Given the precarious state in which Pakistan is in today, and given the war against terror that has engaged it, it does make one ask whether it is fair to even focus on a theme like Pakistan cricket, whose decline is an established fact. Established but with controversies and a political power game within the Pakistan Cricket Board that is possibly an extension of what is happening not just in Islamabad, but in the rest of the country.
And given the immediate concerns there are on the economic front, as far as the common man is concerned, and the frustrations that are hitting ordinary people as well as trade and industry due to the energy shortage, is it appropriate to refer to the appalling, pathetic condition in which the Pakistan film industry is in today. The country's cinema, which has seen far better days than what it sees today, could well be reflecting the changing public preferences when it comes to the small screen or the big screen. Or that the cinema-going habit is possibly disappearing due to the security and commercial factors that are inter-linked.
I find myself distracted (not troubled I must hasten to clarify) by the current state of affairs in the world of Pakistan cricket and the world of Pakistan cinema, both of which have lived through extremely, enviably good times. What is the overall future of these two vital aspects of Pakistani society, is beyond my comprehension. There is no point in comparing or contemplating which of the two is more important to the country.
While there are certain factors that are integral and peculiar only to cricket or cinema in the country, there is a general environmental context that is applicable to both. This is the overall socio-political state of Pakistan, which of course, is shaped, in a large measure by economic factors that make or mar any activity. What would be cricket today, anywhere, if there weren't in it the kind of big money that holds such an amazing or only magnetic power? Or what would be the movie industry if there were no money - but only good artistic thematically strong movies.
That Pakistanis have associated cricket with national pride and honour, and expected high standards of integrity and professionalism from its cricketers (the national team I assume) is to state the very obvious. When Pakistan plays cricket the country gets involved, even today, and when it plays India, it is a war of a kind. Track two diplomacy doesn't work here, and the neighbour has to be losing the combat. There is a vicarious level at which the Pakistani sees the encounter with India.
That we have lost to Australia, the current Test series is one side of the defeat. The other side evidently is what is happening in the Pakistan Cricket Board, and sadly enough many of its Chief Executives, over the years, have invariably become deeply controversial, during their tenure. And what aggravates the position is that once they are out of office, they still do not stop interfering - and without hesitation or embarrassment. Directly or through the media? One can debate this. What has been achieved or rather lost vis-a-vis the 2011 World Cup that will be hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh is one failure of Pakistan cricket and its managers. I am sure that when the World Cup is actually played, Pakistanis will feel the sting far more. How we will have fared in the current Test series in Australia is another disturbing dimension.
I have often wondered about the morale and the psychological fitness of the cricketers when they play abroad, while at home there are fierce political battles that seek to destabilise the country. I do not wish to refer to the grim, futuristic political scenarios that are occasionally (and repeatedly) spelt out by overseas and domestic political analysts and commentators. Nor does one need to be reminded of the way in which Pakistan's military and civilian rulers have contributed to the country's poor image and poorer reality, which our beautiful national flag seeks to conceal.
To mirror the deplorable state of affairs in our cricket world it is necessary to refer to the unanimous demand that has been made for the ouster of the PCB chief Ijaz Butt, the chief operating officer Wasim Bari, the coach Intekhab Alam, and the director cricket operations Zakir Ali Khan by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports. And the Chairman of the Standing Committee Jamshed Dasti was quoted as saying after the meeting in Islamabad on Friday that "I want Ijaz Butt to be sent to jail. He is neither mentally nor physically fit to head the PCB. Just look where we are heading in cricket" It was reported the same day that the PCB will "reply to Dasti after Ijaz's return" from Dhaka where he had gone for the World Cup 2011 launching ceremony.
It may also be mentioned here that the Ministry of Sports has recently proposed amendments in the PCB constitution so as to introduce checks and balances in the PCB's administrative powers. The Federal Sports Minister Aijaz Hussein Jakhrani has reportedly said that the purpose was to strengthen the PCB and not individuals. Does it not remind us of the politics in the country?
And look at the state of the Film Industry, which is also known as Lollywood. It produced, according to a report, only 15 feature films in 2009, and all of them failed commercially and artistically. Cinema houses continued to be turned into shopping plazas and offices, as the number of cinegoers declined further, still, despite the lure of the latest Indian films that are available across the country. It is interesting that Indian films have been unattractive for cinegoers - and the lukewarm response of audiences to Bollywood is something that needs to be contemplated.
There was a time when Lahore, Karachi, together produced as many as 100 feature films (in Urdu, Punjabi and Pushto (even Sindhi?) There was a time when the loss of even a solitary cinema house was something that was mourned throughout the country. Or there was much protest when Indian films were screened in our cinema houses. Today, all that has expression of resentment, protest and concern has vanished. It is a resignation of sorts, and one reason could be that there is so much else to worry about. For that matter, there is so much anxiety about Pakistan itself.
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