Cricket in November is synonymous with the traditional curtain raiser in Australian summer : The Brisbane test match. The venue is famously known as the “Gabba”. As I was anticipating the Aussie cricket team announcement for the test against Pakistan,the name of Will Pucovski was making headlines in apossible inclusion for the opening test.Will had made his List A debut when the Greenshirts toured here in 2016.He was named in last season’s test team to face Sri Lanka but hadn’t played.Then Thursday’s news broke out that Will is not named in the squad.He asked not to be considered as he wished to take a break due to mental health issues.He became the third Australian this season after Nic Maddinson and Glenn Maxwell to take a break. 

 

     The stigma of mental health in cricket is ripe and although cricketing nations like Australia, New Zealand and England are providing support and managing this, it still seems unchartered territory in  many developing nations.Earlier this week, in Indore where India was hosting Bangladesh, the host skipper Virat Kohli spoke how he felt during the poor England summer he endured in 2014. ” I just didn’t know what to do , what to say to anyone, how to speak , how to communicate”.In cricketing terms can be labelled as  going through a “ bad patch” and brushed aside. In psychiatric terms it is tip of an iceberg actually from something that would be labelled an “adjustment disorder “ to something  more severe with time progression which could lead to a depressive episode.Left untreated, it would result in serious complications.Many cricketers would act like Virat did, and won’t communicate about it for it will be perceived as something of a taboo in cricketing circles as well as society.There is minimal support in Asian cultures for someone going through a “bad patch”.Many would turn to family for support.For others,it might end up in a visit to “quacks”.

   

    The most famous case in Pakistan sport of mental health problems was Imran Khan’s depressive episode in 1983-84. In December 1982 in the much hyped series of India’ s tour of Pakistan, he woke up in pain on the second day of the now much famed second test at Karachi. He started experiencing pain in his left shin which became an intermittent issue throughout that series.He didn’t know but had suffered a stress fracture which was misdiagnosed and continued to bowl.Around his physical ailments, there were well documented issues of rows with board over captaincy and on selection of players to be picked. Fanatical sections of press hated him as captain. He was booed relentlessly  in February in Karachi 1983 despite visibly limping after taking five wickets in the final test which was a dead rubber and claiming man of the series (his career best 40 wickets haul in series ).This was in the aftermath of what happened in Niaz stadium in Hyderabad ,the fourth test of the series.Javed Miandad wasn’t allowed to go for then Sir Gary Sobers’ record of 365 stranded at 280* in an innings of 581/3 declared with loads of time to play.  

    

   Much worse to ensue.Though it was his best series at the peak of his career,he had to stop bowling otherwise risk ending his career.He played the 1983 world cup solely as a batsman but flared up the fracture in Melbourne’s Boxing day test that year where he scored a match saving 72*. Eventually,he needed surgery in April 1984 but post surgery went into a full blown depressive episode neglectful of watching any cricket or reading about it or even stepping outside his London flat.He ruminated the end of his career and his future. This was even before news came of his mum being diagnosed of terminally being ill with cancer.He kept exercising though, possibly the only thing that worked more stronger than any anti depressant would do.

   

   Gauging on the fluctuations in a cricketer‘s career, it is no surprise that suicides in cricket are more than any other sport.Loss of a role, a fall from glory and limelight, poor coping mechanisms (drugs and alcohol use) and financial stressors take their toll.The factors can be innumerable.Albert Trott,Arthur Shrewsbury,Albert Reif,the great Sidney Barnes, David Bairstow and Peter Roebuck are all historical victims of suicide.The “Judge “ Robin Smith under influence of alcohol contemplated taking his own life only saved only by witnessing a suicide where he resided in Perth, in an open disclosure ahead of his book launch during this year’s World Cup.

 

    When news broke out about Will Pucovski stating he wanted to take a break, my mind twitched. He is only 21.The media and Australian team all backed him. The same day an 18 year old Rohail Nazir, Pakistan’s newest talent and the under 19 skipper scored a 50 in an Emerging Teams Asia cup encounter against Afghanistan.He has starred on the under 19 scene with the bat in Sri Lankan and South African tours.Skippering the under 19 world cup and expected to be valuable draft induction next month for the PSL,a bright season awaits. Although physically he will be able to cope with rigours but will he be able to any access mental health support if he requires?  

   

    For that matter ,will any of the senior or junior squad members be able to? What will they say ? What will they do? How will they communicate? These questions continue to loom in the wake of recent events down under regarding mental health and well being with many answers still undetermined.

 

   (To be continued)

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s no better way to start the world test championship with the most watched and exciting test series there is currently, The Ashes. England versus Australia. Edgbaston,Birmingham set the scene for the latest series which started with less than three weeks after England claimed their first World Cup.There is no time to relax .The Hollies stand was in full voice on the first morning.

Back came all three culprits of the “sandpaper” crisis for Australia.Whilst Cameron Bancroft and David Warner had more forgettable comebacks, the ex-skipper was on a total different platform.Steven Smith known as “Smudge” has always thrived in the test format.Long gone are the days when he started at no 8 spot as a leg spinner.

His eye is amazing on the ball.He has so much time and can manoeuvre the ball easily to any part.Unconventional and ritualistic is his style.The ability he has to play almost every ball making sure it doesn’t hit his pad shows the advantage he has with being so fidgety.He would have all day to come outside off and nudge it across the leg sides.He whipped and dragged his way to a pair of 140’s in this test.It was breath taking and game changing.

Smith in both innings simply took the game away.Australia were teetering at 122/8 on day one but managed 284 largely thanks to him. With scores level in the third, Smith and Matthew Wade combined to set the game adrift.Both scored tons en route a mammoth second innings score of 487! Steve Smith now has 25 tons as he became the fifth Aussie to score a ton in each innings of an Ashes test.

Earlier on,England took a lead of 90 on first innings. Whilst Rory Burns trawled through his maiden 100 to keep England competing, Australia came back on the third day taking wickets before the long Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes’ vigil that provided the hosts with that lead.Joe Root scored 57.

 

 

The target to win was 398.It looked immense,especially for a final day pitch which was low, slow and taking spin.Enter, Nathan Lyon aka Gary. He was sublime in the turning track and added to his tally which stands now at 352 wickets. He went through England like a raging bull in a ring.The hosts had no chance and succumbed at 146. It was a 251 run loss and the end to the Aussie losing streak at Edgbaston since 2001.

One thing that the Ashes doesn’t need is poor umpiring. After the World Cup issues, surely the elite panel has to improve in the quality of umpiring.Both Joel Wilson and Aleem Dar had horrible performances. Even with the DRS, it wasn’t a saving grace.The numbers at the back of the player’s shirts are also very irritating.

It’s becoming clear that Aussies will be in position of strength if the wickets continue like this ….slow flat tracks which offer minimal movement. England will struggle if the Dukes ball doesn’t do much minus day one. In Matthew Wade Aussies have a strong number 6 and although Bancroft is back in the team there is scope for Marcus Harris to come back .Otherwise I won’t expect any changes at Lord’s .

England on the other hand lost not only the game but Jimmy Anderson after four overs. That itself was the cost of this game. Even though Jofra Archer is in form  a possible replacement  in the line up, it will be  his first test only. Their inability to play spin will also be daunting for them in chases whilst Moeen Ali is clearly struggling both with bat and ball.

Ashes cricket is superb and entertaining though,and expect plenty more thrills in this five test series.For now, its full steam ahead to Lord’s and the home of the cricket.

July 14, 2019.The overnight rain at the home of cricket couldn’t dampen the spirits of millions tuning in to this super Sunday of sport. Alongside the Wimbledon final and the British GP at Silverstone , cricket was competing on terrestrial TV since the Ashes in 2005.England and New Zealand  had different paths toward the world cup finale but they were competing for Cricket’s top prize.

 

 

New Zealand had shocked a billion people in a rain interrupted 2 day semifinal at Manchester.After a slowish start, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor were the pillars behind their 239. Kane with a calculated 67 and Taylor a  measured 74. At the first day’s close , they were being scrutinised for their scoring rate, but what eventually transpired laid truth to the fact it wasn’t an easy pitch at all.

Matt Henry took the Indian top order apart and 5/3, were reeling. M S Dhoni and Ravendra Jadeja put an almost match winning stand of 116 until Jadeja had one top edged to the kiwi skipper. Dhoni’s run out ended Indian hopes in this cup. They had finished top of the group table in standings. Rohit Sharma top scored in the cup with 648 runs.Kiwis now were Lord’s bound.

 

England ,the pre tournament favourites, had their cup fortunes dwindling once they had lost back to back to Sri Lanka at Headingley and Aussies at Lord’s. Now they had a chance at payback against the old enemy playing at their fortress Edgbaston. Aussies had never lost a semi till then but hadn’t won in Birmingham since 2001. Something had to give. England had a great start with Aussies losing their skipper, Aaron Finch early.Steven Smith ‘s 85 and Alex Carey ,who is one of the finds of the tourney,with a 46 put some resistance to the Aussie total of 225 .Chris Woakes was the leading bowler with 3 wickets.

It never looked enough. England’s rejuvenation in the cup was mirrored with Jason Roy’s comeback. At Edgbaston, he killed off the contest with his 85. England blistered through the target with Morgan and root hitting the winning runs.An 8 wicket crushing to sail through the final.Lord’s awaited the hosts after 40 years in one day world cup final.

Lord’s was an equally challenging  pitch and tested Kiwi batting again.Henry Nicholls with a 55 and Tom Latham with a 47 led the way as Kiwis posted a 241. Liam Plunkett and Chris Woakes snared three each.242 on the conditions given looked a good total even with  the glorious  sunshine in the second half.At 86/4, New Zealand were in the ascendency. Ben Stokes and Jos Butler restored the hosts’ hopes with a 110 run stand.Stokes would run out of partners in a thrilling final few overs in an unbeaten 84, as England were all out on the final ball at 241.The match was tied and headed to a Super Over. A first for a final.Amongst the pandemonium,the final over saw a high drama with 4 overthrow runs given following a ricochet from Ben’s bat on the throw for the deep.One could have never  predicted that.

The Super Over was equally befitting of a thriller. England started first with Stokes and Butler putting a 15.Martin Guptill who had a poor world cup and Jimmy Neesham took  to the task.Whilst Guptill was run out on the final throw from Jason Roy with scores again tied at 15, the rules had England declared winners on the number of boundaries hit during the game.What a law.The Trophy had the hosts name for the third cup running. Stokes was undoubtedly the man of the match and seals redemption for  that night in Mumbai in 2016.Finally it comes home.A big salute to the Kiwis who fought valiantly.Kane Williamson took the man of the series, deservedly.

 

 

So what will this World Cup be remembered for, other than the dramatic world cup finale ? Could it be Rohit’s five centuries ? Would it be Mitchell Starc’s 27 victims ? Would it be the all round display of Shakib ul Hassan with 606 runs and 11 wickets ? Would it be the issues regarding run rate and boundaries deciding standings in group as well as the final ?

It will be for all of the above and much more. The 50 over game was livened up the ICC with some really good pitches set up and allowed the challenge between the bat and ball to thrive.No 400 run belters or dust bowls were allowed.There was some great colour displayed by a lot of fans who travelled from around the world to paint the passion for their respective teams. Whilst there was a huge viewing for the final, the fact Sky allowed Channel 4’s coverage was great boost for the public support of the game in UK.

Could it have been better? Yes. Umpiring standards definitely need to improve particularly some of Kumara  Dharmasena’s decisions in the semi and final.Secondly there needs to be a better resolution of the rain issues that troubled the earlier games.The Super Over rules need also be tightened up for a match that is worthy of final verdict like a second super over.Double Over times are common in Hockey and Basketball so why not cricket ? The 15 man roster for a seven week tournament also looks thin as an extensive run requires more bench strength.

Overall, this World Cup was well hosted and attended in good numbers and had some great thrillers in some fantastic venues. Whether the 50 over game continues or not in the future, the World Cup definitely has a place to stay as it has enriched the sport once again.

 

2019 was the first time since 1992 in which the Cricket World Cup returned to a league format where all teams played each other before the top 4 went through to the semi-finals.

Unfortunately for Pakistan, there was not a repeat of 1992, but by the end of the group phase opponents were breathing a sigh of relief. Pakistan were growing in stature, confidence and developing the momentum that often makes them look unstoppable in knock-out games.

Most neutral observers felt that Pakistan should have proceeded ahead of New Zealand into 4th spot given the victories over England and New Zealand and the farce of New Zealand playing for run rate in the group game against England.

This had been the best campaign since 1999 in terms of wins against world class teams.

However, the lack of ruthlessness from the selectors ultimately cost the team dear.

The team clearly thought the West Indies pitch would mirror that at the same venue 2 weeks earlier against England. Rather than assess the conditions, the batsmen went gung ho and lost their chance of having a good NRR for the rest of the tournament.

It had been clear that Shoaib Malik had not looked interested in playing for Pakistan for some time. He had averaged 13 in England having played here since 2003. Loyalty to him and Mohammad Hafeez (irrespective of the England game) rather than going for class hungry young acts like Saud Shakeel meant that the message was clear. Individuals and seniority meant more than the team. It was a damning indictment that Malik played ahead of Haris Sohail against England, Australia and India, three of the semi-finalists.

Haris is widely known as a class player who although criticised for making pretty 40-50s, is capable of scoring tough runs under pressure. In retrospect, Pakistan needed him during that Taunton chase to add some calmness to the emotional roller coaster.

 

The game against Australia is a perfect snapshot of Pakistani cricket over the past two decades in crunch World Cup matches. They lacked consistent discipline when bowling, dropped catches and despite the comeback led by Amir,failed to pounce when comfortably placed at 136/2 and chasing 307 on a very small ground. It is a damning indictment that Pakistan have not won a crucial match when chasing a tough total in a World Cup since the 1999 semi final (excluding the chase vs Australia in 2011 World Cup). There is a sense of panic that descends into the dressing room when a collapse commences.

There are three things that the PCB need to closely scrutinise: (1) game/tournament awareness (2) ability to manage emotions under pressure which affects ability to execute plans and (3) fitness and attitude.

It is clearly not the ability to bat and bowl that is the issue. It is the lack of mental health support that the players receive unlike their counterparts in Australia, England and New Zealand. The team is at a disadvantage by not having the insight into how mental health input can promote focus, staying calm under pressure, treating pressure situations as the norm and having the consistent belief to execute their abundant skills at all times. This is clearly most evident when playing neighbours India who now have won all seven World Cup encounters against Pakistan dating back to 1992.

The India game links into the attitude and fitness aspects of professionalism. Those present at the game saw the stark difference in fitness levels between the two sides. It was only after the India game that the attitude and body language on the field and behaviour off it improved. Simply put, it is the lack of professionalism that is stopping Pakistan from challenging consistently for honours at the highest level. The players lack the understanding of how to manage their minds and bodies consistently like England, India and Australia.

 

The concept of sports psychiatry is well-known in the USA and gathering pace in other places. The Pakistan team requires the PCB to ensure mental health support for all domestic players. There is potential in a sports psychiatrist with knowledge of cricket, Pakistani culture and the Pakistani team allowing the team to develop focus, mindfulness, fitness, a positive attitude, discipline in all aspects and importantly, ability to manage difficult situations calmly and foster a closer team spirit. This is the kind of suggestion that the PCB should take on board. Wasim Khan has made a good start by looking at restructuring of domestic cricket and making Balochistan more visible on the domestic map. Addition of sports psychiatrists, nutritionists, dieticians, strategists and baseball throwers for out fielding at all levels would drastically change attitudes and much needed professionalism to the undeniable natural skills that Pakistan have always possessed.

(My thanks to Hassan Mahmood who is based in Birmingham. He was the official fan of  Pakistan’s World Cup campaign recently held in UK .)