The memory of the debacle of 2003 worldcup left the Pakistani cricket in tatters. A whole generation of 1992 world cup winning squad had retired leaving a pack of players needing direction. In came Bob woolmer. Another foreign coach in a system that never accepted external methods of coaching. Pakistan had always relied heavily on instances of individual brilliance in the past and there was no dearth of match winners back then but not anymore. Woolmer galvanised this group of players in the coming years into a unit that flourished. In terms of ranking Pakistani cricket team was at an all time high, something the legends of yester years did not achieve. Mohammad Yousuf led the batting unit with an unforgettable year of centuries. Younus Khan owes his batting renaissance to him. All of this promised successful campaigns in the following World Cups but unfortunately was followed by a series of disastrous events. Pakistan lost their match against Ireland in the 2007 World Cup, a loss that is still etched in our memory. It was after this match when Bob Woolmer was found dead in his bathroom due to unknown reasons. What followed was a sort of downfall for Pakistani cricket. Let's hope this World Cup results in a rise of the quality of cricket in our nation which is uninterrupted by any hurdles.
–Shaan Tahir
shantahir@gmail.com