AAQIB JAVEED
“Learn from the mistakes of others as you will never live long enough to make them all yourself.”
Pakistan failed to qualify for the Semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup as parallels were drawn with their 1992 winning run. They might have failed in their quest, but here are 4 important life lessons that can be learned from the Men In Green.
1. Pakistan started this World Cup on a bad note with an inconsistent starting 11 and the likes of Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali and Hasan Ali failing miserably. With Haris Sohail, Shaheen Afridi and Imad’s inclusion, Pakistan bounced back and emerged as one of the strongest teams and won four matches in a row.
Lesson: If you have incompetent members in the team, you’re bound to fail. Experience matters, but not at the expense of results. Give the new members a chance to prove themselves.
2. Pakistan faced severe backlash after losing their match against India. They were criticized by the media, ridiculed on social media and were even humiliated by the fans in the stadium. But, Pakistan transformed and overcame their losses with remarkable back to back victories, silencing all critics.
Lesson: Pampering people only makes them weak. Constructive criticism can go a long way in helping people overcome obstacles and can make them stronger.
3. Although Pakistan went on a winning streak, they failed to qualify. In the end they had to rely on India or New Zealand to beat England. Australia and India on the other hand started off strong and went on to qualify without needing any help.
Lesson: If you want to outsmart your competitors then never rely on others or be dependent on someone else. Be so strong that you set an example for others.
4. Pakistan wasted many opportunities with poor displays in the field, dropping catches and eventually got knocked out because of their poor net run rate. Pakistan secured 11 points, equivalent to New Zealand, but the damage had already been done with crushing losses at the hands of West Indies and India.
Lesson: Failing to seize opportunities can cost you in the long run. You are responsible for your own demise. Success comes to those who don’t miss opportunities at the right time.