unemployedgm
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- Sep 19, 2018
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Pakistan’s loss in the 1st ODI against England shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Pakistan like so many of their rivals are afflicted with recency bias. Recency bias gives “great importance to the most recent even.” For instance, Imam ul Haq’s first ball duck in the 1st ODI will become a catalyst for his detractors. That said, recency bias isn’t a Pakistan problem, it afflicts professional sport and is rampant in all forms of cricket. In my opinion it is the biggest factor in precluding sustainable success. But there’s a precursor to recency bias. That precursor is a lack of real process or methodology in decision-making and in the structures responsible for decision-making. Pakistan’s defeat to England in the 1st ODI is not a product of failing batsman, bad coaching, or a dearth of talent. Pakistan’s defeat to England is an accumulation of years of neglect. It’s also the accumulation of a cricket hierarchy and fraternity not providing a rigorous debate on real issues. The main culprit is a lack of process, methodology, or a heuristics framework that seeks to tackle the Team Building Process.
This Pakistan Team and the players toiling back home are really good cricketers. They have immense ability and talent. Unfortunately, they are victims of an archaic approach to Building Teams. That archaic approach is selection. The idea of selection in a modern context is ludicrous. It’s a joke!!! We opine on the outcomes but never the process or the big topics that define that process.
For example, has anyone ever contemplated Decision-Making Structure in Cricket. When this administration started, Misbah ul Haq was identified as Coach, Chief Selector, and Chief Strategist on all things cricket. Losses or Bad Outcomes altered his responsibilities. He is no longer a Chief Selector, and according to the PCB he no longer makes selection decisions. That responsibility lies with Babar Azam. Should Babar Azam or a Captain be responsible for making selections? Absolutely not!!! Mohammad Wasim is now the Chief Selector and he picks the squad. In Misbah, Mohammad Wasim, and Babar Azam you have three completely different people who have made decisions over the past couple of years. The strategy shifts or lack of alignment (GM parlance) isn’t good for consistency.
Under the current approach expect to see the same kind of inconsistency and overall poor results especially against the better teams. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be this way. There is a clear and obvious process that can catapult this Pakistan team to being the best team in the world. That process will force us to think about team build in a more fluid and proactive way as opposed to the reactionary approach that has persisted over the last 40 years. The starting point is understanding the deep limitations prevalent in the concept of selection. Only then will we stop throwing around stupid cricket cliches like FORM that mean absolutely nothing.
This Pakistan Team and the players toiling back home are really good cricketers. They have immense ability and talent. Unfortunately, they are victims of an archaic approach to Building Teams. That archaic approach is selection. The idea of selection in a modern context is ludicrous. It’s a joke!!! We opine on the outcomes but never the process or the big topics that define that process.
For example, has anyone ever contemplated Decision-Making Structure in Cricket. When this administration started, Misbah ul Haq was identified as Coach, Chief Selector, and Chief Strategist on all things cricket. Losses or Bad Outcomes altered his responsibilities. He is no longer a Chief Selector, and according to the PCB he no longer makes selection decisions. That responsibility lies with Babar Azam. Should Babar Azam or a Captain be responsible for making selections? Absolutely not!!! Mohammad Wasim is now the Chief Selector and he picks the squad. In Misbah, Mohammad Wasim, and Babar Azam you have three completely different people who have made decisions over the past couple of years. The strategy shifts or lack of alignment (GM parlance) isn’t good for consistency.
Under the current approach expect to see the same kind of inconsistency and overall poor results especially against the better teams. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be this way. There is a clear and obvious process that can catapult this Pakistan team to being the best team in the world. That process will force us to think about team build in a more fluid and proactive way as opposed to the reactionary approach that has persisted over the last 40 years. The starting point is understanding the deep limitations prevalent in the concept of selection. Only then will we stop throwing around stupid cricket cliches like FORM that mean absolutely nothing.
