The mercurial nature of Pakistan in international cricket has been so persistent that their unpredictability now borders on cliche.
Photo Copyright – Steve Haag Sports
Pakistan have enjoyed sustained spells of playing very well at international level over the years but not nearly enough to satisfy their hardcore supporters or to throw off the trope.
Cricketers from Pakistan are a special breed, even in the modern era they seem to be more akin to rockstars than exponents of the gentleman’s game.
Pakistan can play though, and many of the best sides in the world have come up short when they have turned it on.
When Pakistan turns up it is an awesome sight, their batsmen displaying outrageous skill and their fast bowling is the stuff of legend.
Of course, they have no right to produce the quality they do in the international arena based purely on the resources they have available to them.
Years of obsessing over the sport have created channels through which talent can flow to the national team, but cricket in Pakistan cannot be compared to the game in England or Australia.
Concerted efforts are being made to bring Pakistan up to speed with modern coaching and player development methods, and they benefit from the input of a raft of former players as well as foreign coaches like Karachi Kings mentor Dean Jones.
It is brought home how much the game means in Pakistan when you note that the Prime Minister is a former Test captain in Imran Khan. As Prime Minister Khan serves as Patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board and must ratify all decisions of the board and executive appointments.
It is a great honour to play international cricket for Pakistan, but with that honour comes the weight of tremendous expectations, which have so often weighed the team down in big moments.
Pakistan may yet find the perfect balance and enjoy the kind of dominance that fans crave, but for now, it is enough to enjoy the wild fluctuations in the fortunes of one of the most charming teams in international cricket.
Things are done differently in Pakistan, but if changing that stripped their team of its character it would be a crying shame.
Written by James Richardson for Hollywoodbets
