NEW DELHI: There has been discussion regarding the intrusion of politics into sports as a result of Pakistan 's dismal recent results in international cricket. It is argued that nepotism at the top is impeding progress on the field. Last week, following a shocking 0-2 home series loss to Bangladesh, Pakistan dropped to ninth place in the Test rankings-their lowest position in almost sixty years.
It was the nation's tenth consecutive home Test match without a victory, and it came after the team suffered humiliating early eliminations from the 50-over and T20 World Cups the previous year. Mohsin Naqvi , the current chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board ( PCB ), who also works full-time as the interior minister of a country that is experiencing an increase in terrorist attacks. Over the last 24 months, Pakistani cricket has seen four different coaches, three different board chairs, three different captains, and multiple domestic competition formats-unpredictability that analysts attribute to political whims.
"This has a knock-on effect on team performance," said cricket journalist and former PCB media manager Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi. "When we have chaos and chronic instability within the management of the board it will reflect on-field performances," he told AFP. 'Favourites imposed' Pakistan's favorite sport is unquestionably cricket, with players hailed as national heroes, sponsored by luxury brands, and packed stadiums for big matches.
With over 240 million people in the country.