Why Pakistan Cricket has hit rock bottom – the fall and a possible resurgence (Part 3)
(Continuing the discussion from part 2 about Pakistan’s domestic cricket…)
The perfect analogy here would be that of two schools. The first one has an excellent curriculum, world class teachers and faculty with state of the art facilities, while the other school has no facilities, incompetent teachers
and an oxymoronic syllabus. Even if one puts the best of students in the second school, those students will most certainly fade into oblivion or drop out or most importantly fail.
Pakistan has been doing well internationally not because of the domestic structure, but despite it. Pakistan as a state has not survived because of the government, but despite the government. Those elements within the domestic structure,
who are resisting any change to it are without a doubt those who are either a part of it or benefit from this fallacy.
Vested interests within the system have fought against the change that will inevitably benefit Pakistan cricket. Therefore, these people have an integral stake in maintaining the status quo prevalent in the domestic cricketing structure.
If the Pakistan cricket board is serious about change then it must take into account the fact that no one, who is directly or indirectly benefiting from the system be allowed to voice their opinions about it. Since there is a direct
conflict of interests and these parties will never view it objectively without bias.
The saddest part about this entire affair is the fact that the government including the Prime Minister and the President of the country seem unwilling to do anything about it. It is right there in their faces like an ugly wart
that’s about to burst.
The result of having a truly decadent structure at the domestic level is that Pakistan has not won a cricket series in almost a year now and they have had to face a string of humiliating defeats. Short term steps are simply an attempt
by the PCB and the Patron-in-Chief to window dress an otherwise decaying and debilitated structure that we now call the Pakistan Cricket Board.
With millions of rupees in its coffers the chairman of the PCB remains to be an unelected man with the authority to spend wherever he pleases without being answerable to anyone.
The solution to Pakistan’s cricketing woes is no rocket science, it is simple and straight forward. Yet there seems to be an apparent unwillingness to help the sinking boat. The current dilemma can be averted if institutionalized,
accountable decision making is made by the PCB.
With Ijaz Butt in place as the chairman this seems highly unlikely for this man is merely relishing his role as the Mussolini of the board without being answerable to anyone.
Pakistani cricketer Amir Sohail publicly suggested to sack every employee of the PCB since Ijaz Butt takes all the decisions. According to Sohail, it would save a lot of money which is being dispensed as salaries to the gauntlet
of the sycophants.
Leaving these anecdotes aside, the government needs to avert an imminent disaster in the form of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ijaz-Butt-c64128 is heading for a collision course with the ICC. The PCB finds itself cornered and it would be
an easy scapegoat for the ICC with many arguing that the ICC would not be able to take similar action against stronger boards such as the BCCI.
However, one particular personality trait that is observable amongst many Pakistani’s is the fact that instead of looking to reform themselves they are quick to defend whatever actions of theirs come under scrutiny. Now Imran Khan
was evidently different for he was quick to identify the problem and sought to correct it and not defend it.
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