Our cricket challenge

Pakistan cricket is no stranger to crisis and upheaval. But seldom has it faced so much of this within a short span of a few days. A lot has happened in Pakistan cricket in less than three weeks since Ramiz Raja took over as the new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on September 13. Misbah-ul-Haq, who was brought in two years ago as a possible messiah by the PCB, which gave him the unprecedented dual role of chief selector and head coach, decided to step down. Waqar Younis, Misbah’s right-hand man, also followed suit. Both knew their time in Pakistan cricket set-up was over. Ramiz responded by roping in former Australia Test batsman Matthew Hayden and South Africa’s Vernon Philander to boost Pakistan’s coaching staff. Both were regarded among leading cricketers during their playing days, but it didn’t bother Ramiz that neither one has any worthwhile coaching experience.

But then the big bombshell came when New Zealand aborted its tour of Pakistan just hours before the first game was to be played in Rawalpindi. The Black Caps claimed they did it because of heightened security concerns. It was clear that New Zealand’s controversial decision would trigger a domino effect. And it did as just days later England announced it was cancelling its men’s and women’s trips to Pakistan. The twin blows have seemingly wiped away all the hard work done by Pakistan to undo the damage caused by the 2009 terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore. That incident turned Pakistan into a no-go zone for international teams. With New Zealand and England backing out, Pakistan once again finds itself in a similar, hopeless situation.

Pakistan cricket’s troubles don’t end here. More recently, Wasim Khan, brought in as PCB’s CEO three years ago, also read the writing on the wall and decided to quit. Once again, Ramiz was happy to oblige. Wasim was at the forefront of several projects – with the permanent revival of international cricket in Pakistan being the most important one. His departure at this critical juncture may hurt Pakistan cricket. At this point in time, the PCB appears to be a one-man show with Ramiz in the lead role. He has assumed the dual role of both chairman and CEO. The former Pakistan Test captain appears to be in control as he has been saying all the right words and has been exuding confidence in front of the camera. But that’s expected from a man who has spent the best part of his post-retirement life as a TV commentator. But Ramiz should know that the case of Pakistan cricket won’t be fought in front of the camera. With numerous factors like volatile global politics at play, Pakistan cricket faces a minefield in front of it in the campaign to bring top-flight teams to its own backyard. It’s tough to say whether Ramiz has the right credentials to lead that campaign. But it’s easy to see that he doesn’t have the team to do it. If he has a plan to tackle the various gigantic challenges facing Pakistan cricket then he is hiding it well. The clock is ticking. Pakistan cricket needs to make comprehensive plans and quickly form a team that is capable of executing them. Otherwise, Ramiz’s tenure might well end as it began – on a disastrous note.