There are hundreds of vastly positive adjectives that can be lyrically parlayed into describing Imran Khan. However, this is not another article written to praise the wondrous nature of the man. In contrast, it is a ponderous and philosophical look, if you may, at the current state of Pakistani cricket and how it may gain by following advice by the great man himself.

 by Usama Ahmed

28 May 2011

Imran Khan is regarded by many as the undisputed leader of men on a cricket field and more importantly, the heartbeat of many a devoted and patriotic Pakistan fan.

In fact, and quite fitting for this forum, the term “PakPassion” aptly sums the ethos of Imran in the way his passion to serve Pakistan was his guiding light throughout his career.

There are hundreds of vastly positive adjectives that can be lyrically parlayed into describing Imran Khan. However, this is NOT another article written to praise the wondrous nature of the man (fine, I might praise a tad). In contrast, It is a ponderous and philosophical look, if you may, at the current state of Pakistani cricket and how it may gain by following advice by the great man himself. 

Why choose Imran Khan? The answer is simply because he is widely respected by one and all in the world of cricket as a strategically astute captain/cricketer. It therefore stands to reason that his advice is of great value to cricketers from the world over. 

So without further ado, let’s have a deeper look into these pearls of wisdom that Imran Khan has stated over his lifetime concerning cricket. 

These are quotes that may have been spoken a few years ago but they remain relevant to the state of Pakistani cricket today:

Quote # 1: “Teams follow captains they believe in.” 

Imran Khan was undisputedly the greatest captain Pakistan cricket has ever seen. The entire team had complete and utter belief in his abilities. They went out on the field to battle for him; even the legends playing alongside him gave him absolute respect. 

Now, Pakistan cricket is the sort of environment that requires secure leadership. It requires the sort of clichéd leadership that involves courage, determination and self-confidence. 

Pakistan cricket has not seen that sort of leadership for a LONG time. We have seen the likes of Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Yousuf, Younus Khan, Shahid Afridi but nothing of that stature! 

The PCB is not blameless in this matter – it has allowed for divisions to be created amongst the team by planting the seeds of discontent. The PCB has lowered the standards of captaincy to such ridiculous levels that even pedestrian players fancy their chances. This lack of consistency has pushed Pakistani cricket into the basement in cricket rankings. 

With the constant merry-go-round of captaincy and captains, how will any individual believe in his captain, when he was just ousted himself?! This is not to say the PCB has not tried to make amends, they have attempted to eliminate the seeds they sowed. However, it has led to a complete revamp of the team with a totally unbalanced team filled with inexperienced youth. The current team, in summary, is a group of fuming captains, interspersed with a few young players!

This is not to say, Imran Khan lived a life without leadership controversies. There were constant rumblings of issues with Javed Miandad; however, these were two absolute legends of the game. The two men also made very strong cases for becoming captain. Yet, even during those times of legends, Pakistan didn’t have these many captaincy turnovers. 

Quote # 2: "Teams which have the mental strength to chase down 300 plus totals have to be respected”

Can anyone confidently claim that Pakistan’s batting line-up of today is capable of chasing 300? Imran Khan realized that the bowling wonders of Pakistan cricket could never do the job single-handedly. The batting aspect of the sport is uniformly significant in getting across the proverbial line. A team that cannot chase large totals with customary simplicity will never be appreciated or valued.

The existing batting frailties that plague the team are there for everyone to observe. The team lacks openers that can score big runs consistently, the middle order is adolescent and the lower order is a coin toss. 

However, the team doesn’t lack ability; it lacks mental strength. The ability to soak up the pressure and score runs and play until the very end. The art of chasing 300 runs in any format (ODIs or Tests) is to rotate strike and stay out there. As Michael Holding repeatedly said in a recent match, “you can’t be scoring runs from the pavilion!” It is the responsibility of the few senior players to guide the youngsters. 

Sadly, the seniors are either not meant for the format (be it tests or ODIs) or they are just gaining their footing in the team after being discarded. For some, age means seniority instead of international experience – that is the shameful truth of Pakistani cricket.

A batting coach would do wonders for this current team. It becomes relatively bothersome when batsmen continue to get out in similar ways again and again and again. The coaching structure for Pakistani cricket is set up in a way where only bowling specialists are hired. Add another to the long list of follies by the PCB!

Quote # 3: “Pakistan Cricket needs to become professional.”

Truer words were never spoken and in particular the term “professional”. 

This is a term that Pakistan cricket has not been linked with too often. Pakistan has always been described as the mercurial wonder child of international cricket. Being mercurial is one thing; Pakistan has become a safe haven for controversies. There have been a few points in our cricket where the fans just sit and shout, “what next?!” 

When Imran Khan says Pakistani cricket needs to become professional, he means it needs to grow up. The egocentric players need to be punished and disciplined for their ways. It should be made clear that the team is always ahead of individuals; this is the crux of any successful unit. Turning this team into a professional unit is a responsibility that sits squarely on the shoulder of the PCB.

And professionalism is not limited to the team, even PCB can benefit with this novel idea. Consistency across many facets of the nation’s cricket would go a long way in making PCB a professional organization as opposed to the laughing stock of the civilized world! Consistency in selections, disciplinary actions and the overall development of local cricket should be the focus. 

Yes, this is an unrealistic assumption on the part of any fan. Any such change in the setup will take a lengthy time period to flourish and prosper. However, somewhere along the lines there has to be an individual that is willing to get the ball rolling. At the moment, Pakistan cricket is wedged in this clutter and has beyond doubt become a circus.

Imran Khan was not faultless; no human being on this planet is. However, he was and is patriotic something the players and the board could pay attention to. The players need to put aside their issues with the board and play for the team and nation. The board needs to fix its way and achieve some sort of consistency. Sure, we’d all love a complete overhaul along with some much needed sackings ( Ijaz Butt anyone?), but even a minor move towards a constructive and encouraging future would be welcomed.

Until then, as fans we don’t have too many choices - all we can do is to support our team and country - loudly and passionately. PakPassionately.