Cricket & Pakistan: A tale like no other!

First off, I don’t want to sound like a man, narrating folklore rather the intention of writing this piece is to somehow express the connectivity that I, along with millions of other Pakistanis, feel with the game of Cricket. Additionally, it is not an attempt to raise questions, only for the sake of criticism because I don’t feel like giving a critique, only because everyone is doing it. However, this piece may help you in getting a better understanding of our peculiar connection with the game of Cricket and as Pakistan is on the verge of missing out on the Semifinals, this piece may end up as a consolation note for most of us as we witness our team falling short again. 

Although I am not an expert, yet I am fan-enough to give my two cents on our peculiar connection with Cricket. Growing up in an environment where Cricket has always been the most imperative tenet of culture, it has always been a delight to see 'Men in Green' winning. Whether it was in the late 90s, early 2000s, or even 2010s, Cricket has always been the last resort for a nation, riddled with too many issues to be even listed here. The relief, the sense of entitlement, and the ever-expanding role of Cricket in our lives, Cricket has always allowed us to forget our problems and let ourselves feel the happiness of winning.

As far as I can go, my first vivid memory of Pakistan in an ICC tournament was the Cricket World Cup of 2003. And in contrast to the talent on the 2003 squad, Pakistan couldn't even go beyond the groups' stage. Then in 2007 CWC, the whole nation felt shattered and bruised as our team was humiliated by Ireland and then went out again from the first stage of the tournament. Later, the 2007 World T20 helped us all in forgetting the horror show of 2007 CWC, only to leave us disappointed again. That Misbah's shot kept haunting us until Afridi's masterclass, Umar Gul's fearsome yorkers, and Younas Khan's impeccable captaincy led us to the 2009 World T20 title. We kept our momentum going in the next World T20s but only to miss out on the titles.  

In 2011 CWC, a different Pakistani team emerged, and soon, we seemed to be on the verge of making the first CWC final since 1999 until we met India in Semifinal. The results were no different from our previous four meetings with India in the WCs as we lost again. Not to mention, the humiliation of the 2015 CWC as the Pakistani Cricket team didn't even seem to be ready for the event. However, throughout all this, the whole nation never left the side of the Cricket team as they kept standing behind the team and two years later in 2017, they got the prize for their unconditional love for the game of Cricket as Pakistan defeated India in the Champions Trophy final. Nonetheless, that 2017 CT victory didn't help us much as our team kept declining, and as the CWC 2019 was in the sight, it was obvious that the team was not fully prepared for the eventual showdown. 
We, however, were not ready to give up on the team as we were hoping against hope that this time things would change and we might get our hands on that elusive trophy after a never-ending wait of almost 27 years. But all we got in the end, is disappointment and frustration as, at the time of writing this, Pakistan is playing its last match of this CWC, again going out before the semifinals.

Now, we can all blame or can find a scapegoat or whatnot. But to be honest, it is time that we go beyond this name-calling and blame game. As experts have said it hundreds of times, our domestic structure is one of the major ingredients of our poor performances in ICC tournaments over the last many years and of the overall decline of our Cricket team. My friend Hammad said it like two years ago and it is still resonating with the poor performance of the Pakistani Cricket team in this CWC, 

"You look at Pakistan squad in every series, and every time you are bound to find a player not worth a place in the side, and still he makes it to the squad. It’s not that he didn’t earn his place in the squad, but Pakistan domestic structure is just not good enough to spot a better talent." 

Also, the poor team selection and the irresponsible attitude of senior players, which is not even a surprise, have let us down again. 
Still, even after this poor campaign (I admire the spirited comeback of the Pakistani team though), we will not stop supporting our team as Cricket and our nation has a connection, which transcends any such barrier. Furthermore, we, as a nation, have never failed to relish every bit of highs or to resent every moment of lows and soon, we will eventually find another reason to cheer for this team. Doesn't matter, if we hit the rock bottom or we reach the very top,  as long as there are players in green jerseys, representing our country, we will keep cheering for them. To conclude, our connection with the game of Cricket will always be the strongest one and of all the stories, our tale of Cricket will always be the most memorable one!