The promised tabdeeli of #NayaPakistan is almost upon us. Word is that once he officially assumes office, Imran Khan would wield the axe on all that was 'ragged and rickety' in the old country.
But would it really be wise to chop and change just for the sake of it? Surely there must be some things worth retaining from the #PuranaPakistan. Like the current cricket setup.
Although there is nothing concrete so far, speculation — primarily on social media — is rife that Khan, as the new PM, would relieve PCB Chairman Najam Sethi of his duties. And while mere twitter chatter should never be enough fodder to warrant a story like this, clamour for Sethi's head and the growing list of his mooted successors have crescendoed to a point where the matter has started getting column inches.
Roznama Express sports editor Saleem Khaliq, in his hyperlinked piece above, says that at this point, rumours are all there is. Whichever former cricketer, he writes, is meeting Khan these days to congratulate him on his upset poll win is being linked with Sethi's job.
And even though a PCB source tells Dawn that it's business as usual and there is no panic yet, it cannot be discounted that all this speculation could be a precursor of things to come. If that happens of which there are ominous signs, it would be an unfortunate and undeserved end to a remarkable era of Pakistan cricket. The needless casualty in the Khan-Sethi political beef (read paintees punctures) would be the national game (no hockey corrections please).
But without letting this piece descend to a PR favour for anyone, let's conduct an objective perusal of the team and the game's progression since Sethi was first handed the reigns on June 23, 2013.
Exactly a week before Sethi took over, the Pakistan team had exited the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy after losing all three of their matches — the last one being a chastening eight-wicket loss to India. The team then was winless, spineless and in a state of free fall. The team's highest score in those trio of defeats was 170.