Could Pakistan cricket go the same way as the West Indies?

[Saj]

PakPassion : If given the opportunity what would you say to the people running West Indies cricket on what needs to be done to help improve standards?

Darren Sammy : The decline of West Indies cricket did not start with us. West Indies cricket has been in decline for the past twenty plus years. I remember us losing the Frank Worrell Trophy to Australia in the 1990s and my father couldn't work for a week as he was that disappointed; that's how important that cup was. I don't think we have won that trophy ever since. The problem is that when we were producing the Laras and Ambroses and such players everybody thought that we would just continue to produce such cricketers. Whilst other countries were developing their talent by using our own expertise and copying what we did and how we played the game and to make them successful and investing in their under 15 and under 19 programmes, and developing their youngsters and infrastructure whilst we did nothing as we just thought we would continue to produce world-class cricketers. Talent is everything but if you have talent and also work hard on your game it will always give you an edge. We didn't have anything in place to help develop and nurture the talented youngsters coming through. Yes we are still talented but due to the reasons I have mentioned, we are not dominating cricket like we used to. We didn't have a proper structure in place or plans for after all the great players retired and moved on from the game.

The above is from our recent interview with Darren Sammy.

The highlighted parts are chilling when you read them and highlight the complacency that those people running West Indies cricket had.

Could Pakistan cricket head the same way? Some would say that we are already heading in that direction.

 

[Suleiman]

We are heading in that direction. There's still time to turn it around and begin investing in the domestic structure because the passion for cricket is still there in the youngsters, yeah it has declined a bit, but still exists.

As soon as the majority of the youngsters and population lose interest in cricket, then it's over. Same case for WI atm. Only a handful of islanders follow cricket these days, and most of their youngsters choose to pursue other sports like track and basketball. How many West Indian posters do you know on pakpassion? We have at least 1 for the other top 8 nations.

It all comes down to passion and interest. If you don't have motivated youngsters willing to work towards being cricketers then you are out of time to put in a structure to nurture them.

 

[JibranAnsari]

we do not have any other sport to fall back on

 

[Lords]

Not gonna happen because Pakistan is a single sport nation and there is no challenger in sight. No matter how bad the team performs cricket will still be popular in Pakistan.

 

[Adijazz1706]

Nope. If you don't play cricket, what will you play? Pakistan has even forsaken hockey for cricket.

 

[rhony]

No way. WI youngsters have football, basketball, athletics as alternatives. There is already news that a lot of youngsters in WI turning to cricket these days. However, they all want to be T20 stars to make the big bugs.

Pakistan will always produce decent players. It's up to the management to make those decent players into good ones. It's up to the players to go from good to great.

 

[*sallu*]

Too many people love cricket in Pakistan. The divide is more likely to be between the big 3 and the rest of the nations (bar windies) where teams follow cycles unless of course the ICC unwinds the current structure

 

[The Last Of The Stars]

We are headed in that direction but we won't end up like them. We will rise and rule world cricket like never before.

You can see such things are being discussed on mainstream media. It means people do realise such things now. The PCB will definitely know this scenario. They will start to react. Some private cricket foundations like Peshawar Zalmi Cricket Foundation by Javed Afridi is a good thing to happen to Pakistan Cricket and can help in a way. Javed Afridi's enthusiasm is out of the world.

Other than that we have to remove incompetent guys from PCB's administration like Najam Sethi. And hand over PCB's administration to a set of competent technocrats. But that's not possible under the current government and democracy. For that we have to change the current system as well. A system where constitution can be acted upon. Because handing over PCB to competent people can definitely have a positive impact on players development.

I am hopeful for a great future of Pakistan, not just in cricket.

 

[#GreenRoars]

Not gonna happen, in Pakistan cricket is every where. This sports won't die, but yes we can go mediocre.

 

[*sallu*]

Not that there is any guarantee that PCB will do much with the money but it is a shame we do not play with the big teams (especially India). Financial stability is the first step in improving Pakistan cricket provided.

 

[Im Suds]

I agree with other posters that Pakistan doesn't have an alternative sport to draw youth away from cricket like basketball, American football & baseball in the Caribbean .
Having said that we share one big problem in common - misadminstration of cricket authorities .
cricket chairman s of both countries have been farcical, they ve exploited their players previously with low pay, unbelievably bad selections, not getting batting orders correct, being reactionary as opposed to sticking to a well thought out strategy.
My favourite cricket nation after Pakistan has always been West Indies - I hope like us they rise again.
Cricket was more political in previous decades - and challenging colonial dogma through cricket used to inspire Imran Khan & Clive Lloyd and their teams to be disciplined & ruthless.
Maybe that sort of political consciousness has gone and there s been an impact

 

[Sandeep]

No, Pakistan is better than that. At least I hope so. Pakistan is going through a bad phase and will come out of it. Your bowling is still better than most other teams anyway.

 

[Stewie]

I think it already has.. It is naive to suggest we are not already there yet. We win fewer games than we lose and that talent overall is overhyped and our recent victories are not a good reflection of our overall ability and I mean we have been punching above our weight in test cricket.

The reasons for West Indian cricket decline are multifold, dwindling interest in cricket there due to other sports being a key factor but ours is right down to mismanagement and development of talent, the interest is still there and that is why it is even more troubling and tragic.

 

[Pete Rose]

Won't happen. Cricket is a way of improving ones financial circumstances and there are too many alternatives. Also, Pakistani players are not being lured away by the t20 leagues. The test team is solid, the odi team will improve. The t20 o couldn't care about.

 

[abc_to_xyz]

For those who claim that Pakistan is a single sports country, either you haven't been in Pakistan post 2010 or you haven't noticed the youth at large. Many of the kids and teens these days prefer football over cricket as they find it cool. Cricket is only being followed by people living in the remote areas or people like us who still live in the golden era of 70s/80s/90s.

Observing gloablly, cricket in general is also at decline. It is being turned into a money-making business for few countries rather than being a glourious sport with rich culture. The administrators are not at all willing to compete bigger sports by adopting an expanding strategy, so it is bound to fade away with time.

Personally speaking, cricket doesn't fascinate me anymore like it used to. I don't think I'll travel to another city or wake up at 3am just to watch the game. And decline of Pakistan is one of the reason. It is a sad state where you'll see people praising players like Wahab for his 2 wickets or Amir for his swingful overs, so you'll see people praising players like Hafeez or Babar only for scoring 50+ against dummy oppositions for a meaningless cause. Gone are the days where it was common to take 5-fers and hat-tricks were the reasons to be congratulated. One or two series victories is not going to return the passion.

If I were the admin of this forum, I would have added sections for other sports now.

 

[Stewie]

For those who claim that Pakistan is a single sports country, either you haven't been in Pakistan post 2010 or you haven't noticed the youth at large. Many of the kids and teens these days prefer football over cricket as they find it cool. Cricket is only being followed by people living in the remote areas or people like us who still live in the golden era of 70s/80s/90s.

Observing gloablly, cricket in general is also at decline. It is being turned into a money-making business for few countries rather than being a glourious sport with rich culture. The administrators are not at all willing to compete bigger sports by adopting an expanding strategy, so it is bound to fade away with time.

Personally speaking, cricket doesn't fascinate me anymore like it used to. I don't think I'll travel to another city or wake up at 3am just to watch the game. And decline of Pakistan is one of the reason. It is a sad state where you'll see people praising players like Wahab for his 2 wickets or Amir for his swingful overs, so you'll see people praising players like Hafeez or Babar only for scoring 50+ against dummy oppositions for a meaningless cause. Gone are the days where it was common to take 5-fers and hat-tricks were the reasons to be congratulated. One or two series victories is not going to return the passion.

If I were the admin of this forum, I would have added sections for other sports now.

Chanda, jaag jao! uth jao... go explore PP sections and you will see what I am talking about.

 

[abc_to_xyz]

Chanda, jaag jao! uth jao... go explore PP sections and you will see what I am talking about.

Again, what are you talking about?

 

[Zaz]

For those who claim that Pakistan is a single sports country, either you haven't been in Pakistan post 2010 or you haven't noticed the youth at large. Many of the kids and teens these days prefer football over cricket as they find it cool. Cricket is only being followed by people living in the remote areas or people like us who still live in the golden era of 70s/80s/90s.

Observing gloablly, cricket in general is also at decline. It is being turned into a money-making business for few countries rather than being a glourious sport with rich culture. The administrators are not at all willing to compete bigger sports by adopting an expanding strategy, so it is bound to fade away with time.

Personally speaking, cricket doesn't fascinate me anymore like it used to. I don't think I'll travel to another city or wake up at 3am just to watch the game. And decline of Pakistan is one of the reason. It is a sad state where you'll see people praising players like Wahab for his 2 wickets or Amir for his swingful overs, so you'll see people praising players like Hafeez or Babar only for scoring 50+ against dummy oppositions for a meaningless cause. Gone are the days where it was common to take 5-fers and hat-tricks were the reasons to be congratulated. One or two series victories is not going to return the passion.

If I were the admin of this forum, I would have added sections for other sports now.

i agree i cant remember when i last rushed home to watch them play

Now i hardly even watch them during the day when im at home, its not just quality there just seems to be a real lack of heart n fight which is the real disappointment

pakistan cricket is dying a slow death n the board are doing nothing about it

 

[Sachin136]

For those who claim that Pakistan is a single sports country, either you haven't been in Pakistan post 2010 or you haven't noticed the youth at large. Many of the kids and teens these days prefer football over cricket as they find it cool. Cricket is only being followed by people living in the remote areas or people like us who still live in the golden era of 70s/80s/90s.

Observing gloablly, cricket in general is also at decline. It is being turned into a money-making business for few countries rather than being a glourious sport with rich culture. The administrators are not at all willing to compete bigger sports by adopting an expanding strategy, so it is bound to fade away with time.

Personally speaking, cricket doesn't fascinate me anymore like it used to. I don't think I'll travel to another city or wake up at 3am just to watch the game. And decline of Pakistan is one of the reason. It is a sad state where you'll see people praising players like Wahab for his 2 wickets or Amir for his swingful overs, so you'll see people praising players like Hafeez or Babar only for scoring 50+ against dummy oppositions for a meaningless cause. Gone are the days where it was common to take 5-fers and hat-tricks were the reasons to be congratulated. One or two series victories is not going to return the passion.

If I were the admin of this forum, I would have added sections for other sports now.

There is the "Other sports" section and the Cricket section is more popular by several orders of magnitude.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

What worries me is there are no more world class players being produced.

It stopped at Amir and Asif 8 years ago.

So its been nearly a decade since we last produced a world class player. I think laws of the sports cycle is coming our way very soon. Imagine the day we have 2-3 world class players suddenly in our squad.

 

[Stewie]

What worries me is there are no more world class players being produced.

It stopped at Amir and Asif 8 years ago.

So its been nearly a decade since we last produced a world class player. I think laws of the sports cycle is coming our way very soon. Imagine the day we have 2-3 world class players suddenly in our squad.

NZ years ago had no world class players.. They had Cairns and Bond and thats about it. Most of their test batsmen averages in high 20s and mid thirties.

Then all of a sudden they had Vettori, McCullum, Taylor, Williamson, Ronchi, Guptill and the likes and now they are a world class team that qualified for their first WC final.

Here is to hoping we unearth some world class batting and all rounders soon. I think thats what we need desperately right now. Top order batsmen and all rounders.

 

[Watsupdoc]

It could be turning that way, but it looks like the PCB is doing something at the younger level at least.

And for the people saying cricket is the only sport in Pak, well maybe for the older generation, but the young generation and the next generation are moving towards football and that I can tell from personal experience.

 

[Stewie]

It could be turning that way, but it looks like the PCB is doing something at the younger level at least.

And for the people saying cricket is the only sport in Pak, well maybe for the older generation, but the young generation and the next generation are moving towards football and that I can tell from personal experience.

tahts quire a revelation to me honestly. I had no idea football was gaining so much popularity in Pakistan. It can only be good though. I think a nation of millions can/should be able to find enough talent to put 11 world class cricket players on the field regardless of competition from other sports.

 

[pakistani pride]

Cricket will never die in pakistan. Its in our blood. No matter what one says pak winning can not be compared with a man u win. Simple as that.

 

[MMHS]

I think, the scenario in PAK is different than WI.

In WI, there are few other sports that, they are good, DAMN good, BUT more importantly, there are 5/6 sports in WI which a similar level of talent can earn even 50 times than cricket, because WI players has the access to US & UK sports markets of these sports. A youngster can move to football, basketball, baseball, athletics, boxing, tennis...... instead of cricket which gives them opportunity to enter the market of USA, Canada or European Union. In PAK, despite the financial constraints, whatever money is there, it's in Cricket (apart from individual sports). Besides, proximity to IND 'll always keep people interested & now that BD, AFG & Nepal are catching up fast, PAK can't afford to be the WI of South Asian cricket.

However, there is going to be change - change in expectation. My memory is as far as 1987, & I know everyone following cricket was damn upset that PAK failed to win the cup in South Asia. 25 years later, Afridi is almost at per with Khan, for taking PAK to a given SF spot, because after 2003 & 2007, 2011 was something similar to 1992, after 1979, 1983 & 1987.

Now, we are discussing, if PAK can make the 2019 WC directly or not & I am quite confident that PAK 'll do; just like I was DAMN CONFIDENT (& I placed an open bet to everyone) that PAK 'll make the 1999 Final, at least, if not win it. Going forward, by 2023, the interest 'll be there, but my expectation might be that Pakistan don't miss the cut to Nepal or AFGs, just in case Uganda, if they start to play cricket & I am sure PAK won't disappoint me ... in that regard, that 2011 & 2015 teams actually met my expectations better than 1987, 1996, 2003 & 2007. By 2027, my expectation 'll be ............

On a positive, note, my little understanding of the game is, PAK is JUST about 4 years behind, becoming the top 3/4 sides of world again & I am not leg pulling here. Just adjustment of few things & proper planning, it shouldn't take even that long, as the 4 fundamentals are there - history/heritage, mass interest, natural skills & competitive environment (now that BD also has joined IND & SRL). I put it this way - the gap between what Bangladesh was in 2007 & now - that's 8 years; I don't think the gap between PAK of now & one of top 3 sides by 2020, is even half of that width, therefore 4 years is sufficient & I mean it.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

As long as India is playing cricket Pakistan is not going that way. India will keep Pakistan on its feet and vice versa. We don't have any other popular sport.

 

[Stewie]

Pakistan definitely needs to be smarter about the changing landscape of cricket though. It is becoming batsman centric now. As long as there was a balance in the game, Pakistan ruled the roost on the back of its supreme bowling. But now no matter how good of a bowling attack you have, good batsmen with bat friendly conditions can always put you on the backfoot. The rules and conditions have changed drastically. England and Pakistan are the only two nations who seem to struggle with this. They are too "old school" so to speak.

In Pakistan most people follow LOI cricket and if we are to maintain the strong interest in the game, we have to produce stronger batting talent to make sure the interest in the game is not only retained but thrives.

Bring proper batting techniques and proper power hitting skills to the table.

 

[chacha kashmiri]

What worries me is there are no more world class players being produced.

It stopped at Amir and Asif 8 years ago.

So its been nearly a decade since we last produced a world class player. I think laws of the sports cycle is coming our way very soon. Imagine the day we have 2-3 world class players suddenly in our squad.

What do you call mbh and Yk if not world class
Also ajmal and shah

As for this post if Pakistan can cope with having the aforementioned banned and also with having to play cricket in Dubai and still be cricket mad then the popularity won't decline

Wi have had gayle chanderpaul and pollard
But popular Caribbean culture dictates more relaxing pursuits and more American friendly sports such as basketball

I can't see Pakistan going the same way
True golf is played more and more in Pakistan but I can't see that taking away from street children playing cricket and Ramadan tournaments etc

 

[ExplicitAI]

The only difference between Pakistan and West Indies is that Pakistan is more motivated to succeed than WI.

 

[chacha kashmiri]

The only difference between Pakistan and West Indies is that Pakistan is more motivated to succeed than WI.

The ranking point difference in odis is probably decimals , if that

 

[abc_to_xyz]

There is the "Other sports" section and the Cricket section is more popular by several orders of magnitude.

That is because PP has always been presented as the home of cricket. The users here are the daydreamers of 90s. And Cricket vs Rest is always going to add more towards cricket. I cant see PP surviving for more than 15 years if they sticked with cricket as their primary sports.

What worries me is there are no more world class players being produced.

It stopped at Amir and Asif 8 years ago.

So its been nearly a decade since we last produced a world class player. I think laws of the sports cycle is coming our way very soon. Imagine the day we have 2-3 world class players suddenly in our squad.

That is the product of cricket decline in Pakistan. Our best bet was to cash the lot of 96-06 where teens were rolling themselves into Pakistan cricket after being inspired by 92'WC win.

Our players are settled at being a minnow now. They haven't played with Inzamam, Miandad, Wasim/Waqar etc. They dont know the worth of being a top team. And it wont be any better as younger generation doesn't seem interested to join Pakistan's domestic circuit as its not cool to do so anymore. We may have occasional success, but thats all.

 

[Seamer]

Does anyone know if Pakistan has a indoor cricket team? Saj?

 

[godzilla]

i think we are already well down that path and its all down to management, and so ultimately the patron.

they have refused for decades now to remove the patron-appointed-procedure which has made the whole sport in pakistan a bribe and play thing for some political ******* who somehow managed to find some brownie points from his master.

it results in some ***** being in charge, with no expertise or professionalism, who in turn relies on sycophants who have been bouncing around the pcb halls for decades, and who have proven their incompetence by marching the standards of pakistani cricket down to a continually lower level. they also are responsible for picking professionals whether its coaches, managers, strategists, medical staff etc who are for the most part abject, bafflingly bad failures, and so we continue accelerating downwards as we have been.

even if they happen to pick a good coach, for example, theres not a lot he can do if the chief selector is incompetent. or if they manage to pick a good captain, theres not much he can do if the manager cant keep discipline or cant offer logistical support on tours etc.

until and unless the whole of the pcb board is sacked and replaced with fresh faces, and the constitution is fixed at the board and regional level, i cant see how there will be any return to the glory days, and instead, children will continue to bicker over which mediocre talent is better than which other mediocre talent, and how if only some flash bang talentless spray gun or slogger was given enough chances, he would be a world beater.

of all of the unbelievable disasters that butt presided over, arguably the most damaging, even more damaging than his lies and direct responsibility for the sri lankan tour disaster, was his failure to implement all the icc recommendations that were drawn up in their pakistan task team report back in 2011 or whenever. instead, he outright rejected it, and reconfirmed and certified pakistan cricket as the world cricket clown champions.

its no wonder the fans are jumping ship in droves, and so their ability to monetise the industry is rapidly falling away..

 

[yasir]

Comparison with WI is difficult, they were once world beaters and truly a great team in 70s/80s, they were not that special before or afterwards...

Where as we were never a great team... All we got were 3/4 world class bowlers for period of time in 80s and 90s... That too has something to do with the mystery of reverse swing...

We were mediocre and will be, we will keep on producing couple of brilliant bowlers every now and then...

He is right about infrastructure, but remember we never had one, like ever[emoji84][emoji84][emoji84]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ankit007]

I cant see any other sport being played in Pakistan.

Hockey : Declining
Football : Declining
I have not even heard of any other sport in pak.

Cricket will never ever die. After India, pakistan has the most emotional and cricket loving fans.

 

[Romali_rotti]

@ Saj,

I do believe Pakistan is headed the WI route, maybe not as fast but definitely moving towards it. Reason why I see Pakistan declining a lesser pace than WI is because as one of the above posters mentioned; cricket is the only sport of Pakistan unlike the WI were they are taking up American sports. Pakistan is a very proud nation that has created superstars and GOAT players and if they now eventually go down the WI route, it would be like a lion going extinct in the jungle and the whole of the cricket world will feel the loss one way or the other. This is why I think its pathetic what the Indian government is doing in isolating Pakistan from IPL and cancelling UAE tours vs Pakistan (KEEP SPORTS AND POLITICS SEPARATE)..

 

[street cricketer]

I don't think so.

One thing both Pakistan and the West Indies have in common is a poor cricketing infrastructure. However, in the Windies, there is a lack of interest among the local populace too. Add these two and it is the recipe of a failed cricketing nation. Whereas with respect to Pakistan, the demand for cricket is still there. And it will probably never die out, even if it isn't as popular as say in the 80s or the 90s.

So with a poor infrastructure but with a viable demand, you get cricketers who are raw and not completely polished in their cricketing skills. Every cricketing nation produces a talented generation of cricketers. Pakistan produced Wasim and Waqar, India produced Sachin and Dravid, SL produced Sangakarra and Mahela and so on. But the reason Australia produced a whole bunch of extremely skilled players in their game who ruled cricket for more than 2 decades is because of their strong system. One or two talented players may come without a system but you can't expect a whole team of stars to come out without a proper system. And those 1 or 2 players aren't enough to win trophies on their own against a team having 8 or 9 of such players.

Talent can only take you so far. Almost everyone who makes the cut in domestic cricket will have some talent. It is childish to think that only a few cricketers are talented while the others aren't. The word "talent" is probably the most abused word in world cricket, especially in Pakistan. However it is the good domestic system and coaching which polishes the skills and the crude talent of these cricketers. All this is possible only if you have a good school cricket programme, youth set ups, U15, 17 and 19 coaching structure, etc. Because all the coaching should be done when the player grows up and not after he makes a domestic or an international debut.

One great example is the Barcelona football team. That team swept all the titles in the 2009 season and most in the 2011 season. In that team, Messi was definitely the one with the most natural ability. However, all the eleven players of that team were exceptional and each of them played like a well oiled machine, with little or no mistakes in their game. That was possible only because the core of the team was coached right from the age of 6-7 in the La masia, which is arguably the best youth academy in the world. That was why a player like Xavi, even if he didn't have as much natural ability as a Messi, was equally integral for the team success as him, because of his incredible work ethic and footballing skills which was polished by the youth structure of Barcelona FC.

Both bowling and batting require good coaching to produce the final product, batting much more so than bowling. You may pick quicks off the streets and camps, but their raw talent can only be polished with a good coaching system. And it is unreasonable to expect a batsman with little coaching in his schooling and youth years to compete with a batsman who has been coached right from as early as the age of 6 or 7.

So in summary, what I will say is that I find it hard to imagine cricket dying out in Pakistan, but it may end up churning out a lot of ordinary players due to the lack of a proper system. Pakistan may risk being further left behind by the other cricketing nations in south asia (Bangladesh has already started to compete and overtake it wrt limited overs cricket due to its good coaching infrastructure). The first step to remedy will be to somehow bring cricket back to Pakistan from the UAE. It will go a long way in helping matters. Then the entire domestic setup needs a look into, and the areas where Pak is lagging needs to be overhauled and repaired. A good school cricket programme and youth structure should be established. All these measures will ensure that the next generation of Pakistan cricketers are able to compete with the best world cricketing talent as a team. When the team starts to perform better, the interest will even rocket high and it can only be good for the sport in Pakistan which will grow richer.

 

[abc_to_xyz]

I cant see any other sport being played in Pakistan.

Hockey : Declining
Football : Declining
I have not even heard of any other sport in pak.

Cricket will never ever die. After India, pakistan has the most emotional and cricket loving fans.

Should I share PK-fan made football groups?

 

[ChachaCricket]

Windies will rise again so will Pakistan. Cricket will be at its best when these two teams are at the top.

 

[Ankit007]

Should I share PK-fan made football groups?

What will that prove?

 

[Passionate Observer]

Its has already taken its route towards that direction but on a more positive note, its better for future generations to invest their time and resources in more rewarding and productive professions than waste their time on a worthless sport. In the next 50 years, interest in the game will die throughout the world as earthlings will be more inclined to focus their energies towards a common goal of bringing peace, prosperity and abundance to all, there will be no time and place for a meaningless sport like cricket in the Brave New World.

 

[Mannara chopra]

brothers just don't loose heart Pakistan cricket will never go windies way.. just watch them in t 20 world cup and you all be proud of them hoping for indo pak final

 

[Markhor]

People don't truly get how bleak West Indies cricket is. The T20 leagues are thriving, its what they do best right now but as far as first-class cricket goes, the standards are a joke. You have the likes of Guyana unable to chase 69. It barely attracts any commercial interest with the current FC competition not getting any sponsorship and the players are paid little.

Some of the famous clubs that've produced legendary players in Kingston for example are barely staffed and are in neighbourhoods that've been declining for years.

Their administration is so bad that Caricom (the Caribbean version of the European Union) recommended the WICB should be disbanded. Its also a group of islands that are constantly bickering. Whilst Pakistan has its regional infighting, there's at least a concept of 'Pakistan' and so the desire for the national team to succeed. Whereas there's no concept of "West Indies" amongst the average Trini or Jamaican as island identity takes supremacy.

At least in Pakistan, cricket is still talked about, generates commercial interest and attracts mass participation. School cricket should be revitalised and the quality of coaching improved.

 

[Balthazar]

In SC, usually LOIs are more popular than Tests. So if your team is not doing good in the shorter formats, it's only natural that the fans would tend to lose interest in cricket. And also the fixing saga is not helping them either. So mostly the fault lies with the administration.

 

[PCP_1]

Yes we will, albeit the 70s West Indies team.

 

[abc_to_xyz]

What will that prove?

That football following in Pakistan is on the rise.

 

[Ankit007]

That football following in Pakistan is on the rise.

The last news I had was Pakistan didnt came to play SAFF cup due to players issues with their administration. So I concluded it is on decline

 

[in_cutter]

I thought it already is headed that way? (The LOI side anyway)

 

[abc_to_xyz]

The last news I had was Pakistan didnt came to play SAFF cup due to players issues with their administration. So I concluded it is on decline

Few players may have an issue, but there's massive will to succeed at gali-level.

 

[MMHS]

The last news I had was Pakistan didnt came to play SAFF cup due to players issues with their administration. So I concluded it is on decline

Football is a game where every South Asian country can be proud of - last time I searched, India lost to Guam 2-1 & Bangladesh lost to Turkmenistan 1-2 at home. Football must be in rise in Pakistan, because lots of EPL & La Liga follower there.

 

[Executioner]

Yes football popularity rose quite a bit in between, but now it has taken quite a dip as people these days would rather spend the night watching TV series on their laptops than watching a football game.

Times have changed. No doubt cricket is losing its popularity, but sports overall has lost its charm amidst the current generation. A good reason could be the folks themselves not being involved in much sports themselves with all these Playstations, Laptops, Iphones, etc. However, that is a discussion for another day.

Thing is, cricket is like a saving grace in Pakistan. Hell, the only reason teams like India, BD and Nepal have made strides is particularly because cricket is the only sport they are good at(India not too bad in Hockey though). That is why the sport has such a mad following.

As for WI, if cricket dissappears there are so many other sports to follow. If cricket dies here in the subcontinent, cricket fanatics like me will have no-where to go really. Think about it, I spend a good amount of my time discussing cricket, watching cricket and the occassional cricket match in the park. Heck my exams are going on and i am still rather active and i watched the Pak vs SL match today and i was thoroughly entertained, even the WI vs Zim match yesterday. Now, I am not a fan of any other sport so if cricket dies here then a big part of me would die. And trust me, there are a lot of people like me in India, Pakistan and ofcourse in my own country, who would definitely not ever let the sport die.

As long as there is passion, the sport will thrive and Pakistan cricket team will always have their due importance. Ofcourse, its true Pakistan team has turned rather mediocre but that may be temporary. Don't see Pakistan cricket going down the drain like WI.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Pakistan even in a so called poor state is a good solid tests side, yes in shorter formats we are poor but poor decisions with captaincy and coaches etc.. isnt helping the situation.

W.I arent even competative in test or ODIs is embarrasing and pakistan will never been that bad.

 

[cricketpatzer]

Football is a game where every South Asian country can be proud of - last time I searched, India lost to Guam 2-1 & Bangladesh lost to Turkmenistan 1-2 at home. Football must be in rise in Pakistan, because lots of EPL & La Liga follower there.

There has to be a marked improvement in the physical fitness of South Asians before they can compete at the world level. Having said that, I have to say from personal experience that as a game to play nothing compares with the joy of football. That is possibly the reason why it is the most popular sport worldwide.

 

[Rafa]

There has to be a marked improvement in the physical fitness of South Asians before they can compete at the world level. Having said that, I have to say from personal experience that as a game to play nothing compares with the joy of football. That is possibly the reason why it is the most popular sport worldwide.

Got to do with it being a cheap sport equipment wise and less complex rules.

The Americans spoiled for choice with a lot of Sports consider it Boring while it is a passion in say, Latin America where they play nothing else.

 

[cricketpatzer]

Got to do with it being a cheap sport equipment wise and less complex rules.

The Americans spoiled for choice with a lot of Sports consider it Boring while it is a passion in say, Latin America where they play nothing else.

Football is the most popular sport in many rich European countries like Germany, France, Italy, England and in other rich countries like South Korea, the Gulf countries etc. and also China (which does not lack resources).

Americans find football boring because as kids they play it the wrong way, too much coaching and interference by adults. If you have played football regularly as a kid you would understand what I mean.

 

[HaiderAbbasRizvi]

I think we are in a worst position than Windies, simply because of the ACB and BCCI led boycott of Pakistan as a cricketing venue. This alone as deprived Pakistani market of much needed revenue that would have gone a long way in developing the local infrastructure and facilities for the advancement of cricket. Our cricket stadiums are in a worst condition amongst all the major cricketing nations, and the supposed third rate test side like Bangers and Windies are way ahead of us on this front.

Even when other teams were readily touring Pakistan, way before Busharraf's ill-conceived stirring of the hornet's next circa 2003/2004 in FATA, ACB was refusing to tour Pakistan, so it's not just the BCCI led strangling of Pakistani cricket of late, it goes as far back as the precedent setting boycott of the early/mid '00 by ACB, astounding in itself when other western/white teams such as SA and Eng were easily visiting.

Lastly, but not least, the only saving grace which compensated for the pathetic management and leadership in the past, i.e. talent, we are not producing any of that either.

 

[Ankit007]

Football is a game where every South Asian country can be proud of - last time I searched, India lost to Guam 2-1 & Bangladesh lost to Turkmenistan 1-2 at home. Football must be in rise in Pakistan, because lots of EPL & La Liga follower there.

Same is in India. Maybe you didnt heard about the news of us beating a higher ranked Afgan team and winning Saff cup. And yes news of our captain Sunil Chhetri becoming only 46th player in the world to have 50 Intl goals. ISL was the 3rd highest viewed league after Bundelisga and La Liga.

And yes U17 World cup in happening in India too. So there is a lot of improvement constantly happening in India. And you may see us playing world cup in next 10 years or so with so much talented and skillful footballers coming forward. Latest football sensation in India : Lillianzuala Chhangte.

 

[MMHS]

Same is in India. Maybe you didnt heard about the news of us beating a higher ranked Afgan team and winning Saff cup. And yes news of our captain Sunil Chhetri becoming only 46th player in the world to have 50 Intl goals. ISL was the 3rd highest viewed league after Bundelisga and La Liga.

And yes U17 World cup in happening in India too. So there is a lot of improvement constantly happening in India. And you may see us playing world cup in next 10 years or so with so much talented and skillful footballers coming forward. Latest football sensation in India : Lillianzuala Chhangte.

This one liner actually gives me lot more information about Football in India, thanks.

 

[Ankit007]

This one liner actually gives me lot more information about Football in India, thanks.

Your welcome.

Truth cant be denied. However I cant see Pak playing in WC for upcoming 2 decades as well.

 

[KyoOne]

No cricket in home, no quality in our cricket elsewhere

Might as well...

 

[Donal Cozzie]

Football is a game where every South Asian country can be proud of - last time I searched, India lost to Guam 2-1 & Bangladesh lost to Turkmenistan 1-2 at home. Football must be in rise in Pakistan, because lots of EPL & La Liga follower there.

Funnily enough Shamrock Rovers are in India right now

 

[Donal Cozzie]

Same is in India. Maybe you didnt heard about the news of us beating a higher ranked Afgan team and winning Saff cup. And yes news of our captain Sunil Chhetri becoming only 46th player in the world to have 50 Intl goals. ISL was the 3rd highest viewed league after Bundelisga and La Liga.

And yes U17 World cup in happening in India too. So there is a lot of improvement constantly happening in India. And you may see us playing world cup in next 10 years or so with so much talented and skillful footballers coming forward. Latest football sensation in India : Lillianzuala Chhangte.

Not a chance.

With the ISL you do have a realistic shot in 20, but 10 will be too soon IMO, need to let the next generation after the current one to grow up and develop.

 

[#GreenRoars]

Your welcome.

Truth cant be denied. However I cant see Pak playing in WC for upcoming 2 decades as well.

But i hope a stage won't come when we will be playing qualifying round

 

[MMHS]

Funnily enough Shamrock Rovers are in India right now

That's a great start for Indian Football in their hunt for WC 2026; very soon we 'll see Barcelona coming to play Real Mumbai. 2026 WC 'll be hosted by USA - chances are there that it'll be co hosted by Canada, if India makes it, either they'll be based in Toronto or LA - I 'll definitely go to LA to watch them.

 

[Ankit007]

Is Pakistan becoming the next West Indies?

I said this because currently I find a lot of similarities in between both....

1. Both are very inconsistent. They can both surprise you though.

2. Both are good in only one format. WI in t20s and Pakistan in tests....

3. One has extra power hitters and other has extra accumulators (Babar, azhar, hafeez, Malik etc)

Is Pakistan also going the west indies way? As a cricket fan perhaps everyone want Pakistan to improve not degrade. Everytime we think this is the benchmark and they won't degrade more, Pakistan surprises us by going to newer depths...

Can they improve or we are seeing another strong cricketing nation decline?

 

[Madplayer]

Dont think so. Its cricket mad country and good players are bound to come through.

 

[Nil Dhumrojal]

No way. Never. Going through bad patch only. Will bounce back someday if proper system applied.

 

[Pollack]

Pakistan should stop over experimenting with their team.One match someone is hero the other he is asked by fans to be dropped.Pakistan selectors more often than not succumb to fans pressure .This is what I have observed.They should get rid of TTF once for all.Bring in a new team.Stick to it even if they loose.

 

[Lynx]

Considering our population, the interest/passion/love for cricket and a lack of alternative sports, cricket will never die out or go the way of hockey. Hockey is practically dead in Pakistan because we had cricket to fall back on. The love for cricket is still there, and will always remain. We just need to make structural changes in order for us to become sustainable when it comes to producing talented players (ala Australia), and for the people in charge to become educated so they can make logical decisions (yeah, that's never happening). Otherwise we'll still find one or two really talented players here and there (Babar, Amir), but will continue to be a mediocre side.