Irritating Cricket in Dubai

The pathetic performance of the Pakistani cricket team against South Africa in the 2^nd test at Dubai is certain to attract great ire from the public. After the impressive victory in the first test it was thought that the right prescription has been found which makes the later debacle even bitterer.

I had an opportunity of watching the first day’s game of the fateful test match. The South African team was visibly motivated, focused and enthusiastic; whereas the Pakistani batsmen seemed distracted and cagey.

It seems that due to some psychological handicap the Pakistani cricketers and perhaps other teams also are unable to respond to opposition’s enthusiasm with equal enthusiasm and vigor. They seem to get cowed down. It is strange that the team management is unable to recognize this weakness and devise means to motivate the players before the game.

Maybe it is a national trait. The inability to motivate the nation is quite apparent in our political leaders and that is why people welcome military dictators who make motivational speeches after overthrowing political governments.

In my professional career I have found that motivation is the best management tool and it can transform mediocrity into brilliance.

Talking to Taliban

 

They are all willing to talk. The American government is trying to talk to the Afghan Taliban to establish peace in Afghanistan and avoid attacks on their retreating forces. The Pakistan government is trying to talk to The Pakistani Taliban to end the insurgency and regular killings of innocent civilians. If all those concerned had opened their mouths a few years earlier many innocent lives would have been saved. In fact if the Americans would have tried to negotiate with the Al-Qaida instead of firing Tomahawks on them from aircraft carriers near Pakistani shores, 9/11 could have been avoided.

So what will happen if the negotiations between the Americans and the Taliban succeed? The American and other NATO troops will get safe exit from Afghanistan, the Taliban will participate in the next elections and once again there will be the rule of Mullah Omar in Afghanistan.

 

The post-2014 situation in Afghanistan would hardly be any different from the pre-9/11 situation except for two changes:

a)      There will be no Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaida in Afghanistan.

b)      There will be a massive Indian presence and trade which was non-existent in the pre-9/11 era.

So what was the real objective of the whole exercise that cost billions of dollars and thousands of lives and who was behind all this?