The Ramiz impact

The revival has begun! Pakistan Cricket is back to its winning ways. And just nothing could signify it better than their emphatic 10-wicket win over arch-rivals India in the World T20 clash in Dubai on Sunday.

It was vintage Pakistan cricket team that came out all guns blazing to turn the tables on a formidable adversary in the tension-filled contest. To the astounded Indian spectators and equally surprised Pakistan fans, it was a transformed unit that outplayed their rivals in every department, led by astute Babar Azam who looked in total control of his charges and the game.

Gone was the defeatist attitude, the tottering demeanor and the chaotic approach that had become such familiar traits with Pakistan teams over the past decade. They were replaced by an aggressive body language, a spring in the feet and the hunger to win at all cost. It was this culture shock, more than anything else, that stunned Virat Kohli’s men into submission.

Prior to Sunday’s defeat, India had beaten Pakistan in each and every World Cup clash, be it the 50-over contests or the T20 ones. Based on that, the statisticians and critics alike had predicted a romp for India. But it was not to be.

For keen followers of Pakistan cricket, this transition has a very simple explanation: the change in guard at the PCB.

From the moment the newly-appointed PCB chairman Ramiz Raja took over the reins of Pakistan cricket last month, he has meant business. And it shows. A former Pakistan captain who also held a prominent post in the PCB more than a decade ago, Ramiz has clearly learned from his experiences. That he has started his new innings on the front foot is for everyone to see, though New Zealand’s abrupt pullout from the tour is as much a wrong-footed start as can be.

His refreshingly bold approach towards things and his resolve in tackling some of the thorniest issues confronting Pakistani cricket for decades is, indeed, a testament to his confidence.

More importantly, Ramiz has not shied away from calling a spade a spade in the few weeks he has been in the saddle, unlike his predecessors who have been hesitant in shunning the diplomacy even at such grave occasions.

Thankfully, Ramiz did not mince any words while lambasting New Zealand and England for backing out of their tours on flimsy grounds. In fact, it has been his aggressive stance since the aborted tours, his determination to raise the issue at the ICC, besides initiating measures for substantial compensation that has yielded amazing results.

The New Zealand team has already conveyed their intentions of making a compensatory tour to Pakistan later this year while the growing vilification chorus from within England has compelled the England and Wales Cricket Board Chairman Ian Whatmore to quit his post.

Just where is the new cricket boss getting his confidence from? The answer lies in his credentials; the fact that he has played the game at the highest level and has been among the leading experts of the game for quite some time now.

During the past many decades, political appointments of hand-picked men as PCB chairmen – which includes a retired army general, a nephrologist, an ex-ambassador, a political analyst and a few others – have brought much harm to the game and only little benefit.

It is no surprise that Pakistan’s victories on the field have been few and far in between, while off the field too, the game has grappled with controversies ranging from match-fixing, nepotism to biased selection etc. Of course, leading teams staying away from touring the country citing security reasons has not helped either. There’s also much talk of the raw cricketing talent nearing saturation that does hold some weight.

Succinctly put, bad governance coupled with the national team’s poor faring in international cricket has earned the ire of the cricket-mad nation which forever wants to see Pakistan winning with scant tolerance for defeats.

Against such a grim backdrop, rather than making cosmetic changes Ramiz has talked about an overhaul which is imperative to boost the sagging fortunes of the game. A clear message, that he will be a hard task master in the new job has already seen likes of Misbah-ul-Haq, Waqar Younis, Waseem Khan and a few others lacking orientation and expertise, relinquishing their posts in a jiffy and moving out.

The former opener, who was part of the 1992 World Cup winning squad, has also used his good offices to bring in in two big names – Matthew Hayden and Vernon Philander – as batting and bowling coaches for the all-important World T20 being staged in the UAE.

The massive hue and cry over the wrong selection for the mega event has also been addressed adroitly by Ramiz, who has had the selectors bending backwards to accommodate four deserving players in the squad.

Thankfully, the induction of the former test cricketer has been more than welcomed by the fraternity, while the media in a rare show of optimism, has also hailed Ramiz Raja’s appointment which is a good omen for Pakistan cricket indeed.

The writer is News Editor, Bol News