Strong base provides power and control. It is essential for every aspect of life and the game of cricket is no different.

Everybody who understands the game knows well that the country has a lot of potential in terms of raw cricketing talent, as good as any other cricket playing nation including even Australia. We only need to groom this talent properly with specific program and continuity.

The sheer responsibility for this lies with the Pakistan Cricket Board and its officers like the Regional District Officers, institutions such as NCA and the selection committee. It is unfortunate, that they are doing nothing for the cause and yet enjoy all benefits from the PCB.

In the aftermath of such negligence at the official level, Pakistan juniors received a historic thrashing at the hands of India Under-19 recently. The bleak future of Pakistan cricket was exposed by the Indian juniors who comprehensively outplayed the hosts in the four-day as well as the one-day games during the tour.

For several decades, the Under-19 players have formed the nucleus of the Pakistan team and their poor show does not augur well for the nation.

The basic reasons for this dismal performance by Pakistan juniors are:

a. Poor selection process

b. No proper preparation

c. Induction of too many players in a series

d. Unprofessionally run academies.

e. Lack of effort from PCB at the grass-root level

f. Biased selection of coaches

The selection committee experimented with far too many players in the series, not only to save themselves from criticism but to also appease and oblige their friends and contacts. No less than 30 under-19 boys were tried by the hosts in the India series and it was because of this ill-planning that none of the players could perform with consistency.

The pathetic show in the series by Pakistan juniors clearly reflects poor planning, absence of a player-development program and lack of interest from PCB to organise cricket at the grass root level.

In comparison, the game’s setup in India is a professional one which deserves high praise indeed. Prior to making the first class grade, the players in India are made to go through the grind in the Under-15, Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 National Championships.

As a next stage, the best players in their respective age groups are groomed and special training programs are organised to polish their talent. BCCI has done a lot of positive work towards organising cricket at the grass-root level, have spent handsome amount of money, and is finally reaping the benefits.

It is common knowledge that the standard of any team cannot be gauged on the basis of its ODI performances. One day cricket is for public entertainment only and rules of this version of cricket suit the batsman more than the bowlers or fielders. The Tests or the four day contests in effect set the standard of the game where the quality of the players and the team could be measured properly. This is why it is all the more alarming that the India Under-19 outclassed Pakistan juniors in both forms of the game.

The officials seem desperate to save their skin by blaming each other after the shock result. The team coach blames it on the selection committee while the selectors are slamming the slackness shown by the academies.

One is compelled to say here that the current PCB management is completely at fault for this alarming performance by the national junior team and they deserve to be removed immediately.

It is time to reorganise Pakistan cricket, to go back and revise the basics. Special long term and short term programs for improvement of the game should be initiated at once to salvage the game’s future in the country. Otherwise, Pakistan cricket will also end up producing average players like Bangladesh or Zimbabwe and one knows only too well who will be responsible for it.

The writer is a former Pakistan Test fast bowler