MUMBAI: Few countries can match the harvest of talent that grows in the cricket fields of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, then all three countries have won the World Cup at least once. And that is more than can be said of the others, except the West Indies and Australia.
The buck must, however, stop there, for all three are yet to top either the Test or one-day cricket rankings. Despite the abundance of talent, what is holding either of the subcontinental teams from reaching the top?
The answer, in short, is lack of consistency of performances, as a team and as individual players. The unseen factor is the lack of harmonious existence within the game's administration at home. The same is reflected in the team's international performances.
India may be said to be having a peaceful regime and a financial stability that must be the envy of all other countries at the moment. This immediately reflected in the performance of the team in all forms of the game, where they are in top-three bracket and within the striking distance of the leading two, South Africa and Australia. In contrast, Pakistan, which had beaten India on quite a few occasions in the last two yeas, are presently in a slide. It may be that India have a rejuvenated team, whereas for Pakistan, the players are almost the same. But actually, it is the home administration that is beset with so many problems.
The cancellation of the visits of the teams from the big league has hit Pakistan cricket hard, achievement-wise and financially. The international calendar is drawn so much in advance that it becomes difficult for any country to fill the gap if one or more tours are called off. As far as the game goes, India and Pakistan get along fabulously and have always come to each other's aid. One hopes that long before the World Cup 2011 comes, the two countries will have resumed the exchange of visits.
Similarly, the recent turmoil in Sri Lanka's cricket administration, where an ad hoc committee is in control at the moment, has affected their team's performances. They have dropped a few spots on both the rankings.
All this is not to say that high rankings mean the ultimate in achievements. What is as much important is an atmosphere where cricketers and administrators work together with a sincerity of purpose. The truth of the matter is that it is the cricketers who bring in the money. The more opportunities they are given, better will it be for the finances of their controlling boards.
