“If isolation tempers the strong, it is the stumbling-block of the uncertain.”
Paul Cezanne was not thinking about Pakistani cricket when he said this but he has inadvertently summed up the realityfaced by the cricket loving nation. Following the decision by the Bangladeshi High Court to ‘block’ the tour to Pakistan later this month, the would-be hosts are facing up to further increased uncertainty as cricketing hosts in an isolation that is anything but splendid.
Whatever deal the Pakistan Cricket Board had thought they struck with their Bangladeshi counterparts has ultimately resulted in yet another side not touring the country. While the politics surrounding the deal itself warrant discussion as well as criticism, to overcome the new levels of uncertainty, they need to be put aside with a clear focus on the future.
The Pakistani public is right to feel let down; not only by the blocking of the tour but the way their own board went about trying to secure the tour and their handling of the subsequentfallout from this.
Certain truths must be confronted by Pakistan as a whole – the rulers, the PCB and the people. The country is deemed unsafe by many and understandably many seek great assurance before committing to visit. It is a perception perhaps more than a reality, but words are not enough reassurance; there needs to be a great drive at all levels to change this perception. There needs to be a focus in highlighting the positives of a culturally rich nation, proud of its heritage and the pockets of development in the big cities need to be popularised.
While acknowledging that there are valid concerns, the frustration held within the nation can be fully appreciated. The vast majority of the population goes about their everyday business without any fear and scores of visitors enter and exit the country safely. My own wife, a non-Pakistani, visited Karachi in 2011 and not only experienced the nation’s great hospitality, she had a wonderful time and crucially did not feel unsafe.
It is a cliché, but Pakistan is cricket mad nation. It is a country beset by inflation compounding grave poverty and social problems met in many developing countries. Escapism is craved by the population and cricket is the ideal route to discover this. It is not fanciful to say cricket gives many a purpose to their life and this feeds the desperation people have for international cricket to return to Pakistan.
With cricket’s return looking increasingly a distant dream, a nightmare will perpetuate for men, women and children of all ages who are desperate to see their heroes at close quarters.And it is here where the PCB has failed to address the key issues; cricket needs to come back to Pakistan not just for commercial reasons or to massage the egos of people placed in positions of influence. International cricket must return to give a ray of light to the lives of many for whom day to day life is a struggle.
Beyond the social impact, international cricket not being played in Pakistan is impacting the cricketing infrastructure and this could have a long last impact. With less money coming in to the PCB, the first pitfall is hit; there is less funding available for cricket at all levels. The detrimental effect of this could be that more Pakistani players look for lucrative contracts elsewhere meaning they are out of the system.
A further consideration which is overlooked in the mainstream is on the players who represent Pakistan at the highest level. The likes of captain Misbah-Ul-Haq and Mohammed Hafeez, who play in all formats, are spending not just a few months of the year away from their families; they are away from their homes for most of the year. They are missing family births, deaths and marriages.
This is where the social impact of isolation and cricketing impact meet; the human side of the isolation is being forgotten. People are suffering from this isolation and yet it’swallets and stadia we see being argued about.
It is not an easy position for the PCB and government to be in and there should be no pretence that it is. What needs to be highlighted is twofold; one, as here, the deep reaching resultof isolation. And crucially, how do we move forward to end the isolation?
Bold steps such as asking countries to tour, or as happened, entering a political minefield to force a tour are not the way forward. Instead, the PCB needs to make kid steps; progressing from the recent British Universities tour which was a success. The logical step from this is to invite improving associates such as Afghanistan and Ireland for a tour. From here, look at the possibility of a T20 tournament along the lines of the IPL and BPL to attract star names. In the backdrop to all of this, the PCB and ICC need to work closely to ensure a strategy is laid out and followed. With these foundations in place and only then, should the PCB be reaching out to established Test sides to tour.
Martha Beck once said “If you want to end your isolation, you must be honest about what you want at a core level and decide to go after it.” Nothing can ring truer for Pakistan at this crucial juncture. The onus is on the PCB and ICC now to make the inroads needed to end the isolation and give hope to the population.
GeoSuper