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Pakistan cricket team a psychological wreck
By Col (r) Rafi Nasim
It is a matter of great concern for the whole nation that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), headed by an incompetent former Test cricketer Ijaz Butt, has turned our cricket team into more of a psychological wreck. After departure of the trio of non-cricketers who ruled the board for a decade bringing our cricket to the lowest ebb, it was generally felt that the cricketers board led by Ijaz will give the game a boost up and raise the team to international heights. Unfortunately, the reverse has happened with our team almost sinking in the ocean. A glance at its conduct and performance under the present rulers will indicate that instead of achieving honours for the country the team has brought utter disgrace to the nation.
All this has happened because the PCB officials starting from the PCB chief and chief operating officer Wasim Bari down to managers, coaches and other henchmen concentrate more on looting the board by drawing fabulous salaries, perks and privileges, wangling frequent foreign trips plus indulging in extravagance of all sorts than devoting time for the development of the game and progress of the players. This has resulted in gross degeneration of our standards of cricket. There was a time when other cricket teams of the world were scared of Pakistan. Sitting pretty at number 6 in the world ranking, Pakistan now hardly has an impact on international cricket.
Such a holocaust to our cricket has been caused due to the apathy of our cricket management. They perhaps did not realise the fact that the present day players come from a low strata with little education and literally no brains. Their faculties both of body and mind need to be developed. This being an important function of the PCB, the cricket body has failed to perform the same. Our players are the psychological wrecks for the reason that they just do not know how to adjust to different situations. Rather than picking up courage and fighting back, they start shivering in their pants when a defeat is staring at them. Similarly, they get nervous and lose their senses even when they see a victory written on the wall. Absolutely clueless about the technique of grabbing the victory they offer the same to the opponents as a present.
Victims of the managements negligence, lack of devotion and could not care-less attitude the players even do not know how to stay at the wicket. It is shocking that our worthy band of coaches has not trained the players even in the easiest aspect of the game. We perhaps need to invite Hanif Muhammad or Sunil Gavaskar to teach our boys the art of holding the crease.
Isnt it highly shocking that after gaining a 204-run first innings lead over Australia in the Sydney Test, our team lost in a manner as it was a club team. Facing an easy target of 176 runs to be scored in one and a half day, our team of mental wrecks did not know what to do. To grab the victory written on the wall it was essential for our batting line to play slow and steady ground shots to achieve the target. Instead they chose to turn a vital Test into a one-day match resorting to play sky rocketing shots all over the field offering dolly catches direct into the hands of the fielders. This was a hopelessly stupid style of play that caused Pakistan a shameful defeat.
Sydney was the venue of Pakistans fabulous victory over Australia 14 years ago. Had our team repeated the same performance, this would have been an occasion for the nation to rejoice. The sorrow and grief of this defeat is likely to keep the cricket lovers depressed for a long time. The rare feature of this match, however, was that all the ten batsmen were caught. The total absence of lbws and bowled out indicated that there were no demons in the pitch.
This was not the first instance of our team offering a victory to the opponents on a platter. They did so earlier in a Test against New Zealand, which we lost by 32 runs in the same fashion. There is a famous proverb stay at the wicket, the runs will automatically flow out of your bat. Our players did not follow the golden principle specially designed for such occasions. Requiring only 60 runs to win with 6 wickets in hand and the whole day at its disposal the team collapsed because the boys played rough and risky shots instead of staying at the wicket.
While our team needs to create a miracle to regain the lost love of the nation the PCB is required to pull its socks and teach the boys the different styles of batting required for each version of the game. Ijaz and his cronies perhaps have no time to do so.
Leaving the victory and defeat aside, it is shocking to see the batsmen displaying a casual and careless attitude while holding the crease. Same applies to our standards of fielding. How can you win a match by dropping half a dozen catches? One wonders what our band of high profiled coaches has taught the players? The gang of PCB officials starting from the chairman down to coaches, selectors, managers and others are not there to enjoy life by taking joyrides only. Their job is to groom, coach and train the players in all facets of the game. They should pack up and go home if they cannot do so.
(The writer is a former PCB chief executive officer)
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
By Col (r) Rafi Nasim
It is a matter of great concern for the whole nation that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), headed by an incompetent former Test cricketer Ijaz Butt, has turned our cricket team into more of a psychological wreck. After departure of the trio of non-cricketers who ruled the board for a decade bringing our cricket to the lowest ebb, it was generally felt that the cricketers board led by Ijaz will give the game a boost up and raise the team to international heights. Unfortunately, the reverse has happened with our team almost sinking in the ocean. A glance at its conduct and performance under the present rulers will indicate that instead of achieving honours for the country the team has brought utter disgrace to the nation.
All this has happened because the PCB officials starting from the PCB chief and chief operating officer Wasim Bari down to managers, coaches and other henchmen concentrate more on looting the board by drawing fabulous salaries, perks and privileges, wangling frequent foreign trips plus indulging in extravagance of all sorts than devoting time for the development of the game and progress of the players. This has resulted in gross degeneration of our standards of cricket. There was a time when other cricket teams of the world were scared of Pakistan. Sitting pretty at number 6 in the world ranking, Pakistan now hardly has an impact on international cricket.
Such a holocaust to our cricket has been caused due to the apathy of our cricket management. They perhaps did not realise the fact that the present day players come from a low strata with little education and literally no brains. Their faculties both of body and mind need to be developed. This being an important function of the PCB, the cricket body has failed to perform the same. Our players are the psychological wrecks for the reason that they just do not know how to adjust to different situations. Rather than picking up courage and fighting back, they start shivering in their pants when a defeat is staring at them. Similarly, they get nervous and lose their senses even when they see a victory written on the wall. Absolutely clueless about the technique of grabbing the victory they offer the same to the opponents as a present.
Victims of the managements negligence, lack of devotion and could not care-less attitude the players even do not know how to stay at the wicket. It is shocking that our worthy band of coaches has not trained the players even in the easiest aspect of the game. We perhaps need to invite Hanif Muhammad or Sunil Gavaskar to teach our boys the art of holding the crease.
Isnt it highly shocking that after gaining a 204-run first innings lead over Australia in the Sydney Test, our team lost in a manner as it was a club team. Facing an easy target of 176 runs to be scored in one and a half day, our team of mental wrecks did not know what to do. To grab the victory written on the wall it was essential for our batting line to play slow and steady ground shots to achieve the target. Instead they chose to turn a vital Test into a one-day match resorting to play sky rocketing shots all over the field offering dolly catches direct into the hands of the fielders. This was a hopelessly stupid style of play that caused Pakistan a shameful defeat.
Sydney was the venue of Pakistans fabulous victory over Australia 14 years ago. Had our team repeated the same performance, this would have been an occasion for the nation to rejoice. The sorrow and grief of this defeat is likely to keep the cricket lovers depressed for a long time. The rare feature of this match, however, was that all the ten batsmen were caught. The total absence of lbws and bowled out indicated that there were no demons in the pitch.
This was not the first instance of our team offering a victory to the opponents on a platter. They did so earlier in a Test against New Zealand, which we lost by 32 runs in the same fashion. There is a famous proverb stay at the wicket, the runs will automatically flow out of your bat. Our players did not follow the golden principle specially designed for such occasions. Requiring only 60 runs to win with 6 wickets in hand and the whole day at its disposal the team collapsed because the boys played rough and risky shots instead of staying at the wicket.
While our team needs to create a miracle to regain the lost love of the nation the PCB is required to pull its socks and teach the boys the different styles of batting required for each version of the game. Ijaz and his cronies perhaps have no time to do so.
Leaving the victory and defeat aside, it is shocking to see the batsmen displaying a casual and careless attitude while holding the crease. Same applies to our standards of fielding. How can you win a match by dropping half a dozen catches? One wonders what our band of high profiled coaches has taught the players? The gang of PCB officials starting from the chairman down to coaches, selectors, managers and others are not there to enjoy life by taking joyrides only. Their job is to groom, coach and train the players in all facets of the game. They should pack up and go home if they cannot do so.
(The writer is a former PCB chief executive officer)
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
It was a good opportunity and they lost it.
