Pakistan at the 2024 World Cup: making sense of our early exit

 Pakistan is a cricket-loving country will be an understatement. It is difficult to explain our relationship with this game. Once a symbol of colonial legacy, this sport later became a means to attain parity against our colonial masters. Beating them at their own game remained a source of motivation for generations of cricketers. The moment finally came in 1992 when we won the World Cup and ironically that too after beating England. However, there is more to cricket in today's Pakistan.

Once this game was only limited to Lahore and Karachi but gradually it has become a sport of the common man. From the mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan to the seashores of Gwadar, this game has takers everywhere. Cricket is a sport that has gone beyond socio-economic bounds and has broken these barriers and nothing brings otherwise the bickering Pakistanis together like cricket does.

This game has given us so many heroes. All of them adored and followed. Cricket is a means of hope in our country and our players, time and again have given us ample reasons to cherish and support this team.  

Our cricket team is an abstract of the long complex research article that is Pakistan. What is wrong with our cricket is the same as what is wrong with our country. The early exit from the ongoing World Cup has grinded our gears and our team and its players are continuously being thrashed by fans and experts. The criticism is both constructive and agenda-driven but is only unidimensional.
Nobody is talking about the PCB and its follies.

Talking from the cricketing point of view, in both the matches that Pakistan lost, more than the opposition beating us, Pakistan lost those matches. The reasons are the usual and casual Pakistani recipe of defeats; dropping catches at crucial moments, irresponsible batting fielding, and tactical errors have cost us those games. But to make a better sense of our defeats, we have to bisect the buildup to this World Cup. The musical chair at PCB, where we saw at least 3 chairmen in the last year or so. A similar musical chair was initiated in the team. Unity and positivity which was the forte of this team once, was fast eroded by the vindictive and politically charged administration of the PCB. Then, the preparation, we prepared for this series in England, Ireland, and Pakistan in the early days of summer. The conditions were not a match to what we were to get in the US and the Caribbean thus failed to prepare us for the challenge in the US and the Caribbean. Keeping in mind, that international cricket is being hosted for the first time in that part of the world, Pakistan chose not to play any warm-up matches before the World Cup in fact they reached the US just a few days before the start of the World Cup. It would have been better had PCB arranged a series here in the USA and even squeezing a match or two with USA would have been beneficial. However, it is felt that cricket is not a part of PCB’s priorities. Then the entourage that has accompanied this team. I have no qualms about the coaching staff, over the years the coaching staff has swelled in international cricket but the rationale behind having two team managers needs to be explored.

The cricket culture in Pakistan needs a revamp. Our fitness standards have declined sharply. Post World Cup, no excuse or relaxation should be accorded to the players and only the fittest players should make it to the squad. Other than physical fitness there is a need to work on mental fitness. For this mental conditioning camps should be organized for the players. It has been observed that at the important and decisive junctures of the game, the players kind of get into a shell- a state of mental blockade. Pakistan needs to improve its domestic cricket. More facilities and more money should be channeled into Pakistan’s domestic cricket. There is a need to have more A-tours, and there is a need to build the bench strength. Also, the age cricket should not be just an occupational opportunity for the veteran cricketers. To churn out good cricketers, more precisely to graduate good cricketers we should invest in A-list, age, and domestic cricket. There is also a need to look at improving PSL. PSL is fast becoming home to redundant international talents. PCB should try to get the present lot of international players to play PSL, this would bring PSL if not at par at least near to what challenge international cricket offers.

The chasm between modern cricket and Pakistan cricket is widening. An impact of which will soon start to reflect on other formats as well. Pakistan has a lot of catching up to do. We should also be preparing for the next T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. Imad Wasim can be a good choice to lead us in that World Cup but it should be associated with his own fitness and commitment to Pakistan cricket.

Pakistan cricket fans should also not give themselves into agenda-driven criticism and should support their team because it is in times like the present one when you need the support of your fans the most but again this support should neither be blind nor taken for granted.

In our cricketing history, we have been through worse, this too shall pass.  

The Amar Singh Chamkila Review

 Amar Singh Chamkila is out and as expected it is winning accolades. When talents like Imtiaz, Diljit, Parineeti, and Rahman come together you expect fireworks. This movie is not just the work of Imtiaz-the director but Imtiaz-the artist and Imtiaz-the human. It is felt that Imtiaz has fallen in love with not only Chamkila but more than the slain singer he fell in love with his story. The film oscillates between Dhanni Ram and Chamkila. The vulnerabilities of Dhanni Ram made Chamkila and many of us who have gone through struggle especially class struggle can easily resonate with both Dhanni Ram and Chamkila. Imtiaz’s treatment of the movie is just beautiful. His use of the original clippings of both Chamkila and Amarjot only adds to the authenticity of the movie and then the picturization of Naram Kaalja tells you about the phenomena and rage that was Chamkila. Imtiaz has shown how much respect he has for Chamkila and for Amarjot. In the scene where Chamkila and Amarjot get intimate for the first time, any director of today would have slipped in a kiss but Imtiaz showed restraint and ended up creating a very beautiful series of visuals for the audience which do not demean the love Chamkila and Amarjot had for each other but also depicted the innocence of love very beautifully. Also, he did not compromise on casting. To me, the star of the movie is its casting. All actors from main leads to character actors, have been cast according to the demand of the character and not as per popular demand or what the market would have demanded. For this Imtiaz should be applauded. Any big actor would have easily worked with Imtiaz but he understood the importance of casting Diljit and his going ahead with this decision only helped the final product. Diljit was the right choice as he has proven it with his convincing portrayal of Amar Singh Chamkila and his musical and Punjabi background have only helped him in this regard but other than that it is interesting to note that he has already done a movie named “Jodi” that was loosely based on the lives of Chamkila and Amarjot. However, more than Diljit it is Parineeti’s Amarjot that wins you over. Nothing to take away from Diljit but Parineeti has worked very hard to live Amarjot. Diljit had no preconceived notion to beat but Parineeti had to outgrow or beat her Bollywood heroine tag which she has successfully done through this movie. Earlier, I had my reservations but as the movie progressed Parineeti won me over and by the time the movie ended, I had nothing but appreciation for her. Her mannerisms and expressions were spot on.

Rahman’s music is deeply ingrained in the plot. As the primary music material comes from Chamkila himself, Rahman’s compositions help take the movie forward and set the mood of the viewer. I have already talked about Naram Kaalja but Vida Karo too has its moments and leaves an impact on the listeners. The thing is Rahman understood his music’s role in the movie as it has been the case with other Imtiaz movies, in Amar Singh Chamkila too music tells the story, and Rahman’s music does it wonderfully.

The themes and sub-themes of this movie have touched upon our raw nerves and at times make you wonder and question our society's hypocrisy and its attempts to put cover on the inconvenient social truths. Also, this might be the reason why this movie has come out on Netflix as a cinematic release may have created an adverse reaction from certain quarters and lately the boycott trend has become a norm in India.

If you have reached this far, it means that you know I have liked the movie and at least one viewing is highly advisable but had this movie been in Punjabi, it would have looked more beautiful and closer to the subject source. 

The Pak-Afghan story

 We all like stories because they give us chills and thrills. They give us moments; they give us something to imagine and above all they provide us with conflict; the conflict between the hero and the villain. These two characters are the mainstay of any story. A hero though is allowed to be evil as evilness is for a greater cause however, whatever good a villain does, he lives and dies a villain, and no amount of good can change his fate, it feels that the writer is somehow himself an ardent fan of the hero. Thus, whenever you will hear an Afghan story, you find a common villain, and how good he does, he still remains the villain, you know him, his name is Pakistan.

As I am writing these lines, the repatriation of the illegal Afghan refugees is underway. Social media platforms are flooded with many moving pictures and testimonials of the refugees leaving Pakistan. The population of Pakistan was 77.41 million in 1979 and in 1980 there were more than 4 million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan, the number only swelled in the following years. This made the Afghan refugees around 5% of Pakistan's total population at that point in time. This minor stat only tells you how arduous it was and is for Pakistan to host the refugees as it entails political, economic, religious, and social ramifications for the State of Pakistan and its people.

We as a country have seen so many lows but hosting the Afghan refugees is amongst the few highs that are there in our history. We relived the Mawakhat-e-Madinah by hosting such a large number of refugees. We shared whatever we had; we opened our socio-economic space to them. Although, in the popular culture, many blame Pakistan for what has happened and is happening in Afghanistan while doing that they conveniently ignore that international relations is a two-way street and work on the principle of reciprocity. The idea of a nation-state is at heart an exclusionary idea, and nation-states look at the world from the prism of their myopic national interests. As the history will tell us, Pakistan and Afghanistan were no exceptions. Both somehow had to deal with designs of great powers and amidst all also had to navigate and protect their interests. Pakistan cannot be blamed for what happened in post-Zahir Shah Afghanistan, the rise of Socialism, and the bloody Saur Revolution leading to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The Afghan civil war of the ’90s, and the rise, fall, and rise of the Afghan Taliban is a blame that Pakistan may share as I said Pakistan was pursuing its own interests like Afghanistan did whenever it got the opportunity and the vitality.   
Now coming back to the question of the repatriation of the refugees to Afghanistan, the state of Pakistan is surely looking to achieve something out of all this. One prime reason has been the resurgence of the menace of terrorism in the country. Through the repatriation, Pakistan would get a chance to discover and dismantle the sleeper cells of TTP. This could also be used as an opportunity, to push the Taliban-led Afghan interim government to reign in the Indian proxies which once again are now using the Afghan soil to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan. This has always been a source of grave concern for Pakistan and has been one impetus for it to stay involved in Afghanistan. Another stimulant could be the Pakhtoon nationalism which in recent years especially when Ashraf Ghani was in power in Kabul has returned to the level of 80’s and 70’s. The creation of PTM is often cited as a manifestation of that rise in Pakhtoon nationalism, but it would be pertinent to mention here that there were indigenous push factors too that served as a basis for rise in the Pakhtoon nationalism. Other than that, the economic limitations of the state of Pakistan must have also been a consideration and this initiative can be a tactic to get international donor agencies like UNHCR and ICRC further involved with the state of Pakistan in helping it to support the Afghan refugees.

Above could be Pakistan’s reasons for deporting the illegal Afghan refugees on its soil. However, there is a silver lining in all this for the Afghan Taliban as well. It is not going to be an easy task but being able to rehabilitate the returning Afghans will put them above the Karzias and the Ghanis. This could also serve as an impetus for the international community especially the donor agencies to directly to engage with them to let this all not turn into a humanitarian crisis. Something the interim government of Afghanistan really needs and wants.

In the end, one thing is for sure this decision must not have been an easy one for Pakistan as the amount of goodwill that Pakistan has garnered over the years by hosting the Afghan refugees will be marred by this but the Afghans and the Taliban must understand the compulsions of Pakistan and also both brotherly countries should partner in smooth repatriation and rehabilitation of the Aghan refugees and above anything jointly work towards ensuring long-lasting peace in Afghanistan and an establishment of the people-led Afghan government in Kabul. 

An Ode to M.S. Dhoni

 It was the cricket world cup of 2015 and India had just once again beaten Pakistan in a world cup game, while talking to the press in a post-match press conference, the then-Indian team captain M.S. Dhoni while commenting on India’s unbeaten tournament record against Pakistan said “But a time will come when we will lose to them. This record won't stay for the rest of our lives. We should not forget that Pakistan has a better overall record than us. They are a fantastic side and it is never easy to beat them.”  This statement is just a glimmer of what Dhoni was and is to cricket. His repertoire as the Indian captain and the success that he garnered as the leader of the Indian team speaks volumes about his cricketing acumen and leadership potential but this is just one aspect of his game. As a cricketer and sportsman, his contribution to the game is far bigger. With his humility and game ethics, he kept cricket, cricket.  The guy respected the game he played and in return, he earned the respect of the game.

Dhoni’s cricketing journey is an example for not only the budding cricketers but he also is an example for any professional. Humility, calmness, and keen observation have always been a hallmark of his game and it is only because of this, he has been able to manage admirers outside of India.

His glovework has always been impressive. His lightning-fast stumpings and acrobatic catching behind the stumps are a sight for sore eyes. On top of it, his batting and then his ability to finish the game with the bat was unparallel. In recent history, only somebody like Michael Bevan can be quoted as an example or can be equated with Dhoni when it comes to finishing the game with a bat.   

It is quite obvious from Dhoni’s career that he has always excelled whenever he has been presented with a challenge and he has been taking challenges head-on since the start of his career. He scored a big fat hundred against Pakistan in an ODI when he was promoted to the number three position in a team that boosted players like Sehwag, Tendulkar, Ganguly, and Dravid. Similarly, when he was made the captain of the Indian T20 side for the inaugural T20 world cup, he ended up winning it. That last over given by him to Joginder Sharma had the potential to go down as the biggest mistake made by a captain in cricketing history but as fortune always favors the brave, that bet of his paid off. It was only Dhoni who could play such a bold hand. His leadership style has this unique blend of proactiveness, calmness, and risk-taking. Making India a more than formidable cricketing side at home and a competitive side overseas is among his many achievements as a captain and player.

The Dhoni story can never be completed without mentioning his IPL record. He represented Chennai Super Kings and Rising Supergiant (2016 & 2017) in his IPL career. His real contribution came up with the Super Kings as its captain he has led them to 5 IPL titles. This makes him one of the most successful captains in the history of IPL.

As all the good things come to an end someday, M.S. has also bid farewell to all kinds of competitive cricket and the final of the recently concluded IPL was his last appearance for his IPL team. He will surely be missed, in the death overs, behind the stumps, and in a pressure cooker situation. Dhoni the player has stopped playing but his legacy will live on.   

Realizing Pakistan Cricket's Financial Potential

 Cricket has changed. It is no longer just a game; it has a financial side to it as well and gradually this side has attained the place of being the most important aspect of the game. You win or lose, the net worth of your biggest star, how much cricket you are going to get it all comes to the finances or the financial side of the game. At the moment, it is the end, and the game of cricket has been reduced to just being a means to the end. Elaborating on the point I raised above, today's amount of cricket a team gets is directly proportional to financial dividends attributed to its cricket which is why the big three (India, Australia & England) play each more often than the rest of the boards. It is hurting that someone like Babar who is a once-in-a-generation player is only going to get 15 games in the 2024 to 2027 cycle. This is a grave injustice to the player and the game.

The change that I talked about earlier is not our doing. When the game was changing, we were in isolation. The year 2010, changed Pakistan cricket for good and bad. Bad because we had already lost the privilege of playing cricket in Pakistan but we also lost our credibility which hampered our brand’s value and good because the Lord’s experience helped us to develop a new cricketing culture in Pakistan which was very different from the one, we had in the 90’s. It was this good change and the able leadership of Misbah ul Haq that made us the number 1 test team in the world. Those push-ups in Lord’s rejuvenated the brand that was Pakistan. As they say “you can keep cricket out of Pakistan but you cannot keep Pakistan out of cricket” so that isolation ended eventually but left Pakistan cricket lagging behind the rest of the world. PCB with whatever means it had, tried to bridge the gap. It started PSL on foreign shores, it helped revive cricket especially the financial side of things. Gave us stars who were marketable, then Babar Azam happened and Pakistan won the Champions Trophy in 2017 and also attained the 1st spot in ICC’s T20 ranking, and now when I am writing these lines Pakistan sits at the number two spot in ICC’s ODI rankings but still after all this the brand Pakistan is undervalued. Though, the recent profit-sharing formula proposed by ICC gives PCB the biggest share in ICC revenues after the Big Three countries but Pakistan’s value is more than what it is getting in the proposed formula. Though this idea of profit-sharing itself is not so good for the development of the game but it is what it is.

Pakistan has the tools and resources to become a financial powerhouse of the game; it has history, the game is popular in the nook and corner of the country, it has a good team with bankable and marketable stars. Pakistan should keep on marketing and developing them this will help its brand like PSL too and it also should look at ways through which it may increase the amount of cricket it is getting.

Now this brings me to the real question which this piece will try to answer and that is realizing Pakistan cricket’s financial potential. What Pakistan should do to increase the value of its cricketing economy?

The first order of the day is a standard one. Pakistan should look to invest in the game. The quality and competitiveness of domestic cricket should be improved. This will not only be achieved through better equipment, coaching staff, or player salaries, PCB should also invest in the infrastructure. The facilities that are imperative for the development of the game. There is a need to improve the game experience for the players but also for the spectators. The stadiums- new and old, should be designed in a way that the spectators enjoy themselves there. More international cricket can be very helpful in this regard.   

Pakistan is to host the Asia Cup this August but due to India’s political limitations, they are not willing to travel to Pakistan. PCB has contemplated options like boycotting the upcoming world cup in India to proposing a hybrid model where Indian matches are to be played outside of Pakistan. The second option has been shot down by the boards of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. What are Pakistan’s options now it is important to remember that we are the hosts of 2025’s ICC Champions Trophy as well.

The current conundrum demands from Pakistan, realpolitik not hyperbolic rhetoric. First thing first, Pakistan should travel to India for the world cup. We are strong contenders to lift the cup later this year, we should not tinker with our chances of world cup glory. Someone as great as Babar deserves every bit of opportunity to create a legacy of his own and winning a world cup will go a long way in doing that his cricketing legacy will surely help the game in Pakistan too. Secondly, though this is going to be a very unpopular suggestion Pakistan should offer India to play its games in Mohali or Chandigarh, these two destinations are closer to Pakistan and logistics are also workable.

I know doing this will not mean that India will travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025 but there is a need to keep our options open and keep our eyes on the greater and bigger picture. Once Pakistan would be an economic powerhouse of cricket only then we would be able to get feasible conditions. There could also be India pulling containment strategies on us and not traveling to Pakistan, which could be their way of doing it but still we must tread this path with rationality and minimal emotionality and most importantly understand that the “game” has changed.

Imran Khan 4.0

 The Khan of now founds himself in a chartered territory, the opposition is what he has been doing for the most part of his political career but this Imran is not the Imran who started his political career in the turbulent 90s. Since the ’90s, Pakistan and Khan have changed for good and bad.

The Imran Khan 1.0 was an idealist, idealist for a political system whose development has been pendulum-like- one step forward, one step back sometimes even two. He talked of building a polity based on the ideals like justice, rule of law, equity, and egalitarianism. However, his electoral fortunes stayed dismal- no seat in 1997 and securing only one seat in 2002. He was deemed to be Asghar Khan 2.0 but then Imran Khan 2.0 took over.

The Imran Khan 2.0 was flexible, practical, and street smart. He knew the rules better, like any realist he decided to play the game instead of changing the game. He had embraced the one true reality of our politics. He started gaining momentum however, the Khan 1.0 keep on coming back. We saw him supporting Musharraf, then retracting, and boycotting the 2008 elections. The internal fight or friction between Imran Khan 1.0 and 2.0 ensued. The many U-turns are just an outcome of the fight between the heart and the brain. Is, he confused? No, he knows what he wants but how is the real question. This question had two answers, Yes and No. The yes won him the 2013 elections in KPK and then eventually made him the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2018. However, Khan 2.0 was now standing in an unchartered territory where he had to appease the allies and the electables, had to do conventional politics, defend Aleem and Tareen, and release the Khan 1.0 to the world, which was still not ready for it. He prioritized and we saw the emergence of an Imran Khan 3.0.

The Imran Khan 3.0 is a synthesis of the Khan 1.0 and 2.0. Thus, we saw, Khan 1.0 coming up with the Ehsaas program, Sehat card, Panagahs, Kartarpur corridor, going after the corrupt in and outside of his party, establishing civilian supremacy, supporting the Afghan-led peace process, pursuing an independent foreign policy, building an exports-based economy, increase tax collection, devalue rupee. The last few of these initiatives cost him political capital as well. The Khan 2.0 used independents to form government in Punjab, made an alliance with the Chaudaries, allowed Nawaz Sharif to go to London thus putting the accountability narrative on the backburner, and above all backtracked from the reforms program. Khan 3.0 has been ousted, and the rules which Khan 2.0 adhered to have been used against him. His years in office and an abrupt exit must have shaped up and fostered a new Khan that could be Imran Khan 4.0.

The Khan 4.0 could be the answer Pakistan is looking for. He could be the perfect mix. His unceremonious exit has helped him to win back his disgruntled support base. The crowds he drew to his jalsas are heartening for him and his party. He has shown restraint and hasn’t started any malicious campaign against the state institution which the other political parties did at the time of their ouster from power.

In apolitical times, these credentials are enough to strengthen one’s political career. However, Khan 4.0 should be aware of the challenges ahead of him. His biggest test is going to be time. We are yet to see whether he would be able to sustain the level of the vigor of his support base and then convert this support base into electoral success. There is a need to get clarity on his policies as well. Sloganeering is a distraction and we have seen how it eventually attracted a lot of flaking on his government. He should be frank and direct to his support base including them and let them know what challenges await them and the country. His years in the Prime Minister's office were not perfect, any criticism should be welcomed, and even if that criticism is not true and constructive, and should be responded to meticulously. The critics should be respected and the follies that have been made should be owned. There is a general sense of paranoia among his supporters, which is not good. It should end. His party cadres should become more democratic and the party tickets should be awarded on merit. Today PTI revolves around Imran Khan only which does not make it any different from any other major political party. There is a need to evolve and develop the substitute young leadership which could lead the party in the future.

The Imran Khan 4.0 will only be possible if Imran Khan has learned something from the past three and a half years and has evolved as a leader and a politician. If the answer is an abject no, then we will only be watching a repeat telecast of Khan 3.0, who might never get the chance to evolve and be the 4.0 version of himself.

Sadpara

God did not gave me wings

I still learnt to fly

I still touched the sky

Stars look at me with wonder

Never thought of these mountains as an enemy

They are friends who embrace me with open arms

I tread them like they are my home

I tell them stories about pygmy mortals

And they tell me about the giants who even defeated courage

They love me and I love them

Who would have thought that I would become a mountain too

So whenever you will come to meet them

You may find me there somewhere near or far

But there