Plenty of excitement prevails each time a global cricket event is held under the aegis of the International Cricket Council (ICC), be it the World Cup held every four years or the World Twenty20 Championship organised on a biennial basis.

The fans mark the dates the Pakistan team is scheduled to play on, the advertisers customize their campaigns according to the occasion, the musicians come up with patriotic compositions, the religious ones arrange special prayers for the team’s victory and the bookies bet millions of rupees on the results.

While it is understandable for the fans and the advertisers to attach so much importance to such events, the same is not expected from the cricket administrators whose main responsibility is to ensure the overall health of this game in the country.

Unfortunately, over the past few years, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has looked more interested in succeeding in these extravaganzas at the expense of sustained success over a consistent period of time.

No sooner does a World Cup end, the process of axing the aging but experienced stalwarts and premature induction of youngsters begins. Losses in important bilateral encounters are accepted with an understanding that it is all part of the ‘rebuilding’ phase leading up to the next World Cup. All of this points towards the PCB’s preference for bringing these trophies home rather than a commitment towards improving the team’s overall ranking in world cricket.

The question is: just how important is it to succeed in these tournaments if looked in isolation? Does victory in a World Cup or a World T20 Championship signify a shift of power in world cricket? Does it mean that the winning team is above all its contemporaries? Does it mean that the winning team is the most consistent in world cricket? Does it mean that the country has a proper cricketing infrastructure in place? Does it mean that the country’s cricket is in responsible hands?

Pakistan’s victory at the 1992 World Cup has undoubtedly remained the proudest moment in country’s cricketing history.

There is a common perception that more than the team’s efforts, it was the fate that conspired to bring victory for the team; However, the truth is that under Imran Khan’s astute leadership, the team had performed exceptionally well over the preceding five years or so.

They had won bilateral series in India, England and against Australia at home. They had drawn against the mighty West Indians and were the only team of that era who could give them a run for their money.

Pakistan had also won an Australasia Cup and a mini World Cup in India leading up to the World Cup. Hence Pakistan’s victory in the 1992 World Cup was not a fluke; rather, it was a logical culmination of the team’s efforts during all the years preceding the World Cup.

The same cannot be said about the Pakistani teams that have competed in world events eversince. Despite being talented outfits, the teams of 1996 and 1999 could never quite manage to clear the cloud of corruption hanging over them.

The team of 2003 was an aging team of superstars which was known to be plagued by infighting. Team of 2007 was a mediocre one and had arrived at the World Cup fresh from a demoralising defeat in South Africa. The team of 2011 was an unsure one which didn’t even know who its captain was till 10 days before the World Cup.

Even though Pakistan team has done well at the World T20 Championships over the past five years, it is evident that things are not well at the domestic front with an uncertain captain at the helm, a chairman who seems more desperate to resume bilateral cricketing ties with India rather than bringing about reforms in the structure and players who enjoy the colourful T20 leagues around the world more than they enjoy playing Test cricket for the country.

It should be noticed that the Sri Lankan team of 1996 was a team that was on the rise and had defeated a strong Pakistan side on their home soil just before the World Cup.

Similarly, the Australian team that completed a hat-trick of World Cups between 1999 and 2007 was probably the strongest team ever to have played the game. And the Indian team of 2011 was at the top of the ICC rankings going into the World Cup.

It is high time that administrators running the affairs of cricket in this country understand that improving the cricketing infrastructure and making domestic cricket more competitive are the only ways to ensure a consistent performance from the national team — not only in world tournaments but also during the years separating such tournaments.

Success at a World Cup as a consequence of this hard work will be that much sweeter and legitimate.