Just in time

It is entirely in keeping with the ethos of Pakistan cricket that even a series victory is accompanied by confusion. We may have won the One-Day International series against New Zealand, following on from our victory in the Tests, but we only found out who will be captaining our side in the World Cup after the series victory was wrapped up. With the World Cup barely a fortnight away, the Pakistan Cricket Board inexplicably kept Shahid Afridi and Misbahul Haq on tenterhooks until the last minute. And so, despite Afridi’s reappointment for the World Cup, the captain, and indeed the entire team, will still be racked with insecurity. Being in a state of flux, it seems, is endemic to Pakistan cricket.

Whatever goodwill exists for the team after its comprehensive victory against New Zealand will likely evaporate today when an International Cricket Council tribunal in Doha announces its spot-fixing verdict. Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif all face potential life bans and even possible criminal prosecution in the UK — a likely possibility given their indictment by British authorities, reported on February 4. There is nothing that takes away the gloss of a victory more than the revelation that your team has recently been involved in corruption and cheating.

We can, however, take heart in the fact that the team has been able to perform so well despite all the drama surrounding it. True, New Zealand is one of the weaker teams in international cricket, but our victory comes at just the right time to build confidence for the all-important World Cup. And Pakistan has the knack of springing a surprise when one least expects it. Surrounded by a dysfunctional board, filled with inexperienced players, unsure of the leadership of the team and about to have three vital players banned, by all rights our cricket team should be in disarray. And yet, the nagging feeling persists that with a bit of luck this team could go all the way at the World Cup.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2011.