How Pakistan’s turmoil echoes on the playing field

Pakistan’s sports teams often appear burdened by the same challenges that afflict the nation. When a country grapples with political instability, economic difficulties, and constant changes in leadership, it is hardly surprising that its cricketers, hockey players, and squash stars exhibit similar inconsistencies.

In Pakistan’s case, the resemblance is striking: a nation plagued by fear and uncertainty has fielded teams that perform as though they too are frightened, uncertain, and lacking in confidence.

Experts agree that chaos at the top inevitably reflects in on-field performances. The turmoil off the field seeps into the game, causing those iconic green jerseys to feel heavier with every match.

Cricket: A Mirror to Political Chaos

Calling Pakistan cricket unpredictable is an understatement (fans often joke that the team’s only consistency is its inconsistency).

Much of this chaos is self-inflicted – stemming from constant changes in management and leadership. The Pakistan Cricket Board cycled through 26 selectors, 8 coaches, and 4 captains in just three years.

It’s a revolving door that any Pakistani politician would recognise.

For context, no Prime Minister has ever completed a full five-year term in Pakistan’s 75-year history (with 29 PMs and counting). Similarly, the cricket setup follows suit, with “four coaches, three board heads, and three captains” in just two years.

This revolving door, often driven by political interference and whims of the current powers, has real consequences on the pitch.

Players, unsure of their place and weary of constant changes, take the field under a cloud of uncertainty. Former Australian bowler Jason Gillespie observed that Pakistan’s frequent board meddling and short-term thinking have created a “fear of failure” among players due to constant changes in selection and coaching.

Playing bold, confident cricket is hard when every loss could mean the captain’s job is on the line or the team might be overhauled.

Even the PCB chairman has sometimes been a dual-hatted politician (also serving as a federal minister), underlining the deeply entwined nature of politics and cricket. No wonder the team often seems mentally bogged down.

Pakistan’s batting collapses sometimes resemble the country’s frequent government collapses – sudden and total. The analogy isn’t far-fetched: lack of steady leadership in politics has its counterpart in the dressing room.

Building a championship team is tough when the lineup changes as often as the finance minister, and strategies are as short-lived as election promises.

Hockey: From Glory to Gloom

Field hockey, Pakistan’s national sport, once gained unparalleled glory. The men’s team won three Olympic gold medals (1960, 1968, 1984) and lifted the Hockey World Cup four times. In those days, the green shirts played with swagger and skill, embodying a proud and confident nation on the world stage.

Fast-forward to today, and that dominance has evaporated. Pakistan has failed to qualify for the last three Olympics and multiple recent World Cups—a painful fall from grace.

So, what caused this dramatic decline? The answer lies off the pitch.

Pakistan’s hockey infrastructure aged poorly, funding dried up, and infighting became the norm. Years of “lack of consistent funding, political interference,” and mismanagement in the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) have taken their toll. Instead of investing in new astro-turf fields and youth academies, officials were busy turfing each other out of office.

Outdated training methods persisted, and no professional league emerged to nurture talent. In short, hockey’s decline was structural. A recent report bluntly cited “limited funding, and administrative challenges” as key reasons for the fall from grace.

Another analysis pointed to “political appointments in the PHF and instability in selection and coaching” – familiar themes of nepotism and short-term thinking—the result: once a powerhouse, Pakistan’s hockey team is now ranked a lowly 16th globally.

The psychological impact on hockey players has been immense. Imagine training hard, only to see the federation embroiled in another scandal or to find you won’t be paid for months.

Players are effectively told to give their blood, sweat, and tears for the flag – but don’t expect stability or support in return.

In such an environment, it’s hard to maintain confidence or focus on winning; surviving becomes an achievement in itself. The once-indomitable Pakistan hockey team now skates on thin ice, with morale as fragile as the worn-out turf they play on.

Squash: A Faded Dynasty

If cricket and hockey suffered from instability, squash in Pakistan has suffered from complacency and neglect.

There was a time when Pakistan owned the world of squash, thanks to the legendary Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan, whose dominance in the 1980s and 90s earned Pakistan every major title in the sport. Jahangir’s 555-match winning streak and multiple British Open and World Open titles made him arguably the greatest ever.

But after the Khans, no successor has emerged to match their caliber. The talent didn’t vanish overnight – but the support system did.

Squash’s decline was slow but inevitable, driven by lack of vision and resources. The country never built enough modern courts or training facilities, and there were few competitive junior programs to groom the next champion.

The sport’s international success waned due to the absence of proper infrastructure, institutional support, and junior-level competition in Pakistan. Promising young players were neither guided nor motivated to stay in the sport.

Jahangir Khan pointed out in 2007 that “political wranglings” within the Pakistan Squash Federation were hampering the sport, and bemoaned the lack of professional administration and planning. Once the golden generation retired, there was no solid program to replace them – only sporadic talent lost in the wilderness.

Unsurprisingly, today’s squash players often seem to carry the weight of a glorious past without the support to create a future. They enter tournaments mentally defeated, knowing their preparation pales compared to players from nations investing in coaching and infrastructure.

It’s a classic case of resting on laurels too long; by the time Pakistan tried to wake up, Egypt, England, and others had sprinted ahead in world squash.

Talent is rarely the issue in Pakistan; the problem lies in translating talent into triumph through steady support and leadership. Without that, the once-feared squash contingent now merely makes up the numbers – a far cry from the powerhouse it once was.

Playing Scared: When Teams Reflect a Nation’s Psyche

All these sports share a common thread: the psychological baggage that Pakistani athletes carry onto the field, court, or pitch. When the domestic situation is chaotic, stepping onto the international stage confidently becomes daunting.

Teams from a backdrop of fear and uncertainty often play with that same fear and uncertainty. Pakistani squads have sometimes appeared tentative, as if waiting for something to go wrong.

It’s hard to blame them – consider a cricketer who knows a single failure could cost him his place because some board official needs a scapegoat, or a hockey player who isn’t sure if the federation will even exist next year in its current form.

The fear of failure is not just metaphorical; it’s very real in Pakistani sports.

The result? Teams that sometimes play not to lose, rather than to win. In cricket, this might manifest as ultra-cautious batting – a reluctance to take risks – stemming from an underlying lack of trust.

In hockey, it could be a team crumbling in the final minutes, almost expecting defeat. It’s as if the players are internally echoing, “What now?” every time momentum shifts, a symptom of more profound self-doubt.

Former stars often say that Pakistani athletes have all the skills in the world; they lack the self-belief and calm that comes from a stable support system. Confidence is fragile, and it’s hard to keep it intact when everything around you is unstable.

Pakistan’s sports teams sometimes play like they’ve got one eye on the game and one eye on the news ticker, checking if the coach or board chairman has been fired mid-match. The uncertainty seeps into their gameplay.

Fans have seen it – that tentative approach, the absence of the old killer instinct. A generation ago, Pakistani teams played with fearless swagger (think of Jahangir Khan on the squash court, or the cricket team under Imran Khan’s captaincy in 1992).

Today, we see flashes of brilliance followed by inexplicable doubt. It’s almost as if the players are asking, “Are we really good enough?” – a question that shouldn’t haunt athletes from a nation with such a rich sporting legacy.

Turning the Tide: Why Stability Could Transform Sports

The good news? This situation can change.

Just as a troubled nation can find its footing, its sports teams can rediscover their mojo when given the right environment.

If Pakistan can resolve its internal conflicts, stabilise its political situation, and commit to consistent leadership (both in governance and in sports administration), the impact on the field could be profound.

There are plenty of global examples show how political and economic stability breed sporting success. China, for instance, poured resources into sports after gaining economic strength and political stability, becoming an Olympic powerhouse. Australia, despite its relatively small population, has punched above its weight in sports for decades due to a well-oiled, stable sports development system. Even smaller nations, like Spain and South Africahave found sporting glory after periods of stability and planning.

For Pakistan, a shift in national leadership culture could light a fire in its sports arenas. Imagine a Pakistan where cricket board officials are chosen for their cricketing expertise, not political connections – where captains and coaches are given secure tenures and long-term plans to build a team.

The players would know that one bad series won’t end their career, freeing them to play bold and fearless cricket. In hockey, a stable federation with proper leagues and youth academies could rebuild the game, and perhaps the boys in green would regain their flair, no longer looking over their shoulder for bureaucratic shocks.

In squash, modern training programs and international exposure for youngsters – with legends like Jahangir guiding without petty politics – could revive Pakistan’s pipeline of champions.

There are already glimmers of hope. Pakistan’s javelin star Arshad Nadeem, who won a medal at the World Athletics Championships and gold at the Commonwealth Games, proves that with the right support, Pakistani athletes can compete at the highest levels.

Imagine if the entire sports system received proper funding, infrastructure, and leadership. The next generation of players could take the field with the confidence that their nation has their back.

Ultimately, sports are a reflection of society. In Pakistan’s case, that reflection has been unflattering in recent times – talented teams shackled by the same chains that hold back the nation’s progress. But that doesn’t have to be the case forever.

By stabilizing political leadership and investing in long-term solutions for economic and administrative issues, Pakistan could transform its sporting landscape. A nation that overcomes fear and division can create teams that play with freedom and unity.

The day Pakistan’s leaders provide stability is the day its athletes will play with the joy and fearlessness of champions – something millions of fans are eager to cheer for.