Inzamam-ul-Haq grows in stature as player, leader of men

Inzamam silenced his critics; rammed half century after half century and also marshalled his depleted bowling attack admirably

By Dr Nauman Niaz

Contrary to what was foreshadowed in my previous articles on this vexing subject, Pakistan now look comfortable and set to resolve their problems with the re-emergence of Younis Khan as a consistent run scorer; with Mohammad Sami bowling like a genuine spearhead at Bangalore and everyone trying their bit, it seems that we are heading for better times. At this time the PCB surrendered responsibility of team matters, granting sufficient power to Inzamam-ul-Haq to do what he thinks would be in the best interests of the team.

Following the riotous end to Pakistan's tour to Australia the problem came full circle back to the PCB, which appeared to have difficulty in finding the resolution to deal with the matter but Inzamam stepped out and took the responsibility to lead from the front, constantly guiding his young guards to beat India in India.

There is still one point of worry; platitudinous statements expressing the pious hope that Shoaib Akhtar and Inzamam-ul-Haq can patch up their relationship and that Shoaib will soon be fit to take Pakistan to glory, which I consider to be beyond retrieval, are made in the knowledge that time runs out for both combatants at the end of 2005 when their future will hang on uncertainty. As the PCB knows from its previous skirmish in public with Shoaib Akhtar, when a section of the board hoped that Shoaib deprived of the captaincy and other wishes would go away of his own accord to make himself unavailable turned out to be extremely expensive.

The Shoaib issue crystallised two important features in Pakistan cricket's recent history -- decline in playing performance and PCB effectiveness. Put simply, Pakistan had not been a good enough team to win anything except couple of matches in the tri-nation tournament in Australia until they reached Bangalore. Although conceding that the influx of great players into other teams has stiffened the competition, there has been an absolute deterioration in Pakistan's playing standards.

Apart from ability not being as abundant as it was, my view is that the damaging influences have been at work which have prevented the team from playing to the best of its ability. Ability or no ability, the spirit of unison has again brought Pakistan under light... they have started to sparkle and it seems to be a good omen for the future...

So frequently condemned for his captaincy; so commonly lambasted for not showing zing on the field; charged of shying way from the problems in Australia; abhorred for listlessness and lack of control as the man in charge of a team that was seemingly shredded into pieces. Losing the series in Australia 3-0 with Inzamam not part of the side in the last two matches, Aamer Sohail was criticising this Herculean batsman, presumably the best stroke maker in adverse conditions in the world.

Pakistanis managed to win back some confidence as they qualified for the finals of the tri-nation championship in Australia. Inzamam silenced his critics; rammed half century after half century and also marshalled his depleted bowling attack admirably. Imran Khan, Aamer Sohail and all were targeting Inzamam; they wanted Younis Khan at the helm.

With Shoaib Akhtar according to official statements injured and unavailable Inzamam reached India with a pedestrian attack; some opined that the bowlers taken to India could be easily mauled in domestic cricket... Mohammad Sami was making a comeback, returning to international cricket after nursing a heel injury and Abdul Razzaq had lost his ability to reverse the ball... Danish Kenaria was labelled as the only strike bowler and with Arshad Khan and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan the experts were waiting for miracles to happen.

To some Shoaib Akhtar was playing tantrums and that the tour management was not willing to take him on the team. In the end he opted out citing fitness reasons and Inzamam took a popgun attack to India to compete against big names like Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, V V S Laxman and Sourav Ganguly... Indians were the favourites. There were sparkling performances from Inzamam-ul-Haq, Asim Kamal, Abdul Razzaq and Kamran Akmal in the first Test at Mohali... Akmal's back against the wall century, his maiden in Tests rocked the critics... even Aamer Sohail was smiling guiltily...

Though Pakistan lost at Kolkata still Yousuf Youhana and Younis Khan slammed hundreds... Pakistan lost due to ill-planning on the final day... the PCB, Inzamam and everyone were again being criticised... however people closer to the game were satisfied that Inzamam had emerged as a leader helping his inexperienced bowlers to the hilt... he was growing as a father-figure and without Shoaib, so it seemed, the team members were trying to reach somewhere... the Test at Bangalore is history... Inzamam, Younis Khan, Danish Kenaria, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Sami all turned out to be stars... Pakistanis under Inzamam catapulted to fame... there were hiccups with Younis Khan gesticulating, showing his anger against the team manager and Yasir Hameed being condemned for passing sultry remarks against the team coach Bob Woolmer and back home Wasim Bari showing his reservations against the coach... the end result of the series is not that Pakistan levelled 1-1 with India but it is the emergence of Inzamam as the leader marshalling his troops brilliantly and Younis Khan forming an impeccable twosome in this hour of need... Inzamam often silent has finally managed to break this so peculiar silence of the lambs...

Pakistan's natural resource pool, and at the same time its strength, has always been its extensive departmental and association cricket network (believe it or not!). Throughout its history until recently Pakistan system could be depended upon for a regular supply of the right talent. In particular Pakistan were never without at least two spin bowlers of the highest quality, the vital ingredient in all the country's successful seasons after Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis lost their speed.

Those that say that Pakistan should reduce its expectations in the face of the stronger opposition (as visible in Australia) now provided by stars in other teams ought to think further. Pakistan was proud of a system that again ensured the presence in most of its sides of at least two world class players of its own and probably two or three others that added up to at least another world class player.

A decline in standards was in prospect as soon as Ad hoc committees started to take over and the chairmen became all powerful. Further limitations and artificial restrictions have been added over the years so that first class cricket as it is now played in Pakistan bears little resemblance to the game of ten years ago, and the result is plain for all to see.

Defence has replaced aggression in the fundamentals of the game. Spinners have become negative and discouraged from developing the skills that made them match winners. Above all, it is a destructive environment for promising boys seeking a proper grounding in the game, because in modern day cricket youth can be at too great a disadvantage against experience.

The gulf between first class and international cricket has been allowed to widen over the years. To reverse this trend Pakistan must decide whether its traditional and natural resource pool can still supply its needs. There are two alternatives. If the main leagues cannot be persuaded to re-establish a framework, which would lead to the supply of the right quality of talent at national level, PCB's adherence to its policy of adhering to suffice with what they have becomes illogical and only emotional arguments can be put forward for not digging in deep and to reactivate the academies.

Another major problem is the role played by the PCB in the modern game. Whereas many countries with a full time executive now regard their development as mandatory, in our case the time is spent to survive. Pakistan retains an archaic and feeble structure. Whatever else may be said about Shaharyar Khan, he has been effective in making a large and wieldy cricket board operate as a small one, and the players have started to doubt that he is the one to whom they are eventually responsible. In my mind this is to some extent a factor in team's failures recently. As it is, the board members seem confused about how to go about starting the restructuring.

With these inherent weaknesses in place nothing stands in the way of Shoaib's domination. He charters his own plans and plays his own way, quite frequently forgetting the responsibilities he has for being the main spearhead.

Pakistan's public has always craved success and since the team has continually failed to achieve results a vociferous section of that public, encouraged by the media's heavy but often misleading projection of Shoaib as a knight in the shining armour, switched loyalties and support from a team to an individual. The potential danger in this development has now been realised in that the so-called reforms have become a nuisance out of proportion to its representation within the team.

I now sense amongst those close to the game, including players, administrators and media, that Shoaib has projected himself unchecked to an extent that has transgressed the cricket lovers' basic motto, 'the game is greater than the man'. I don't want to say that because of these activities the true spirit of the team has been destroyed but it has surely inflicted damage to Pakistan cricket. And so it seems likely that Pakistan is committed to another miserable season, with the prospect of indifferent results and, more importantly, the infliction of further damaging influences on those younger players on whom Pakistan's future depends.

People at the PCB, like most of us try to pursue their inclinations and defend their interests, according to the objectives they have come to accept as valuable. This inter-play between the need to fulfil their existential requirements and obtain some of the ideals and goals he has set for himself, Mr Shaharyar M Khan must have realised that it takes place within a web of opportunities and challenges he is always surrounded by. He has been reacting with varying degrees of efficiency to these opportunities and challenges, because it depends, to a large extent, on what sort of experiences he has digested, whether or not he has effectively dealt with the challenges and threats, and made clever use of the opportunities that present themselves.

In addition to the purely egocentric outlook he must have assumed to be present, we also know, that he must be depending, to varying degrees, on the assistance, cooperation and demands of the people around him. The formulation of a viable behavioural response to this complex and intricate web of contradictory force fields, representing a variety of challenges and opportunities, depends, therefore, on the manner in which his individual existence has become integrated with the lives of the members of the immediate and more distant social environments.During the last one year, regrettably Shaharyar must have realised that self-possession and internal intrigues have a role to play; contrary to his perceptions, contrary to what he must have come across as a career and a distinguished diplomat, he is now exposed to a decaying part of the society where the scruples, principles and credence have been thrown out of the window.

As it has been outlined on many occasions, this rather theoretical, but, nevertheless, comprehensive insight into the essence of Shaharyar Khan's period at the helm must have given him an opportunity to allow him to develop a firm grasp over our living conditions, and this structure of contradictory force-fields and variable needs and inclinations must have given him an invaluable structure of conceptual relationships with which he can orden the numerous confusing, or, even, chaotic awarenesses he is confronted with; whenever he must be looking at the large number of employees and ex and current players.

I now turn to my vision of the future. Our decline to the lowest ebb has been a cause of concern if not desperation. When one considers the cost and frequency of tours these days, and the future demands of the game, it is clear that our cricket can no longer be managed through volunteers-but rather as a corporate entity with full time professional staff. There must be a change from a production-oriented company to a market-driven outfit. Secondly if we are to sustain the high degree of professionalism which today's game demands, and we accept the fact that cricket is a business-an industry, then these objectives can be achieved by ensuring the practical viability of the board's operations. But a sure way to success is that all employees must be aware of the goals and objectives of the outfit, and hence for a mission statement. A mission statement clearly sets out the objectives of the enterprise so that all employees know, customers know, the whole world knows, what the company is about.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the perception of reality is almost as varied as the background of our experiences, and, we may marvel at the fact, that so many people seem to be able to agree with each other about some of their reality-experiences. However, if we look closely at these mechanisms of agreement between people who think, act and perceive very much alike, we come to the conclusion that this agreement is less a result from the congruence between observations and experiences, but, rather, it is a result of the fact that people are exposed to the same sources of authority and information.

Indeed, we observe very little ourselves, and, nearly all our reality-perceptions reflect a somewhat bland echoing, or 'regurgitation', of the opinions, conclusions and objectives, which the authorities have presented to us from an early age.