Why cricket reflects the current state of Pakistan

[Extra_Cover]

There is an interesting comparison that can be drawn when we compare the state of our cricket with the running state of our country. The most apt moment in time to see onwards is from April 2022 when Imran Khan was ousted from power in a no-confidence vote. Having our baseline set at April 2022 we can literally draw parallels and reach the same conclusion that both the state of cricket and governance of Pakistan is nosediving.

I just don’t want to limit this to Pakistan itself and want to have a macro look at other countries as well in here.

Let’s start off with Pakistan, since that opportune moment of April-22 we have seen our beloved cricket team achieve the following feats on ground.

• Lost Asia Cup Final to Sri Lanka in 2022
• Lost Test series at home to England in 2022 (whitewashed 0-3)
• Lost T20 series in UAE to Afghanistan in 2023
• Lost Asia Cup semi-final to Afghanistan in 2023
• Lost to Afghanistan in cricket world cup 2023
• Lost to USA in T20 world cup 2024
• Lost Test series at home to Bangladesh in 2024

To add to above list we also lost test series at home to Australia (0-1) and drew against New Zealand (0-0). In essence we haven’t won a single test match at home.

We should not look at the results stated above in isolation. For me this depicts the current crisis in the country that is so far fledged that it has impacted everything literally everything in Pakistan. In a country where there is prevailing sky-high inflation, mockery in name of law and order, insane taxes on middle class, thriving unemployment, spike in crime rates, forgery and corruption in every sector, tyranny, nepotistic and political appointments then it means the public have far greater issues to be concerned about than just cricket. This is exactly the current case of Pakistan cricket. The public have far greater issues and hence there is not enough voices raised on corruption, nepotism / favouritism and blanket misuse of power in cricket. As a result no one in the current team is concerned with performances or to do well for country because similar to politicians there is no accountability. We fans are to be blamed in this case as well because certainly is a group of fans that actively promote this toxic culture and unsurprisingly that group is the loudest (empty vessels make the most noise).

I wanted to see if there is a link between economic progress of a country with that of its sports and culture. India is a good example to be cited here, Indian cricket’s golden era coincides with their golden era in terms of economic progress. I’m no supporter of any political party in India but the thing which is commendable is I personally believe India has got correct apolitical appointments done at correct levels in their system which then yields a good result for the country. For example, a change in political power in India will not prompt a change in the heads of respective institutions like healthcare, education, armed forces or police as these appointments are internal matters rather than linked to political affiliations (please note I’m not here talking about ministers rather the thinktank that operates under the ministers like principal of the Govt college / universities, head of police, etc).

Similar links can be established with Sri Lanka. As and when the country was struggling economically the cricket has been struggling as well. At the moment Bangladesh are on a high with their recent people movement rising seems like that has lifted the spirit of cricket team as well resulting in this performance but having said that Pakistan is just a punching bag now for lower tier teams. England, Australia and New Zealand have been as consistent in their cricket performances as their respective economies.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Stop comparing/thinking what india is doing everyday.. everything else will follow the day that happens..
The root cause is obsession with India.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Poor relations with Bharat is the major cause for most issues in Pakistan.

 

[sweep_shot]

I noticed one thing. After PTI/Imran Khan was dethroned, Pakistan lost the spirit. That is also visible in cricket.

 

[KingKhanWC]

It was pretty clear, once the corrupt returned to power , every institution & many commercial entities were going to be used to take more .

There is no interest in anything succeeding but to take as much money out of Pakistan as possible. Previously you had one corrupt party looting, now they have become partners .

From the PM down none of these are capable of running a barber shop, they are criminals in positions of power.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Economy is a factor but not the sole factor.

Lack of administration and management of cricket is the main factor.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Economy is a factor but not the sole factor.

Lack of administration and management of cricket is the main factor.

If you're living in Pakistan, you can clearly see that people are not taking an interest in sports due to their own financial or domestic struggles.

 

[Champ_Pal]

Pakistan's strength has always been its bowling. It always used to make up for their weak/average batting. Now it has gone down the drain. Shaheen and co lost their steam and venom. They are just trundlers now who bowl line and length. Combine this with their average batting, you will get a below average team.

 

[shortbread]

The state of Pakistan cricket is largely independent of the socio-political landscape of the country; just weeks ago, a man with minimal resources shattered a world record and clinched an Olympic gold medal. South Africa's finest cricket team emerged from the ashes of apartheid, showcasing that success can arise from adversity. The challenges in Pakistan cricket stem from poor management, inconsistent policies, frequent leadership changes, and a new generation of cricketers who prioritize the comfort of league contracts over the discipline and hard work essential for thriving on the international stage. In contrast, the Bangladesh team has demonstrated their resolve to compete for victory in Pakistan, regardless of their own turbulent circumstances.

 

[JaDed]

If you're living in Pakistan, you can clearly see that people are not taking an interest in sports due to their own financial or domestic struggles.

India was poor in 1983 compared to our standards but we won a wc and were best LOI team 1983-1985, there is lot of interest in sports but Pakistan just doesn’t take anything professionally, the entire country seem to mimic the unprofessionalism of the Shariffs.