Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Wasim in his latest blog writes about the current Pakistan domestic structure and how it can be improved.

 By Mohammad Wasim (31st March, 2015)

In his latest exclusive blog for PakPassion.net, former Pakistan batsman and current television analyst Mohammad Wasim writes in detail about why Pakistan isn't producing world class cricketers, suggests an overhaul of Pakistan's domestic cricket system and also states that he thinks it's time for some fresh faces at the Pakistan Cricket Board.

If you compare Pakistan cricket with other top Test playing nations you can clearly see they are playing modern cricket whilst the Pakistan team is relying on a 1980's and 1990's approach for low scoring games relying on conditions, expecting bowlers to defend low totals, tentative batsmen combined with poor fielding. We saw examples in the recently concluded World Cup where 300 was a total more or less in every game, whilst on the other hand Pakistan struggled to even bat 50 overs. 

A lack of variation in the bowling department, lack of basics in batting such as partnerships, rotation of strike, game awareness and playing according to the match situation. 

Now if you focus only on the national team and its players, that will be very unfair because the problems are actually at the lower level. The national team's performance reflects on the weaknesses and flaws in our cricket system and the people who are part of this system and part of the organisation.

Therefore asking players about their performances is secondary. Firstly we need to raise the questions on their preparations, our facilities, conditions, atmospheres which are provided to the players on all levels.

For modern cricket of course you need modern players. Now what is a modern player? For me it's a player who is super fit, who can bat with a high strike rate, who is good in the rotation of the strike, who is also a handy bowler, can pick up wickets and is an excellent fielder at any position. So we have to look in our domestic cricket system, is it good enough, is it providing desired results. Of course it isn't otherwise we wouldn't be relying on the patchy brilliance of individual players and the team.

The conditions in our domestic cricket are far below the international level. Pitches, outfields, coaches, umpires, crickets balls etc. everything is not up to the standards which you can call first class. So the difference between the international level and our domestic level is huge as compared to the other countries. Our players get real exposure when they reach international level so most of them struggle to cope with that huge difference. 

Everybody these days is talking about the effects of twenty20 cricket and this has really changed the game altogether. Now 300 is a very much par score, 130 to 150 in the last 15 overs has become a regular feature of in-form teams but Pakistan has hardly been able to score 300. The scorecards of Pakistan's World Cup matches are the evidence of the below par batting capability of Pakistan. 

If we have to analyse the root cause of this issue then we will have to compare the game changer which is twenty20 tournaments of other cricket playing nations whether it's the Caribbean Premier League, Big Bash, Bangladesh Premium League or the IPL. Our organizers try to complete the formality of organising a twenty20 tournament but it ends before it begins or noticed by the fans. One if the major objectives of organizing these tournaments are to create hype to engage the target market, potential cricketers, create interest amongst the general public and passion in the youngsters but unfortunately one sudden day it is decided to start a twenty20 tournament the next day and then it is wrapped up in less than a week. Just for the record we can see the following timetable of different twenty20 leagues : 

CARIBBEAN 21st June to 26th July West Indies 
BIG BASH 18th Dec to 28th January Australia 
IPL 8th April to 24th May India 
Pakistan t20 6th Feb to 16th Feb Pakistan 

Although our twenty20 is only at the domestic level, but there is so much you can achieve out of it. I can go into the many other details to highlight the lack of professionalism in and truancy in the Pakistan Cricket Board. Who is responsible for this mismanagement obviously it's the ones running the PCB's affairs. Unless we will acknowledge this mismanagement or learn from our mistakes, we are not entitled to raise our expectations. Lack of consistency is a short term problem but I am afraid about the long term issue that is the declining interest of playing cricket in our young generation. 

I urge the PCB management and others responsible for running cricket in Pakistan to leave the YES MAN criteria and take tough decisions by distancing from flatterers and appoint energetic and ambitious people to save the future of cricket in Pakistan. 

Domestic infrastructure needs an overhaul. Even from this so called infrastructure we are lucky and blessed that on and off we get some quality players. But what we really are missing are superstars who can inspire our youth.

For me it's very simple. Make stars at national level and they will become superstars in international cricket themselves. It's not rocket science but still people at the helm of affairs seek suggestions and advice from outsiders. My answer is whoever is working in the PCB and getting a handsome amount of money every month, it's their job to find solutions and if they are sitting there for decades and still failing to deliver then why not step aside and let fresh people come up with fresh ideas.

Rotating chairs at the PCB is not a solution. It's time to change the faces not just rotate the chairs.

Discuss