PAKISTAN cricket is unpredictable. One cannot predict anything about whether the team will win or lose because our cricketers do not play with responsibility; they are always seen a bit too relaxed for competitive cricket. There have been erratic performances. There has never been consistency, be it the bowlers or batters.

In the recent Asia Cup final, Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka playing like a bunch of inexperienced under-16 lads. They were involved in poor fielding and dropped catches, which, as everybody knows, is vital for winning a match. As they say, catches win the matches. But our players are perhaps not aware of the dictum.

Babar Azam has not proved to be a good skipper. He is not capable of leading the side and winning matches. He lacks experience, strategic skills and has even put on weight of late, which seems to have affected his batting. It is time he was replaced by an experienced and intelligent cricketer for the matches ahead.

Mohammad Rizwan can be praised for hitting 52 and criticised at the same time for not scoring quick enough. Perhaps he was focussing on personal performance in what happens to be a team game. Cricket analysts on different national television channels are always seen praising and supporting the cricketers. This attitude has proved harmful to Pakistan cricket because the players tend to take even crunch matches lightly, thinking there would be neither scrutiny nor accountability.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman instead of being satisfied should proceed with the necessary changes in the team. The Indians, the Sri Lankans and other teams are always playing with a do-or-die approach with a great sense of responsibility. India has won the Asia Cup seven times and Sri Lanka has lifted the title six times, while Pakistan has done that only twice. It is not hard to see where we stand.

Then we have songs that communicate the wrong message, like Tum jeeto ya haro, hamein tum say pyar hay (regardless of whether you win or lose, we love you). This is as foolish as it gets. Such an approach neither boosts a team’s morale nor does it cater to its sense of responsibility. Instead, this makes them carefree and overconfident.

This lack of responsibility and subsequent accountability becomes even more glaring when you consider the fact that the cricketers earn millions, if not billions, from the game. Higher the remuneration, that much more needs to be the accountability. It happens in every field everywhere. Why are our cricketers and the PCB exceptions on this count?

This is time the PCB woke up from its slumber and took some serious measures. The so-called analysts and retired cricketers, too, need to be honest in analysing the performance without bias, twisting and manoeuvring if they truly love cricket and earnestly want the country to win matches and tournaments.

Anwar Hussain
Karachi

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2022