Pakistan cricket is going through its darkest days. The course of developments over the past one year has given some critics the audacity to spell this phase as the final days of Pakistan cricket. Is the situation really as bad? Is the end of cricket really drawing in upon our neighbor? Cricket360 analyses.

Time and again teams have opted out of playing in Pakistan because of security concerns. However, the year that went by saw the Champions Trophy being cancelled and eventually postponed as several teams withdrew their participation amidst unsafe atmosphere prevalent in the country. After hordes of speculations that the venue will be shifted to England, Sri Lanka or South Africa, Pakistan retained its hosting privilege although losing credibility. After terror attacks on Mumbai, the Indian team canceled its January tour to Pakistan owing to security and diplomatic reasons. Presently the Australian team is weighing its options before landing into Pakistan for a tour and chances are the scales will tip against Pakistan’s favor.

In a socio-political system intricately intertwined with the military, cricket is not free from governmental control. The Pakistan Cricket Board officials are generally politicians whose natural focus is diplomacy over cricket. Talented players are overlooked to make way for the bureaucrat’s favorite while decision on controversial players is taken considering team’s benefit. Shoaib Akhtar, for instance is taken in team and dropped according to whims and fancies of the selectors. Md. Asif has been punished with a lifetime ban and pardoned several times before he comes up with yet another doping scandal.

In the recently concluded ODI series against Sri Lanka (which Pak touted as an achievement, because a team finally agreed to come and play on their home soil), Pakistan lost miserably by 2-1 to the visitors. The last and deciding match saw Pakistan bundled out for 75 runs, thus losing by 234 runs which is one of the biggest defeats in the history of the game.

Cricket is going downhill in this country torn by internal conflicts and external political pressure. However, Cricket360.com opines that this dark patch should not be considered as the demise of the game. At the end, the game must win.

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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