Even today, Pakistan and India have been clashing as if fighting for a profound cause. However, Pakistan's fight is more legitimate since this is the first ICC tournament to be hosted on Pakistani soil since 1996—nearly 30 years since our last ICC event.
But why?
India is capitalizing on its cricket economy, but what is Pakistan offering? Are we investing in media or other areas that could strengthen our negotiating position? It seems not. If we look at Karachi, for instance, we see roads being built, demolished, and repaired again just to show some semblance of activity, creating a superficial justification for actions. In contrast, Indian YouTube videos highlight a win-win situation for India, leaving Pakistan embarrassed.
We are giving chances to our opponents instead of negotiating effectively and timely.
Learning from our opponents is something we are currently missing. One major aspect ruling the cricketing world is broadcasting. Unfortunately, the official broadcaster for ICC is the same as for BCCI, and similarly, Sri Lanka's and Bangladesh's official broadcasters are also associated with India. We need to understand how India built its cricket economy while Pakistan acts like our elderly individuals obsessed with real estate, turning Karachi into a real-estate wasteland. Benefitting from real estate doesn’t mean a one-size-fits-all solution.
Consider cricket's broadcast.
Even England’s tour to New Zealand featured acknowledgements in New Zealand's local language, yet Pakistan's broadcasts lack such representation of Urdu or domestic languages. We need to promote Urdu and other Pakistani languages in our broadcasts.
Regarding Pakistan’s innovations, uniqueness catches the eye, but our broadcasts have been monotonous and lacking in continuous improvements, such as incorporating technical innovations to captivate TV audiences. Our infrastructure woes are evident; Pakistan's cricket stadiums often look caged, especially Karachi's, unlike the upgraded Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, which now resembles the open look of NMS in Ahmedabad. We need to focus on optics and presentations, not just in broadcasting but also in the appearance of our cricket grounds to international viewers.
We need unique broadcasts with statistically accurate information associated with Pakistan. A continuous training mechanism for cricket broadcasters should be implemented. We know Harsha Bhogle and Ravi Shastri, but apart from Ramiz Raja, who do we know in Pakistan?
Documentaries are another area where we lag. SuperSport, Willow TV, and Sky Sports (both British and New Zealand Cricket) rely on documentaries. During the recently concluded England tour to Pakistan, Sky Sports made documentaries, but nothing came from Transgroup (the official broadcaster of Pakistan cricket). During Australia's tour to South Africa, Steve Smith and David Warner were documented amid the ball-tampering scandal, yet we, Pakistanis, fail to document our own stories, preferring noise over substance.
India can harness the hybrid model because they have a checkmate over Pakistan. Pakistan didn’t create alternative mechanisms, allowing India to capitalize on its authority. It’s time we teach positive intentions instead of superficial show-offs. We need a strategic and assertive approach to reclaim our standing and ensure our rightful place in the global cricketing arena.
