Pakistan cricket has been in a perpetual state of turmoil for well over half a decade. To reclaim its status as a top-flight cricketing nation, after years of misrule what the PCB today craves for is stability and good governance. It is instead getting instability that has consigned it to a state of limbo. So aggravated is the situation that for the first time ever its corporate head, the chairman, is fighting a prolonged battle for his survival in courts.

This could indeed be devastating, for this has turned our cricket into a laughing stock in the eyes of the world. What really rankles is, this is all self-inflicted and could so easily have been avoided had some people shunned caprice and not gone running to courts to spite Pakistan cricket in order to stoke their bloated egos.

Only recently there seemed to be some hope, some light at the end of the tunnel. Some heartening news had emanated from Down Under, from Melbourne to be precise, where the ICC Executive Board was holding its annual meeting.

After having been left high and dry at the beginning of the year, when nine full members were arrayed on one side with Pakistan standing alone, our isolation seemed absolute. On top of the security situation back home, this was tantamount to putting Pakistan cricket to quarantine, for an indefinite period.

I feel that some deft and intense behind-the-scenes diplomatic endeavour by the incumbent chairman pulled us back, literally from the brink.

For a cricketing nation that has been closer to the top half than the bottom in world cricket, to be ranked right after the ‘Big Three’ in the new cricketing world order, getting a much favourable FTP (with approximately 70 Tests in the next eight years with 42 of them against high prestige, high revenue outfits like India, Australia and England), election into the top table of five-member Executive Board and assurance of presidential position for 2015-16 after it had been passed over may still have been a huge accomplishment.

But after having painted itself into a corner, for the PCB it was not merely making the most of an extremely adverse situation but literally a Houdini’s act.

Cricket Ireland’s admission that it was keen and willing to visit Pakistan for a three ODI rubber at the end of August 2014 until the Karachi Airport incident made them scuttle their plans for the moment, and the fact that they were prodded by Giles Clarke, the chief of England and Wales Cricket Board, reflects that in terms of diplomacy and fence-mending with other Boards and the ICC, the PCB seems to be far more comfortably placed now than at the start of the year when the previous chairman nearly came to fisticuffs with his Australian counterpart in an ICC moot.

Closer to home there are a number of initiatives that too require decision-making, such as a new structure of first class cricket that is first class not just in name like the present one, broadcasting rights for the upcoming series, preparation in real earnest for the ICC World Cup 2015 and the proposed Pakistan Super League in coming Dec-Jan.

Time is of essence on these decisions, and if momentum is lost it could mean delays, cancellations and losses to the tune of millions of dollars. This is not to mention frustration for aficionados across the country for whom cricket is a passion second to none.

Will this process of recovery initiated by Najam Sethi find its lofty objective of putting Pakistan cricket on the path of enduring excellence or would it be allowed to wither on the vane? With things hanging in the balance, and the Supreme Court to have a final say on the issue, one can only keep one’s fingers crossed.

One last word about the team selected for the tour of Sri Lanka that commences next month. It is indeed a balanced and competitive squad, thanks to chief selector Moin and Co, and should give tough time to the Islanders on their turf. However, I feel that young players like Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Talha, Wahab Riaz, Anwar Ali, Shan Masood and a few others need to prove their mettle in Tests as well as ODIs. These boys surely have talent but it is high time they assumed the roles of match-winners. They must prove themselves to be worthy replacements of some of the senior players who are now at the fag end of their career.

Two of our main pacers — Umar Gul and Mohammad Irfan — are also injury prone and it is time some young quicks stepped in their shoes to remind the world how our fast bowlers ruled the world with their quality and pace in the decades gone by.

In the end, I wish the team all the very best on the Sri Lanka tour.

The writer is a former Test cricketer and chief selector.

Published in Dawn, July 20th , 2014