Cricket gamesmanship: Its real losers
17 September was a calm day in Pakistan with even no rumour/speculation about anything unusual,leave aside a security alert to any entity including New Zealand’s Cricket Team which was here to play a match the same day at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Everything was moving apace with clockwork precision.
People were excited to view the match, scheduled in the afternoon but left utterly mystified/flustered with the announcement of hastily abandoning the tour by New Zealand unilaterally for unspecified security concerns to its men.
No effort was spared by Pakistan including PM Imran Khan, making an urgent phone call to his counterpart in New Zealand to save the tour but of no avail.
This seemed as if casting pearls before swine. Pakistan was at loss to see reason falling flat as happens classically at dialogue of deaf and absurdity taking it on a ride, thus was constrained to explore mischief underneath and lay the fact bare. Immediately, it found out that the quoted report of “Five Eyes” was egged on by a fake Facebook post and email.
Both were generated from India, using fake identity and content to scuttle the tour as part of its 5th generation war, unleashed by it against Pakistan in collaboration with its other foes.
Seeing involvement of Five Eyes alliance, it was a forgone conclusion that being its member, England would also cancel its cricket tour of Pakistan in October which it did but strangely, the main reason cited was far different.
This was coined in the mental and physical health of players, caused by fatigue and ensuing difficulty in recouping them for upcoming T-20 World Cup.
This was simply a travesty of truth. The alliance of Five Eyes could not stand by its own intelligence because it was a hoax. There was no security threat whatsoever to New Zealand’s Cricket Team.
It was a plot to malign Pakistan in order to secure its own mischievous ends and purposes other than the safety of players. Precisely this is the reason that Cricket Boards of the two countries are now under fire even within.
They are being severely criticized by former cricketers, players, analysts and journalists alike for enormous holes in their stance to call off the tours.
British PM Boris Johnson has distanced himself and also expressed his displeasure on the decision of (ECB) albeit this sounds synthetic, being a head of state.
PM of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern cannot pretend even this because she was personally called by Imran Khan to intervene as the situation was absolutely inverse of what was being portrayed.
Undoubtedly, Pakistan has lost, much awaited two important tours of cricket along with opportunities to enjoy cricket in passion by its people and savour full return of cricket to Pakistan after almost two decades.
Other harms caused are not anew to Pakistan. Pakistan has successfully seen off their inimical spate of overt and covert actions in recent past.
Again it would come out stronger out of the latest one, assuming intensity after Pakistan’s “Absolutely Not” and enhanced position in region after fall of Kabul.
Its catalogue is packed with similar acts of malice and double standards but end always came out in its favour.
In this context, one tends to recall a notoriously famous “back out” by France on its deal with Pakistan for a nuclear reprocessing plant in 1978 under US pressure.
Pakistan lost the reprocessing plant and France the “credibility”. Pakistan became a nuclear power on its own but impaired credibility for France is eternal.
So, the real loser of instant imbroglio is not Pakistan. It is the game of cricket, New Zealand and England. This would cause further disrepute to the game of cricket, already in tatters.
Once known as game of gentlemen. Now it is marked with racism, and subservience to money galore, state preferences/exclusions, inflated egos and a compromised ICC.
New Zealand is a country of much bigger international stature than its tiny size. In particular, it rose high when amid a terrorist attack at Christchurch on Friday prayers, killing 50 Muslims, New Zealand as a country showed stern intolerance for terrorism and a bond of sympathy with victims irrespective of creed and colour. Their rallying cry was to let New Zealand be a place where there is no tolerance for racism ever.
Their PM Jacinda showed great leadership and overnight found a place in galaxy of world leaders who stood for lofty ideals.
Now same lady PM was frightened to see what was absolutely plausible. Her only consideration of player’s safety seemed to overwhelm her completely. Yes, human life is sacrosanct if threat is real.
Contrarily, it is cowardice or reflects a morality within bounds of own people only which she showed once. Besides, there is an element of acquiescence to international bigwigs.
A greatness is not a one time virtue. It remains on constant trial. This definitely gives a way to second thought about her standing. Apart from her, whole episode would take toll from New Zealand too.
As a big global power, England is a spent force however, to retain its semblance, it draws strength from the US by following its policy blindly even if it looks ridiculous with tail wagging.
Pakistan’s Absolutely Not was for the US and reportedly, England was instrumental in crafting the report which scuttled the cricket’s tours regardless of what it entailed to the cause of cricket which happens to be its own baby.
Pakistan’s cricket team toured England twice when coronavirus pandemic was booming there. Reciprocity is a deep instinct.
Probably, England has also thrown it to the winds along with its self-esteem. For its own sake, as a big superpower, Britain should seek a graceful exit but whatever it is doing, it could only fetch it a kick.
— The writer, a retired Lt Col, is a senior columnist based in Islamabad.
