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The brilliant Ayesha Jalal on Jinnah!
“The tragedy is that a nation-state, which was supposed to be the embodiment of Muslim aspirations and distinctive culture in the subcontinent, has not only departed from the vision of its main architect but also made a travesty of the federal and constitutional principles on the basis of which he ultimately won his case for Pakistan.”

Jaswant Singh on making peace with the partition and Jinnah!
“Jinnah then also dismissed ‘Pan-Islamism’ as an “exploded bogey” and declared, “whatever others might say, I think that these two states of Pakistan and Hindustan, by virtue of contiguity and mutual interests will be friends in this subcontinent… They will go to each other’s rescue in case of danger and will be able to say ‘hands off’ to other nations. We shall then have a Monroe Doctrine more solid than in America…”. Adding thereafter: “Pakistan and Hindustan alone will mean freedom to both Hindus and Muslims”.”

Ijaz Butt’s tenure, another Zardari special, came to an end on 8th October 2011, after 3 years of unadulterated HELL!

I am still not completely over it but at least enough to be once again sociable on the topic of Pakistan cricket!

The unrelenting controversies surrounding Pakistan cricket has over the years numbed the senses of even the most ardent of its followers. The last few months however, were especially tough to swallow. For me it brought to head a separation from cricket in general. But unfortunately separations are not like quickie divorces. Thus there still remained a lingering urge to revert back to my old hopeful self. But let’s be honest, any chance of things improving is wedged comfortably between Ijaz Butt’s butthole and Zardari’s ass crack, given both are indeed joined at the hip.

So what started as an exercise to find closure and lay to rest any remaining doubt of a change in fortune turned into a fairly cathartic exercise. It took the shape of a letter to my favourite person on the planet. Self indulgent as it may be, I thought I would share it with all of you. Nothing quick about this divorce but I do feel a lot better. And for the record I truly hope that unlike me you continue to keep the faith …

Dear Mr. Butthole;

I am a huge fan of your work. My frequent Facebook updates as proof, I am in fact somewhat obsessively enamoured by your persona. Consequently I feel obliged to share with you my feelings towards your unprecedented contributions to Pakistan cricket over the last 24 months.

Let me begin by clarifying my reference to you as ‘Butthole’ which at face value may come across as a crass alteration of your eminence’s title. Sire it is in fact my personal testament to your incomparable oratory prowess. You not only have an extraordinary ability to generate noise from your ass but also to engender acceptance of the same incoherence as speech. As I will go on to explain, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your Inception’esque abilities.

Since taking charge of the PCB, your foresight and statesmanship has singlehandedly kept the hordes of ‘foreign’ conspirators at bay. Long have evil forces eyed Pakistani talent (Meera aside) with Machiavellian envy. But only you have been able to identify the nefarious intentions of this clandestine bunch. Their single minded agenda to eliminate the clear and present danger that Pakistani cricket poses to their ascendancy may be hidden to mere mortals but you sire are neither mere nor mortal.

Befitting your immense stature, you have batted back these enemies of Islam with a broom, systematically cleaning up the mess that existed within the PCB. You started by getting rid of Geoff Lawson and his utterly un-Pakistani coaching philosophy. Rubbish like modernity might work for folks ‘down under’ but does not cut it for a country used to loftier standards. His insistence on only one captain in Pakistan’s playing 11 was where you drew the line. I mean let’s get real. Did he really expect the team to operate under a single leader when the country’s top two political parties are split into a gazillion discreet factions. Asshole!

You followed this up by flipping the script on batting maestro Javed Miandad, with your own master stroke in orchestrating his resignation as Director General PCB. Some suggested you retain his expertise as batting coach. However you of impeccably sound mind, body, and soul rightly concluded that runs are irrelevant within a nondrolene fuelled fast bowling reality. Regardless, his bizarre sideline antics would have served as unnecessary distractions for a team used to assailing far greater challenges.

Then you found time to turn the attempted murder of Sri Lankan players and coaching staff into a media and political coup for the country. Where others ignored, you rightly pointed out that if indeed there was a breach in security, surely the body count would have been higher. Brilliant! That really shut them up! They didn’t ask for any further explanation nor did you provide any. Who’s your daddy now bitches?!

Whilst ringing in the changes and maintaining moral ascendancy, you continued to play and do so even today, the perfect game of chess with the folks at the PCB. Knowing full well that allowing people to settle into roles only leads to complacency, you regularly hire, fire, re-hire, and re-fire PCB executives, team selectors, players, and Captains. If I wasn’t acutely aware of your aversion to borrowed knowledge, I would have thought you were a PhD in Psychology. But with your God given intellect, reading a book would be wasting time otherwise better spent on driving change. Pictures don’t have to speak any words to prove the enormous burden of knowledge you carry every day.

Last but certainly not least (oh no sire not where you are concerned), as custodian of Pakistani cricket and therefore a high ranking representative of Pakistan itself, you have managed to do what no other Pakistani in your position has had the balls to do before. Sire when in the aftermath of the shame that England brought upon itself at Lords, you asked Giles Clarke to stick his head where the sun don’t shine, you brought peace to Pakistanis yearning to tell their former occupiers to go fuck themselves. Who needs friends in today’s world of money and power? Prick!

And the gall of Wajid Hasan (Pakistani High Commissioner to the UK but sire just very very high if you ask me), to try and jump on the bandwagon in the 12th hour was proof itself of your accomplishment. Jealous cunt! Just as he has replaced most of Quaid-e-Azam’s portraits at the Pakistani High Commission in London with Benazir Bhutto’s, I demand that he replace the rest with yours!

Sire you are a phenomenon that transcends time, logic, and most of all space. I have no doubt that your deeds will become legend in the years to come. History will speak of your incorruptible integrity. Your perseverance in the face of adversity, through lies, false accusations, media speculation, threats, mutiny etc. will act as a beacon of hope in times of need. Sire let me tell you; Mandella ain’t got shit on you!

In short sire you are a fucking genius! Salute worthy! May I humbly suggest that we round up 32 dicks from the Presidency and have them fire three rounds of blanks in your honour! Oh crap. Forgot the Presidency is only made up of pussies. No matter. We will round them up from Parliament instead. I hear democracy has an equal number of both working there hand in hand.

But I digress. Sire a man with your insight knows that Pakistanis are inherently shy of sharing their feelings therefore let me on behalf of oh so many say a heartfelt ‘Thank you’. God bless you!

May you live long basking in the fires of Zardari’s hell hole!

Ps: the broad definition of the iceberg I alluded to earlier is a large piece of subarctic ice found in places where no one wants to go for a picnic. Nothing remotely resembling our land of the pure.

My problem isn’t the fact that we lost to a weakened New Zealand team, a country that plays its cricket on ‘Australian Football’ fields no less. My expectations were already surpassed having beaten India and almost Australia so the semi final was a bonus. It isn’t the ghastly batting display we put up either. We were due a reunion with normality and it came. It isn’t even Rana Naved and Umar Gul’s bowling, which incidentally could benefit respectively from going back to bald and retiring to T20. And it definitely isn’t the umpiring. If we refer Umar Akmal’s decision to the third umpire then we do the same with Suresh Raina’s a few days earlier. Decisions ultimately even out, just as they did here.

My problem instead is that in spite of all this we had an opportunity to win and Captain Happy dropped it. Can someone please explain to me how you drop something that Pamela Anderson could have bounced off both her silicone plated breasts and still catch in her belly button? My love hate relationship (purely platonic) with Happy aside, this is a **** up of such gigantic proportions that it puts the “venereal warts” incident to Hameed Dogar losing his pants shame.

To top it all, he is trying to incriminate the broken finger? To quote Happy, “This is life. It’s a matter of playing for the nation with a broken finger and that same finger, unfortunately, dropped the catch”. No you verbal diarrhea’d out moron. The ‘finger’ didn’t drop anything. You dropped it because you decided to catch the cricket ball like a dip shit. And this isn’t life. Life is female bombshells with tight arses, lesbian tendencies, and chocolate chip cookies, not hellish catastrophes.

And Happy, understand this also. If you are going to insist on being a dick then at least stop batting like a pussy. 2009 is nearly over. You have played 16 innings and only scored 2 fifties, averaging less than 25. You did **** all this tournament and you’ve done just about that in your career so far. Grow a pair quickly and score some runs for your country.

Also while you’re at it, do the following:

(1) Feed Imran Nazir to either an alligator or Inti, who ever comes first. Either way, make sure you provide proof that he will never set foot in a cricket stadium again.
(2) Tell Umar Gul he is shit, over rated, and shit. 12 wickets in the last 10 ODIs. I rest my case.
(3) Go rent the movie Hancock and watch the scene where Will Smith shoves someone’s head into someone else’s ass. Now go do the same to Rana.
(4) Make some sense when you speak. If you know that there is no way you are going to accomplish this then just stick to smiling and praising God.

To rest of the cricket team I missed out on, apart from Mohammad Aamer and Umar Akmal, **** you too! Also apart from Saeed Ajmal. You’re ok as well.

Rant over!

For Pakistan the game was a chance to qualify for the semi finals unbeaten. A loss however would still see them through but also ensure that India was knocked out – a moral hazard tailor made for Harvard case study. The equation was much simpler for Australia; win and go through, lose and go out. For Pakistanis and Indians, it was a conundrum unlike any seen before, quite possibly in any sport.

Ever since the partition of the sub-continent, Pakistan and India have existed in a state of perpetual distrust. Respective governments have tried their best to undermine the existence of the other, despite public posturing to the contrary. It is true that governments are hardly ever humane and humans are hardly ever one step away from turning into a rabid mob. Thus perpetuating a cycle of hate over 60 odd years has been fairly easy. Physical interaction has affected some to at least reconcile with each other’s sovereign existence. However the scars of partition and a number of wars fought thereafter still remain. A nuclear arsenal later, cricket has now become the default battle ground for the two archrivals.

Thus with a rivalry born in blood, a Pakistani loss here even if deliberate would certainly not have gone without a loud cheer from its countrymen. For India, it would have acted as a reaffirmation of its suspicions. And so the irony played out; the Indians cheered for Pakistan, the majority of Pakistan for Australia, and the minority for the sense that you don’t mess around with good form and risk tempting fate. However, unbeknown to any, fate had already decided to step in.

At 140 for 2 chasing 205 with 18 overs to go, an Australian walk over seemed an after thought. Then in the space of 5 overs, a wicket fell to a good catch followed by one to a faster ball that kept low. That left the equation at 49 runs needed from 80 balls with 6 wickets in hand. No sweat for Australia? In came Rana Naved and Mohammad Asif, and what followed thereon was a bowling master class nothing short of divine intervention. Naved dried up the runs with thunderous yorkers mixed in with shrewd variations in pace. The one that got Hussey was unplayable full stop. From the other end, the ball talked of the real Mohammad Asif’s return. Subtle wrist movements right before the point of delivery missed the outside edge a few times from an immaculate length. One confused Hopes to give a dolly to Younis while the other brought back memories of 2006. Ajmal’s doosra snared an 8th turning with it suspicions and outrage of some into hope, and for others happiness into disbelief.

By the time Australia crossed the line over the last two deliveries of the match, the result had been rendered insignificant by the manner in which the match was played and the result achieved. It was clear that Pakistan was not playing this game to satisfy the impulse of absurdity, but for pride and honour of country and victory – exactly how a game should be played.

Regardless of what happens in the tournament from here on in, the Pakistani cricket team will at least leave this tournament with the respect and adulation of many, something far more important to most than any Gold trophy. If captains need to be held responsible for team debacles then so they should be recognised for triumphs. Younis Khan led the side bravely displaying leadership not seen since the retirement of Imran Khan and for that he must be congratulated.

In 2004, it was the manner in which a Pakistan-India cricket series was hosted which served as an example for the way forward. Quite possibly, this was another.

If I had a rupee for every time I read or heard Rameez Raja and Aamer Sohail criticise Pakistani players and the PCB, I would have had by now amassed enough money to purchase Shahrukh Khan like stardom for Meera in Bollywood. Inevitably, every time a Pakistani series comes along, both of these clowns surface from the depths of their personal failures as cricketers and cricket administrators to enlighten us with their asinine drivel on “how it should be done”.

Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against criticism. My writing so far as proof, I am in fact as Pakistani as any when it comes to thinking I have all the answers. Moreover, I firmly believe that the foundations of progression exist firmly within the boundaries of debate and dialogue, out of which emerge consensus and reason. One man, multiple opinions, one vote! But if a simple notion as majority rules comes in the way of shutting up these two then to hell with fairness – it’s over rated.

What both fail to realise is that the true purpose of voicing criticism is at worst to play devils advocate. However, the action itself is motivated by good intentions and to ultimately achieve the best possible result through debate and voice. In the case of these two moronic tweeter brains, the intent is only self-promotion. Their criticism is never constructive and in direct contradiction to their individual performances as national cricketers and PCB administrators.

As players, both averaged fewer than 32 runs in ODIs with a strike rate of 65, hardly numbers to brag about in an era of the game. Rameez scoring a century in ODIs was tantamount to Pakistan losing a match, and still he played almost 200 of them. Sohail scored more than 50 runs 36 times in 156 tries! Thank God for his utility to give the team a few overs of very little spin which once in while got a couple of cheap wickets. Their record in tests is no better with Rameez averaging worse and Sohail not achieving 35. The latter also played a role as whistle blower to match fixing in Pakistan in the twilight of his career which for me is too convenient of a time to grow a conscience.

Even so, they have been handsomely rewarded by Pakistan’s dubious administrative selection policy with various high profile posts including Chairman PCB and Director National Cricketing Academy. Rameez shrewdly leveraged the role of PCB head honcho to further his own media career, which in turn has over the years become ever more difficult to stomach.

Where then do these two get the audacity to question the skill of Pakistani cricketers with such confidence? I can understand that Sohail’s brain got out of whack after being flicked off the field by Venkatesh Prasad in the 1996 World Cup Quarter Final. But what could be Rameez’s excuse? Possibly his gigantic afro blocking the blood flow to his cerebral cortex?

To say that Rameez built a career off the back of his older brother’s brilliance while Sohail used the genius of his opening partner Saeed Anwar to shield his own mediocrity might seem harsh to many but to me is not too far off the truth. To that effect, both need to be smacked off their proverbial high horse and given a dose of reality check.

Cricket fans all across the world have plenty to say about the state of cricket in Pakistan, but their opinions and criticisms are soaked with hope and desire to see the team succeed. Sadly, I can not say the same for Rameez and Sohail. Both had their time and chances to make a real difference for Pakistan cricket and they failed miserably. It is time for them to realise that if they want to make a productive contribution to cricket then they need to do so with more tact and taste.

Almost to script, at the first sign of trouble in the ongoing Champions Trophy, both were quoted with disparaging comments on the “senior batsmen” of the team. The response from the recipients of this unwarranted attach was swift and to the point; 215 runs between Malik and Yousaf, supported by excellent bowling from Afridi and captaincy from Younis to set up a monumental victory over India. To Rameez and Sohail however, the victory was read quite simply as “screw you and have a nice day”!

Similarly for Pakistan, the tournament is another date with relevance, an opportunity to further impress itself on world cricket. In the wake of the Lahore attack on the Sri Lankan team, Pakistan’s journey back to respectability was expected to be long and arduous. However, the unanticipated outcome of Lords helped replace the murmurs of “deserved retribution” with generous proposals of neutrality. A couple of months on, Pakistan now has a cricketing calendar which is by no means full but certainly not as bare as the soul of its governing body.

Grouped with two of the top three ODI sides in the world, Pakistan goes into this tournament as “dangerous underdogs”, a tag they live and die by to the point that for them it has now become a cliché. Conventional wisdom suggests that it is too early to expect a still undercooked Pakistan to overcome the battle tested Australia and India. But rarely does Pakistan let conventional wisdom live up to its billing. To further the argument for irrationality, between the T20 World Cup, the tour to Sri Lanka, and the Champions Trophy warm up matches, there have been several sightings of the audacious swagger that was synonymous with Pakistan cricket’s glory years.

A mix of experience and raw talent, spear headed by pace and swing has always been Pakistan’s formula for success. Finding the right ingredients that make up the combination though has been difficult in recent years. Constant question marks of leadership, conspicuous absences of both pace and swing, and a middle order auctioned to Zee TV oblivion have made for some poor results and even poorer headlines. Recent outings however suggest that the team is getting closer to cracking the code to modern day ODIs; explosive openers, run-a-ball stable middle orders, power hitting all-rounders, and a bowling attack with pace, swing, and variety in spin. If the ICC wants ODIs to emerge from the shadow of T20, they would be smart to hope that Pakistan delivers!

Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik have the firepower to deliver a more than 6 an over start against most attacks. Equally plausible though is 10 for 2 but fear of failure should never be allowed to bully reason. Thus Kamran Akmal should be allowed a run to cement his place at the top. Likewise, Shoaib Malik’s record at 3 has always suggested that his strengths of building an innings and rotating strike are wasted lower down the order. Imran Nazir makes for an able back up but I suspect now mostly on paper. Although still relatively young, his shot selection and temperament are more suited to T20s where neither prove too costly.

Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousaf, and Misbah-ul-Haq make for a formidable middle order, albeit Misbah’s inclusion over Fawad Alam has to be marginal even when taking into account the need for experience against the best. That said, these three have the skills to maintain/up the tempo without taking too many risks, or if need be consolidate and build a platform for the power hitters.

Afridi’s conversion to consistency and Umar Akmal’s sensational introduction to international cricket make for a perfect 6 and 7. Responsibility has thus far suited Afridi’s character. One hopes he is able to continue holding his head squarely between his two broad shoulders. Umar Akmal on the other hand needs to be let loose. He is a batting talent gifted with a very rare combination of technique, timing, sheer strength, and temperament. The PCB does not need to look further than Imran Nazir to realise the need for care and sense.

Slots 9, 10, and 11 have to go to Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer, and Mohammad Asif, irrespective of the number of 5 wicket hauls Rana Naved brings in. Asif’s successful comeback holds the key to this trio’s success as it allows Gul to come first change, which undoubtedly is his strength. Aamer continues to impress and at the risk of tempting fate, looks set to develop into a very quick s’W’ing bowler, given time and physical maturation. All in all, Pakistani supporters should be thrilled to see this combination in action. Hopefully somewhere over the next two weeks, we can finally lay the ghost of Rawalpindi Express to rest.

With the balance that Malik and Akmal bring to the team at the top of the order, the number 8 slot can be at the Captain’s discretion. Saeed Ajmal certainly deserves every opportunity he gets, but certain situations will require playing an extra all-rounder or fast bowler. Fawad, Rana Naved, Rao Iftikhar, and hopefully at some stage a resurgent Razzaq can ably fill this role. Even with Saeed, the team bats strong till 7, with the option of 3 genuine fast bowlers, a 40 for 2 off spinner, and an all purpose maverick in Afridi, with Malik and Younis providing cover. This is by far the most balanced Pakistani team we have seen since the last World Cup and arguably since the tragic death of Bob Woolmer.

Expecting Pakistan to live up to the hype is usually an excruciatingly painful experience. But expectations for this Champions Trophy are less about winning and more about proving that we belong with the best. Just as at the start of the T20 World Cup, a semi final birth is truly a long shot, but the scene is certainly set for Pakistan to once again defy the odds. If history does indeed repeat itself, I doubt whether even the ODI might of South Africa is able to cope with its slightly lighter shade of green!

If the script to Pakistan’s T20 World Cup triumph was written in the stars, then Lollywood’s finest must have penned the one to its encore, a first away-test-series loss to Sri Lanka. Who else could have concocted a recipe of action, thrills, and suspense, fit it into one neat package, and still end up with a train wrecked tragedy? This series was supposed to be the continuation of a journey that began last month with a monumental victory at the Lords Cricket Ground. Pakistanis all across the world heralded that victory as a new beginning for our beleaguered nation. Not even one month on and dark clouds of doubt have enveloped this dream of a new dawn. In truth, 30 wickets fell for circa 200 runs over three mind numbing innings to an average bowling attack. In reality however, quicksand set in, sucking the life out of its supporters.

The aftermath of this colossal setback has already started to unfold. A long list of excuses has surfaced, of which not enough cricket, bad mental preparation, and poor umpiring are the odds on favourites to stand the test of scrutiny. All three are well supported by unintelligent conjecture and a notable plea for time. However, conspicuous absentees are chaotic opening partnerships, and a fragile middle order which a 40-year-old Inzamam would put to shame. No mention is made either of a wicketkeeper batsman who after a brief reunion with form has reverted to his proverbial miserable self. Lack of pace and consistent bowling penetration continues to be met with a deafening silence. And “butter fingers” is still considered a confectionary brand, not an affliction suffered by our starting 11.

Today’s competitive world seldom rewards a lack of planning. Shortage of courage has even poorer returns, exemplified in the decision to debut Fawad Alam at the top of the order. Make no mistake, any attempt to classify this decision as ingenious needs to be met with a firm rebuttal of “spineless”! Nothing justifies debuting a 23 year old in a position that requires the best technique and carries the most pressure. One gets a sense of the absurdity of this decision when put into further perspective that Fawad has never played even a first class innings in that position. At a time when senior batsmen needed to step up and take charge to rectify a position almost entirely of their own making, they chose to seek refuge in the middle order. How ironic then that such an act of cowardice be rewarded by fate with 168 going to the debutant and a combined 18 going to positions 4-7. The end never justifies the means or bad rationale. Fawad’s innings is testament to his previously mostly overlooked cricketing potential. It is not however, evidence of a captain’s effort to wrest initiative from the opposition and certainly not worthy of folklore that this account is threatening to now become.

The notion that success in T20 cricket is easily transferred to Test cricket has been put to shame. The former may well afford or even reward a lack of method to the madness but the latter is clearly not as forgiving. Pakistan cricket continuously fails to realise that modern era champions, sporting or otherwise, are made as much from individual talent as from the systems they are developed within. Employing short-term measures to tackle longer-term institutional problems is business as usual at the PCB. Smart money suggests that the PCB Chairman, whoever he/she may be at that point, will be itching to yet again disregard lessons of the past and order bandages for this cancer.

Nonetheless, as recent events have certified, Pakistan cricket makes the impossible possible (although more often than not visa versa), with the same frequency as Javed Miandad tenders resignations. It is this very notion that spares the tiniest belief that a dispassionate appraisal of Pakistan cricket will indeed take place. This evaluation will need to be replete with the team spirit shown three weeks ago if one off successes are to become habitual. Team selection and talent management are issues that need to be addressed with urgency. We cannot afford to settle with mediocrity when talents such as Fawad Alam and Mohammed Aamer are at our disposal.

For cricket to flourish, the impasse between logic and ad-hoc has to be broken letting the PCB function as a credible regulatory body, nationally and internationally. The blame for losing hosting rights to the ICC Cricket World Cup has thus far been ably shouldered by the harrowing attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore. However, had the PCB been given a little more time to employ its full repertoire of corrupt ineptitude, it was more than capable of accomplishing this task without the assistance of those lunatics. Such is the confidence appreciated to this dictatorially appointed body of wannabes and has-beens. No wonder then that the board’s penchant to wash dirty linen in public has become second nature. Little preference is placed between political intervention, divine intervention, or more unlikely personal introspection to trigger a transformation in fortunes. Partiality is reserved however, for change itself.

After the euphoric pandemonium of June, no one predicted a bipolar reality check of such magnitude. Match practice may lessen the blows of unpredictability but will not prevent the eventuality of a knockout. What is required is a strong chin to take the blows, a strong head to learn from past mistakes, and a strong will to bounce back harder and faster. There are no short cuts to good results and no substitute for hard work. The top three sides in the world understand this fundamental truth. If we are to compete with the likes then so must we.

Life and sport carry many parallels; not least of which are the trials and tribulations faced by its protagonists, necessitating knowledge, courage, adaptability, and hard work as prerequisites for glory, and culminating in the joys and sorrows that follow each success or failure. Every once in a while however, these parallels are magnified to represent something far greater than individual triumph, in fact encapsulating a microcosm of society, of peoples, and indeed of nations. It was only befitting then that the final of the Twenty20 World Cup, a tournament and format that has captured the hearts and minds of four generations of ideology, become the latest example of this age old adage, with Pakistan and Sri Lanka its protagonists, and the home of cricket, the Lords Cricket Ground, its theatre of dreams.

How apt it was that Pakistan’s opposition on this monumental day be Sri Lanka, the country that defied reason and advice to tour Pakistan when no one else would, a decision that will undoubtedly be underlined by history with “we told you so!” However, where others may choose to ignore, history will also show that decisions entrenched in principles, morals, and universal brotherhood carry a message far greater than any argument for logic or rationality, one of selflessness and accord to combat a terror that has no home, faith, or nationalistic loyalty, but plenty of innocent targets.

Thus with history as the backdrop, the expectations of Pakistani and Sri Lankan men, women, and children took centre stage, separated only by allegiance to a flag and not by the blood, sweat, and tears brought on by decades of internal political and military strife. Not to be outdone by their personal disappointment, they were flanked admirably by a significant number of spectators whose allegiance was spread across Pakistan’s unpredictability, Sri Lanka’s efficiency, cricket itself, and its Boom Boom POW, Shahid Afridi. From the onset however, it was clear that given the recent chaos that has enveloped Pakistan, its cricket, and its citizens, there was considerably more at stake for this company. Yet, armed with hope, desire, and a renewed self-confidence, it seemed ready for its date with destiny, a quiet resolute to win at least some respite from today, if not a vision for a better tomorrow.

The journey to this final act could not have been more divergent for the two principal actors. Sri Lanka’s unbeaten record thus far demonstrated its proficiency and ruthlessness, contrasted by Pakistan’s miserable showing up to the semi finals, against any value opposition bar New Zealand. Pakistan drew the envy of none and the chuckles of plenty when faced with the might of South Africa in what would become the penultimate act to a fairy tale written in the stars. Thus, 11 men took the field that day representing Pakistan’s colours, carrying with them both purpose on their sleeve and a chip on their shoulder, determined to stem the tide and inspire belief into even their most ardent of critics.

But inspiration rarely comes to those lacking positive intent and the faculty to profit from hindsight. On this day though Pakistan possessed both, repeating none of the mistakes of its previous outings; urgency was shown at the top of the order with Kamran Akmal wooing his supporters back to fore, Afridi’s blind wafts across the line were replaced with the perfect blend of discipline and aggression reminding everyone of “what could have been”, the middle order was stable if not overwhelming, and a decent total against the most well rounded bowling attack in the tournament a just reward. The baton was thus passed to Pakistan’s bowling attack, its one source of relative strength thus far in the tournament, to finish a job not quite half done. It answered the call with aplomb worthy of champions, and in the process a 17-year-old upstart ordained by the great one himself, upstaged a 19-year-old South African, intended for greatness from age 15. Afridi’s variety and penetration, Ajmal’s guile, Razzaq’s balance, Gull’s precision coated bullets, and the captain’s lax replaced with a scowl supplemented the headlines, with the exclamation point being placed on team performance rather than individual brilliance, taking Pakistan’s unchartered route on collision course with the ghosts of 2007 to finally lay them to rest.

For Pakistani fans especially, the final act itself remains a blur amidst the ensuing euphoria, but what sticks to memory is Pakistan’s dominance from start to finish. They mesmerised not with attitude, aptitude, or ability, but with harmony of mind, body, and spirit, which on its day, even the skill, grace, and unanimity of Sri Lanka could not conquer. This was more than a victory, it was a message to a beleaguered nation that united, we the Pashtuns, Baloch, Punjabi, and Sindhi, can scale any summit, no matter how unlikely the goal, no matter how insurmountable the odds, and no matter how strong the opposition. It was a message that if we are to persevere in the face of mounting adversity, we need to confront our own failings, faults, and demons head on. It was a message that the will of the collective is stronger than the incompetence and greed of a few. It was a message that the ability to change the course of our own destinies lies within reach.

The parallel lines between life and sport were thus erased by the strength in character of a few, replaced with a roadmap for how success might be achieved. It is up to all of us individually and collectively to preserve and prolong this otherwise fleeting moment, and transform it into something far greater. Pakistan is at a cross roads in its history; our enemies might well make up the main characters of conspiracy theories, but none are more dangerous than the complacency and misplaced vanity that rests within all of us. If we are to take inspiration from the unity and purpose shown by this band of men, we must admit to ourselves first that Pakistan’s fall from grace did not come about at the hands of foreign forces of Machiavellian intent, but rather through self inflicted wounds laying bare a lack of resolve to follow the principles prescribed by our founder. Only strength in unity will turn back the enemies at the gate, not the words that appear here, nor the proclamations of wrong that are beginning to sound more and more like the boy who cried wolf, nor the hollow appeals to the Almighty to deliver us from a plight entirely of our own making.

The dream of a strong and prosperous Pakistan was one of unity, faith, and discipline. It was clear on this cool sunny afternoon at the Lords Cricket Ground, that amidst an erupting sea of green all over the world, the dream was alive and well.

Pakistan’s form so far in the Twenty20 World Cup, culminated by its loss to England should not come as a surprise to its fans. In fact this has been just another predictable twist in a storyline that has, over the last 24 months, resembled episodes of South Park, characterized by the crude, surreal, and dark humor that the viewers are exposed to in each episode, in addition to the ever present off-air controversy. Not as predictable however, was the win against Netherlands even for its most die-hard fan.

If we dispassionately analyze Pakistan’s tournament losses thus far, there is a good argument to say that Pakistan has played not too far off its potential, which makes each of its starting 11 mediocre at best. Lack of competitive cricket, poor fielding, and bad captaincy are all reasonable excuses for the margin of defeat, but not the defeat itself. The reality is that Pakistan has now not produced proven world beating cricketing talent since Mohammed Asif, the lack of which has thus far been rudely evident in this tournament.

If Pakistan cricket is an episode of South Park, then the saga of its top three since the retirement of Saeed Anwar, has been an unpalatable parody of the three musketeers; I’m thinking brooms not bats. Of the most recent ensemble, Salman Butt has not played a decent innings against a team not named India since the tour of Australia eons ago, which probably explains why he was rested against India and played against South Africa and England. And whilst it’s too early to fairly assess the talents of Ahmed Shahzad, it is fair to question the decision to test new talent on such a stage when chances for the likes of Nasir Jamshaid are so few, far, and between. Kamral Akmal has shown over the last 7 years, of which the last 3 he spent as an on-the-job wicket keeping trainee, glimpses of ‘world class’, However this tease has now lost its allure and needs to either deliver to a standard regularly or make way for someone else’s stab at consistency. .

Pakistan’s middle order is possibly not as inept as its top order, however, they more than compensate for it with an abundance of confusion, playing passive aggressive cricket that has ‘very few runs for the loss of too many wickets’ written all over it. Overs 10-15 in a must score-big-game against Netherlands was a shocking reminder of how elusive this balance has been. Younis Khan is a solid test batsman albeit still not in the same league as his retired predecessors, and has the ingredients to be a good captain. However, his inclusion in a Twenty20 squad has to be on the basis of the latter and not the former. But given Pakistan’s need for a stabilizing middle order batsman and team binding leader one can find ways to overlook his inability to reach or God forbid clear the boundary against a half decent side without resorting to the monkey sweep. What can’t be overlooked however is his penchant to use his time on the cricket field as an audition for Colgate Extra White, especially right after a catch has gone down. The captain wants to call the shots as Imran Khan once did but fails to recognize that the right to hold such authority comes with respect, will, hard work, and most importantly, results!

As for the all rounders, Afridi has now not scored a run since the launch of the Twenty20 format itself and what prompted Pakistan against India to hand the new ball to an ordinary Arafat in the presence of three specialist fast bowlers is beyond reason. In an era where great all rounders are defined by the names Kallis, Flintoff, and even Symonds, are we seriously considering taking the names Arafat and Afridi in the same breadth let alone sentence? And if not, why don’t we instead waste our time, energy, and oxygen on giving Fawad Alam an extended shot at this multi-task.

Last but not least, for all the touted talent and promise of our bowling department, Saeed Ajmal has a better chance of winning the fielder of the year award, than for this group to run through a winning side. For all his genuine efforts and hard work, when was the last time even Gull bowled 4 match winning overs on the trot? The answer is just as hard to come by as has been thus far finding heir apparent to Imran Khan’s legacy.

A small share of the blame for our cricketing dilemma rests with our past. The meteoric ascent to greatness for most of our now retired cricketing legends has set a damning precedence for the present cricketing generation because their rise from obscurity came in spite of the system, not because of it. This precedence has instilled in us a false hope that regardless of the shambolic state of its governing body and its domestic cricketing structure, Pakistan cricket’s next great is just around the corner, ready to display his grit, passion, raw talent, and genius on the world stage. Unfortunately, 2 years on from the retirement of the last of these greats, we are more likely to see the words ‘Venereal and Warts’ repeated in a PCB circular, than heralding the re-awakening of our fast bowling traditions.

The larger share of the blame rests with the establishment itself (past and present), who are hell bent on employing short term fixes to a problem which needs medium to long term corrective strategies. How else do you explain the repeated inclusion of Shoaib Akhtar in your 15 over the likes of Sohail Khan, Mohammed Talha, Anwar Ali, and Mohammed Aamer? In order to unearth the next great ‘W’, the PCB will need to strengthen its resolve, its integrity, and most importantly its commitment towards building a strong grassroots foundation for cricket in the country. Till then however, it needs to take smarter selection decisions and employ tighter team and player management.

After its win against Netherlands, Pakistan may well take advantage of its weaker group and reach the semi finals, thereon making it anyone’s cup. However, much like Kenny’s regular demise in South Park, this would be a blow most unfair to the discipline, planning, hard work, and strength in match winning talent that teams such as South Africa, India, and Sri Lanka possess and regularly display.

In the absence of greatness, one must make the most of good – for this die hard Pakistani cricket fan, there is greatness in that.