Pakistan pins its hopes on return to cricket’s world stage

Fallout in the aftermath of the 2022 ICC men’s T20 World Cup continues to affect cricket nations around the globe.

England has crashed back to earth, losing all three matches in an ODI series to Australia.

The team was missing several of its stars and more than a little of its focus, but the crushing defeat took some gloss off the T20 World Cup performance.

In India, the cricket control board has exercised its control function by sacking the entire selection panel, immediately inviting applicants for the vacancies.

Meanwhile, there is apprehension in Pakistan. This is not because of sackings of captain, selectors or coaches.

England’s first Test there in 17 years is scheduled for Rawalpindi on Dec. 1. Political unrest is in the air. An anti-government march in support of Imran Khan, former prime minster and national cricket captain, who survived a recent assassination attempt, threatens the itinerary of the three-match series.

How ironic that a British-educated, high-society, top-class cricketer, who led Pakistan to a World Cup victory over England in 1992, should be the person in the eye of this storm.

This speaks volumes for the intricate, complex nature of England’s relationship with Pakistan, a subject that is brilliantly explored in a recently published book, “Cricket in Pakistan: Nation, Identity and Politics,” by Ali Khan, of the Lahore University of Management Sciences.

He begins by quoting C.L.R James’ famous “What do they know of cricket, who only cricket know?”

James’ work was based on the West Indies, but his message that cricket is not just a sport, but part of a wider reality, can be applied universally.

The extent to which this has been recognized by the game’s numerous stakeholders is open to