Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Executive Officer Colonel (retired) Rafi Nasim has expressed surprise over the Pakistan team receiving a hero's welcome for losing the 2011 World Cup semi-finals to India.
"The World Cup 2011, having ended two weeks ago with India clinching the coveted trophy, the people's interest in the outcome of the mega event is still alive. The reason seems to be a long spree of showering praise on our team for 'losing the semi-finals'," Colonel Nasim writes in the Daily Times.
"Awarding bags full of money by the Prime Minister [Yousuf Raza Gilani], the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Sindh [Shahbaz Sharif and Syed Qaim Ali Shah respectively] and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) totalling around Rs.2.5 million per player appears unjustified for the position they achieved," he added.
The former PCB official said Pakistan need to take a lesson from the Sri Lankan team, which lost to India in the World Cup final on April 2 in Mumbai.
"It shows a stark difference from Sri Lanka where the captain, vice captain and the selection committee resigned after losing the finals. Also compare it with the illustrious squad led by Imran Khan who brought the World Cup-92 to Pakistan," noted Colonel Nasim.
He pointed out that Imran's World Cup winning team did not receive even a fraction of the amount given to the present Pakistan team as reward, since the PCB "was not as rich as it is now and the government circles were not as enthusiastic."
"The glorious 1992 victory achieved under Imran's valiant and highly commendable leadership left an everlasting mark on the minds of cricket lovers. The team deserved much bigger honours and awards than the present 'quarterfinal winning team'," Colonel Nasim said.
"To revive the glory of the World Cup 92's great triumph and to honour the warriors I suggest that Imran's victorious team should be invited in a grand function and each player given a monetary reward of a similar sum of Rs 2.5 million. With the PCB's budget running into billions now the amount will be like a drop in the ocean but the act will be celebrated by the nation," he added. Source
