Why Doesn’t the King Rule in Australia?

KARACHI:

It is never easy to step out of your comfort zone. You don’t really know how talented you might be until you bring change within yourself or explore new paths. Perhaps you could achieve greater success but there’s a certain fear that holds you back: What if I fail? You fear losing even what you already have. So, many people choose to settle for what they’ve got.

Maybe that’s why the growth of some talented individuals eventually stops. Of course, financial or personal factors make taking risks even harder. But if we look at the most successful people, most of them are those who did step out of their comfort zones, discovered their true selves, and changed their ways.

If we talk about cricket, the difference between the past and the present eras is like night and day. In the old days, there was only Test cricket, and it was considered the crown jewel of the sport. Then came One-Day Internationals money began to flow in, and players’ focus shifted toward it. Now, it’s the era of T20 cricket.

The new generation gives T20’s explosive players the same legendary status that fans of the past gave to Don Bradman. The only difference is the real Bradman is still remembered decades later, whereas the “Bradmans” of T20 fade from memory after a short while.

Today, players prefer to earn huge sums from a few hours of T20 rather than grind through long Test matches. Test cricket has fallen to the point where even a major cricketing nation like Pakistan plays only four or five matches a year.

Very few cricketers remain who can perform in all three formats, and even among those, many try to use their stardom to make themselves indispensable often to the detriment of their teams.

In the past, players used to say, “We play for the country and the nation.” Now, even that courtesy is gone. Today’s players happily abandon international cricket to earn dollars from leagues. Their justification is that international careers are short. If that’s really the case, then they shouldn’t use their national teams as a stepping stone they should sign with leagues from the start. But of course, that’s not possible.

Leagues have also become a way to shatter many superstars’ egos. At home, you’re treated like a hero and if competition isn’t strong, you can stay in the team for years even when out of form. But leagues are different. Franchises spend millions to hire the world’s best talent, and they expect performance in every match. If you don’t meet those expectations, you face situations you could never imagine in your home team.

That hurts your ego and sometimes, you react in ways no one expects.

Something like this happened in the Big Bash League (BBL). Usually, in the last over of an innings, a batter will refuse a single to protect the tail-ender and take the strike himself for the next over. Babar Azam has done that many times. But he probably never imagined someone would do the same to him.

Playing for the Sydney Sixers, he opened alongside Steve Smith who hadn’t played a T20 international for two years. On the last ball of the 11th over, Babar played a shot that offered a single, but Smith refused it. Babar looked visibly annoyed. In the next over, Smith smashed 32 runs proving his decision right. Babar, on the other hand, got out on 47 and, while walking off, hit his bat against the boundary rope in frustration.

Fans were stunned, and commentators found his reaction unexpected.

Babar scored 47 off 39 balls, while Smith reached a century off just three balls more a striking contrast between the two innings. Could anyone in the Pakistan team ever dare to act that way with Babar? Of course not.

Earlier, Melbourne Renegades’ captain had even called Mohammad Rizwan back from batting for playing too slowly.

We might find such treatment of our stars unacceptable, but let’s be honest does their batting really suit modern T20 cricket? Are our complaints justified?

Among all batters in the Big Bash, the lowest strike rates belong to these two.

Franchise cricket doesn’t tolerate this they pay you huge sums and expect results. The “king’s reign” works only at home; abroad, your ego doesn’t get the same royal treatment.

This is cricket but the same rule applies in life. At home, we still don’t have enough quality batters to replace Babar, so he’s back in T20s.

At home, you can talk however you like to your parents, but can you speak that way to your boss at work? Of course not.

Those who fail to adapt with time get left behind. Just look at the descendants of past emperors in India today their condition says it all.

We must look at the present, not live in the past. It’s wiser to leave your stardom and ego at home and focus on your work.

The real question is whether Babar still suits modern T20 cricket or whether he should now focus only on Tests and ODIs. The upcoming World Cup will give us the answer.

As for Rizwan, his T20 career seems practically over. Both have done great service for Pakistan, but they have always been criticized for slow batting in T20s and they didn’t make much effort to change themselves. They took things for granted.

Now, facing the world’s best in franchise leagues, their weaknesses are being exposed.

The Bangladesh league is so low in quality that even Haider Ali captains there. Some argue that if Babar and Rizwan had played there, they would’ve continued scoring runs against weak bowling and flat pitches. But in Australia, with world-class bowling and bouncy tracks, they’ve struggled.

Maybe they shouldn’t have gone to the Big Bash — but I don’t agree with that. Both are world-class batters and capable of performing anywhere.

The issue isn’t who they are it’s whether they can focus on what they can become.

There are still matches left they can still show their talent.

Just stop hitting your bat on the boundary rope and start hitting the ball. Only then will your team get runs, and your ego will find true satisfaction.