For me it is always Half Full.
I am generally an optimist; one who always thinks about the positives rather than one who dwells on the negatives.
There have been varied reactions to Pakistan's test series loss to Sri Lanka, but one reaction, which has come from several quarters, is the one regarding the different factions within the team.
Former players have spoken about it, a former captain has voiced his concern regarding it, a former chief selector who recently resigned has made his views public regarding the factions, and a few bloggers also feel the same way.
I believe all of this talk regarding factions is a load of bullshit.
I also believe that the people talking about these factions are those who consider the glass half empty.
They need a reason to point fingers at the players that failed, they need excuses for the defeat, they need someone to be held responsible for the manner in which Pakistan collapsed.
Why I ask.
Why do you need to point fingers at anyone? Why do you need excuses for the pathetic batting display that Pakistan put up?
It was a collective team failure, a failure to counter the swing of the new ball, a failure to play left arm spinners, a failure to play well under pressure.
It is as simple as that; and it is nothing new.
These problems relating to batting collapses, succumbing to the swinging ball, and looking clueless against left arm spinners have plagued Pakistan for as long as I have watched cricket.
There is nothing new about this.
I am not denying the fact that Pakistan are 2-0 down in a series, in which they could have easily been 2-0 up.
The fact that they are not is only due to them; them as a whole team and not due to certain individuals or factions.
Moving on, why dwell on these negatives?
Instead of talking about the atrocious shot that Younis Khan played to get out, why not talk about the captain's knock he played, the record partnership that he was involved in, the good position that he got Pakistan to?
Instead of talking about the factions and giving excuses for a bad performance why not talk about the great comeback of Mohammad Yousuf.
Or the awesome debut of Fawad Alam.
Or the launch of the promising test career of Mohammad Aamer.
Or the effort of Saeed Ajmal in the two tests.
Or the effort that Umar Gul put in on the 2nd day at Colombo.
There are plenty of positives to be taken, despite the sorry defeats.
There is no reason to think that the team is divided and not united.
Are you telling me that Misbah was not responsible enough when he got out to a bad decision? That ball was missing leg stump by some distance.
Are you telling me that Shoaib Malik under performed because a straighter one sneaked through the smallest of gaps between bat and pad and just kissed the bail?
I am not saying that Misbah and Malik did well; they have been far from their best in this series, but it is still not reason enough to think that they are conspiring against Younis Khan.
There are no divisions within the team.
The team as a whole failed at Galle, the team as a whole failed at Colombo.
It wasn't due to the bad performance of a few individuals. It was due to the bad performance of the team!
Younis Khan is right in asking for time with the team and all of us should be doing just that rather than pointing fingers.
Pakistan has hardly been playing test cricket and this series is just the start of a long 12 months, during which they will play as many as 11 more tests after the 3rd one against Sri Lanka.
All those 11 tests will be played away from home, in New Zealand, in Australia, and in England.
Those are tough conditions to play in and Pakistan requires experienced players to be at their best to take on those sides.
This is not the time for wholesale changes.
It is the time to back the experienced players, it is time to be a bit more patient, it is time to stop looking for excuses every time the team performs below potential, it is time to accept that we were beaten because we lacked the skill and the aptitude, and not due to some imaginary factions in the team!
I understand that it is not easy being a Pakistan fan. The team puts us through varying emotions without blinking an eye.
It frustrates us, it makes us curse and abuse, it makes us proud, it fails us, it makes us cheer, it makes us sad, it makes us jump up with joy, it makes us break the TV screen, it makes us angry, it makes us smile, it makes us party like one crazy nation, it makes us pull our hair out, it makes us panic, it builds our expectations and then dampens them, it makes us...
Even a Bollywood movie does not dish out so much drama.
But would you have it any other way?
I surely wouldn't!
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