Memorable debut

The Pakistan Cricket Team had dominated world cricket while I was growing up in the early 1990s. The team boasted world-class batters and bowlers such as Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar, Rashid Latif, Saleem Malik, Wasim Jaffer and, of course, the great Imran Khan. They had the ability to defeat any team on their day, and almost every player seemed like a legend in the making. Of late, however, it has been disappointing to see Pakistan struggle, including their Test series defeat against England. As a lifelong fan of Pakistani cricket, I feel genuinely sad to see the team go through such a difficult phase.

At the same time, I was excited to watch the debutant Razaullah bowl and then contribute with the bat. It was a real treat to watch and a reminder that Pakistan continues to possess enormous cricketing talent. What is needed is the vision to identify, nurture and give opportunities to these emerging players. I believe it is high time Pakistan gave more chances to promising young talents like Razaullah. The talent is there. It is time to find it, nurture it and give it the opportunity to shine.

Jamshed Ashar,

By email