No Talent?
By Mowahid Hussain Shah

Just like 25 years ago, Pakistan was presented with an Eid gift in the holy month of Ramadan. Then, it was Down Under; this time it was back to Blighty – mother country of cricket.
For years, the sports-loving public of Pakistan has been fed pablum that there is no talent in the nation, and what is on display is all that the nation has available. This false premise has led to the conclusion that there is no choice. The same old faces have been given multiple chances that, predictably, have resulted in non-performance.
This line of thinking has operated to kill off merit. Those who were not given chances, and were untested, effectively were consigned to oblivion: unheard, unseen and unsung.
Extrapolating from the sporting arena to politics and diplomacy, a defeatist mindset prevails and mediocrity continues to squash merit. The same political faces keep circulating and getting recycled. Add to this their lotus-eating juniors, launched under the hijab of democracy to ensure that the family stranglehold on power and the national treasury is perpetuated. In diplomacy, there is a pattern of emissaries entrenched abroad, based on whom they know rather than on what they know, many lacking the personality and mentality needed to create an impact where it matters, and undermining Pakistan’s cause on the global stage.
At one time, hockey was the pride of the nation. By 1994, Pakistan had won 3 Olympic gold medals and 4 World Cups. For the 2016 Rio Olympics, Pakistan couldn’t even qualify. Just this June, Pakistan played two matches against India, losing both by the humiliating margin of 7-1 and 6-1. To low-ranking Canada, Pakistan lost by the unthinkable margin of 6-0. But those without shame or self-respect refuse to be embarrassed.
In refreshing contrast was the Champions Trophy triumph at the hallowed Oval cricket ground where, against all odds, the young guns of Pakistan, who hitherto were not given a chance, rose to the occasion and turned the tables on the pundits in an unforgettable fashion. It was magical. Never before in recent memory has a team so lowly ranked and dismissed by all managed to confound critics and leave an enduring impact.
The precedent set at the Oval is worthy of emulation elsewhere, conclusively demolishing the myth that there is no talent in Pakistan. There is talent, provided a fair opportunity is given for it to flourish. It is no coincidence that the exit of the old guard opened the doors for induction of fresh blood. For too long, Pakistan persisted with players who had passed their expiry date.
The vaunted Indian spinners – who had hitherto reduced champion batsmen into blithering idiots – were demolished by a rookie youngster from the Frontier. A triumph of the human spirit, it sent a message what a changed team with a changed approach can accomplish. These young men of Pakistan had grit and valor. They were neither addicted to defeat nor awed by the big occasion.
As the 70th anniversary of the nation’s independence approaches, it is a good time to stand up as one and roar with full-throated conviction: Pakistan Zindabad.