Cricket mess

Pakistan's cricket team is currently enduring a torrid time Down Under. After getting thrashed 3-0 in a three-Test series in Australia, the tourists are now looking at a 5-0 drubbing in their five-match Twenty20 International series in New Zealand.

The Black Caps have comfortably won the first four games of the series and, on current form, look set to complete what would be an embarrassing whitewash for new skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi and his men in what is supposed to be the team's favourite format. Back home, there is fresh turmoil in Pakistan cricket following Zaka Ashraf's decision to step down as chairman of the International Management Committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday. Ashraf, who had also served as PCB chairman during 2011-2014, took charge of the interim setup last July with a mandate to hold the Board's elections in four months time. However, after the IMC failed this task it was given a three-month extension last November which was due to expire in the first week of February.

During his latest tenure which lasted just over six months, Ashraf oversaw a turbulent period in which Pakistan's cricket team suffered one setback after the other. Pakistan failed to qualify for the Asia Cup final last October, falling to a big defeat against old rivals India in the process. Then the team flopped once again against the hosts in a high-profile game of the ICC 50-over World Cup in Ahmedabad before crashing out of the race for the semi-finals. Under Ashraf's leadership, the PCB was quick to lay the blame on Babar Azam, who resigned as Pakistan's all-format captain following the World Cup debacle. The Board brought in two new skippers – Shan Masood for Tests and Shaheen Afridi for T20I format – but both of them failed in their first assignments in Australia and New Zealand respectively.

All-out changes were also made to the team's coaching staff and the national selection committee, at times igniting controversies. The biggest one came when the PCB brought in as consultant former captain Salman Butt, who was convicted, banned and served time for spot-fixing. The Board was forced to backtrack on the controversial appointment. There were other embarrassing moments for both Zaka and PCB as well, especially when there was a leak of WhatsApp messages between a top PCB official and Babar Azam in a live TV programme. In a nutshell, Pakistan's cricket community is largely relieved to get a new PCB boss. But what next? In the absence of a proper system, there are fears that the next hand-picked man to run Pakistan cricket could also turn out to be the wrong person for this important job. For the sake of Pakistan cricket, people sitting in the corridors of power should allow the PCB to run its business professionally instead of ruining it with their whimsical decisions. Over the years, the post of PCB chairman has become highly coveted and whoever is in power hands it over to their own men. These political appointments need to stop. Cricket is a passion for this nation and thus holds tremendous importance. It is time we undid our past mistakes and allowed better sense to prevail otherwise what has happened in Australia and New Zealand during the past few weeks will continue elsewhere in the world as well.