With the Indian economy opening up to foreign investors in the early 1990s, it forever changed the life of the middle class. One of the major changes that took place was the advent of Cable TV. Suddenly, one could move fingers around the TV remote and watch sports from across the globe.
This was also the time when Pakistan, India’s western neighbour, were having a very good time in sports like squash, hockey and cricket. As yours truly watched Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram rattling the stumps via highlights in England, followed by Jansher Khan beating Rodney Martin and their hockey team winning the World Cup, a couple of questions kept echoing in the mind. ‘How are Pakistan able to excel at certain sports?’ ‘It isn’t as if they have better infrastructure than us.’
Even those days, there was infighting within the Pakistan cricket team. Who can forget speculations related to Waqar and Akram not being on talking terms? Pakistan also seemed to be changing captains at the drop of the hat. Yet they won a World Cup and reached the final of another.
Even in hockey, there was a player revolt in the mid 1990s but that didn’t stop them from reaching the later stages of major tournaments. Shahbaz Ahmed, Tahir Zaman, Kaleem Danish, Mansoor Ahmed – Pakistan hockey was still in a good place.
Closer to home, kids in India would try to imitate the actions of Akram and Younis. Vinod, a friend of mine, used to be a massive fan of Younis, imitating his action and mannerisms.
Time flies. In 2026, those heady days seem like light years ago. Certain things haven’t changed with Pakistan and their sporting culture. There are also still whispers about camps and enough bickering in the Pakistan side. Nowadays, Pakistan cricket is in the news for their decision to boycott the match against India in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, there have been enough pay disputes between the players and the hockey administrators.
However, one thing has certainly changed: Pakistan is no more a powerhouse in any of the three sports as mentioned. Their hockey side hasn’t qualified for the Olympics for three times in a row. Their last four results at the World Cup read as follows – 12th, didn’t qualify, 12th, didn’t qualify. Since 1998, they haven’t had any Squash professional winning the World Open or British open.
In cricket, Pakistan did reach the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup but that seems like an oasis in the desert. Consider the following – Pakistan haven’t won a single Test in Australia for 31 years, and the last time they won a Test series in England was back in 1996. Arshad Nadeem’s magical show in the 2024 Olympics is the one silver lining here.
Somewhere it sets a narrative that in the modern sporting world, you need support systems in place to excel. And those support systems include good administration. Team sport also demands unity. Perhaps there was a time when just raw skills could help you win something significant in the sporting world. Not anymore. The way things are shaping up in the Pakistan sporting landscape, it doesn’t seem as if squash, hockey or even cricket will regain the lost glory. Maybe hope is eternal.
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