It’s almost a tradition in Pak sports especially in cricket that players are selected for national teams without worrying about their age or whether they have the temperament to succeed at the international level. All you need is talent (or sometimes a parchi). So, as a result you get a glut of eighteen and nineteen year olds debuting on the world stage and very often fading away faster than they came onto the scene.
I think there is a directly proportional relationship between age (maturity) and professionalism. If there was one thing that sets apart the Aussies from the rest of the lot, it is their renowned mental toughness. Even their bowlers when batting don’t cave in just because their star batsmen didn’t make the expected runs. They know they’re getting paid to do a job and they do it. They don’t get bogged down by huge crowds or tough opponents. They’ve seen it all in domestic cricket and have actually graduated to the next level. Most of their present successful cricketers are enjoying their second or third stint in the team. Examples are Martyn, Lehman and Hayden. Most of them have been thrown out of the team at some younger age when they made it 'cause of their talent. But it was not until they got their temperament right by playing domestic cricket did they get back into the big league.
When I say all of the above, I’m not denying the obvious talents of the likes of Imran Farhat, Imran Nazir, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Ali etc etc. But do they have the maturity to realize that when they’re out on the pitch they’re doing a job? That they’re not playing so that teenage girls will be falling over themselves to get a peek at them? That their job is to hang in there and see out the new ball (in the openers’ case) rather than try to be flash and all? I don’t think so.
I know people who disagree will say that four of our finest cricketers (Imran, Miandad, Wasim, Waqar) made the team when they were in their teens or there about. But then again one must also take into account their worldbeating abilities and powers. These guys may have done just as well had they been blooded in even earlier.
So, I think Pakistan should drop this fixation with producing teenaged miracles and as a rule not select players who’re in their teens unless they have an extraordinary talent like Tendulkar or Wasim. If there are two players one being in the mid-twenties and another in his teens who match each other talent wise, the twenty-five year old should be picked ahead of the teenager.
Pick the best players you got without considering their age.
Some people like to say "We should select youngsters and prepare a team for the future". I mean , if you are always selecting a team for the future, you will never win in the present.
Consider Robin Singh. Few years ago, at the age of 37 he was the best fielder in the Indian side... so was Muhammad Azaharuddin at one time...
As long as a player is fit, he should be picked and "youngsters" should earn their place in the team and not get it automatically because they are of a certain age.
Conversely, some youngsters dont automatically become immature or unprofessional because they are young.... Tendulkar looked professional/mature when he arrived in the international scene as a teenager.... so did Steve Waugh...when Hansie Cronje was playing his first test match, I remember commentators going gaaga about his temperament and how he was captaincy material...
While others like Amir Sohail would remain loud-mouth unprofessionals even when they reach 50 !!
Maybe in Pakistan, they can make a rule that no one will be selected for the National Team (for any sport), unless he has completed intermediate, or something. The first priority of our kids should be to complete atleast the basic education. This will be a good incentive for budding players to complete their education atleast till they are 18 years old.
Here in US, NFL has a rule that they will not draft any player in professional football who has less than 3 years after high school.
Some1: I agree with all the examples you gave. But as I said earlier, most of these guys are/were exceptional sportsmen and leaders. I guess my post is concerned with the many eighteen year olds who have been tried and then discarded by Pak selectors without being given a fair chance.
Faisal: I was going to suggest that. But then people would say that these guys get selected for being able to play and not for being intellectuals (though passing your FScs hardly qualifies you as an intellectual). Personally, I'm all for it. Fine, maybe we'll lost some talent but I will take a Ramiz Raja over Saleem Malik any day. Raja may have been a limited player but at least he had the sense to realize that fixing matches was not very nice. I think if we implement this minimum education prerequisite, our team would lose some of the flair and style that we're renowned for but chances are that performances will be more consistent and predictable.
I don't think we will lose any talent. So they won't play for the national team while they are 16 - 17. Big deal!
If they are good, they will be playing in their age-appropriate leagues and will still make it into the national team at 18 or later - with added experience, better technique, more maturity and atleast completed basic education. Why throw them in so young?
I,ve always been saying this to my friends, about the education.
These guys are also representing Pakistan, and education should be a prerequisite to get in the team too,, along with the talent and performance etc.
Another thing i,ve noticed is the ungraizee some of these players speak. I mean if you cant speak english, why are you trying? just speak in urdu! take a translator with u. Its not as bad as someone asking you what did you think about today's game and giving "yes" as a reply, cos thats the only english vocabulory in ur head. I would even like the government to educate players travelling overseas, maybe polish their manners, dress sense, the way of talking, eating, walking etc. Just basic tips, regarding basic courtesy, manners, etc.