September 7, 2016. The sight of Khalid Latif and Sharjeel Khan tormenting the English attacks on a chilly evening in Manchester was sight of sore eyes for millions back in Pakistan and thousands in the stands of Old Trafford. The temporary stands from where I was watching reverberated with slogans , chants of JJ ‘s “Dil Dil Pakistan ” , an anthem that has engulfed every cricket match for decades ,was absorbing to say the least. In unison, it felt like you were on streets of Lahore, Karachi or Peshawar at Eid time but much louder. The euphoria was unmatched.

It was the finest hour of the Greenshirts in the city after the World Cup semifinal win  of 1999, under then a new captain Sarfaraz Ahmad. 4 years later however, there is no Khalid,Sharjeel or Sarfaraz in the 11 which started on August 5.There were no spectators either,like literally, as a new era of  test cricket had started.It is now the Covid19 era of cricket.The tour itself looked a fallacy at times to be organised in the background of an uptick of pandemic both in Uk and in the” Land of the Pure.”

Azhar Ali was Sarfaraz ‘s chronological successor but in true terms he was the understudy of his ex- SNGPL team mate and now coach Misbah ul Haq.As a skipper he lacked aggression and many doubted his place in the 11 let alone skippering it.Since 2017 when he had the knee surgery, he has a meagre record on foreign tracks and that procession continued in Manchester with a duck and 18, due to the struggles with that knee bending.On both occasions he was dismissed by Chris Woakes, who had mesmerised the Greenshirts in 2016 claiming a huge tally of 26 wickets the second best  only to the legendary Abdul Qadir ‘s haul of 30 in 1987.Woakes wasn’t done yet with Greenshirts.

Pakistan batted in typical Pakistan style. From 43/2, Babar Azam and Shan Masood had averted misery on a rain hit day 1 with a 97 run stand. Shan ,who was more famous of being Jimmy Anderson ‘s bunny of six dismissals in a row prior to this test,had liaised with many  external coaches  to help with his technique.His interests of reading motivational books and watching the “Batman” and Leonardo DiCaprio movies are  unorthodox for a test player coming from Pakistan.Babar’s 69 made him his “Robin” even though he was hyped to do much more.His dismissal on the second morning led to a typical crisis of sorts.Pakistan were soon 170/5. Shadab Khan’s inclusion as a batsman at 6 seemed to be helpful hitting  a cheeky 46. Shan somehow fought with the lower order and tail in a gritty  156.Their total of 326 seemed decent on a wicket destined to deteriorate especially on the last days.

What followed was one of the superb new ball spells in recent times with Shaheen Afridi and  Mohammad Abbas sharing the spoils. England though upstaged in the evening session ,  managed  91/4 at the end of the day but not before Abbas castled Stokes’ off stump with a peach of delivery for nought.The next day the team folded to 219, meaning the visitors led by a huge 107. Yasir Shah, the leggie took 4. The drama didn’t end there. The Greenshirts let their guard loose and collapsed to 137/8 by the end of day 3. A late cameo from Yasir took them to 169 and setting a stiff target of 277.

England seemed at one point struggling with 117/5 in the chase. Both Root and Stokes were dismissed in the afternoon session, the former to a scorcher from the young fast bowler Naseem Shah, being hailed as the new sensation from an assembly line of fast bowlers back home and upgraded from Under 19 cricket.Naseem could muster no more though as Jos Butler and Chris Woakes came to the rescue.

One could say Jos Butler was given a redemption for the numerous chances he missed behind the wicket especially when Shan was batting. He batted typically in his one day mode not for the first time against the Greenshirts and not the last either.Facing a potential sack  from the test side, he struck 75 crucial runs in the chase with Chris Woakes.Woakes did more damage in this test with his batting in a match winning unbeaten  86 alongside his four wickets than the expected threat from his all rounding colleague Ben Stokes.England had won by 3 wickets.

Pakistan were denied a victory with a final session meltdown and not for the first time. The captaincy was poor with defensive field placings and bowling changes in light of the onslaught of runs  were characteristic of ” Panicstan”. The pre-test hype  was about using spin. Where was Shadab as second spinner in all this equation ? This defensive mindset has been hounding Greenshirts for a decade now.

Azhar Ali and co. were left in the north with much to ponder. It seemed to many that it was a morale damaging  loss for many to ruminate throughout the series  as they had only a few days to recuperate before the crew headed to Southampton. Only time will tell how they will recover from this debacle .

( To be continued )

Azhar Ali won the toss thankfully and batted. He himself was a reluctant skipper , a mere shadow of his SNGPL mate and current coach Misbah ul Haq and Sarfraz’s successor. There were many who doubted his presence in the team let alone skipperhood,  since his meagre average especially on foreign turfs since that knee operation in 2017.His batting in Manchester was no better example of those concerns. Shan Masood the opener whose rise to fame in this bilateral series had been Jimmy Anderson’s bunny( six dismissals in row prioor to this test )

A year ago when it was announced that all of Pakistan Super League’s matches in its  fifth edition were going to be held in Pakistan, few would have believed it considering the security situation in Pakistan and the lack of international series played on Pakistani soil for a almost a  decade.Over the last one year though that myth slowly changed.Pakistan have their own league to look forward to,now, on its home shores.

Firstly, the Sri Lankan tour took place though in two episodes which was a major step in bringing back cricket in the three big centres of the country.The Bangladesh tour albeit in measured portions further complimented their hosting of an event of PSL’s stature.After 5 decades,the MCC led by Kumar Sangakkara as its first non British head travelled for a week long tour to play four white ball cricket games in Lahore.This cemented to a degree that the doors of cricket are now open.

More than the tour itself it was Kumar’s  inspirational quotes that won hearts. He stated

“Cricket belongs to everyone, but for the players to have that platform and display their skills, you need to have that support.The fact is that you need to have an underpinning of youth who can be inspired to take up the game.”

Entrenched  in cricketing isolation for a decade, this  PSL is the acid test for future tours in Pakistan as well as the one of the laboratories for emerging talent.The country has produced some of the finest cricketers to play in all formats of the game.Having previously hosted  primarily in the UAE with only a number of playoff games coming home,there were always reservations for players touring.Shane Watson was the famous example in 2017 final for Quetta.Those who came such as Peshawar Zalmi’s squad members led by  Darren Sammy and Quetta’s mentor Vivian Richards   were showered with warmth and love hardly seen in sporting circles.

Organising a month long event with security  being paramount of  all players not  just the foreign contingent, but also of the coaching staff and media remains to be  challenge in process. It also is inclusive  of factors like  infrastructure ,renovation of the stadia and  advertising which is at a whole new level since the last cricketing trophy Pakistan hosted in 2008 (Asia Cup).It also gave an opportunity to see how PCB reacts to the rigours required of  multi team cricket tournament as the Asia Cup comes back  later this year.PCB and the state agencies involved  deserved its share of credit in this respect, the way they have managed to pull off something not imaginable months back.

To say cricket is madly followed in the nation is an understatement. The fact test cricket was almost wiped  off its shores for a decade  and still the youth continue to prosper is a massive achievement.One of them,Babar Azam had never played a home test until a couple of months back and did he get an ovation  from the vociferous Rawalpindi crowd.The chants of “Babar, Babar” reverberated that Sunday on his first century on ” home ” soil as much as it did on his winning ton in Edgbaston,Birmingham in the World Cup game against New Zealand,the biggest partisan crowd outside of home in a major event.With attendances expected to soar as the tournament progresses,he  has become the new face of Pakistan cricket and PSL.Everywhere he goes, crowds will follow.He not only is a King in Karachi but now of Pakistan.

PSL has become a major product since its inception and has grown every year. It was the first league of any kind to adopt a TV review in 2017 playoffs, something the ICC went on to replicate in all its T20 matches.From the initial season when it was completely played in the UAE and had five teams,it now consists of  six teams from cities which instill a degree of culture in their own paradigm.Mascots such as Sheru from Islamabad, “Glady” of Quetta ,”Saeen” of Multan and the “Markhor” impart their own energies to the league.

Multan and Rawalpindi are the new venues for this year’s PSL, a treat for their respective teams and ever growing popularity.Multan boasts the largest cricket stadium in Pakistan since the Gaddafi Stadium underwent renovation.Islamabad being the nation’s capital is in proximity with Rawalpindi which is a major nursery of cricket.Karachi and Lahore, as is traditionally,will dominate the match fixtures with Peshawar speculated to host next year’s tournament.

This year’s hosting will definitely boost interest in youth which has dwindled in the last decade with people starved to see both home and international cricketers. From Khyber to Karachi,there can’t be any bigger bond shared than the love of this game . For the millions who will watch in the country, there will many millions more  who will watch it from the TV sets to many digital platforms all across the globe.Urdu Commentary is a welcome boost this year and its fair to say commentary in more local languages will be attract it even more.

There will no doubt that come March 22,Lahore would host one of its biggest cricketing finals.Abdul Hafeez Kardar,father of Pakistani cricket would have been proud and the famous road named after the “Skipper” leading to Gaddafi  Stadium will  greet every team in the coming month.Cricket is the true winner and PSL is finally home ! And I as well as many millions of fans can’t wait for the new talent to rise !

With spring in sight, there can’t be any better validation of this season than the famous words  of the country’s famous test wicket-keeper Wasim Bari

“Cricket unites Pakistan and makes it talents bloom.”

For PSL Streaming , use the following link

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pk.beesports.beesports

     My Mum never liked cricket.She didn’t want to watch test or even one day format as it was very long and arduous.Unlike her sisters who were able to tolerate cricket and watch it to a degree,she would prefer watching football instead of cricket.Being the only girl in the household of five, the rest four ( my dad and  us three brothers ) were avid cricket fans.So on the odd occasion,she has to say about anything remotely related to cricket are conversations to cherish.Against the odds, she once batted in a game of cricket with us boys in our front lawn in our family home in Lahore.An unforgettable evening .She had to manage her cream coloured “dupatta” very well alongside choosing which shot she ll play to my younger brother’s leg spinner.I will never forget when earlier this year she inquired about the reasons of Pakistan’s World Cup loss in Manchester against India the day after. Cricket had truly conquered its final frontier.

      In 2014 ,Sarah Taylor was voted as ICC women’s cricketer of the year. She is one of the most revered English women’s cricketers.A few months ago , she quit cricket in context of longstanding anxiety. She was supported by her peers and media on the decision.Generalised Anxiety is a common condition affecting upto  5% of population. Sana Mir is the most revered woman cricketer in Pakistan, possibly the most popular sportswoman produced as well. A gold medallist in back to back to Asian games, she is the ambassador of sport in the nation. Whether one likes certain players on the men’s cricket team or not, there will be a few who won’t be able to acknowledge Sana’s contribution to women’s sport in the country.Will the media support her when she calls it “quit” if she has any issue regarding her mental health? To even begin addressing the issue there is a bigger piece of puzzle to solve. 

      In Pakistan where, psychiatric morbidity is estimated to between 10-15% of the affected population, 6 % of which can account for depression alone, it is still considered a major taboo.It remains undiagnosed and hence under treated.The limited figures on psychiatric conditions suggest upto 45.5 % of women in urban cities can suffer from generalised anxiety.There is no figure  to suggest how rest of the geographical areas fare.This is not even close to the real bad news.Pakistani women have highest rates of post partum depression in Asia, ranging from 28-63%. In UK ,this figure is bewteen 9-21%.It has devastating effects on mothers, children and families.No one would want their mums to undergo this.

      There are several issues underlying for the high numbers.Women suffer from  marginalisation in society.Honour killings, exchange marriages,dowry,the role of in laws in an extended family system and violence against them are key factors.A UN research study found that 50% of women are physically battered and 90 % mentally and verbally abused by their men.Domestic violence takes place in 80 % of households.If they have interest in sport, it’s a taboo and if by chance they are allowed, they won’t be allowed to prosper.Many dreams are killed even before they take the field.Family highly discourages them to take any form of sport .Hence their physical and mental well being is severely compromised even before they are settled in life.I can’t even begin to imagine what hardships these cricketers have suffered before making it this far !

       A female  model  Anam Tanoli committed  suicide last summer in Lahore,when she hanged herself and only posthumously came to attention that she was depressed.Many in Pakistani entertainment industry now are a starting to speak up.Saba Qamar and Imran Abbas are celebrities who like their counterparts in the west suffer from depression and have talked about it.There is lack of psychiatric and psychological support in all major psychiatric faculties and a country of 220 million has  less than a thousand trained psychiatrists.The annual rate of suicide is 2.9% per 100,000.A further 130,000-450,000 are risk of committing one according to world indices.Still very few sportsmen and women can talk about mental health and needs. If the actors can do it why can’t our sportsmen and women ?  

       Halima Rafiq, a Pakistani woman cricketer from Multan in 2014 accused  the chairman of Multan cricket club on sexual harassment allegations which were disproven in a  lawsuit. Halima took her own life ingesting acid in July 2014 dying in Nishtar Hospital’s emergency room. She was 17. How many Anams and Halimas will it take for mental health to be taken seriously in Pakistani society let alone sport ?

       The fulcrum of sport is now revolving around cricket for the last few decades. In context of poor educational background and insight, not everyone is as aware of ,barring some in the upper classes and even then struggle to ask for help , be assessed or “take a break“. It is almost unknown entity in rural parts of the country and many are never diagnosed. Needless to say ,women’s cricketers mental health continues like the men to be an overlooked subject. 

        A beating heart doesn’t give you much more than an hour when a clot affects its blood supply it to save a life. The body will pour out it with sweat, pain and blood.A beat up mind is so resilient still that it goes unnoticed all its lifespan not being cared for and absorbing a universe  of distress. Sometime the only treatment is a hug from one’s team mates or family.

Sport is mandatory for men and women regardless of age.It gives hope and opportunity to many all over Pakistan and a chance to redeem themselves. Let’s not deprive women of their chance in the sun. Exercise is medicine.Its high time stigma needs to end in cricket as well for women’s mental health in order to help  address both gender’s mental health needs ! 

     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 .)

May 24,2018, Lord’s.The start of another long international season which sees three international sides touring in the English summer.The first of  those sides, Pakistan had only four survivors of their 2016 touring party.They had squared that one winning both London tests.Long gone were the days they had Misbah and Younis (MisYou) in their ranks.

After England were comprehensively beaten in last winter’s ashes and then further embarrassed at 58 in the Auckland test against Kiwis,there were many who would have brushed aside those “away” losses in favour of an easy 2-0 win over a young inexperienced Greenshirts’ side to tour the British Isles for ages.The visitors set foot nearly a month ago after a preparatory camp in Lahore.They had already beaten Ireland in the country’s inaugural test a fortnight ago,albeit a characteristic stutter in the chase.

Misbah’s successor Sarfraz had tasted success on English soil last year as an Odi skipper after a historic Champions trophy campaign that rewarded him with the test captaincy amidst much pomp and ceremony. His first assignment though had ended in humiliation against a similar transitional Sri Lankan side  in UAE last October.

Though much criticised by the local media at home, the side selected for the twin series had eight players under 30 and five  awaiting test debuts.A notable exclusion was Fawad Alam who was excluded in favour of the highest domestic run scorer,Saad Ali.Faheem Ashraf and Imam ul Haq, handed debuts in the Ireland test had returned performances which temporarily numbed their critics.

England, though is a different setting altogether.They haven’t lost a home series  since 2014.May,typically is England’s month.At the home of cricket,with the world’s media watching in a packed house, performance here resonates globally. The opening morning was ideal. Saifi didnt have to decide the toss.Pakistan’s bowling, their stronghold,was in play. They had England at 43/3 following Abbas and Hasan Ali striking early.Then after lunch Faheem broke though with  Johnny Bairstow  bowled.Cook in ominous form got taken by Amir for 70 and only Stoke with 38 led any resistance as the hosts had collapsed to 184, a 5/19 demise post tea.Mohammad Abbas and Hasan Ali  claimed 4 each.

Now came the hard part. Pakistan had to bat post tea and survive nearly 90 minutes of play.Azhar Ali and Haris coped and ended with 50/1 at stumps.Jitteringly,as is the case with their willows, they had survived.The next  morning they slowly raised the score to 87 before Haris departed.Azhar milked a fifty and in the process had provided a platform taking the shine away.Asad Shafiq and Babar Azam scored fifties as well but sufferred different fates to Ben Stokes’ deliveries.Asad was out to a lifting delivery while at 68, Babar succumbed to a ball which broke his wrist and he retired out of the game as well as the series.The skipper added little with a rash stroke before tea which saw them 5 down at less than 250.

Faheem Ashraf and Shadab Khan dashed opportunistically for a 72 run late blast which swung momentum towards the Greenshirts.It was a timely stand.They had posted 363 by the third morning, which was astonishing by their batting standards.They had enough fuel in the tank to give the hosts a good go at it. Cook had gone early to Abbas  who was on song straigtht away and Stoneman was bowled to low leg break  close to lunch from the leggie, Shadab. 32/2 meant the writing was on the wall.

Post lunch, Joe Root answered some critics with a 68. Pakistan though chipped away with wickets through the pacers.Amir had 2 in 3 balls. Malan out to Skipper’s scorching take and Johnny Bairstow lost his off stump to the inswinger.When Root was  dismissed for 68 with the score at 110, it had  left England six down with 69 to save an innings defeat.All over,right ?

In came Jos Butler and the debutant Dominic Bess. Jos banking his place on recent IPL performances played a mobile knock of 66 with his Somerset colleague managing a debut 50.Fatigue was setting for the Greenshirts.England had taken a weary lead at stumps of 56,still having four second innings wkts  and all of a sudden another low unachievable  chase looked on the cards.The fourth morning produced  no such issues. Within 25 balls they had cleaned up the last four with Abbas and Amir sharing four each for the innings. The A A’s were too good.

Knocking in the last 64 runs in the chase, the Greenshirts achieved what only once in 1921,had been done.England losing a test that had begun and ended in May. The young guns had delivered.Mohammad Abbas, a leather factory worker from Sialkot, and the highest wicket taker for Pakistan in his seventh test was named man of the match. Mohammad Amir became the highest Greenshirt wicket taker at Lord’s with his 18th scalp.

Too inexperienced they might be, but they did what few Pakistan teams have done in the past. They maintained discipline in all areas session after session and fielded well, a testimony that they were fit for the job.Its been a few  tests only and a much dangerous prospect up North in Headingley awaits.But for now Misbah’s Men of yesterday are sounding more like Sarfraz’s Shababs*.

(Shababs- arabic for youth )

       In May 2015, when Zimbabwe came to Pakistan in a hastily arranged visit unsanctioned by the ICC and having considerable security concerns, it felt that it would still be a one off event and lot still needed to be desired from the hosts to regain confidence in hosting international sport let alone cricket. Amidst tight security, the five limited overs games were managed in sweltering conditions as many still took to stadiums to fill up Gaddafi waiting for long hours.After it was done,the wait continued. It looked like an eternity.

        So when the PSL Cup final was held despite concerns to call it off earlier in the year considering Lahore’s recent winter’s threats and incidents ,it came to many as a surprise. It was a lacklustre final with Quetta Gladiators severely impaired by its contingent lacking their first tier foreigners. It was well attended and without any glitch and set the ball rolling for further strengthening of measures.PSL 3 was the 1^st target for more games, with a possible Lahore /Karachi weekend of double headers.

   With the Greenshirts winning the champions trophy against the odds, it also enhanced the need to be associated with more cricket in the western half of the subcontinent.It was a bold move by the iCC to send a group of current international players something PCB had stubbornly put its foot down on . The South Africans led the way with 5.Led by Faf du Plessis, Morne Morkel, Hashim Amla,David Miller and Imran Tahir paved the way for others to join in. A 14 man squad landed in Lahore in the early hours of Monday morning to a rousing reception albeit tight security.The battle was already half won.

    What transpired in that week were three interesting T20 games featuring the current champions of ODI cricket and a group of talented t20 World individuals. The cricket was again well attended despite ticket issues, long queues and the constant fear of the unknown.The whole city was in shutdown mode as transport was suspended. It caused great problems and inconvenience for the everyday lives of many,but it was accepted and acknowledged for the rebirth of the game.Sports triumphed in the end but the public were its crown jewels.

  More than the Greenshirts display of cricketing skills, it was their amicable hosting of the event that was on display.It was going to be a classic Gaddafi pitch with the batsmen scoring huge totals.Babar Azam the hometown hero starred in the series with all round range of strokes.His 86 in the opener set the tone for the first win by the hosts .A resident of Gulberg, where Gaddafi is situated,he produced the knocks that would be pleasing for any crowd.

    The World 11 were no pushovers though.In the second game,Thisara Perera knocked a huge cameo which set the chase alive alongside a famous Protean who shall long be remembered in Gaddafi folklore even though he was playing in the opposition.Hashim Amla was scintillating in his knock of 72 not out. The series had some spice at 1-1. It was a first t20 loss for Pakistan at the Gaddafi.Ahmad Shahzad starred in the final game regaining some form with an 89 to his credit as the hosts took the series with a much comfortable winning margin having restricted the World 11 to 150/8, chasing 184.Babar took the man of the series award however the men of the series were those World 11 players who came and presented their skills finally to a cricket thirsty nation.Faf and his men left just like they came, as heroes fully entertained in their short Pakistani stay.

World XI batsman Hashim Amla plays a shot during the second Twenty20 international cricket match between the World XI and Pakistan at The Gaddafi Cricket Stadium in Lahore on September 13, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / AAMIR QURESHI

    Politics divides.Sports Unite.It’s become an acceptable theme universally.The NFL players in their responses to a divide are a recent example.Faf and co. have paved the way for many to join PSL 3,for other teams to tour later in the year or some to re consider their future engagements.When all is said and done,the World took Pakistan by storm and its just the start of something much more comfortable and breezier than an Abu Dhabi sand storm.

June 18, 2018.The ICC Champions Trophy Final: India vs Pakistan.The sun beating down on a warm June Oval afternoon.A sea of blue covering all the sides of this oval ground. In between one could see some green waves resonate with a flurry. This sea of blue were the Indian cricket supporters who had engulfed this famous ground in anticipation of defending their crown which they won at Edgbaston 4 years earlier. The Greenshirts were stark underdogs and had  never come this far in this trophy, let alone win it. If one went with the pre game hype,the writing was on the wall.

For the Greenshirts, it was a slow start. In the corresponding fixture with their arch rivals, they were convincingly walloped by 124 runs in their first pool match courtesy of poor fielding, bowling and a hapless batting which has become somewhat of a chronic factor. The majority of their fans had dismissed any further progress in the tourney considering they were lined up to meet No 1 ranked South Africa.The bowling however had other ideas.They defeated the next three teams they faced chasing paltry totals en route to the big finale.Among them,the hosts England who were favoured to win the whole thing.

Hasan Ali had played a leading role claiming 10 wickets to neutralise their batting handicaps.More was to come from him in the final.After game one , they had introduced the services of a diminutive make shift opener in Fakhar Zaman.He had been hovering around the domestic circuit for some time before landing himself a place in the PSL.Although lacking in much of a technique,there was no shortage of power as he hit 31 vs South Africa, 50 vs Lanka,57 vs England in his first three outings.He had left his best for last as he survived a caught behind on 3 on Jasprit Bumrah no ball. That cost India 111 more runs from him, as he piled 252 runs for the tourney.Fakhar scored 114,his maiden ton.

Moreover, the momentum changed that morning since that no ball dismissal. Azhar Ali who usually is more of a tentative accumulator albeit a measured 76 in the semi against England set the tone for Fakhar after taking the lead.He scored 57 in an opening of 128, a team best for the tournament, before crazily run out in mixup with the “Fauji”.Babar Azam started slow but accelerated to a 45.To everyone’s surprise Hafeez who was nearing a team expulsion for the umpteenth time,hit a brisk cameo of 56 as the Greenshirts launched into their top total batting first  against India of 338.

        Still there would have been few who have thought the vaunted Indian batting lineup would not make a match of it.Enter, Mohammad Amir. The villain of the past.A guy looking for penitance, a way to wash off cricketing sins. Such a cricketing purgatory for a Greenshirt can only be found in performing against the arch rival and to do it in the final…. Oh the cleansing  couldn’t have been purer.His spell read 6-2-16-3 and those figures will now be etched in history at the Oval.He took Sharma off the ripper on the 3rd ball of the innings for nought.He then had Kohli in all sorts of problems, the drop of Azhar was redeemed on 5 with the very next ball swallowed by Shadab at point.The form batsman of the tourney, Shikhar Dhawan was the trifecta with a caught behind executed off a ball keeping straight for 21.Amir had the top three in the pavilion at just 33 with a “Wasimesque” like final spell.

Yuvraj hung around for 22 before trapped beautifully on Shadab’s DRS plea coming to aid. Dhoni didn’t last long after against the Golden Ball winner Hasan ” generator” Ali as did Kedhar against the leggie.Hardik Pandya has been a rising star for Team Blue via the  Ipl and showed resistance  with a quickfire 76 before tragically run out by Ravindra Jadeja.Junaid had the culprit dismissed not long after.Hasan cleaned up the tail for another 3 for and the innings was dusted in 30.3 overs for 158. It was a win of magnanimous proportions for Greenshirts , a whopping record between the two sides in ODIs of 180 runs.

But if numerically the win was registered as a historic, it was massive for other reasons.Ranked eighth and almost having missed out on qualifying for this tourney the  odds were for an early exit. The Jokes were they finish on June 12 against Lanka and on June 13 they will be back at Lahore airport facing an  angry mob. It couldn’t have been more contrasting.They now seal qualification for the 2019 world cup and more importantly have boosted their odds of hosting home cricket in close to a decade.Certainly the PSL which has now been recognised as  a big factor in moulding this success. Fakhar claimed the man of the match, as Hasan took the man of the tourney award to add to the Golden Ball. Sarfraz Ahmad, the toast of all the nation,has now led his team to a success in his 1st major tourney attempt.He had skippered the junior side in 2006 against the same opposition to a world cup win as well.Richly deserved kudos resonated from  his home of Buffer zone to all parts of the country soon after his arrival.

Could anyone have expected this ? Nope… It was a long shot but then that’s Greenshirts for you.It still feels after 4 weeks like a Midsummer day’s dream.The euphoria will still  continue for long, I’m sure.