BLOG: Want to improve cricket, better have some Mithai

13 years can be a long time to understand the modes and temperaments of any trade. That’s the amount of time I have invested to pull along my career as a sports journalist, covering most sports but particularly, cricket. Apart from those who have expired and a few odds ones, I have had the privilege to meet and interview most legends from this soil. Without any doubt, majority of these players are die-hard patriots and their hearts beat for their country. Their services to the game and loyalty towards the nation cannot be questioned, but sadly, this passion hardly pumps beyond Television talk shows.

JACKPOT FOR ALL

Cable television is a booming business, and like any other venture this medium too needs to set the stage and sell the right products. Come major tournaments like the World Cup and Champions Trophy, TV Channels are desperate to put together a show. There is a fanatic search for former crickets to spark these shows and interestingly, even the less talked about cricketers suddenly turn into hot selling “Bun-Kababs”.

With over 40 channels sprinting in the mad rating-race, each tries to capture its choice of players, depending on its size and budget. Once all the contact work is inked and money transferred, these former stars are dressed to kill and fielded neatly on stadium look-alike sets.

Now comes the concerning part, with hardly any editorial check and often a pretty face put across the table (with only “oh I love Afridi” level of cricketing knowledge), these veteran boys are let loose to speak at their will.

In short, channels become their PR agents. In a carnival atmosphere where sponsors are dying to chunk out budgets, both the channels and former cricketers fill their pockets, little realising the BIG damage they cause to the team and the game in general.

THE BIG BANG THEORY

8 out of 10 times, they heavily criticize the team for one sin or another. They would question a batsmen’s technique, a bowler’s stamina and line would be critically examined, the keeper would be hanged for missing a stumping chance and of course everyone’s favorite, drop catchers would be thrown into a dungeon.

But then you can’t entirely put the blame on them; our beloved Green Shirts give them every opportunity to do so. Honestly, whenever the team performs below par (which they often do), people straight away switch to news channels wanting these experts to bash the life out of them.

In the age of blistering internet speed and a rampant social media, words and news travel fast. It’s only a matter of time before players learn about this stampede of criticism and have often complained that such hammering, and that too during major tournaments badly hurts their moral.

Caught between the fire, news channels and media become the EVIL Genius, of-course with input of their own.

But is this criticism intentional? After years of facing the camera and interviewing big names, my answer would be YES.

Our former heroes do love the game, they love the team too, their wallets are filled and they enjoy respect, but what they badly miss is fame and position. There is an irresistible urge to bag a powerful position with the team or the Cricket Board itself, and criticizing in loud voice and high pitch often helps realise this dream.

PATRIOTISM AT ITS BEST, BUT ONLY ON TV

It doesn’t matter if they played two or 100 matches, patriotism and the love for the game spurs only when they are offered a position with the national side. Services rendered at any lesser level will not score high on the patriotism chart.

Forget me ,try recalling yourself, when was the last time you spotted any big name in Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar etc spending an hour or two with young boys at any local ground, adjusting their grips or giving away fitness tips?

But listen to them closely on TV and they would tirelessly stress the need to do the fine things with the younger boys, improve the domestic conditions and build the game at school level.

I have always put up a humble question to them, “Sir, if you don’t step out and do it, we will have to pray for angels to descend and lift our fortunes”.



We have the glittering example of Rashid Latif who runs a free academy in Karachi and has single handedly helped produce half a dozen national players, namely Khalid Latif, Khurram Manzoor, Fawad Alam, Anwar Ali and the recent heartthrobs, Sohail Khan and Sarfaraz Ahmed.

If only a few more cricketers would walk out of TV studios and follow Rashid’s path, we would have many more refined and sound cricketers to ease out selections dilemmas.

THE GREAT PAKISTAN CRICKET CIRCUS
The verbal spat flashed on TV screens Tuesday evening created a bitter taste and highlighted a shattering level of tolerance. On one hand were the defiant Misbah and Afridi who took the formers head on for their endless attacks, on the other, needless to say were the cluster of formers who decided hit back hard.




Both sides shot firing arguments, venom was spitted and hatred was stretched to questioning each other’s upbringing. Although gripping for a few moments, such clumsy acts do raise a plain and simple question, what good is all this for Pakistan Cricket?

Remember, some of these countering opponents have played together in one team. This long-coming outburst is a clear insight to their relations during paying days, makes an easy understanding of all the disturbing news of rifts, leg pulling and revolts we have grown up hearing.




But that’s nothing new, Pakistani fans are used to witnessing such disheartening moments for years now, it’s only that the cluster of TV channels have only fueled these rifts. But more than the media, it’s up to these players themselves to salvage the pride and dignity of this game.

Trying to dig positives in this murky situation, I want to live to see the day, when our traditions Mithai will be used for all the right reasons and occasions. When formers would treat the current players with mouth watering Gulab Jamuns for winning laurels, and in return, the current would sweeten their seniors with Barfi for nurturing their younger days.

Ashar Zaidi is a Senior Anchor/Sports Journalist with Geo News. He tweets @AsharZaidiGeo