The battles of national pride in these times are no longer won in bloody combats. These are fought and decided in the arenas of commerce, sports and social well-being. The easiest way to hoist one’s flag high in the skies of the world is to win laurels in the field of sports. You don’t need astronomical resources for it. All you need is adequate will, adequate skill and adequate planning.
Look at the morale of India on her commendable feats in the recent days in the game of cricket! Each citizen of India is today feeling like invincible Shekhar Dhawan, indomitable Virat Kohli and all-conquering Ajay Jedeja. India is the World champion. And Indian spirits are soaring high.
What about Pakistan?
We do have a new provisional Chairman in Mr Najam Sethi for the PCB. The hope behind this appointment is that he will be as effective in transforming the fortunes of our cricket team as he was in producing the results that were produced in the May elections.
But to build a winning team from the debris of the ICC World Cup performance is not a part-time job. We have to take steps that will ensure the emergence of new world-beaters like Saeed Anwar, Inzamam ul Haque, Mohammad Yousuf, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younas, Abdul Razzaque and Younas Khan etc. Not that we don’t have talent. We do have players with the potential to perform great feats. But we don’t have institutional backing for them. Their talent is often nipped raw in the bud. Umar Akmal, Ahmad Shahzad and their likes are the classical examples.
We need a stable long-term leadership at the top that will show some consistency in backing the right players, and some grit in showing the door to those who are past their best.
Perhaps Mr Najam Sethi can do it better than the last two Chairmen. But he can do it better only if he knows he is not provisional, arbitrary or adhoc.
27-06-2013
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