INTRODUCTION:-

The Pakistan Cricket Board is a sporting organization that is responsible for governing all
professional cricket, including Test cricket and One Day International matches played
in Pakistan. It controls and organises all tours and matches undertaken by the Pakistan national
cricket team.
Following the establishment of Pakistan as an independent dominion of the British Empire in
1947, professional and amateur cricket commenced in the same year, seeing as local
infrastructure had already been established when the country was part of the British Indian
Empire. Cricket matches were arranged informally until 1948, when a Board of Control was
formally instituted. Pakistan was admitted to the International Cricket Council in July 1952, and
has since been a full member, playing Test cricket. The team's first Test series took place in India
between October and December 1952.
The Qaid-i-Azam Trophy was launched in the 1953–54 season as Pakistan's national
championship. The first winner was Bahawalpur. The outstanding player in the inaugural season
was the great opening batsman Hanif Mohammed who scored 513 runs at an average of 128.25
with a highest score of 174.
In the first international tour of Pakistan by an overseas team, West Indies played two first-class
matches versus Sind at Karachi and a Pakistan XI at Lahore. Both matches were drawn.

Commonwealth XI 1949–50[edit]
The tourists played two matches against an All-Pakistan XI in Lahore and against a Karachi-Sind
Combined XI in Karachi. The tourists won the first match by an innings and 177 runs; they won
the second match by 6 wickets. Captained by Jock Livingston, who also kept wicket in some
games, the team had several well-known players including Frank Worrell, George Tribe, Bill
Alley, Cec Pepper, George Dawkes and George Pope.

India 1954–55[edit]
Pakistan's inaugural home Test series was against neighbours India and all five matches were
drawn:

 1st Test at Dacca Stadium – match drawn

 2nd Test at Bahawal Stadium, Bahawalpur – match drawn
 3rd Test at Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore – match drawn
 4th Test at Peshawar Club Ground – match drawn
 5th Test at National Stadium, Karachi – match drawn

MCC 1955–56[edit]
This side was described as MCC "A" and the fixtures against Pakistan were not designated Test
Matches.
[1] Jan.20-25, 1956. Venue: Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore Result: Match Drawn.
[2] Feb. 3-8, 1956. Venue: Dacca Stadium. Result: Pakistan won by innings and 10 runs.
[3] Feb. 24-28, 1956. Venue: Peshawar Club Ground. Result: Pakistan won by 7 wickets.
[4] March 9–14, 1956. Venue: Karachi National Stadium. Result: MCC won by 2 wickets.
New Zealand 1955–56[edit]

 1st Test at National Stadium, Karachi – Pakistan won by an innings and 1 run
 2nd Test at Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore – Pakistan won by 4 wickets
 3rd Test at Dacca Stadium – match drawn
Australia 1956–57[edit]

 1st Test at National Stadium, Karachi – Pakistan won by 9 wickets

Fazal Mahmood was Pakistan's matchwinner with 13 wickets.
West Indies 1958–59[edit]

 1st Test at National Stadium, Karachi – Pakistan won by 10 wickets

 2nd Test at Dacca Stadium – Pakistan won by 41 runs
 3rd Test at Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore – West Indies won by an innings and 156 runs
Australia 1959–60[edit]

 1st Test at Dacca Stadium – Australia won by 8 wickets

 2nd Test at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore – Australia won by 7 wickets
 3rd Test at National Stadium, Karachi – match drawn
The series took place in November and December 1959. In the Second Test, Norm
O'Neill scored 134 for Australia and Saeed Ahmed scored 166 for Pakistan. Hanif
Mohammed scored 101 in the Third Test for Pakistan.
Richie Benaud was the leading wicket taker of the series with 18.
Australia also played one three-day match against President's XI in Rawalpindi starting 28
November 1959. Australia won this match by 3 wickets.
International XI 1961–62[edit]
An International XI toured Africa, New Zealand and Asia from February to April 1962, playing
one first-class match in Pakistan, against an East Pakistan Governor's XI in Dhaka in March,
which was drawn.[1]
England 1961–62[edit]

 1st Test at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore – England won by 5 wickets

 2nd Test at Dacca Stadium – match drawn
 3rd Test at National Stadium, Karachi – match drawn
Commonwealth XI 1963–64[edit]
A Commonwealth XI cricket team toured Pakistan in the 1963–64 season, playing six first-class
matches including three against the Pakistan national team.
Captained by Peter Richardson, the Commonwealth XI included several well-known players
such as Tom Graveney, Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher, Seymour Nurse, Bill Alley, Khalid
Ibadulla, Charlie Griffith and Keith Andrew.
Australia 1964–65[edit]

 1st Test at National Stadium, Karachi – match drawn

The teams played one 5 day Test starting on 24 October 1964 at the National
Stadium in Karachi.
The Test (and series) was drawn. Khalid Ibadulla top scored for Pakistan with 166 in the first
innings. Australian captain Bob Simpson scored 153 and 115. Graham McKenzie was the top
wicket taker with 8 wickets.
New Zealand 1964–65[edit]

 1st Test at Pindi Club Ground, Rawalpindi – Pakistan won by an innings and 64 runs
 2nd Test at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore – match drawn
 3rd Test at National Stadium, Karachi – Pakistan won by 8 wickets
Ceylon 1966–67[edit]
Ceylon toured Pakistan in November 1966 and played five first-class matches, including three
against Pakistan. Pakistan won all three matches by large margins.[2]
Commonwealth XI 1967–68[edit]
A Commonwealth XI cricket team toured Pakistan from February to April 1968, playing eight
first-class matches. Three matches against Pakistan served as unofficial Tests; Pakistan won the
first and the other two were drawn.[3]
Captained by Richie Benaud, the Commonwealth XI included several well-known players such
as John Hampshire, Mushtaq Mohammed, Brian Luckhurst, John Murray, David Allen and Keith
Boyce.
International XI 1967–68[edit]
An International XI of county cricketers, most of them English, toured Africa and Asia from
January to April 1968, playing one first-class match in Pakistan against a BCCP XI in February,
which the International XI won.[4]
England 1968–69[edit]

 1st Test at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore – match drawn

 2nd Test at Dacca Stadium – match drawn
 3rd Test at National Stadium, Karachi – match drawn
New Zealand 1969–70[edit]
 1st Test at National Stadium, Karachi – match drawn
 2nd Test at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore – New Zealand won by 5 wickets
 3rd Test at Dacca Stadium – match drawn

Domestic cricket[edit]
Domestic Cricket in Pakistan is currently sponsored by HAIER PAKISTAN.. The most
important domestic cricket tournaments in Pakistan include:

 Quaid-i-Azam Trophy
 Pakistan Super League
 Pentangular Trophy
 National One-day Championship
 Faysal Bank T20 Cup
 Patron's Trophy
 Pakistan Cup

Since the emergence of limited overs cricket in the 1970s, cricket has become one of the popular
sports in the world and especially in the sub-continent. The viewership of cricket at the
international level is increasing with every passing season. Cricket has surely become one of the
major tools of marketing and advertising.

The people of Pakistan have immense interest in the game of cricket and the sport has become
one of the very few reasons, which can bring smile on their faces. Pakistan’s poor performances
in recent past in some of the other sports like Hockey and Squash have decreased the level of
interest of the general masses in these games but they still follow cricket and almost the whole
nations is glued to their television sets, whenever Pakistan cricket team is in action. In the
present political scenario of the country, when there is talk of ethnicity and sectarianism in
Baluchistan, Sind, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, cricket is surely one thing which can unite
the whole nation under one flag.

However, in order to be competitive at the international stage, a country must have a very strong
structure of domestic cricket but it is quite sad that the officials in Pakistan do not give
importance to domestic cricket, yet they expect the national team to deliver the goods on
consistent basis.

For a country to have a solid structure of domestic cricket, the cricket board must persist with
one structure. However, it is disappointing that different cricket boards in Pakistan have
experimented with the structure of cricket at the grass-root level and they never allowed any
system to flourish.

Let us have a look at the history of domestic cricket in Pakistan and how the game evolved at the
national level.

History of domestic cricket in Pakistan is as old as the independence itself. Cricket became
popular in India under the British rule and a structure of cricket was there in Pakistan and India
at the time of separation. Karachi and Lahore were considered as the nurseries of cricket in early
times and also for many years to come before the sport got popularity in different urban and rural
areas of the country. Some of the major tournaments of the domestic cricket of Pakistan are as
follows:

Quaid e Azam Trophy

Till 1953, there was only club cricket played in the country. In order to select the team for
Pakistan team’s tour of England of 1954, Quaid e Azam Trophy was introduced. It was named
after the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Since then, Quaid e Azam Trophy has been organized every year and it has become the most
important and premier domestic cricket tournament in Pakistan. Quaid e Azam Trophy consists
of first-class matches, which is considered as the second grade cricket all around the world
behind Test cricket and One Day Internationals. It is also called four-day cricket because the
time span for every match is a minimum of four days.

Till 1969-70, only regional teams used to take part in Quaid e Azam Trophy but then
departmental teams were also allowed to play in the most prestigious tournament of the domestic
cricket of Pakistan. Since last ten years, PCB has consistently made changes in the tournament as
sometimes it is limited to regions only and in other seasons, both departmental and regional
teams have competed against each other.
Performances in Quaid e Azam Trophy are considered as a benchmark by the national selection
committee before they pick the squad for Pakistan cricket team. Karachi has won the Quaid e
Azam Trophy 19 times, which is the most for any region or department.

Patrons Trophy

It is also a very important tournament which is usually played between the departmental teams.
Patrons Trophy was introduced in 1960-61 and was named as Ayub Trophy, named after the then
President of Pakistan, General Ayub Khan. 10 years later, it was played by the name of BCCP
Trophy for a couple of seasons before settling into Patrons Trophy. With an exception of 2002-
03 season, Patrons Trophy has been consistently organized by PCB. It also consists of first-class
matches. Habib Bank of Pakistan has won this trophy eight times, which is the most for any
team.
Pentangular Trophy

Pentangular Trophy is played on round robin league between five top teams of the domestic
cricket of Pakistan. Normally, three top teams of the Quaid e Azam Trophy and two best teams
of the Patrons Trophy take part in this tournament. However, in early days, PCB used to decide
that which of the five teams will take part in the event. It was introduced in 1973-74 and Pakistan
International Airlines (PIA) won the inaugural tournament.

This tournament has never been a permanent fixture of the domestic cricket calendar and it has
been played with gaps of years. However, the quality of cricket is very good in this tournament
as only the top teams participate in the Pentangular Trophy.

Domestic One Day Tournaments 

The limited overs format of the game in the domestic cricket in Pakistan never had any regular
competition and different tournaments lacked continuity. There were a number of competitions
launched and later they were replaced with another tournament. Wills Cup was a popular one day
cricket tournament, which commenced in 1980-81 and it was a 45 overs a side event. In 2004-05,
PCB found a new sponsor in shape of ABN-AMRO and the 50-overs tournament was named as
the ABN-AMRO Cup, which was later replaced by Faysal Bank Cup.

About NCA

Producing World Class Cricketers

Team building is a much more thorough and

painstaking process than it seems. Some of the prerequisites in this post modern era are back-ups
and systems through which the young talent is groomed and equipped for international
challenges over the years.
In the last three years PCB geared up towards enhancing the levels of excellence – in all spheres
especially towards the development of infrastructure and establishment of NCA. The New
Domestic Structure too is another step in that direction. We are quite optimistic that these steps
would famously serve Pakistan Cricket in years to come.

Under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board, PCB Cricket Coaching Academies are
premiere facilities, which welcome gifted player from the regional, national as well as
international cricket arenas, aimed directly at cricketers interested in furthering their professional
acumen and learning from the best in the world (Pakistan’s own Ex-National Team Stars). 

The new complex of National Cricket Academy contains all the modern facilities and reflects the
Pakistani Architecture. National Cricket Academy (NCA) offers its entrants a unique
combination of the most refined and effective coaching skill development programs found
anywhere in the world today.

National Cricket Academy will also act as a finishing school for Pakistan “A” and various
segments like U-15, U-17, U-19 that form part of this academy.

Vision Statement

National Cricket Academy envisions to act as an educational institution and a nursery to

effectively tap and groom the young talent for the future. To have cricketers who right at the
starting point of their career are aware of not just delicacy and refinement of the game but have
the most modern outlook too. 

National Cricket Academy is committed to make them strong, to think and act like leaders and to
equip them with self-confidence in the face of adversity, on the field of play and off it.
Mission Statement

To produce quality players and meet the current and future challenges of international cricket,
National Cricket Academy will act as a state of the art workshop and nursery to enhance
performance levels by producing well-talented cricketer’s with well-rounded personalities.
This will be achieved by:

 Enhancing the skill set, consistency and qualities of leadership & team building.
 Using scientific methods and techniques and providing all necessary facilities.
 Careful planning & analysis of systems for continual improvement.
 Efficient and effective utilization of resources.
Objectives
 To introduce a system that would raise the standard of cricket in the country.
 To continuously produce well-talented and well-rounded cricketers.
 To maintain and provide all the most modern and latest material and human resources at
all times.
Goals
 To become the leading cricket academy in the world.
 To produce atleast one international player out of every 50 trainees.
SPOT FIXING
 The Pakistan cricket spot-fixing scandal of 2010 centres on certain members
of Pakistan's national cricket team being convicted of taking bribes from a
bookmaker, Mazhar Majeed, to under-perform deliberately at certain times in a Test
match at Lord's, London, in 2010.
 Undercover reporters from News of the World secretly videotaped Mazhar Majeed
accepting money and informing the reporters that fast bowlers Asif and Amir would
deliberately bowl no balls at specific points in an over. This information could be used by
gamblers to place bets with inside information (i.e. spot-fixing).[1] In response to these
allegations, Scotland Yard arrested Majeed on the charge of match fixing.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) banned three players—Salman Butt, Mohammad
Asif and Mohammad Amir—for terms of between 5 and 10 years. In November 2011,
Butt and Asif were found guilty by a London court on criminal charges relating to spot-
fixing. Amir and Majeed had entered guilty pleas on the same charges. All four were
given prison sentences, ranging from six months to 32 months.[2]

 Prior concerns about corruption

 In July 2010, the ICC Anti Corruption and Security Unit served notices to two unnamed
players seeking information into allegations of spot and match fixing. These notices were
sent out to the players following England's first 2010 Test Match against Pakistan, at
Nottingham. The notices informed the players that the ACSU was seeking certain
information and gave the pair 14 days to respond.[3]
Overview of the School Cricket program:
A) Around 15-20 schools per region/city (private and government) will participate across
Pakistan:
 Teams will be made from merging 2-5 other branches/schools so that schools can build a
better team, while serving the purpose to involve educated cricketers and also encouraging
intra school competition, which the schools will organize amongst themselves.
 10 private schools and 10 government schools will participate in each planned city
(almost equal participation).
B) The championship will be played in three stages (starting from 5th April 2017):

 Regional/City U-16 Schools cricket championship. (5th April-15th May)

 Pool matches.(1st May-1st June)
 Semifinals and final.(1st July-15th July)
C) Schools will be responsible for making their own teams.

D) Cut off age limit is January 2001 (participants will be around 16 yrs of age). Doctors will be
appointed in each city/region to monitor the age.

E) Teachers will be appointed to verify that the players are genuine from the schools.

F) Approximately 8000-10000 players and 750-850 matches are expected to be played in this
tournament. It will be the largest school tournament ever organized in Pakistan.
G) Biometrically verified cards will be given to the participants after scrutiny. These cards will
act as their identification to play the matches of this tournament and also for their future
enrollment in U-19 and other teams.

H) The tournament will take place in all the main cities of PCB registered regions across
Pakistan.

Expected results
PCB expects the following results from the program within a period of five years:

 Educated players will be encouraged to come forward.

 Young players will be encouraged to get basic education.
 Young players will have a choice later on in life, whether to pursue professional sports or
education.
 A better system to select Pakistan U-16.
 This will help cricket to regain its past glory.
 Larger viewership for our international and domestic cricket, which will help in getting
better sponsors.
 This will prevent cricket from having the same fate as that of hockey.
 Schools will make an effort to build a better team.
 Interest of parents, teachers and students will be ignited.
 Future stars will be educated enough to act as real ambassadors of Pakistan.
 All round year activity will be generated at U-16 level.
 Job opportunities for first class and international players.
 Job opportunities for PCB certified coaches.
 More people will be interested to play cricket.
 Schools will start investing in cricket.
 Cricket activity amongst the schools will be generated.
 Finance for the clubs, districts and regions.
This will give a massive boost to our cricketing structure, if after every two years we are able to
convert as low as 1% of these schools cricketers into our regional U-19 and first-class setup.
"Make anyone captain - Azhar or Sarfraz - but unless we
solve our problem deep down, whoever comes in will
face problems," Misbah said in Faisalabad on
Wednesday. "We have to improve domestic cricket and
groom talent. If we want to do well in England, Australia
and South Africa, we have to give the players maximum
experience of playing there. If a player keeps on playing
here [in Asia] and all of a sudden does a tour of Australia
or South Africa after six years, it will be difficult for him
[to perform]."

Pakistan's domestic cricket has often been a subject of

revamp and the standard of pitches and the ball have also
been inconsistent, while the focus on fitness has also
been in question. When asked if the Pakistan Super
League (PSL) might offer some resolve, Misbah said it
wasn't feasible to expect that.

"Don't start thinking that there will be change in the team

after PSL," he said. "I think we have to improve [the
domestic structure] overall. It is just a tournament.
Obviously players will come from it and it will give them
exposure, [but] otherwise we have to do a lot of work.
We have to bring our domestic cricket close to
international standards for whatever talent comes through
from the Under-16s and Under-19s. We have to prepare
better pitches and improve the standards of our cricket in
domestic set-up."

Misbah has been under pressure amid suggestions from

cricketing quarters in the country that he should retire.
However, he is keen to assess his batting and hunger for
the game as he leads Islamabad United, the defending
champions, during the PSL's second edition in the UAE.
"We need consistency in the thinking of our nation, and
then there will be consistency in our team," he said. "If
your thinking is not consistent and it changes after one
match, then the team's performance will also be like that.

"If you are talking about me - I retired one year ago, but
at that time the whole nation said I should keep on
touring. Now the whole nation is saying that I should be
ashamed of myself and go. If you do such things, nobody
will be ready to become captain. It's not necessary you
win every series, it's not necessary you perform in every
series. One can put in his best effort. Our views change if
you don't perform in four matches, despite performing
for six years."
When some tree falls, the cause, for sure, is in its roots. If not so, the tree tries to resist the
external forces up-to its capacity. The sooner the capacity reaches its ultimate stage, tree
embraces the ground. The situation may be simulated to that of Pakistan Cricket. International
Cricket has not been played here for quite a while now. Every player wants to play and brush
shoulders with the International players in his home grounds. This has been one of the key
factors that have been giving birth to a concern in players all over the country. The deprivation of
not playing in front of home crowd is like being a fatherless child.
It is quite evident from our upcoming products in the shape of cricketers that are at display all
over Pakistan that the cricket of country is on decline. On the whole, not only the top level is
disturbed, many factors have plagued the sport to its lower most level i.e. District Cricket.
Most of the cricketers getting opportunities to show cause their talent at district level lack in
discipline, motivation, enthusiasm and passion for the game. They are always finding shortcut
ways to sneak through to the top level instead of working hard, giving their full and leaving the
rest to selectors. The lack of above characteristics is an obvious case of bad attitude. Coming late
at the camp, doing training sessions unwillingly, being stubborn in most of the assignments given
to them and displaying non-professional approach every now and then has become their core
habits. Possessing this behavior, they still carry the courage to think themselves of joining the
next superior stream of players at first class level.
Adding insult to the injuries, the ground staff of most of the grounds/stadiums that come under
the umbrella of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) fill into the shoes of same attitude as of the district
players. They find ways to dodge their bosses most of the time to perform their duties as little as
it could be possible. The district bodies are also the culprits in this regard to a large extent. They
hire the staff of their own likings or politicized recruitments are the cause. Some of the
competent workers, who could serve District Cricket Association (DCA) in a way it should be,
are overlooked just because of the fact that either they are not resourceful enough or they support
the opposite political party who are not authorized currently.
The DCA elected people either lack the competency to drive the system or bash the talented
players just for the fact that they belong to their opposition clubs. In such a system, the party that
becomes victimized most of the time is players.
Umpiring standards are not up-to the mark either. Mostly the objections are made against
umpiring decisions only by losing team that a couple of decisions changed the course of this
game for the team. These are then sent to PCB and I am not sure if some action is taken by them
regarding such complaints.
Self motivation, confidence and discipline should be injected into the players. It is responsibility
of coaching staff to do the needful so that maximum could be extracted out of the individuals
keeping their personal grudges aside. The ground staff should be recruited on skilled basis and
they should be supported financially so that they do their duties in a proper way. Elected people
should be scrutinized periodically by PCB and reservations of the oppositions be addressed.
Umpiring standard should be elevated and those working in a decent manner should be awarded
with bonuses so that their work become role model for the others doing same work but not with
same attention, intensity, will and vigor.
As i am writing this article its 19th of March 2016 and i am anticipating another Indian win in t
20 wc against Pakistan. I am keenly observing the Pakistani media and i have to say that they are
champions in creating fake hype and playing with the emotions of the people despite knowing
the truth !. Every channel is conducting transmissions on that one match ,trying to sell their
“manjan” but i don’t know where PEMRA is sleeping or is it happy seeing the public turning
Psychopath?

Did anyone of you ever imagine that one day we will be distributing sweets on our win against
Bangladesh ? Can our cricket goes more low from here on ?

Harsh but true

Back in the 90,s when we use to have a team compromised of super stars from openers to last
bowler ,Even then we couldn’t able to defeat India in a wc match . The only moment we went
closer to beating india was 92 wc and then later on 2011 wc. Those were our best chances but we
couldn’t able to capitalize the moments !! But at least back in the 90,s we were superior team to
india . We had most wins record both in Odis and Test against them whether in Pakistan ,India or
even neutral venues .This gap is slowly narrowing up and india is catching up faster !!

Lets actually dissect the problems Pakistan cricket team is facing

Choosing the wrong heroes

“Jis mulk me Afridi ap ka batting hero ho ,vo kya khak acha batsman produce kre ga ”

This is the biggest irony with Pakistan . The last quality batsman we produced was Muhammad
yousaf back in 1998 .After his exist we failed to produce any single international level batsman .
I have a great respect for both Misbah and Younis but we all know that they are very limited
when it comes to the modern trend in the Odi cricket .Misbah and younis both find it difficult to
rotate the strike in the time of the need especially Misbah has very much one dimensional cricket
.Either he hits or block.He has no middle game. Our media made the hero out of Afridi like
characters and this is precisely the reason why this ” Boom’ ” Boom” culture has destroyed the
upcoming youth !!

Inconsistent selection
The next big thing that has hurt Pakistan cricket over the period of a time is changing team like a
baby diaper in almost every tour . So many cricketers that came with a buzz and then fizzled
away in no time !!. In the current lot Sarfraz ahmed and Muhammad rizwan has showed potential
but its only a matter of a time that PCB will destroy their talent too. Where is junaid khan ? No
one knows . He was a our match winner bowler but now replaced by a inconsistent Wahab riaz .
In the last 15 years we couldn’t able to find a decent opening pair in batting .Even today we play
most of our cricket on dead tracks in UAE and celebrates our win like we are winning world cup
there

Inability to handle pressure and pathetic fitness

Most of the batsman Pakistan is producing these days are technically inadequate . They are a
front foot players so they always struggle to face seam . Consider this sharjeel khan for instance
another “tula khor” who dont know how to rotate the strike.Our batsman cant even rotate the
strike when they are in pressure . They either hit the ball out of the ground or gets bogged down
on the wicket . They have no middle game .Thats why Pak cricket team is pathetic in odis these
days

Grouping and politics

I cant remember any single era in which politics was not the part of Pakistan cricket but least
back in 90,s we use to win based on individual brilliance which is no more happening !! The
players we are producing these days are below average . We are playing a brand of cricket that
was being played back in 90,s . Politics is a part of our system whether its in PCB or in the
management . This sethi group has further destroyed Pakistan cricket . There are few officials
like intikhab alam and co who have been a part of PCB from previous 30 35 years, with zero
output . We keep bringing back the Akmals and malik in the system who should have been
thrown away long ago . Players like babar azam ,Sami Aslam have been neglected ,How then we
expect to produce players? even our ex cricketers who are doing the analysis job on Tv .They are
only interested in getting the job at PCB rather helping the young cricketers at grass route
level .Examples like Rashid latif are exception off course

Over hyped bowling

If we carefully analyze our bowling even ,After the exit of saeed ajmal and Muhammad hafeez
ban we are facing serious difficulty in our spin department . Yesterday even first it was a poor
decision by captain to play with 4 fast bowlers on an absolute dust bowl and then Afridi himself
couldn’t able to provide the necessary breakthrough which was needed .If you are not going to
take wickets after regular intervals and especially after scoring such a low then you are meant to
be doomed !! and that exactly happened yesterday

Poor Domestic structure and redundant club/University cricket

This is another harsh truth that cricket in Pakistan these days is not what it use to be once when i
was growing up back in the late 90,s and early 2000,s i guess that is the reason why we are so
low now at International level . Terrorism and socio economic issues have affected the sports too
.There is no international cricket happening in Pakistan ,That is one of the reason why our
batsmen are not developing but this cant be an excuse because even South africa faced ban for
many years but when they participated in 1992 Wc .They came with a BANG !

Solutions
1) Media should show the reality to the people,rather playing with the emotions of the public .
This whole ” Kanj*r khana ” of 24 hours Takra transmission needs to be stopped immediately
2) All those players who are playing from quite some time and prove out to be failures in
Important matches needs to be thrown out of the system for once forever
3) Pick the players directly from u 19 and then work with them . There is no point in making
players of age 27 28 debut in International cricket
4) Slowly improve the domestic structure ,There is no quick solution .This is the bunch of
players we have got now so far and we need to deal with them
5) Try to focus on singles and doubles . There should be a drill in which certain batsman are
instructed to score 200 or 100 runs only through taking singles
6) All the ex test players should be put with u 19 or regional teams

We have to accept that currently we are facing lack of talent . The players we have right now are
average !! Now how PCB turns these average players into a International brand that is an uphill
task !! But we should take some courage from New Zealand . Look where they were about 5
years ago ,They use to get white washes in Bangladesh and look where they are standing now !!.
They have massively improved their cricket
 Here we go again. The same discussion that a lot of former players and cricket analysts are
having for the past few weeks; what is wrong with Pakistan cricket and how do we fix it? The
recent defeats in the Asia cup and the world T20 completely exposed the weaknesses of the
team, showing that our players lack fitness, temperament and game awareness. Before dwelling
further into the problems of Pakistan cricket, it is important to highlight that no one man can be
blamed for the current state of our cricket set up. Be it the captain, the coach, the selection
committee or the chairman of the board, everyone is equally responsible for the bad
performances of the team. Cricket in Pakistan has been in a state of decline for the last decade
and the causes of this constant decline are not just related to the players and the team
management. There are problems and issues in the entire system thus; here is look at the reasons
for the current position of the Pakistan cricket.
1. The people within the board

Players came, players retired, coaches came

coaches went, however, certain individuals have been part of the cricket board for as long as I
can remember. Intikhab Alam, Zakir Khan, Azhar Khan and Agha Akbar are just a few names
who have been associated with the cricket board forever. Under their watch, for decades Pakistan
cricket has constantly suffered but, they have never been replaced instead the cricket board has
given them several different jobs. Intikhab Alam’s role in the board is particularly questionable.
Many fans argue that he was part of the winning campaign in the 1992 and 2009 world cups as a
coach, however, every time board wants to sack an old captain, Intikhab Alam is given a position
in the dressing room. Under his run as a coach and manager Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan and
now Shahid Afridi have been sacked as captains. Please note that all three had some problems
with the team management. The cricket board has for years made Intikhab Alam the solution to
every problem which raises a question that isn’t there anyone else competent enough to perform
the jobs that Intikhab Alam has undertaken. There is no question that Intikhab Alam has rendered
great services for Pakistan cricket however; a time comes when you need fresh ideas and
solutions. After every bad performance, there is a fan outburst to replace the coach, captain or
the selection committee however, nobody complains to replace the people who have occupied
positions in the board for years without making any concrete contributions. This lack of new
faces in the board is reflected in the performance of the team and has led to many controversial
administrative decisions. Pakistan cricket cannot afford to have people in the board who leak
confidential reports in a matter of hours. This means that whoever is the new coach, captain or
the manager will find it difficult to trust the PCB. Hence, until and unless replacements aren’t
made in the cricket board, Pakistan cricket will continue to suffer.
2. Lack of inspiration
 Imran Khan has stated in numerous interviews
that the moment he saw Dennis Lillee bowl; he wanted to become a fast bowler. Similarly,
Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis also claimed that they always wanted to be like Imran Khan.
Imran Khan inspired a generation of all-rounders and fast bowlers. The problem with Pakistan
cricket today is that up-and-coming cricketers don’t have anyone to look up to. This lack of
inspiration is resulting in a shortage of quality talent and a reduction in the passion for the game
of cricket. Afridi is the only star left in the current Pakistan team and he too was constantly
disrespected by the media during the last few months. It is very important for the PCB to try and
bring in teams to play international cricket in the country as that is the only way the passion for
the game can increase.
3. Domestic Cricket

It is important to dispel a few myths before

talking about the problems of domestic cricket. It is realistically not possible to abolish
departmental cricket as the regions in Pakistan lack funding and resources. Without the
departments, first class, cricketers who don’t represent Pakistan in international cricket will have
a tough time earning a living. The main problem of domestic cricket however, is not its structure
but the consistency with which it is changed. In order for any system to flourish, one needs to
give it time. The structure of the domestic cricket in Pakistan has been revamped after every two
years in the past decade alone. Other serious problems damaging domestic cricket in Pakistan are
the quality of pitches and the schedule of the matches. Every year numerous games are affected
by the rain as the weather conditions are not taken into account by the PCB. Games are
scheduled on days and in locations where there are predictions of harsh weather conditions. Plus
the conditions of the pitch and the outfield also don’t meet international standards. Until these
problems are not solved and more funds are not put into the first class structure, quality players
 will not come forward. Rather the revamping the domestic structure it is important for the PCB
to first improve the pitch and ground conditions and give its current structure more time to
produce results. Yes! The domestic structure in Australia comprises of fewer teams which
subsequently result in improved quality of cricket played however; Australia has a very strong
and competitive club cricket structure, something that Pakistan lacks. Thus, it is important that
PCB doesn’t change the domestic structure every two years.
4. Politics

Perhaps the biggest problem of Pakistan cricket is

the amount of politics involved in our cricket setup. From the selection of players to the
appointment of the executives with in the cricket board every decision has some sort of political
motivation behind it. Decisions are not taken in the interest of the country or the sport, therefore,
resulting in the decline of our cricket and our team. While politics with in the board and the team
has existed since the inception of Pakistan cricket, time and time again it has resulted in the
downfall of our team. The only way to remove politics is to bring in honest people within the
board. People who want Pakistan cricket to progress, plus people who can handle the pressure of
the media and take strong decisions. When people like Majid Khan were involved in the
selection committee they used to take strong decisions without getting influenced by the captain,
coach or the cricket board. Players were selected without taking into account the personal liking
and disliking of the captain and the coach. Indeed, Pakistan cricket today lacks individuals who
can take tough decisions keeping the interest of the country first.
5. Identification and polishing of talent

Another important area where Pakistan cricket has

lacked has been the identification of quality players. In their times, Javed Miandad and Imran
Khan were responsible for identifying countless individuals who went on to become match
winners for Pakistan. Currently, there is no one performing this job in Pakistan cricket. Players
are selected on the basis of the amount of runs they score. The selectors don’t take into account
the qualitative factors like under what conditions, against which bowling and in what situation
those runs were scored or wickets were taken. Our former greats who can provide these services
are more interested in giving their opinions on television channels. It is necessary for the board
to bring in some former cricketers at grass root level by providing them with proper monetary
compensation. Players like Inzamam-ul-Haq, Aqib Javed, Wasim Akram, Mohammed Yousuf
and many others should be brought in and appointed to different positions to help identify and
polish talent. Plus the PCB should also consider creating a cricketing committee comprising of
former EX cricketers who are given the authority to take all the cricketing decisions with in the
board such as the appointment of the coaching staff and the team management.
The entire Pakistan cricketing fraternity wants Pakistan cricket to progress forward but in order
to do so, all of the problems mentioned above need to be solved. Under the current setup if these
problems are not solved then Pakistan cricket will continue to suffer rather than improve.

At its height Pakistan’s sporting success was a miracle. At its low, it’s been a disaster, an
utter disappointment. Last week, in the first part of this piece I discussed six of the major
reasons which I believe have contributed to the sorry state of our sports. From taking
success for granted to becoming indifferent to a vital sport like athletics, we have committed
a series of grave mistakes and are now suffering the consequences. Other reasons included
lack of planning, failure to systematically use infra-structure, irregular support from the
government and our inability to keep pace with rest of the world.
It was heartening to see that last week’s piece in the TNS encouraged many sports
aficionados to come forward and share their views. It was heartening because it meant that
there are still genuine, diehard sports fans in our society who care about the dismal state of
Pakistan sports. This week I will conclude the piece with six more reasons why our sports
decline continues unabated.
Rise of vested interest elements
It is hardly a coincidence that the golden period of Pakistan sports was initiated and then
sustained during a period when the likes of Justice Cornelius and Air Marshal Nur Khan
were at its helm. It is said that the very essence of leadership is having vision. Those
gentlemen had vision and helped shape great things for Pakistan in the field of cricket,
hockey and squash. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about many of our sports chiefs,
who succeeded the likes of Justice Cornelius and Nur Khan. While Justice Cornelius was a
well-respected chief justice of Pakistan during the best part of the sixties, Nur Khan was a
highly decorated air force officer. The duo believed in giving to Pakistan sports rather than
taking from it. It has mostly been the other way round during the last three decades or so.
Over the years, we have seen a rise of vested interest officials in all spheres of Pakistan
sports. I’m talking about the ones who are there in the Pakistan Cricket Board, Pakistan
Hockey Federation, Pakistan Sports Board, Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) and many
other sports federations and associations for personal gains more than anything else. Some
are there because the job pays well with minimum responsibility/accountability. Some are
there to make money by using whatever means that are available to do that. Others are there
for the perks and believe me there are many for many of them. I saw the late Anwar
Chowdhry, the Pakistani boxing official who rose to the rank of International Amateur
Boxing Association (AIBA) chief, getting perks fit for a king at the 2004 Olympic Games in
Athens and four years before that in Sydney. Once you get used to how the cash-rich
International Olympic Committee (IOC) treats members of the ‘Olympic family’ you cannot
just let it go.

MORE ACTIVITY AT SCHOOL LEVEL: Unless we invest at the grassroots level, sports in
Pakistan will never flourish again the way it did in the past
Lack of professionalism
I’ve talked about people keen to be part of the various federations or boards. There is
nothing wrong about looking for a job there. But there is everything wrong about landing a
job there without possessing the sort of credentials required to fulfill it. Over the years, I’ve
seen many people either parachuting their way to the top of the pyramid in a certain
federation or board or climbing up the ladder, slowly but surely, without having an iota of
qualification required for that particular position. In some cases, it’s the government that
handpicks a certain person to head either the cricket board or the hockey federation. Such
practice has, over time, made sure that there is minimal professionalism in the world of
Pakistan sports. The problem compounds when a handpicked man takes over an
organisation as he almost always tries to bring in his own team of more handpicked men
and women. What about having professionals? Well, who cares!
Shrinking role of schools, colleges and clubs
Much of Pakistan’s early success in sports was dependant on the grassroots level. Schools,
colleges and universities in many parts of the country were once hubs for sports. Then there
were clubs that provided lifeblood to sports like hockey and cricket. Due to one reason or
the other, all of that has withered. Today very few schoolchildren in Pakistan have access to
proper sports facilities like grounds, tracks, gyms etc. The role of colleges and universities
has also diminished. The club structure in almost all major sports is in disarray across the
country. Unless we probe into this particular aspect and then take remedial measures,
sports in Pakistan will never flourish again the way it did in the past.
Tolerance for dishonesty
When three of Pakistan’s leading cricketers were caught red-handed in a spot-fixing scandal
in England, a sports official asked me what the fuss was all about. “It’s just a matter of a few
no-balls. Why can’t we just forget it and move on,” he said. That’s the sort of tolerance for
dishonesty which has contributed towards our decline. It’s a common practice in Pakistan
sports that overage players compete in age group events by faking their documents.
Everybody knows it and accepts it. Several years ago, the organisers of national junior (U-
19) hockey tournament carried out wrist tests to determine the ages of the participating
players. The age of one of the players was determined around 26. He was disqualified. Later,
I came to know that the boy’s elder brother managed to play in that same tournament,
unnoticed.
Lack of proper jobs for sportspersons
Pakistan, as we all know, isn’t a rich country. An overwhelming majority of our
sportspersons hail from modest backgrounds. For many of them sport is not just a passion
but also a means to earn their bread and butter. Back in the sixties right up to nineties, there
was seldom any worthwhile sportsperson without a proper job. All departments and major
banks like PIA, Railways, Wapda, Army, Navy, PAF, Custom, HBL, NBP invested
substantially in sports. They had full-fledged sports departments that hired players. In some
cases, the departments had their own training/coaching programmes. With all of them
boasting strong teams, national level competitions featuring the departments used to be
prestigious affairs. Things have changed. Barring departments like Wapda who continue to
patronise sports, most organisations have, over the years, closed their sports wings. It has
really affected the standard of sports in our country. Our business houses should take a leaf
out of UBL’s book as the bank has recently revived its sports department and is planning to
pump tens of millions of rupees in it.
We take little pride in what we do
In the end, it is also all about passion. No matter how well you train your athletes, if they
don’t have fire in their belly they won’t go much far. Legends like Jahangir Khan, Hassan
Sardar and Wasim Akram were men with great passion which is why they managed to make
the seemingly impossible happen. Many of our modern-day sportsperson lack that sort of
passion. I’ve talked to many a sportsmen including elite cricketers, hockey players and
others and concluded that take little pride in what they do. For most of them it’s about
making money and becoming famous. There is nothing wrong with that but what about
passion and pride? It’s next to impossible to become a world-class athlete without
possessing these qualities.