The root is the integral part of a tree and any ailment at the bottom eventually impedes the fruit.

Therefore, the prime job of a gardener is to look after the root more than the upper portion of a tree. With this basic philosophy in mind, a nursery can be kept in top-class shape to produce better results for the future.

While I am no expert in gardening, the nursery which I refer to is one of the oldest in business and is ideally supposed to provide the nation with quality cricketers. However, I am afraid, it has not been given the due attention, probably intentionally.

Identifying and then rectifying a problem with sincerity and honesty are definitely not a priority in Pakistan cricket. The regional associations are responsible to build the infrastructure and club cricket is the base of this system, the root which should be taken care of truthfully and consistently.

Since I have played my entire cricket in Karachi, therefore I would focus more on the city where, on paper, there are around 170 registered clubs, most of them bogus. Whenever I had to gather the clubs for a tournament I could not find more than 24.

In all the zones of the KCCA, the registration of such bogus clubs is intentionally entertained and the sole reason for the malpractice is to acquire votes in the KCCA elections.

I will not rule out the involvement of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the malpractice because this aspect has time and again been neglected by the various scrutiny teams of the cricket board because they also need some “yes men” at key slots in the regional level and later in the governing board.

In Peshawar, the scenario is even bleaker, where in the recent elections 10 bogus clubs were created overnight to favour a certain party, and election help at the headquarter (PCB). Multan, Hyderabad, Faisalabad and Sialkot regions are also plagued with the same malpractice.

The mushroom growth of such dummy clubs is the root cause of the problem and before moving on to the rectification, I would like to pinpoint the culprits. In the Karachi region, the president, Sirajul Islam Bukhari, who has been on the scene for the past 40 years, is not discharging his duties appropriately. Right from the matter of bogus clubs to the representation of Karachi in other aspects such as PCB coaches or umpires, his role has been disappointing. It is high time that Mr Bukhari raises his voice.

The matter of the defunct KCCA secretary, Ejaz Farooqui is actually a test case for Sirajul Islam Bukhari. He should have also fought for the umpires of this region too who have not been provided the proper opportunities at the international scene. In fact, apart from Lahore, umpires from all other regions have been rudely ignored.

Mr Bukhari’s lack of grip on the matters and regional set-up has had a trickle down effect and his subordinates have also been flouting rules and merit frequently.

The performance of the two Karachi teams in the latest T20 competition are indicative of the fact that somewhere, something went terribly wrong and needs to be rectified urgently.

In the presence of coach Salim Jaffer, merit took a backseat and the deserving players were left out from the Karachi outfits (Zebras and Dolphins). With due respect to Salim, he has been too ‘soft’ a coach, as he was selector. And I would not be amazed if he would be appointed as the match referee in the future for his “yes man” credentials. There have been similar examples of Azhar Khan and Shafiq Pappa and Salim looks set to join them in the same league.

In the end, let’s come down to the solution of the problem which is indeed very simple. Sincerity is the foremost ingredient without which every endeavour would surely fail.

The root cause of the problem is the growth of bogus clubs and to curb this practice the authorities should organise 80 matches in a day (20 in each zone of KCCA). This will not only expose the fake clubs but the formation of a regional team on merit will also be ensured.

For the betterment of the game in the country, the root cause of the problem is needed to be addressed. I have no doubt it will work because where there is a will there is always a way, but my only concern is the lack of will in the present set-up.

The writer is a former Pakistan captain.