Accommodating friends at the expense of better players is the reason behind Pakistan’s fall

Pakistan cricket team is back home in small groups after being down and dusted in T20 World Cup 2024. This left the entire nation frustrated and in a state of disbelief. However it was no surprise for many like me who could see the catastrophe coming.

There was no proper preparation, no logical thinking, no spirit building and no appointments on merit — be it the clueless, weak captain Babar Azam or the most questionable de facto Chief Selector Wahab Riaz. Nepotism, favouritism and ‘dosti-yaari’ reigned supreme, worsened by distinct grouping in the team with some players not seeing eye to eye. There were players who were not even on talking terms. There was no semblance of a team. Even a student of class five knows that ‘team’ means ‘individuals gathered with common objectives working in harmony’. It was a dissociated and disunited group only following personal agendas, to say the least.

I will not directly blame the new PCB administration headed by Mohsin Naqvi at this stage because he is too new to the job. It was in fact his associates and advisors; a wrong selection of captain Babar, Chief Selector Wahab and Bowling Coach Azhar Mahmood notwithstanding.

I briefly saw Air Marshal Nur Khan work as Chairman BCCP. He was a “no nonsense” administrator though he did not have a rich background of cricket knowledge. He was sharp and reserved, and kept a distance from players. He had a man well versed in cricket knowledge named Arif Abbasi as Secretary of the then BCCP who was his principal advisor. That was a prudent selection which raised no fingers and Pakistan cricket flourished under him. Naqvi needs to look for such an unbiased person if he has to succeed in making a team out of this horde of players.

The other thing is that though he may have been appointed by a political party in power, he must tell them in very clear terms that he will not take any meddling in his affairs. He can afford to do so because he has the goodwill of powerful quarters as well. He should leave aside ethnicity, pressure of groups, lobbying of players entirely and for once go strictly on merit with no pardon to the players who formed groups and indulged in politics. He must get an in-depth probe in this regard done by appointing a very strict, fair and honest investigator. The aspect of any possible match fixing should also be looked into very minutely.

The groups involved in this circus that brought our fame and name to present abyss are distinctly Babar, Rizwan, Shahdab, Haris Rauf and Azam Khan versus Shaheen, Fakhar, Iftikhar and Usman. Imad and a few others were neutral.

Naqvi has reportedly denied that he spoke of a major surgery. I wish he had. Till the PCB keeps bowing to the player power and to the so called elite players nothing will ever be fixed. The malaise is deep rooted and old. As pointed out by me on these pages at the conclusion of ODI World Cup 2019, Babar was brought as Captain under a well hatched conspiracy to uproot Sarfaraz who had a glorious record including winning the Champions Trophy 2017 by the myopic Imran Khan, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan. That was his second blow to Pakistan cricket after banning departmental cricket and reducing regional teams to a ridiculous figure of six. Sarfaraz was a great natural leader and a sound wicketkeeper. However his low batting average was targeted. A captain may not always be a great player. This dictum was forgotten or intentionally ignored. Sarfaraz led Karachi recently in 2023 to victory in Qaid-e-Azam trophy final winning the coveted cup. He can be recalled for Asia Cup as Captain and an able younger leader like Shan Masood can be put as his deputy in white ball cricket to be groomed to take over from him at a later stage. This will be a difficult but productive decision with a new look team. There is no dearth of talent in Pakistan. Domestic cricket should be the criteria and no one not playing domestic cricket should be even considered for international cricket.

Readers will remember that in the middle of World Cup ODI 2023 a controversy enveloped the team with revelations of a scandal involving Baber and Rizwan with a company named “Yazo International” in England established by one Taha Rehmani. The shady company is still fully functional with support of Babar and Rizwan and was active in World Cup T20 2024 as well because no action was ever taken against them.

I as a cricket enthusiast would like to ask him as well as the management a few questions. I can bet they have no cogent reply.

Why was Osama Mir not selected? To save his buddy Shadab?

Why was Abrar not given even one match in Ireland, England and entire T20 World Cup matches? To save out-of-form Shadab? When Shadab was playing as a so-called batsman, why was mystery spinner Abrar still not included in the playing eleven?

Why was Fakhar, who is a natural opener, made to bat at No. 4? Why did he not face the left arm bowler in the super over against the USA?

Why was long off brought in before the last over when Haris Rauf was bowling full toss, failing to bowl yorkers.

Why did Rizwan repeatedly open when he has no strokes except midwicket loft and sweep shot. He cannot play square cut and cover drive ever. This was aptly judged by Bumrah and was sent packing on an in-swinger pitching outside the off stumps.

The ball is in the court of Naqvi now. He is standing at a decisive moment of cricket history in Pakistan. He can lift Pakistan cricket to new heights or bury it forever like hockey was buried earlier.

(The writer is a former first class cricketer,
former convener Sindh Adhoc Committee of PCB and former Inspector
General of Police)