Pakistan cricket desperately needs a proper setup as the current crisis has already led our cricket to humiliation.
As the masses desperately await the general elections in the hope of economic stability with an elected government at the helm, so does our cricket.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been plunged into crisis, left, right and centre, since the PDM-led government came to power in May 2022. The crisis is evident from the fact that the PCB is witnessing a fifth change in the in less than 14 months as the board's Election Commissioner Shah Khawar was appointed chairman on Wednesday with the primary duty of holding elections and forming the Board of Governors.
Meanwhile, the change took place just days after caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi was appointed by caretaker Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar to the PCB Board of Governors replacing Zaka Ashraf and is likely to be the President after the elections – which could be held before February 8.
But on the other hand, given the uncertainty of the system, the issue cannot be expected to be resolved even if the polls arrive on time. This is because the prime minister is the boss-in-chief of the PCB and the president under his appointment occupies the coveted position. As our sporting institutions – including cricket – are highly politicized, a change in the political setup has an indirect effect on overall affairs.
However, what has happened in Pakistan cricket since the ouster of Ramiz Raja in December 2022, when Najam Sethi, backed by the PDM-led government, took office, has resulted in a worsening of the cricket crisis. our cricket.
To say the least, the way our cricket has suffered due to the power struggle has led to a situation where elections seem to be the solution to address the crisis that has left our cricket in disarray.
We will delve deeper to find out how the current crisis at the PCB began and what positive impacts we can expect when an elected president takes office.
End of the power struggle
The chaos began in December 2022, when Ramiz Raja was finally fired and Najam Sethi was his interim replacement.
The 14-member management committee led by Sethi was formed and had 120 days to revive the 2014 Constitution and elect a new president.
However, the crisis deepened as little or no hope of elections remained, and Zaka Ashraf was next in line to occupy the coveted seat after then CPI minister Ehsan-ur-Raman Mazari pushed his case.
Zaka and Sethi had a history of power struggles in 2013 and 2014, with Sethi being backed by the PML-N and Zaka being backed by the PPP.
But on that occasion, as the PPP and PML-N were the coalition partners, Sethi was quickly replaced by Zaka until the elections.
Zaka, who joined in July, had a tumultuous tenure with failures in the Asia Cup, World Cup and series defeats in Australia and New Zealand. Subsequently, he had to resign two weeks before the contract expired.
With such destruction at the administrative level for over a year, Pakistan cricket has suffered badly, and the performances on the field are a practical test.
Therefore, when an elected president takes office after the electoral process, we can expect an end to the power struggle between individuals and hope that sanity prevails in Pakistan cricket.
Proper address
Too many cooks ruin the broth. The proverb fits aptly as three individuals – Raja, Sethi and Zaka – came on the backs of three different political parties with different mindsets and exchanged the much-coveted position.
While the decision making we have seen in the PCB has been capricious as Zaka and Sethi have different mindsets, and that too for very short periods.
Sports affairs require people to run them with an independent mindset, which is not possible in Pakistan due to political involvement. But despite this, elections are the last resort to resolve the crisis.
After the PCB elections, and with the approval of the newly elected Prime Minister, a strong person with a long-term approach should be appointed to complete the three-year term.
Pakistan cricket desperately needs a proper setup as the current crisis has already led our cricket to humiliation. When there is an elected president, things will be much better.
Overall impact
In fact, general administrative failures have upset the team mix, with the sudden appointment of Mohammad Hafeez as team manager without any coaching experience being a clear example.
It is pertinent to mention that Mickey Arthur, who was on good terms with Sethi, accepted the head coach's offer with several formalities that completely backfired on him.
Amid instability within the PCB, Arthur first refused to leave the position at Derbyshire CCC and asked to create the team manager position working through online means.
In my opinion, Arthur perceived the downside of the general upheaval, so he kept his job in Derbyshire safe, knowing that the changing of the guard would result in his departure, which it eventually did.
Therefore, proper management can hire a successful and experienced coaching staff. The mix of teams can be tightened and a sense of direction can coexist in the system.
