Youngsters’ turn

The professional game is not the only level of cricket in which Bangladesh appears to be outclassing Pakistan. On Friday (December 6), Bangladesh claimed an emphatic seven-wicket win against Pakistan in the semifinals of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Pakistan’s defeat was so comprehensive that the Bangladesh batters reached the 117 runs required for victory in just 22.1 overs – after playing less than half of their innings. Setting such a low target would be quite poor in any era of cricket, but is downright abysmal in the modern era, which is marked by the dominance of bat over ball. Left-arm pacer Maruf Mridha dismissed both the opening Pakistani batters for ducks, while player of the match Iqbal Hossain pierced a 42-run partnership in the middle-order, preventing Pakistan from stabilising its innings. In an uncanny resemblance to the familiar weaknesses in Pakistan’s senior cricket team, the bowlers were tasked with doing the impossible for their country to win. This latest victory for Bangladesh follows its senior team’s historic test series win against Pakistan in Pakistan back in September.

However, it is hard to be too harsh on the Pakistani youngsters. They are not being paid anywhere close to the millions that the pros are earning. Even when it comes to the most popular and profitable sport in the country, youth development is somehow still under-resourced and not as big a priority as it should be. Unlike India, the domestic and youth cricket scene in Pakistan is not that prominent. It is also worth considering just how relevant national performance is to a young cricketer in the era of private leagues like the PSL that can offer him/her financial stability without the grind of national-level cricket. One can bring up ‘pride for country’ all they like, but it is hard for a young person to make a great investment in institutions that, at least thus far, have not reciprocated the commitment. Young Pakistanis are not blind or disconnected. They are well aware of the resources and privileges available to their counterparts in India and Sri Lanka but not to them.

In this context, it is rather unsurprising that when we do see a youngster debut for the national cricket team, the player often looks unprepared, under-coached and very much like a player who is still developing rather than one ready for the professional game. The inconsistent state of Pakistan’s professional cricket would not have been possible if there were a solid youth cricket scene that sent players to the professional level without glaring holes in their game. Sports are never top-down. The youth players of today are tomorrow’s professionals and what happens at the bottom will eventually filter to the top. This would indicate that, unless the PCB and other sports authorities start taking youth cricket more seriously, losses to teams Pakistan once dominated will only become more frequent.