Cricketers of Pakistani-origin in the contemporary cricket world can be widely traced. Three
out of sixteen members of English Test cricket squad touring Bangladesh these
days are of Pakistani-descent. They are batting all-rounder Moin Ali, leg
spinner Adil Rasheed and left arm spin bowler Zafar Ansari. Earlier before
them, many English Test cricketers of Pakistani origin like -- most recently
and notably -- fast bowler Sajid Mahmood and batsman Owais Shah had also
represented England national cricket team before their unannounced retirement
from Test cricket. The families of Moin Ali and Adil Rasheed belongs to Mirpur,
Azad Kashmir, immigrated and settled in England decades ago, while Zafar Ansari
is the son of Khizar Hayat Ansari who is a famed scholar migrated from Lahore
and whose elder son Akber Ansari is also a first class cricketer in England.
These are not the only international
cricketers of Pakistani-origin in the contemporary cricket world, in fact the
list goes on a bit further. As in the Australian national team there are Test
opener Usman Khwaja who born in Islamabad and leg spinner Fawad Ahmed who left
his native land because of security threats from radical militants in 2010 and
inducted in Australia national cricket team in 2013.
Imran
Tahir needs no introduction. The South African leg spinner born in Lahore and
even represented Pakistan under-19 and Pakistan A teams. However, when he saw
that he could not progress further because of bundles of quality spinners
already present in Pakistan, he decided to ply his trade in South Africa. After
years of playing county and domestic cricket in South Africa he represented the
Proteas in 2011. Similarly Zimbabwe Test batsman Sikandar Raza born in Sialkot
and emigrated to Zimbabwe in 2001 to make his debut as Zimbabwe Test cricketer
in 2013.
Usman
Khwaja, Fawad Ahmed, Imran Tahir, Moin Ali, Adil Rasheed, Zafar Ansari,
Sikander Raza all belonged to the ICC full member cricket playing nations,
while there are hundreds of more cricket internationals who are of Pakistani
origin but playing for other ICC associate and affiliate member countries like
Canada, China, USA, UAE and etc, making Pakistan the top exporter of cricketers worldwide.
The
fame of Pakistani-descent international cricketers comes at times when
international cricket activities are extinct in Pakistan. Because of fragile
law and order situation not only international sportsmen and teams are
reluctant to travel Pakistan, the country (with the exception of limited overs
series against Zimbabwe in 2013), has not held any international match since
the attack on Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009. So Pakistan is dependent on Gulf
emirates as home to hold their bilateral cricket series and other cricketing
events of international repute for the survival of the game and their cricket
fraternity.
Most
importantly, Pakistan has been forced to hold their first ever professional and
most lucrative Twenty-20 event the Pakistan Super League (PSL) away from their
land, because foreign cricketers as usually fear to travel and play in Pakistan
citing security concerns. Despite that the first edition of the Twenty-20
league was marked with huge success contemplating the PCB to expend the event
in terms of participation. According to plans for the first two annual editions
the league would be limited to five teams representing four provinces and federal
capital. But after that the number of teams will be increased bringing Azad
Kashmir or the fifth province Gilgit Baltistan in their format. However, while
doing so the Pakistan cricket authorities haven't considered yet the important chapter
of overseas nationals and Pakistani expatriates. At a time when the country is
facing threat of international isolation, it needs passionate unity and
collective participation of people from all walk of life including the "Little
Pakistan."
The need of any professional cricket league
in Pakistan was being long felt. However, the problems the country was to face
(and is still facing) that it could not experiment any new cricket event at
home because foreign cricketers were not willing to play in Pakistan for
security reasons. More serious, these days mega and popular sports event are at
high risk even in safe and developed countries because they are supposed to be
attractive targets of terrorist providing them platform to flex their muscles
to attain world-wide exposure. And, Pakistan' delicate law and order situation
is an open secret. So, Pakistan Cricket
Board had to launch the event abroad in depleting conditions. Because of
limited resources and revenue it was difficult to attract and convince franchise
owners to invest in a league which was yet to launch or in experimental phase.
So the PCB started it with five franchise teams namely Islamabad United,
Karachi Kinds, Lahore Qalender, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiator, and
brought them in agreement for two years. But now they are looking to expend the
size of the league in terms of number of teams. A Franchise of Kashmir is
almost certain (as tweeted by the PSL head Najam Sethi) However, there is still
a need that Pakistanis from all walk of life, living at home or abroad, must be
represented at this global forum, that's why Pakistani expats now deserve this
partaking.
The
concept looks flimsy, and definitely it is only one of its kind but not out of
context keeping in mind the current scenario and problems faced by Pakistan. It
is the only cricket nation who hold their home matches outside their homeland
depriving local spectatorship and losing a sizable gate money in their
exchequer. Their cricketers are officially barred to play in the Indian Premier
League and the game' governing body the ICC is toothless on that matter. If
Pakistan can be granted to hold their international cricket matches and the professional
Twenty-20 league abroad for security reasons why can't, in these circumstances,
a franchise of Pakistani diaspora be fielded in PSL, ideally representing
international cricketers of Pakistani-decent or expat Pakistani cricketers
blended with required quota of foreign internationals in a Playing-XI. That
will enhance the sporting image of Pakistan as a global partner, provide more
attraction to the event , force international community to reconsider about
Pakistan sporting isolation and retain the confidence of Pakistani expatriates
living around the world.
These
Overseas Pakistanis who are now vital organ of national economy deserve
credible importance and active representation in the country' socio cultural
arrangements. Around eight million overseas Pakistanis are remitting more than $1.5 billion
monthly, making a significant contribution in national exchange reserves. The
State Bank of Pakistan expects remittances to cross $20 billion this financial
year, the highest ever in their history. Keeping in mind the importance of
these expatriates, the state of Pakistan has not only allowed them to retain
dual or multiple nationality but also is going to facilitate them in use of
their political enfranchisement for the next general election through
electronic voting. Therefore a team based on overseas Pakistanis origin in the
PSL will further provide them greater sense of national ownership and a genuine
representation at the highest international sports forum.
For the 2017 PSL draft a number of international cricketers,
both nationals and foreigners, have been inducted in the list recently and
their selection will going to be finalised in the next week. Thereafter the
dates of the PSL-2017 will be finally scheduled in the Governing Council'
meeting. Where, it would be a wise time to introduce the concept of an
additional team of Overseas Pakistanis for the third edition of PSL, held in
2018.
The move of inducting overseas Pakistanis team can win back
the confidence of cricket talent which is leaving the country because of
limited choices and security threats at home-- as happened in the case of Imran
Tahir and Fawad Ahmed respectively.
By M. Wasim
mwasim.370@gmail.com
(Written for Tribune October 14, 2016)
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