Pakistan fans hail Najam Sethi for his successful efforts to revive cricket in the country
Sethi isn't the unsung hero as fans have constantly acknowledged his contribution.
By the time Najam Sethi was made the chief of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in 2013, Pakistan had not hosted a single home game in four years. The aftermath of the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus was such that no team was willing to tour to Pakistan. The people of Pakistan were dying to witness international cricket at home again.
But Sethi slowly started improving the state of affairs of a game which is followed religiously in Pakistan. He introduced the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2016 which became an instant hit among the fans. The first tournament was held in the UAE but the finals of the next one, in 2017, was held in Lahore.
The playoffs of the 2018 season along with the final were also hosted in Pakistan. Sethi was trying to advocate that Pakistan is safe to host cricket again. And it worked! A World XI squad toured Pakistan for a 3 T20I series in 2017. After the success of the tournament, West Indies followed suit and visited Pakistan for a T20I series. Brick by brick, Sethi had a remarkable success in bringing international cricket back in Pakistan. But a complete return would take time. Going by the efficiency of Sethi’s administration, it looks inevitable.
After the turn of the millennium, there have been numerous administrators who failed to live up to their promises. Barring Sethi. He is currently working on improving cricketing ties between India and Pakistan which is always a mouthwatering clash for both countries fans. Given how things have turned around in the last two years, a bilateral series between these two arch-rivals can’t be a far-fetched dream.
Apart from the stellar progress, Pakistan have also performed exceptionally well under Sethi’s regime. In the summer of 2016, Pakistan were ranked No.1 in Test cricket for the first time when they drew a four-match Test series in England 2-2. And in 2017, a young Pakistan team lifted the Champions Trophy – their first 50-over ICC trophy in 25 years.
Sethi has been in charge of the PCB for more than half a decade and is already into his second term. Expect a whirlwind change by the time he finishes his term. His appointment of Mickey Arthur as the coach of the national team has augured well for the side. Is he an unsung hero? No. Because fans in Pakistan acknowledge his contributions and regularly support Sethi on Twitter.
Here are some of the tweets:
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