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Playing havoc with cricket – Newspaper

IT was a feat that impressed all and sundry. Mohsin Naqvi rebuilt two big cricket stadiums in three months — in time to hold one of the most prestigious international cricketing events. A big achievement indeed. He is, after all, known as the ‘man for all seasons’. He juggles his time between managing internal security as home minister and looking after cricket affairs as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), besides occasionally indulging in other important state matters.

But building stadiums and developing a strong cricket team capable of making its mark in international competitions are two different matters. Yet another humiliating exit by the Pakistan team in the initial round of the ongoing Champions Trophy underscores the fast-declining standard of the game in the country. It was the third time in three years that our team failed to qualify for an ICC tournament. The latest debacle in the Champions Trophy hosted by the country was disgraceful.

As defending champions, Pakistan had won the last Champions Trophy in 2017. This time, it failed to win a single match. It looked like a disjointed, listless unit, with no will to fight. It’s not just about shorter versions of the game; Pakistan is at the bottom of the list of the nine World Test Championship-playing nations. Yes, winning and losing is part of the game. But Pakistan cricket has fallen into a downward spiral over the last few years in all three formats of the game. The team has won no ICC title in seven years.

In last year’s T20 World Cup, Pakistan was eliminated in the first round after losing to host US, which was playing its first international cricket tournament. In Test cricket, its record is equally dismal. After having been whitewashed in two Test series against Bangladesh, Pakistan’s ranking slumped to the lowest in the last six decades. We could not even win the series against the lowest-ranking West Indies.

Never before has Pakistan cricket seen such consistently poor performances for so long. The instability and chaos which have become the hallmark of our national team are a reflection of the way in which we manage our cricket affairs. The deterioration in Pakistan cricket has much to do with politicising appointments to the top PCB position. And cricket affairs cannot be separated from the way the country is run. Instability starts at the top.

We may be the only country where the choice of cricket head is made on political grounds.

Every government wants a loyalist at the helm. A change in government invariably leads to the appointment of a new chairman. In less than three years, we have seen three chairmen. In fact, with the exception of Ramiz Raja, who was appointed at the fag end of the Imran Khan government, no other PCB head has had much to do with cricket.

Mohsin Naqvi was appointed PCB chairman last year towards the end of his term as caretaker chief minister of Punjab. Like his predecessors, he has no prior experience of managing cricket affairs, with some linking his appointment to the whims of certain quarters. A media baron, he also holds the most powerful cabinet position in charge of internal security. In fact, the position of PCB chairman itself is a full-time job, which requires expertise in the management of the game. The frequents changes of the head of the cricket board has made a mockery of Pakistan cricket.

We may be the only country where the appointment of the cricket head is made on political grounds and on the whims of rulers. It’s not just about control but also the powers and perks that come with the post. The system of patronage spirals downward. Each chairman brings with him a range of changes in backroom staff and team leadership. Non-professionalism is evident in this regard.

Given the frequent upheavals in the PCB, the downslide in performance does not come as a surprise. Over the last two years, 26 selectors have been appointed, with some removed unceremoniously within months of taking charge. Captains are also frequently changed, rendering the team unstable.

According to Mickey Arthur, who was Pakistan’s head coach from 2016 to 2019, a “revolving door policy is having a detrimental effect on the team”. Mickey, who also coached Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, which it won, is quoted as saying: “The instability within Pakistan cricket creates chaos, and the players ultimately start playing for themselves because they do not know what the next regime has in mind. It breeds mediocrity.”

That is exactly what has happened with the Pakistan cricket team. “Stability comes from the top: in team selection, consistency in players’ roles and making sure every player understands his role,” he said. It’s not just about the appointment of a favourite to the top slot — outside meddling in team selection is also not unusual here.

For instance, not too many years ago, an army chief wanted certain players to be included in the squad. During a meeting in October 2021, the now retired Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa told me that after the team for the T20 World Cup was announced, he felt that the names of some players were missing from the list. “I called Ramiz Raja [the then PCB chairman] and asked him to include three players in the squad,” he said. So, General, you also get involved in selection in cricket, I quipped. Those players were included in the team. “I was right. All three performed well,” retorted the general, who claimed to have played first class cricket himself.

In view of this picture of Pakistani cricket, are we surprised at the way things currently stand? It is no surprise that the team has failed to go beyond even the first round in the present tournament and has slumped to this low in Test rankings.

The writer is an author and journalist.

zhussain100@yahoo.com