In a discussion with India Today Consulting Sports Editor, Nikhil Naz and Pakistani journalist Fareshteh Gati Aslam, Consulting Editor Mr. Rajdeep Sardesai discusses the reasons behind Pakistan cricket's downfall as they crash out of the Champions Trophy.
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00:00Let's just switch and to the world of cricket because Rohit Sharma and the men in blue have planted one foot firmly into the
00:07semifinals of the Champions Trophy with a
00:10Comprehensive six-wicket win over Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday in a match that eventually turned out to be a one-sided affair Virat Kohli's century
00:18Led India's chase. It was his 51st century in the one-day format
00:22And the fact is that as Virat made all the headlines
00:27Pakistan is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons across Pakistan. There is plenty of hand-wringing
00:34What's gone wrong with Pakistani cricket? And that's the question. I want to pose to Faris their slum
00:40She's a Pakistan journalist based in Karachi, and I'm also joined at this moment by Nikhil Nasr
00:47Consulting sports editor who is at the moment in Dubai on his way to Lahore
00:52First to you Nikhil because I know you've got a flight to catch
00:57It appears that the Pakistanis also are all set to go back home because they're not going to progress in the Champions Trophy
01:05They just weren't good enough were they yesterday India and another league
01:13Absolutely right Rajdeep in fact if you look at the two teams now
01:17And this is something that even the staunchest of Pakistan supporters feared
01:21That you know they were hoping for a Pakistan win
01:24But they were hoping against hope and they knew in the back of their head that it's gonna be a massive task for Pakistan to beat
01:30India, but in the manner that the Pakistan team capitulated. I think that's disappointed most
01:36Fans here as well. It was you know being built up as the mother of all battles the big clash
01:41But in the end the contest that we were all building it up to be it turned out to be a no contest
01:47You could see it, and I'm not even looking at you know the margin of runs or the number of deliveries left
01:52That's another thing, but just everything else about the match. You know Pakistan had this big partnership
01:56There are a hundred for just two
01:59But just look at the manner in which they were batting
02:01Less than six and over somewhere around four and over look at India
02:04Cruising to victory yet the batters that are coming to bat are ensuring that you're batting at six plus and over so it's not just
02:11About the margin of victory Rajdeep, but even the mentality where one team has the fear of failure quite apparent
02:17But the other team is not just playing to win
02:20They're actually there to make a statement and that's what the Indian team has done
02:23So there is a big big gulf and as I said, you know
02:26This is something that people were fearing and this could have been the last straw
02:29I know every time they were hoping that okay Pakistan can turn a corner. Maybe this time they'll upset the Indian team
02:36But now pretty much every Pakistani fan that I've spoken to has conceded that there is no competition as far as Indian fans are concerned
02:43I spoke to a lot of them
02:44They're saying this isn't even the rivalry that they really
02:46Bother about those butterflies in the stomach that you would have Indian fans would have in the 90s 80s early 2000
02:52They say no more butterflies India Australia. Give us India Australia any day
02:57You know, let me take that to a Pakistani fan journalist Faris
03:01They and I are on a whatsapp group and I know lots of you are berating the Pakistani team
03:05But you've had four board presidents in the last four years. You've had 26 selectors in the last three years
03:12For captains what's wrong with Pakistani cricket at the moment for each day
03:18What's right with it Rajdeep? I think Pakistan has to do
03:22deep deep dive into
03:25finding
03:27Finding that that spot where they can admit to themselves that there is a lot that has to be corrected
03:34The rod starts from the top. We know that and
03:38If they can get that right, that is the first step
03:42by
03:44Talent pool deficit on the field because we don't even see that a fluorescence of talent
03:50Is it an administrative problem
03:53It is completely
03:55Administrative and even in the past Pakistan cricket succeeded despite it the administrative flaws and not because of the genius
04:03organization that was served up but today what has happened is that I
04:09Think there's too much reliance on past cricketers and what they have to say because not every cricketer
04:16however, good he was on the field is an able administrator and
04:20Certainly Pakistan has suffered because of that in rotation. Everyone has been tried and nobody's come up trumps
04:27No, Pakistan has to do a lot of deep searching. They need to figure out how cricket does not
04:35need to be
04:37handed over to
04:38bureaucrats bureaucrats
04:40Politicians know nothing about sport and they need to take a leaf from global
04:45I know India follows the politician route, but that's not quite the right thing to do in on a sports field
04:53From what you're saying from what you're saying for each day the talent exists
04:58but the politics and the bureaucrats have taken it to
05:01Have taken over the sport in a manner that that talent is not allowed to flourish
05:05Is that what you're saying?
05:06As we said on that chat group if you put this lot that's in charge right now
05:12You put an 18 year old in the scene in front of them he can bat all day
05:15They will not be able to recognize his genius
05:18You put a 17 year old Basim Akram in front of them and they'll say you're gone
05:22Our guy is good experience with the coach mean a year because you know
05:26They are they just don't have it in them to recognize talent
05:29you need sport needs to be managed by people who know sport by people who understand players and
05:36I think in Pakistan. There's none of that right now and
05:41Pakistan is plus planning for the long term. I
05:45Bet you know, our next tournament I think is six months away and nobody's planning for that right now
05:52They'll start planning for it one month before the grounds going to disrepair. Nobody's planning
05:57I mean this Champions Trophy was on the cards. Why were the grounds not ready till about two weeks ago?
06:04But Pakistan needs is a long-term view. I mean every cricket team goes through it
06:10I remember a time when Australia was so completely dependent on Alan border
06:14There was nobody else but Alan boredom batted them through and they worked on their cricket. They worked on shield cricket
06:21They made things happen for themselves and gradually became the champions that they are
06:27India
06:29paucity of fast bowlers
06:31Set up MRF clinics first in Chennai and then all over all across India and look at the benefits of that
06:37There is nothing like that happening in Pakistan
06:40And you know the sad sad news is of course the greatest Pakistani cricket our cricket arguably is in jail
06:47And and you know, this is a moment where even if you don't want Imran Khan as your prime minister
06:53You certainly want Imran Khan to hopefully show the way to the Pakistan cricket team at least to fight
06:59I think the one thing that stood out for us Indian fans is the complete lack of fight in a way in this
07:05Pakistan team the lack of intent and the fear of failure that Nikhil Nas spoke about earlier
07:11But look for each day. I hope we can we can rekindle those Indo Park cricket rivalries genuinely
07:18I hope that the Pakistan cricket team reaches the stage where you will have a competitive match with India because there's nothing better than that
07:25But for now, I guess a lot of soul-searching to be done across the border when it comes to cricket
07:32For joining us, I hope someone out there is listening to you and sharing your angst
07:38Lots of angst when you lose in an Indo Park cricket match