The State of Pakistan’s Cricket - How bad are things?

Amidst the hype that preceded, and the furore that followed, Pakistan’s loss to India, it is not surprising that it has been difficult to sit down with an uncluttered mind and come to some conclusions on the state of Pakistani cricket.

Firstly, if we keep things in perspective, it is clear that the better team won the series. India, under Saurav Ganguly and John Wright, have developed a team that is rightly seen as most likely to topple the mighty Australians from their perch. They almost did that during India’s last tour Down Under and the team since then has been further bolstered by the emergence of Irfan Pathan who showed in Pakistan that he is the brightest young fast bowling prospect since Waseem Akram hit the scene in the 80s. Considering that Pakistan have not come close to beating Australia – the fearful hiding we received in Sharjah was our last effort - a 3-2 result in the one days and 2-1 in the Test Matches against India represents a fairly commendable performance, particularly for a team that has underperformed at home for years. But it may also represent a flattering result against opponents that were, in their preparation, outlook and focus by far and away the better team.

In the past, Pakistan cricket has had the luxury of drawing on a pool of talent that allowed the team to excel on the international stage. Unfortunately, in the last year the team has suffered a cumulative loss of talent and the failure to nurture younger players over the last 4 years has meant that replacements are not coming through.

Pakistan’s feared bowling attack fell well short of expectation in the India series – partly because of the below par performance of Mohammed Sami and Shoaib Akhter and partly because an attack of Sami, Shoaib, Shabbir, Umar Gul and Abdul Razzaq is a substantial step down in class from an attack spearheaded by Waseem and Waqar and supported by the Shoaib, Razzaq, Mushtaq and Saqlain of 3 years ago. In fact it is debateable whether Pakistan possess a particularly strong fast bowling attack today – especially considering that India have Zaheer, Irfan, Balaji, Nehra and Agarkar; England have Harmison, Jones, Flintoff, Anderson and Hoggard, as well as a useful British Asian prospect in the wings in Sajid Mehmood; West Indies have discovered a new crop of quicks led by the decidedly slippery Tino Best and Australia still have Gillespie, McGrath and Lee to call on. Yes, Sami has come on in the last 12 months but Shoaib, apart from breaking the 100mph barrier, appears to have lost both the ability to swing the ball and the steel that is needed at the highest level against tough opposition. He is also considerably heavier and more muscled than in the past not that this has improved his fitness record. Shabbir Ahmed lacks aggression and zip and continues to under perform in the English county season looking decidedly less impressive and less quick than Mohammed Akram who now plays for Sussex as a local rather than oversees player. Razzaq’s loss in bowling form has been dramatic and inexplicable and Azhar Mehmood, despite his recent outburst about the Pakistan cap being worthless, is not the bowler he was 4 years ago. It is also clear that Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed are well past their best and will never be the forces of old.

In the batting department, it is enough to reflect on the fact that since Yousuf Youhana’s debut, Pakistan have failed to produce a genuine world class batsman. There is clearly a shortcoming somewhere along the line that sees genuine talent break into the test match arena and then just stagnate rather than improve. The Imran Nazir’s, Shahid Afridi’s, Azhar Mehmood’s, Wajahatullah Wasti’s etc. (the list can go on and on) have shown real promise only to remain at that level and in some cases regress.

The current Pakistan team, then, is not the force of old and the rebuilding process requires focussed attention. Even the greatest teams of the past have found it difficult to avoid a dip in form after the retirement of key players. Australia suffered years of mediocrity after Lillee, Marsh and Chappell retired. Similarly the West Indies have yet to recover from the loss of Greenidge, Haynes, Richards, Marshall, Garner and Holding. But the contrast between the fortunes of the present day Australian and West Indian teams illustrates the importance of forward planning and tough decision making. Australia regrouped and instituted what was then a revolutionary method to their cricket - applying technology to coaching and thoroughly modernising their approach. But this was not done at the expense of the foundations of the game. In fact, the basics were strengthened – play straight, bowl wicket to wicket from close to the stumps, run your singles hard, and approach fielding as an equally important facet of the game. Much of this started under the captaincy of Allan Border and the coaching of Bobby Simpson – the man who transformed the likes of Steve Waugh, from a useful allrounder into one of the finest batsmen of the modern era. Furthermore, the zero tolerance approach towards indiscipline and complacency was apparent. Ricky Ponting, for example, was warned that his off the field antics (drunken brawls and a serious alcohol problem) would see him lose his place in the team. He cleaned up his act and is today captain of the team. Dean Jones was another who was axed for his quirky behaviour. Players were chosen for their talent, commitment and mettle. There was no place for those that were not willing to stick to the work ethic that had been inculcated in the team. The result was a fiercely competitive unit that took nothing for granted. Australia have reached the position they are in at the moment through talent as well as sheer hard work. Players like Steve Waugh, David Boon and Geoff Marsh were not world beaters when they entered the world stage. They became the players they did through determination and hard work.

In contrast, rampant indiscipline and complacency borne out of the incredible ‘talent pool’ that the West Indies used to be able to call upon in the 70s and 80s has left them today battling Bangladesh for Test victories. Pakistan must take heed of this and arrest and eradicate the indiscipline, inconsistency and instability that has in the past blighted Pakistan cricket. There are hopeful signs – The PCB has made no bones about imposing discipline and ensuring that unless a player is fully committed there is no room for him in the team. Whether the inquiry into Shoaib’s injury proved conclusive or not is besides the point. What mattered was the fact that every player should be aware of the fact that giving less than 100% on the field is unacceptable and certainly as a spectator I found Shoaib bowling on the first morning of the crucial Lahore Test, off half his normal run up, shocking. The selection committee led by Waseem Bari will bring consistency and stability and a chance for players and captain to build a committed unit. Furthermore, Yasir Hammed, Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umar, Asim Kemal, Umar Gul, Danish Kaneria and Mohammed Sami represent a talented core of players. There are others knocking on the door – Bazid Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Hassan Reza to name a few. What is now required is to identify individuals that show both the talent and the will to succeed and to persist with this group. Players who show no inclination of improving themselves, who lack the hunger for hard cricket will never make for a tough, competitive unit.

This will also require a qualified coach and support staff that can instil the required discipline and professionalism that must complement the natural talent of the players. It is highly questionable whether Javed Miandad is capable of undertaking this task. What is required is a fully qualified coach who has no previous personal history or involvement with the players; someone who can sit down with each individual, identify problem areas and then work methodically on eradicating faults and thereby showing a steady improvement in each player. Miandad was a great batsman but that does not necessarily mean that he is qualified for a modern day coaching role. Bob Woolmer, Dav Whatmore, Duncan Fletcher, John Buchanan, John Wright – none of these individuals were ever world class players - but clearly they have an eye for technique and are fully qualified coaches. It is time to drag Pakistani cricket into the modern age to give ourselves the chance to fulfil the promise that our young players show. A word of caution though - results will take time – Australia faced 5 years of mediocrity before coming out as the force they are now. But at the end of the day, investments now will make for a healthier, stronger team in the future.

Before ending, a word about the Senate hearings. It is now going beyond ridiculous that politicians should be calling PCB officials for multiple hearings to explain the defeat to India. Most genuine cricket followers accepted the result and moved on – there was little public outcry – no houses being stoned, effigies being burnt. Perhaps the public was simply happy to have a chance to see some excellent cricket and world class cricketers of the calibre of Dravid, Tendulkar, Sehwag, Kumble and Laxman for the first time. For this we have to thank both the governments and the PCB for making the series possible. Furthermore, the series was played in the best sporting tradition and as such was an enormous success – as a sporting spectacle, financially and politically. But the Senate Committee is a farce – while Karachi burns, Al Qaeeda operatives remain active, an English teacher is shot dead in Multan – our senators are busy asking why we lost a cricket series to India! England have not beaten Australia for over a decade now but parliament In London has not come to the point of launching inquiries. Maybe the Senate Committee members ‘inspired’ by Donald Rumsfeld’s grilling at the hands of American Congress see themselves undertaking a similarly noble task. Somehow though, the torture of inmates at Abu Ghraib prison and the loss to India don’t seem to hold quite the same importance. The last thing that Pakistan cricket needs is the involvement of this group of individuals. Give it a rest.

In the meantime England push for a whitewash against a New Zealand team that lacks firepower. On the first day of the third and final Test 3 decisions went against the home team. I hope – having read some of the questions that the Pakistan Senate Committee demanded answers for from the PCB - that a conscientious MP has put through a call to the English Cricket Board and insisted that the umpires be reprimanded and changed immediately.

This post has been submitted by Fish Fingers