marlonbrowndo
Senior ODI Player
- Joined
- May 29, 2015
- Runs
- 22,526
- Post of the Week
- 2
Often, people do not realize the sheer impact that non Cricket related factors have on the quality of a country's Cricket. Let us look at how this applies to Pakistan Cricket.
There are endless things that can be classified as "non Cricket related", but let us look at three examples. Health, Economy and Infrastructure. Mind you, all of these factors overlap and effect each other.
Health
People underestimate the importance of early childhood nutrition, when it comes to physical and cognitive development. A study called Early Child Development and Nutrition: A Review of the Benefits and Challenges of Implementing Integrated Interventions published in the Advances in Nutrition journal in 2016, states that "the early provision of optimal nutrition and opportunities for learning (supported by responsive caregiving behaviors that are prompt, contingent on children’s actions, and developmentally appropriate and stimulating) have been linked to positive early child development (ECD) outcomes." Many Pakistani children who do end up pursuing Cricket, simply have not been provided adequate nutrition, which hinders both their physical performance, as well as their decision making capabilities. And as we all know, Cricket is a game of decisions. The nutrition factor does not only apply to children, but adult domestic Cricketers as well, who may not have the knowledge or financial capability to consume the right foods to optimize their performance. Aside from quality and type of food, hygiene plays an important role as well. Water, land and air pollution all increase the risk of disease. Even the most minor illnesses are something that an aspiring sportsperson can sometimes not afford. Thus, it is imperative that we as a Country work towards accessible nutrition, improvement of water quality, and the reduction of pollution. Since these things will undoubtedly have an effect on the quality of Cricketers we produce.
Economy
One of those elements that if improved, can have a positive impact on almost every single example in this post. Perhaps millions of young boys and girls growing up in the Country dream of pursuing Cricket, but because of poverty, are forced by their families to put all their time and effort into pursuing something that can provide them financial security in the future. And can you blame these poor families for doing so? Why allow your children to allocate their resources towards something that will only benefit them financially if they make it to the highest, or second highest level. Furthermore, how many of our domestic Cricketers over the years have needed to work physically demanding jobs while pursuing Cricket? Not only does this reduce the time that they can allocate towards their Cricket, it is exhausting. It is impossible for an athlete to train, recover and perform optimally while working these jobs on the side. A better economy will ensure some kind of financial security for families, and will allow children from these families to focus on Cricket, while minimizing the need for domestic Cricketers to work demanding jobs on the side.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure has a profound effect on the "Health" aspect that I mentioned earlier, since things like sewage and water fall into this category. However, people may not realize the importance of things like transportation and communication when it comes to Cricket. Improving infrastructure will make stadiums and practice facilities more accessible for aspiring Cricketers. This could significantly reduce their commute time. Valuable time that they can spend towards improving their Cricket. This may not seem like a huge factor, but considering how many of these people reside nowhere close to these facilities, improved transport can make a massive difference.
There are endless other factors, all of which are connected. It is foolish to ignore all of these when assessing the reasons why our Cricket is in the state that it is. Hypothetically, even if no direct enhancement is made to the Cricketing system, if resources are allocated towards these non Cricket related aspects, Pakistan Cricket will automatically improve.
Works Cited
Early Child Development and Nutrition: A Review of the Benefits and Challenges of Implementing Integrated Interventions
Kristen M Hurley, Aisha K Yousafzai, Florencia Lopez-Boo
There are endless things that can be classified as "non Cricket related", but let us look at three examples. Health, Economy and Infrastructure. Mind you, all of these factors overlap and effect each other.
Health
People underestimate the importance of early childhood nutrition, when it comes to physical and cognitive development. A study called Early Child Development and Nutrition: A Review of the Benefits and Challenges of Implementing Integrated Interventions published in the Advances in Nutrition journal in 2016, states that "the early provision of optimal nutrition and opportunities for learning (supported by responsive caregiving behaviors that are prompt, contingent on children’s actions, and developmentally appropriate and stimulating) have been linked to positive early child development (ECD) outcomes." Many Pakistani children who do end up pursuing Cricket, simply have not been provided adequate nutrition, which hinders both their physical performance, as well as their decision making capabilities. And as we all know, Cricket is a game of decisions. The nutrition factor does not only apply to children, but adult domestic Cricketers as well, who may not have the knowledge or financial capability to consume the right foods to optimize their performance. Aside from quality and type of food, hygiene plays an important role as well. Water, land and air pollution all increase the risk of disease. Even the most minor illnesses are something that an aspiring sportsperson can sometimes not afford. Thus, it is imperative that we as a Country work towards accessible nutrition, improvement of water quality, and the reduction of pollution. Since these things will undoubtedly have an effect on the quality of Cricketers we produce.
Economy
One of those elements that if improved, can have a positive impact on almost every single example in this post. Perhaps millions of young boys and girls growing up in the Country dream of pursuing Cricket, but because of poverty, are forced by their families to put all their time and effort into pursuing something that can provide them financial security in the future. And can you blame these poor families for doing so? Why allow your children to allocate their resources towards something that will only benefit them financially if they make it to the highest, or second highest level. Furthermore, how many of our domestic Cricketers over the years have needed to work physically demanding jobs while pursuing Cricket? Not only does this reduce the time that they can allocate towards their Cricket, it is exhausting. It is impossible for an athlete to train, recover and perform optimally while working these jobs on the side. A better economy will ensure some kind of financial security for families, and will allow children from these families to focus on Cricket, while minimizing the need for domestic Cricketers to work demanding jobs on the side.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure has a profound effect on the "Health" aspect that I mentioned earlier, since things like sewage and water fall into this category. However, people may not realize the importance of things like transportation and communication when it comes to Cricket. Improving infrastructure will make stadiums and practice facilities more accessible for aspiring Cricketers. This could significantly reduce their commute time. Valuable time that they can spend towards improving their Cricket. This may not seem like a huge factor, but considering how many of these people reside nowhere close to these facilities, improved transport can make a massive difference.
There are endless other factors, all of which are connected. It is foolish to ignore all of these when assessing the reasons why our Cricket is in the state that it is. Hypothetically, even if no direct enhancement is made to the Cricketing system, if resources are allocated towards these non Cricket related aspects, Pakistan Cricket will automatically improve.
Works Cited
Early Child Development and Nutrition: A Review of the Benefits and Challenges of Implementing Integrated Interventions
Kristen M Hurley, Aisha K Yousafzai, Florencia Lopez-Boo
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