The cricket metaphor

Imran Khan, our much-celebrated PM, draws heavily on cricket as a metaphor to share his views about the way he conducts himself in politics and his vision for how he will put the country back on track.

This is understandable as he has had a long cricketing history, which pops up in his mind now and then whenever the chips are down or when his stars are shining. However, he should know that the world of cricket and the world of government/politics have far more differences than anything worthwhile in common.

A metaphor has as much illuminating power to reveal the truth as it has to conceal and confuse it. Poetry is considered futile without metaphor and the latter has also gained preeminence in political discourse and science. It describes a social reality by using a ‘stand-in’ word that is different from the one usually taken to be literal. Using metaphors for rhetorical and aesthetic purposes is a practice that is in vogue in every culture and is an effective tool of communication. But its uncritical use in making sense of some complex phenomena, such as running a government, may confound problems.

A wrong metaphor can often have profound consequences. For example, the metaphor of a ‘machine’ was extensively used as a metaphor by management scholars and practitioners of the industrial era to understand and manage bureaucratic organisations. They thought of workers as cogs in a machine that should perform the assigned tasks as and when directed under the mechanism of a well-defined hierarchical structure and formal rules/procedures. The outcome of this metaphor in thought and practice led to the dehumanisation and alienation of workers, and killed their creative spirit andinitiative.

Cricket metaphors can have similar consequences in politics and, at times, may not at all be relevant to governance. In cricket, the fall of a wicket involves the batsman going back to the pavilion to join his team; in politics, it has a different connotation. One can bowl-out only one batsman with a single delivery. But in politics, Imran Khan frequently seems to be bowling everyone out with a single ball.

The introduction of neutral empires in Pakistan’s political landscape is something we will all appreciate and aspire for. But it is not as simple as the job of a third empire in cricket. The third empires, whoever they may be, may have their own calculations and interests to serve. More importantly, winning and losing may not be as visible and decisive in politics as it is in cricket or, for that matter, in any other sporting event.

Cricket metaphors can be dangerous for IK’s thought process. Since a metaphor contains more emotional content than rational considerations, we tend to believe in slogans and symptoms as a substitute for evidence-based solutions to complex problems. The replacement of a player in cricket may lead to a turnaround in the game, but this quick-fix may not work as well in reforming public organisations.

Public organisations are socio-technical systems, with many of them interwoven, and it requires patience and a holistic approach to address their chronic problems of inefficiency and corruption. Most of the problems attributed to public servants may even have roots in the way public organisations have been designed.

The last reason why Imran Khan should no longer use cricket metaphors in political parlance is their association with an expected outcome that is quick, visible and decisive. At the end of a cricket match, some spectators have something to celebrate while others have reasons to feel down. As PM, Imran Khan will raise public expectations far too high if he continues to use these metaphors. Frustration will ensue and he will have hard time basking in his past glory.

To run a government, Imran Khan has to come out of the win-lose mindset and take everyone onboard, including the opposition, the media, and all other stakeholders.

Austerity measures and rolling some corrupt heads – though praiseworthy steps – are insufficient to make any real difference. They are akin to playing to the gallery.

The writer teaches at the Sarhad University. Email:zebkhan.ba@suit.edu.pk