the tour, a long training camp was held, but it has shown no benefit so far. Instead, players have become fatigued. Abdullah Fazal suffered a back injury. Hopefully, other players remain fit. It would have been better to send some players to the USA for training, but some PCB officials deliberately delayed matters, ruining a good plan.
We are still living in the 90s,calling players at 5 AM and exhausting them. Times have changed. Training should be modernized. It is shameful that Pakistan hasn’t won a single match abroad in three years and has suffered eight consecutive defeats. Our players are nowhere to be seen in rankings. Our biggest star, Babar Azam, hasn’t scored a Test century in four years.
How will all this improve?
We bring in foreign coaches thinking they will stay away from politics, but it is said that white-ball coach Mike Hesson has also adopted local politics, and his “best friend” is Aaqib Javed. Sarfaraz Ahmed’s start as Test coach hasn’t been good either. The former captain has already been removed. If defeats continue, the coach will also be sacrificed but will that bring improvement?
Our young cricketers are also not meeting expectations. After one or two good innings, they fail. However, when senior players are given four years to regain form, new players also deserve consistent opportunities.
At the moment, we are not producing world-class cricketers from first-class cricket. The reasons must be identified. Genuine fast bowlers should be found and gradually introduced. Batters need to understand that this is not 1980s cricket where you just block balls aggression is also necessary.
We need real all-rounders, not just in name. It is said that taking 20 wickets in Test cricket makes winning easier, but Pakistan proved that wrong at Brian Lara Stadium.Cricket was the one source of entertainment for the nation, and now it too is in decline.
The issues must be resolved quickly. Former cricketers who have been given responsibilities in the board are not proving successful, so instead of changing the captain, such individuals should be replaced. The authorities must take a front-foot approach and assess whether the team they trust is actually capable or not. We need to save Pakistan cricket, and for that, tough decisions must be made.Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Express TribuneSaleem KhaliqRead More