DateLine: 8th December 2009

Pakistan Cricket needs immediate restructuring and rehabilitation. Unfortunately ever since the Oval fiasco in 2006 Pakistan cricket status has regressed continuously. Ironically while other teams are surging ahead our team is yet to regain its lost confidence and shape. Infact such a pathetic state of our team may be mainly attributed to lack of ICC support to organize International Cricket in Pakistan and further due to inconsistent policies on the part of organizers of the game.

Indeed revival of Pakistan Cricket need Bhutto’s sprit. Remembering Shaheed ZulfiqarAliBhutto’s staunch patronage of the game in those difficult days of Pakistan’s history, when the nation was picking up pieces to rebuild the country after 1971’s debacle, ZulfiqarAliBhutto’s one speech which he made 37 years ago can still give an inspiring message to our country’s sportsmen and more especially to our cricketers.

Reverting back to that memorable speech, while inaugurating the PCB (then BCCP) Head Quarter at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on October 23rd 1972, then the President of Pakistan ZulfiqarAliBhutto had advised the Pakistan Cricket team, which was about to take the trip down under, to display the highest standard of sportsmanship both on and off the field and to leave a good impression of independent and sovereign nation. He had urged the cricketers to take both victory and defeat in proper spirit of the game and advised them not to let the temporary success make them feel that they are above ordinary mortals and maintain modesty.

Following is excerpt of ZulfiqarAliBhutto’s memorable address to the cricketers:

"Mr. Abdul Hafeez Kardar, my dear friends I would not like to take much of your time as play is to start soon, spectators, too, are waiting to see your performance. Nevertheless, I would like to tell you that this is the one game in which I am deeply interested after the game of politics.

Recently, we have concluded, after many years of efforts, an agreement on the fundaments of the constitution. Many of our friends are wondering as to how, in such a short period of time, we were able to resolve issues with which we grappled for so long the reasons are many but I think there is also a "cricketing" reason to it and that is that, like cricket, we too have three stumps in the federal constitution, the central subjects the concurrent subject and the residuary subjects.

In a federal government, concurrent subjects are most difficult to run. The concurrent list is like the googly. That is why there is a great deal of similarity between cricket and the great game of politics.

Gentlemen, I wish you well. I know you will do well. You will do well to the country by wining the game. I know that if you put in your very best, you will win many matches. But, as cricketers and as sportsman, I know that you will perform well not only in the field but also outside the field.

It is very important that we give correct impression when we go abroad. Winning or losing a match really does not matter. When you lose a game, of course you feel disheartened and when you win, you feel greatly elated. But, in the final analysis, it is the impression that you leave behind of your sportsmanship, of your being able to take both victory and defeat in the proper spirit of the game.

This is most important especially in view of some of the recent events that took place in another game. So, you would have to make up for it and I know that you will make up for it. I know you will not lose your head. It is very bad when promising young sportsmen lose their heads and think that suddenly they have become great ones above the ordinary people.

Unfortunately these things affect us somewhat but a sportsman who lose head has often had a very short innings. I don’t want to give you examples of our own people. You know how true it is. Take the sub-continent as a whole. Those who have held their head, those who have taken their laurels modestly and have not felt elated over temporary sensations of being glorified and lionized, their innings have been much longer.

You know in undivided India there was Vijay Merchant, who was a modest cricketer. He took his successes modestly. He had a long and distinguished career. Likewise Lala Amaranath never allowed his successes to go to his head. Vino Mankad for sometime lost his head and had a very bad patch. But, when he came down to earth, he became "Mankad the Magnificent". So, do not lose your head. Do not let temporary successes make you feel that you are above the ordinary mortals. Modesty is a good thing for every body, above all for a sportsman.

Pointing to Mr. A. H. Kardar, he had said, "I know this gentlemen from a very long time. We first met in Bombay when he went there to play cricket. He had made a name in Lahore against the Australian servicemen. In those days he used to wear Australian white cap. He has been an outstanding cricketer, I see other cricketers here also Fazal Mahmood is here, ..... they have all had a good career.

I hope and pray you will bring great credit to your country".

Coming back to the current situation of Pakistan cricket there is an urgent need to realize the gravity of the situation. Declination of foreign teams to visit Pakistan and the team’s inconsistent performance has resulted in badly denting of our team’s reputation as former world champions. Therefore thus it is imperative that emergent steps are initiated to boost team’s spirit and moral for revival of its pride, otherwise the interest of millions of our cricket supporters will be fading away. There is no doubt about that the team has potential to rise back to its true strength and bounce back with victories once they are regrouped and their confidence restored.

SOURCE: ZulfiqarAliBhutto’s speech quoted in 25 years of Pakistan Cricket - M.H. Maqsood.1973.

ZulfiqarAliBhutto was not only a staunch patron of cricket but he himself was a cricketer - seen in the above photograph seated second from left as a member of Cathedral High School Cricket Team, Bombay (1944)

- Reproduced through the courtesy of "Zulfi Bhutto of Pakistan, his life and times" by Stanley Wolpert,Oxford University Press.

(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only.
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