The Man of the Match for the Pakistan-Afghanistan match, Ibrahim Zadran, was perhaps a good choice, because his 87 as opener powered Afghanistan to the target of 284, and was more than the 65 made by fellow opener Rehmanullah Gurbaz in the 130-run opening stand that set up what was Afghanistan’s first ever victory over Pakistan in any form of cricket, whether a Test or either the 50- or 20-over formats of limited-over cricket. However, his use of this occasion to dedicate his award to the Afghan citizens being repatriated from Pakistan was both inappropriate, and did not make sense. Apart from the suitability of a cricketer speaking about another country’s immigration authorities’ actions, he statement seemed to make the assumption that Afghans have a right to live in Pakistan, even if they are there illegally. That the statement came in India may have been pleasing to the hosts of the World Cup tournament, but even India, which has already won against Pakistan, did not use the opportunity to make any anti-Pakistan statement or gesture. It is another matter what are the rights and wrongs of that issue might be, but a sporting event is not to be used for political purposes.
Cricket is a sport, and results follow the rule of showcasing the ‘glorious uncertainty of the game.’ However, even the winner needs the stimulus of having the best team brought up against them. Afghanistan does not will thus find the present victory a hollow one, achieved against an opponent merely going through the motions, of players showing the sort of lead enfooted-ness in the field that goes with efforts to avoid fitness training that would have met with better results if made in a better cause. It has not helped in the field that the PCB has seen three Chairmen in the year and a half leading up to the World Cup, the changes being made not because of improvements in cricket, but because of political vagaries. With the PCB being run like any other corrupt and inefficient government department, it was perhaps inevitable that merit in selection would fall by the wayside. Is cricket going the same way as hockey and squash? The administrators are leaving no stone unturned to ensure this. In that case, the defeat by Afghanistan is the first of a series of disgraces.
