December 03, 2021
Cricket Crazy
The T20 Men’s Cricket World Cup at Oman and UAE was a welcome respite from the lengthening shadow of the pandemic. For a single-sport nation like Pakistan, this cricket craze was a temporary distraction from crushing inflation, burgeoning pollution, and chaotic governance. Amidst polarization and deep divisions, cricket comes across as a unifier.
Unchained from the stale, non-performing managerial duo of Misbah and Waqar, the Pakistani team expressed itself on the cricketing field with refreshing zest and spirit but faltered when it mattered most.
During the penultimate hurdle, on mental strength and cricketing acumen, it was found wanting. There was a meltdown of the main bowlers, with captaincy short of presence. It did not meet the moment because of insufficient game-awareness and a killer instinct missing at the finishing line. It was an examination of which side would absorb pressure better. Glaring was the recurrence of frenetic fielders missing direct hits, which would have been the deciding factor. Can you teach temperament?
It was salutary to witness how New Zealand, a nation under 5 million, over-performs on the big stage. For nearly 50 years from New Zealand attaining Test status, Australians thought it beneath themselves to play against their Trans-Tasman neighbor, but the momentum is slowly shifting, and New Zealand, under its modest, self-effacing captain, Kane Williamson, is now World Test champion.
After Australia clinched the coveted T20 world trophy, Mark Stoinis, was asked what was the key. He replied, “We all love each other.” It points to the primacy and salience of team environment, which is fundamental to success on the global stage. Here, one would be remiss not to extol the sportsman spirit of Indian captain Virat Kohli, in embracing Pakistani opening batsmen in the immediate aftermath of Indian defeat.
The stumble in Dubai meant that the Pakistan team returned without silverware. Commendable it was to see world-class facilities in the Emirates, which elicited awe from the commentators. Emirates is now the world headquarters of the ICC, and it has shown itself worthy of that honor. Qatar is now set to showcase its expanding clout by hosting the World Soccer Cup 2022.
In the arena, the public was engrossed in the doings of cricket. Outside it, in England, a massive storm was being unleashed when Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq accused Yorkshire County Cricket of “institutional racism,” which its former chairman, Roger Hutton, conceded before a parliamentary inquiry tribunal. This is likely to wreck careers and tarnish reputations. But it has been brought out in the open, laying the groundwork for self-cleansing and self-correction. A distinguished English Test cricketer wrote to me that cricket is carrying the cross for broader social malaise. In England, at least, there has been an open airing of grievances and an impartial platform provided. Other nations would do well to emulate.
Preying on the vulnerable “Other” has been a recurring theme in society, of which cricket constitutes a microcosm. In India, 60 years ago, the career of Abbas Ali Baig – once a Golden Boy of Indian cricket – was destroyed over insinuations of collusion with Pakistan. 60 years ago, too, the career of white Pakistani player Duncan Sharpe (whom Indian icon Lala Amarnath called the “best young batsman in Pakistan”) was ruined when inexplicably he was dropped for the 1960-61 tour to India. Broken-hearted, he emigrated to Australia. Then, too, Danish Kaneria, Pakistan’s highest Test wicket-taker amongst spinners, allegedly was mishandled because of his Hindu background. Usman Khawaja of Australia often has found that his presence is hard to digest despite sterling performances.
Tim Paine – on the eve of the Ashes series starting December 8 – lost the Australia Test captaincy over lewd texting to a female colleague whereas, in striking contrast, the current captain of Pakistan in all formats was implicated of something far more egregious in Lahore, but escaped unscathed. Duality persists. As they say, for different folks, different strokes.
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