Sethi in, Raja out

The rumours have proven to be true and PM Shehbaz Sharif has restored the 2014 PCB constitution in a bid to renew departmental cricket, thereby sidelining Ramiz Raja to bring back Najam Sethi. It seems that the brutal 3-0 whitewash defeat against England at home has paved the way for this controversial decision and one can also go as far as to say that this may be yet another attempt by the incumbent government to undo the changes made by former PM Imran Khan.

Imran Khan’s vision of ending departmental cricket and putting in place a new regional domestic structure received much support as well as criticism from diehard followers. Some claimed it would help streamline cricket and give way to the best of the best while others have been fearful that without a proper grassroots structure many players would be deprived of their livelihoods and stop playing as a result. These concerns are legitimate and while Sethi has had some success during his tenure with the initiation of PSL, it is unfortunate to see that the game billions of Pakistanis hold so dear has yet again been politicised. That being said Raja has also successfully revived international cricket and invested in a junior league to promote young talent. The fact remains that alternative systems and worthy players need to be given a sincere few years before they are critically analysed. Such political interference has historically been less beneficial and more damaging as it stagnates growth and undermines merit.

Pakistan cricket has been caught in a fragility trap and only genuine grassroots development will help talent prevail. Instead of focusing on having one method, it would bode well for officials to opt for a hybrid system of cricket where departmental cricket is kept below the provincial setup. This will provide rigidity and strength to Pakistan cricket.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2022.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.