If I remember correctly, I must be eight or nine years old (I am guessing this because when I was around ten, we moved to a different house and this is definitely before then) … At that age, guests over your house is always a happy moment; more so if they are your parents’ friends and not yours, as then your parents have to direct their attention at them and not you. And well, I wouldn’t give anything away in writing of the mischief I would get up to at times like that.
Once a friend of my parents visited with this very elegant lady who was introduced to me as the mother of Imran Khan. I don’t recall taking my bike and running off the back door that particular afternoon. Instead I sat hiding the whole time behind a curtain trying to listen to their conversation hoping she’d also talk about her son. Imran Khan was after all, well, Imran Khan. I am of the generation who grew up dreaming to be Imran Khan. Well I never played any cricket (apart from what every schoolboy in Pakistan plays in schools and streets). I didn’t get to become an Imran Khan, but Wasim Akram did, Waqar Younis did and to some extent Shoaib Akhtar did too.
A couple of years later, on the other side of the border, Sunil Gavaskar became the first person in the history to reach 10,000 runs in Test cricket (while playing against Pakistan). I was watching that moment on TV, but never wanted to be Sunil Gavaskar myself. Well, that doesn’t matter, what mattered is that a few million (at least) in India wanted to be Sunny that very moment. Amongst those admirers were Sachin Tendulkar, who today has crossed that very benchmark in both Tests as well as ODIs and so has Rahul Dravid. Sourav Ganguly didn’t quite get there in Tests but in the ODIs he’s right up there.
Look back at the last two decades … Pakistan has never had shortage of world class fast bowlers, but have always struggled with the top quality batsmen. India on the other hand, has produced some fascinating world class batsmen over this period but hasn’t really ever had a threatening pace bowler.
Below is the overall standing in Tests of batsmen. Three in the top ten are Indians. The only Pakistani on the 10th spot will shortly get bumped off the top ten when Chanderpaul (WI) or Jayawardene (SL) crosses his tally. Other thing worth noticing is also the no. of centuries and half-centuries scored by the Indians vs those of Pakistanis.
Now look at the bowling records of the Tests; again the top twenty list. A complete opposite it seems. Take Kumble out since we are only considering fast bowlers and not the spinners in the comparison. Now also look at the averages and strike rates and see how Pakistanis are far superior than anyone else on the list.
The ODI charts below highlight these even more …
Batting is all orange. The one off Pakistani batsman doesn’t come close when you compare the no. of centuries. Now look below at the bowling figures … I mean who remembers Javagal Srinath as a toe breaker? Huge margin between him and the boys in Green at the top.
The way cricket is played (and followed) in Pakistan and India is very different from that of England, Australia, West Indies or South Africa. The players are not made or picked up on their talent and abilities and not really groomed in any academies. Cricket in the sub-continent is played (and followed) on pure passion and nothing else. The records you see above are credited to two men, Imran Khan on Pakistani side and Sunil Gavaskar on the Indians. These were the first superstars of the game when TV broadcasts came into play. Prior to them were stars like Hanif Mohammed and co. but they were radio kings. Imran was the first symbol of any kind in Pakistan. In India Bollywood shares the stardom with cricketers but in Pakistan its only and only cricket … and that is the problem we now have (and I am not talking about the lack of cricket in the country).
When my generation and I were growing up, we idolized Imran Khan. Result is that a decade later we have Wasim, Waqar and Aaqib … ask the kids ten years younger than me and their heroes were Wasim and Waqar … and another decade later we have Shoaib, Asif and Gul.
Kids who wanted to be Sunny, produced amongst them, the Little Master – Sachin, the Wall – Dravid and the one and only Dada – Ganguly. Here, another decade later … go and ask the ten to fifteen year olds on the streets of India today and the only answer you’ll hear (after perhaps Shah Rukh Khan) is Sachin, Rahul and Sourav.
Since our ground level academies and first class cricket remains where it was some two decades ago, we shouldn’t expect the system to produce any talent. So it is going to be what it always has been … talent playing in the street looking up to their superstars and wanting to become one … but then they need those superstars, the real heroes. Khan is long gone and we have no Khans in Lollywood either. I am afraid the ten to fifteens don’t remember watching Wasim and Waqar and well I don’t want to discuss Shoaib in here as I am at the end of this entry and that’ll demand opening a whole new chapter …
So we have a problem … who are our superstars of today? I personally am worried … its too far for my son, but those of my fellow countrymen (and women) who have teenage boys today, pls. ask them and let me know, whom would they like to be when they grow up …
Asif ? … the Nandrolone one, or the President one ??
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