Experts say “public memory is short”. Shorter it is when lessons are not learnt from it. Shortest it is when our cricket gurus make a mess of it and backfire! Whatever our cricket masters comment on current loss of Test series against the Aussies, it stays as day dreaming as ever. Less said the better on such outlook with captain himself contributing a major portion of our team’s pathetic show.
What makes a winning or losing difference is rising over and above self, selection on merit and razor sharp acumen in selecting team for any format of the game. Should reflect over bias, whims and fancies, both, were and are few of many examples: Batters Imran Nazir, Ahmad Shahzad, Umar Akmal, Sharjeel Khan (proving his glorious batting merit and mettle despite being prejudiced and downgraded as being hefty and bulky); Bowlers Mohammed Hasnain, Nasim Shah, Usman Qadir, Ahmad Nawaz; Wickerkeeper-batter Azam Khan, charged of favoritism from legendary Moin Khan, his father, but changed to team Islamabad and now shining with, MashaAllah, class and callibre.
It is a true litmus test when our batters, bowlers and fielders look happy and show superbly against less-rated Scotland, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, The Netherlands, even India and West Indies. But mostly so bewildered, bewitched, baffled and bamboozled when pitched against Australia, England, Newzealand, and South Africa.
Like it or not, you,. our cricket gurus, though Babar Azam is our heart throb as among the top batters of the world, curtains for such captain due to oddities if not blunders that are fatally costly. It is vehemently said that a captain has major say in team selection reflects on Babar Azam’s routine and regular miscalculations, if not his proven whims and fancies.
Nauman, though a fine gentleman and a spirited patriot, contributes to 20 per cent on our team’s dismal show. He may take a wicket or so when batters themselves are hitting and getting out for quick and urgent runs. But he does not have that nip and bounce with line and length to get wickets as desperately needed and continues to. prove very costly.
Hasan Ali, so truly liked for his smiles, cheers, patriotism and sportsmanship, barring exception, contributes another 20 per cent on our pathetic performance with dismal line, length, rhyme and rhythm, lacking composure, proving very costly by being hit all over the park even by tailenders what to talk of branded batters of this game.
Even such celebrities or seasoned seamers like Shaheen Afridi can have lean patch and are “sometimes” seen going in disarray, wayward and haywire losing calm, cool and composure to be hit helplessly all over the place and becoming costly.
Worse comes to worst when fielders are nervous with panic diving after the ball had already passed, dropping dollies, swinging arm to release the ball at the wicket to concede an extra run and NOT throwing all in one action to save a single incurring many extra runs at the very end of this innings.
Batters and batting policy or strategy needs to be simple snd straightforward. Depending on format of the game, in the fitness of things is grafting the innings in ones and twos in the.power play if it is T 20 or One day game or a test match. Blind or aimless hitting, due to overconfidence, needs to be avoided.
Leading from the front is expected to be our illustrious gurus or experts of the game in all their forms and manifestations endeavoring on speed, skill, stamina and sportsmanship in ” gentleman’s game ” called cricket and vying to exemplify our Quaid’s motto of “unity faith, discipline” in life at large ovvershadowing negative thinking and bitter taste of fantasies and fallacies of national cricket.
