Opinion | DesPardes.com

OPINION	E-mail this
'We want Imran Khan'

MAR 8: "THIS IS THE BEST TEAM EVER assembled," boasted General Tauqir Zia, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, on the eve of the Pakistan cricket team’s departure for South Africa to play in the World Cup last month. Accordingly, as befitting a “great” team, laurels were heaped on a clutch of talented but aging superstars at the cricket stadium in Lahore. Maestro Wasim Akram was just dying to rip through his 500th victim. Macho man Shoaib Akhtar wanted to prove he was the fastest bowler in the world. Wunderkid Inzimam ul Haq had shed 10 kilos in his quest for the Holy Grail. Muscleman Shahid Afridi was raring to have a mighty go at the Indians. And wily Waqar Younus was licking his lips in anticipation of his reverse-swinging yorkers. Vintage experience was mixed with youthful exuberance, individual talent was tossed with team spirit, to promise another glorious World Cup victory for Pakistan. In the event, however, Pakistan caved in with a whimper long before the men could be separated from the boys in the super sixes. The hurt is not that Pakistan lost but that Pakistan should have lost without putting up a worthy fight. Several well meaning and knowledgeable people, including former captains Imran Khan, Asif Iqbal and Intikhab Alam, had cautioned against too much hype or optimism in view of the team’s rather dismal performances in recent months. That was good advice. Others had wondered whether the combination of old and new was balanced enough for conditions in South Africa. But all this was inevitable, old hat. Neither the old nor the young clicked. Waqar’s captaincy – team selection, bowling changes, batting orders, field placings, guidance and advice on and off the field – was uninspiring, if not downright insipid. Our fielding was below par. Bowling was wayward and individualistic. Batsmen threw away their wickets because they weren’t playing according to any collective plan. Even bearded Saeed Anwar, who seemed to have been snatched from the jaws of the Tableeghi Jamaat, had to huff and puff his way to a dubious century. The real problem, of course, is neither General Tauqir Zia’s suitability for the job of PCB chairman, nor the individual weaknesses of this player or that. Also, we should not wag a finger at any of the coaches, analysts, managers and advisors who accompanied the team. Everyone gave sincerely of themselves at all times. The real problem has to do with the mindset of the players. They are not sufficiently trained to plan and execute strategy. They are not adequately trained for fierce competition at the highest level in all matches. And they are not sufficiently disciplined to accept a fallible peer as group leader. That is why they play and behave as unpredictable individuals on and off the field during cricketing tours. How does one change the status quo? Imran Khan has long argued that cricket organisation and structure in Pakistan is out of sync with world realities. He believes that the best way to motivate players and train them to compete fiercely at all times is to put them under the glare of public floodlights constantly. Without big crowds to cheer them on, even budding and talented cricketers wither on the vine. But the manner in which domestic cricket is organised precludes both cheering crowds and motivation. How can the everyday public be enthused about, or demonstrate loyalty to, a PIA or Habib Bank “team”? By and large, world sport is organised on a city, state, region or provincial basis, thereby channelling various forms of sub-nationalistic crowd loyalty into player motivation. But not so in Pakistan. One reason for this may have had to do with funding and sponsorship of teams and playing grounds but that is no longer a valid enough excuse, given the myriad forms of fundraising and sponsors now available to event managers and the advent of a local and city government system under the new political dispensation. When cricket lovers become emotionally involved in supporting their local or city or provincial teams, the players will learn to compete and excel and teams will learn to fight their way to the top of the league. That is the way to cobble a great and motivated “national” team with talented players and an inspiring captain instead of herding individuals together and telling them to go and fight as a team. “Heads will roll,” said Waqar Younus resignedly at the conclusion of his short trip to South Africa. And so they should, starting with the great has-beens including Waqar himself. General Tauqir Zia and the Pakistan Cricket Board should also throw in the towel gamely. Their best was not good enough. It is also ridiculous for the PCB to try and save its skin by announcing the proverbial “three-man committee” to determine what went wrong and dole out punishments to the guilty, as though this defeat in cricket is like a defeat in an Indo-Pakistan war which requires experts to flush out the truth about each battle. It is never too late to take the right decision. General Pervez Musharraf should request Imran Khan to take over the PCB and put his vision into practise. We can only go up under his inspirational leadership. (Najam Sethi: The Friday Times)