Acceptance of Failure

By both Fans and Our players will make our cricket team better. I want to give an example on this front of the recent match between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Many Pakistanis were acting outraged because we lost to Afghanistan since they still consider Afghanistan a minnow team. First and foremost it is vital to understand that Afghanistan is no longer a minnow, especially not in T20is at all. The only format they can be called a minnow in are Tests. In ODis and T20is they have repeatedly defeated or gotten close to defeating teams such as India, England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and of course Pakistan. And I have never seen the England team players or ex cricketers getting bitter whenever England loses to a supposed Minnow such as West Indies (they often lose to them in away tests) or Afghanistan.

Rather they accept being outplayed and acknowledge the other team's better performance. This is something commendable and this acceptance of Failure is what makes teams like England and all the great teams in cricket be as great as they are. Their commentators and fans don't get disappointed if a minnow team beats them, rather they actively will appreciate the opposition team and they love underdog stories.

However in comparison both our ex cricketers, our fans and even our players feel immense burden losing to such teams, as if the entire world has crumbled. And more than our players this is pressure created by fans and ex cricketers who cause hell for the current players when they lose to a supposed Minnow.

We need to acknowledge the other team's strengths and realise that even supposed minnows can play well. West Indies spinners were exceptional in the recent T20is series against Pakistan but our batters were still remarkable enough to beat them. Jason Holder was exceptional in the T20is series and so was Jayden Seales during that spell he bowled. Not just us, any other team would have faltered in front of their bowling. This however is something only those who understand cricket will realise. Not those who are mindless fans and who just seen the opposition as Inferior to them.

We need to remove this superiority complex and arrogance as fans. If we don't we will keep thinking our team is hitting "new lows" all the time. Do remember we reached a WC final despite losing to Zimbabwe and we won the 1992 WC despite losing most of our group games. This is because those teams of ours did not fear failure they accepted being outplayed on that given day and praised the opposition and did not doubt on themselves. And that's the sign of a top level team.