Sport highlights the good, the bad and the ‘nasty'
In Akhtar’s view,
New Zealand should be grateful the Pakistani cricket team, whether or not its members carry the virus or comply with quarantine, have deigned to visit our country.
The All Blacks’ win last weekend against the Pumas, and their reminder to us ofhowgood they can be, brought a great deal of pleasure to thousands of Kiwis. Butwehave also had evidence over recent days and weeks that sport is not always a generator of sweetness and light.
The All Blacks’ loss to thesame opponents, a couple of weeks earlier, brought out of the woodworksomeof sport’s perennial naysayers - people like Stephen Jones, the rugby correspondent of London’s Sunday Times, whohas been distinguished for years by his longstanding criticism of the All Blacks’ success, and often takes the chance to put the boot in if they stumble.
The loss to Argentina gave him the chance to demonstrate, inmy opinion, justhownasty he can be. Newzealand, he opined, should - in the light of that result - be relegated to the second tier of rugby-playing nations.
Weknowfrom themorethan century-long history of the All Blacks that it is, inevitably, marked by occasional low points, from which the ABS have always quickly recovered.
Sadly, rugby was not the only sport to produce commentators with, inmyopinion, inflated views of theirownimportance and distorted views of what really matters.
Wesawa prime example of this in the public pronouncements of Shoaib Akhtar, the former Pakistani test bowler. Hetook it uponhimself to admonishnewzealand cricket - andnewzealand as awhole - for daring to object to the irresponsible wayin whichsome membersof the Pakistani cricket team, visitingnew Zealand on tour, have ignored the quarantine requirementswe require of visitors, particularly those whohave tested positive for Covid-19. In Akhtar’s view, New Zealand should be grateful the Pakistani cricket team, whether or not itsmembers carry the virus or comply with quarantine, have deigned to visit our country. How darewerequire them to obey our rules; whyshouldwegive priority to defeating the virus? Doesn’t our Covid-free status matter littlewhen set alongside the interests of the Pakistani cricket team?
Nomatter that Pakistan - according to Akhtar, “the greatest country on the planet” (which gives ussomeinsight into his mindset) - is riddled with the virus. It matters not that their cricketers are guests in our country and - as a matter of commonsense and courtesy - have an obligation to comply with our rules.
If gratitude that the tour is taking place is to be expected from either party, it is surely from Pakistan - only a country as generous asnew Zealand would even contemplate admitting visitors from acovid hotspot; it is the Pakistaniswho should feel lucky to be here.
Such is Akhtar’s assessment of his ownstanding that he feels entitled to lecturenewzealand - the country which tops the international league table as the world’s most resilient and successful in handling the pandemic - on howit should treat visitors and guestswhotest positive to the virus.
It would be unfair to the Pakistani cricket team to lumber themwith responsibility for Akhtar’s ill-judged and arrogant remarks. Wecan only marvel thatsomeone can be found to utter, inmyview, such drivel and whosuffers from the misconception that a visiting cricket team is worth morethan the interests of awhole nation.
Given the continued prevalence of Covid-19 in their homeland, we might excuse the cricketers themselves for failing to recognise our determination to keep it under control; calls for the team to be sent homeimmediately are understandable but I believewe need notshow ourselves to be as intemperate and self-obsessed as Akhtar has been.
International sport is awonderful wayof spreading goodwill and breakingdownbarriers. It would be a tragedy if the views of one opinionated individual - inmy view inflated by hisownself-importance - should, at a timewhenthe virus threatens all of international sport, erect anewset of barriers quite unnecessarily. Cricket - andnew Zealand - deserve better than that.