For a kid, it is nothing less than extraordinary to be seeing his heroes in action, right in front of his eyes. He mimics them; he does whatever it takes to be like them.
Pakistan’s star all-rounder Abdur Razzaq once turned up to bat with a cap on backwards, and a helmet on top. I was in boarding school at that time, I remember the following day, every other kid in my school was imitating him. Such is the power of heroes.
Similarly, all-rounder, Imran Khan found himself pulled towards the game after watching his cousin, Majid Khan play. Who would have known then, that this young teenager, infected with his cousin's passion, would go on to win the most prestigious trophy for his homeland?
For any sport to flourish in a country, its team needs to register more and more wins in that sport. Undoubtedly, victories draw more people towards the game. My elder cousins often recount tales of the 1992 World Cup, and how they and their friends bought cricket equipment and joined the nets the very next day after Pakistan became world champions.
The 2009 World T20 triumph was no different. Soon after the win, I saw a good influx of young enthusiasts in the club where I used to go for nets.
Coming to the present, a dark and prolonged era of agony seems to be somewhat coming to a close with Zimbabwe's visit to Pakistan.
With this hotly-anticipated tour, international cricket has finally returned to Pakistan.
See: Zimbabwe fly to Pakistan for historic tour
For the cricket-frenzied, this is a spring after a six-year-long winter. The expecting stands of Gaddafi Stadium have waited long enough, as have the fans.
As I write this, over 22,000 tickets have been sold for the tour-opener. Pakistanis from all over the country are pouring into the cultural capital of Pakistan to be a part of this historic moment.
The tour consists of five limited-overs fixtures. The two T20 Internationals over the weekend will be followed by three One Day Internationals. The nine-day tour will run from May 22 to May 31.
Hopefully, seeing their players in action just 10 metres away will shrink the distance between Pakistan's cricket talent pool and our emerging future cricketers.
A healthy inflow of youngsters into club cricket is extremely important for the country’s game at this point. The clubs feed regional cricket, and the products of this level go on to play First-Class cricket for the country.
The event is also bound to improve the national team's morale. The performance of the side has gone down drastically in the last two years, especially in the ODIs. The last ODI series Pakistan won was in December 2013!
Pakistan’s win/loss ratio has been abysmal of late. Since the attack on the Sri Lankan team in 2009, the ratio stands at 0.92, meaning they lost more matches than they won. Meanwhile, below is how other teams compare.
Win/loss ratios at home and abroad since May 3, 2009:
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Clearly, competing on your home soil boosts a team’s confidence, which comes handy in the tours abroad.
In Pakistan's case, they failed to win a series in 2014, losing seven matches and winning only four. This year, they hit an all-time low when Bangladesh thrashed them 3-0.
It is unfortunate that a heavy proportion of Pakistan’s squad has not played a single international game at home. Their recently-appointed ODI captain Azhar Ali is one such player. As are Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal.
All this, Zimbabwe will help us change.
The series is reminiscent of the 2003 Bangladesh tour of Pakistan. International cricket in Pakistan had been suspended in 2002, after a bomb blast at a hotel in Karachi, where the touring Kiwi team was staying. The success of Bangladesh’s tour opened the gates for much bigger tours, with India (twice), England, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and South Africa following suit.
Also read: High stakes, security as Pakistan isolation ends
If this tour proves successful, history might just repeat itself. Last month, the Sri Lankan President promised to send the Sri Lankan team here, on his first-ever state visit to Pakistan. Bangladesh have also hinted to tour Pakistan in the coming years.
Pakistan must, at all costs, ensure security to the touring Zimbabwe side for the doors of international cricket to remain wide open.