Rashid Latif Praises India’s Cricketing Progress
Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif has praised India for significantly advancing their cricketing ecosystem. Latif believes Pakistan lags considerably in this area and highlighted India’s effective grassroots development.
India’s Consistency and Recent Success
India’s consistent efforts over the years culminated in breaking their 11-year ICC trophy drought by winning the T20 World Cup this year. In contrast, Pakistan has struggled since their 2017 Champions Trophy win, recently facing a humiliating group-stage exit in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Foreign Expertise and Grassroots Development
Latif commended India for recruiting foreign coaches like Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, and Dwayne Bravo, attributing much of their success to this approach. He noted that India has been working diligently at the grassroots level, often unnoticed, and the introduction of the IPL further boosted their cricketing prowess. “They have Ponting with DC, Hussey, and Bravo. But hum kya kar rahe hain,” Latif remarked.
Cricket Industry vs. Hobby
Drawing a comparison with India’s film industry, Latif observed that India has developed a cricket industry, while Pakistan treats cricket as a hobby, failing to commercialize it effectively. He pointed out that the PSL has not progressed as expected, with the highest salary cap being only $1.40 lakh.
Comparison with Bangladesh Premier League
Latif also highlighted that the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) has made more significant strides than the PSL. He mentioned that BPL attracts more foreign players, such as Moeen Ali and David Miller, due to better financial incentives. “People who conceptualized PSL were thrown out within a year. They had a vision to expand it but it never happened. Humse zyada players Bangladesh mein khel rahe hain,” he added.
In conclusion, Latif’s observations underline the need for Pakistan to revamp its cricketing approach to match the success seen in neighboring countries like India and Bangladesh.(cricket betting sites)