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Pakistan need strong ‘A’ team programme, not new domestic competitions
They say “Change is the only constant in life” and one can be forgiven to assume that no other institution has taken this philosophy more seriously than the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
These are interesting times in Pakistan cricket. It is always the case when any administration approaches its maiden domestic cricket season.
After all, the first season of the domestic season is considered an opportunity to initiate a legacy project that would immortalise that particular administrator (read: chairperson) in the history of the country’s cricket.
So, we have hosts of changes every two to three years in the domestic structure — ranging from alterations in the tournament formats and the number of teams to the eradication of tournaments altogether.
The upcoming domestic season, which commences next month, will be the first of the current administration that has been in place since February.
The performances of the men’s side have taken a serious hit over the past several months. It, of course, is not fair to entirely blame Mohsin Naqvi’s administration for the on-field failures.
After all, the wheels, taking the team downhill, had been in motion over the last two years.
There is, however, a realisation in the PCB headquarters that the house is in serious need of fixing.
And, what better way to do it than by launching a series of new domestic competitions?
So, packaged with buzz words as “new era”, “witness the epic”, “clash of champions” and an ever-powerful hashtag “discovering champions”, the PCB last week unveiled its plans to fix Pakistan’s cricket through a short video laden with zesty transitions and dramatic background music in a press conference at its headquarters.
By now, you may already know what Champions Events are. If you don’t, here is a quick briefing: there will be now an additional tournament for each format in the domestic cricket calendar, which, by the way, will be 11 months long in the 2024-25 season, in an elite layer at the top of the existing structure played by five teams featuring top 150 cricketers.
“There was not a need for any radical changes in domestic cricket structure, but we need to bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket,” said Naqvi, the PCB chairperson.
To ensure no future administration dares to scrap this layer, the PCB will now take all the necessary steps, as the chairperson told the media, to enshrine these events in the board’s constitution.
That Pakistan cricket needs fixing is something not many would contest.
For the first time since 2016, Pakistan crashed out of a T20 World Cup in the group stage — also following a humiliating loss to the USA — this year.
They won only four of the nine matches in the 2023 50-over World Cup. Since their series win against South Africa in January-February 2021, Pakistan have lost four of the eight home Tests and others have been draws.
But, would adding a layer of domestic competitions and increasing the quantity of domestic matches solve the problem? Ironically, the new layer has a lot of resemblance to the six-team domestic structure that the PCB rescinded just last year.
Boards around the world make efforts and go to every length to reduce the gap between domestic cricket played in their country and international cricket. Despite that, the gap in the quality of domestic and international cricket has always existed, because international cricket throws the best of the best groomed in different environments around the world with each team and player bringing their idiosyncrasies.
That is why teams around the world rely on their ‘A’ team programmes to deliver the goods.
‘A’ team programmes act as a perfect bridge. They provide the domestic players with the flavour of competitive and high-pressure cricket against quality cricketers from around the world in home and away conditions that they are expected to encounter when they make it to the international level. In return, the selectors get to identify players ready for the gruelling demands of international cricket. It is a win-win, making the ‘A’ programmes all-important.
Solid ‘A’ team programmes also come in handy to test the players on the periphery of the senior sides. Boards around the world design their schedules in such a manner that when their Test teams tour different nations, their ‘A’ teams either visit that destination in the lead-up to the Tests — to provide practice to those in contention — or along the Test team to help selectors gauge how the second string players fare in those conditions.
Domestic cricket in Pakistan is often played on below-par pitches, which hinders player development, and makes it imperative for the PCB to lay a strong ‘A’ team or Shaheeens’ structure. First-class competitions in Pakistan have been held on under-prepared wickets where fast bowlers end up taking wickets without bowling at their potential, batters have had trouble even putting their bats on the ball, and spinners have remained mere spectators in the field.
It is no surprise that the teams that have played the two ICC World Test Championship finals and some of the most successful white-ball teams have the most robust ‘A’ team programmes.
New Zealand won the inaugural edition of the Test Championship by beating India in 2021. Their ‘A’ team have played seven unofficial Tests across India, New Zealand, and Australia, and three each unofficial ODIs in India and Australia since September 2022.
Australia are the reigning Test and ODI champions. Their ‘A’ team toured Sri Lanka in June 2022 (two each unofficial Tests and ODIs) and New Zealand in April 2023 (two unofficial Tests) over the last two years and hosted New Zealand ‘A’ for two unofficial Tests and three unofficial ODIs across August-September 2023.
India have been one of the most consistent performers over the last decade and a half. They have been the finalists of both World Test Championship finals and last year’s 50-over World Cup, and won the recent T20 World Cup. India Blues, their ‘A’ side, have played 10 unofficial Tests since September 2022 against New Zealand ‘A’ (home), Bangladesh ‘A’ (away), South Africa ‘A’ (away), and England Lions (home). They were the finalists of the Emerging Asia Cup — 50-over competition — in Sri Lanka last year.
England’s ‘A’ team, England Lions, have played five unofficial Tests since February 2023 against Sri Lanka ‘A’ and India Blues (both away). They played a three-day contest against England in Abu Dhabi in November 2022 and three 50-over warm-ups against touring South Africa in the summer of 2022. Prior to their unofficial Tests against Sri Lanka ‘A’ and India Blues, they also got to play multi-day warm-ups against Sri Lanka Board President’s XI and India Blues
South Africa’s ‘A’ side have played seven unofficial Tests in the last 14 months. They toured Sri Lanka (two) and hosted West Indies (three), and India (two). They host Sri Lanka ‘A’ for three unofficial ODIs and two unofficial Tests from 31 August.
Pakistan Shaheens, on the other hand, have played just four unofficial Tests since May 2023 also against Zimbabwe ‘A’ (away) and Bangladesh ‘A’ in Darwin. Their unofficial Tests in Zimbabwe — that they won 2-0 — were dovetailed with six one-days that they lost 4-2. Their best performance came last year when they won the Emerging Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.
Recently, Pakistan Shaheens have drawn a two-unofficial Test series with Bangladesh ‘A’ in Darwin that followed two unofficial ODIs. Currently, the team, comprising Pakistan internationals and best domestic performers, is playing emerging Australian cricketers in a T20 competition in Australia.
What must concern the decision-makers is Pakistan Shaheen’s 47-run crumbling loss to Melbourne Stars’ emerging side despite fielding seven Pakistan internationals. (Arafat Minhas is not counted among the seven players as he played T20 Internationals in Asian Games).
From 13 August, Shaheens play Bangladesh ‘A’ again in two four-day games in Islamabad. The first of those two matches, however, is largely a practice game for the Test squad members who will take on Bangladesh in a two-Test series later in the month.
Pakistan are currently ranked sixth in the ICC Test rankings. While the ‘A’ sides of the teams ranked above them have not only played more matches, their contests have been against quality sides and in challenging conditions. Pakistan Shaheens’ last tour of a competitive Test nation was in October-November 2021 when they visited Sri Lanka.
In 2018, New Zealand Cricket diverted its funds for the last two rounds of the 10-round first-class structure towards strengthening its ‘A’ team programme. If the PCB is open to more investment in the development of the game, then it needs to be well thought out that yields desired benefits.
There have been various attempts over the years to ‘reduce the gap between domestic and international cricket’ in Pakistan. First-class tournaments, and even entire structures, have been overhauled.
As administration after administration has tried to conjure up projects to immortalise themselves, Pakistan cricket has remained mediocre.
The solution lies in a quality ‘A’ team programme.
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