World Cup: Why a Pakistani cricket show is grabbing eyeballs, earning praise in India

‘So close yet so far away, but they made a match out of it’- This was Wasim Akram summing up Pakistan’s heartbreaking loss against South Africa in the recent 2023 World Cup match.

He was participating in the cricket show, ‘The Pavilion’ hosted by the renowned rapper turned TV presenter Fakhr-e-Alam, on Pakistan-based A-Sports which has already become the preferred destination for match analysis during each game in this World Cup for cricket enthusiasts, especially from the subcontinent.

In the latest ODI World Cup edition of the show, four former Pakistani cricket captains have joined, including Wasim Akram, Moin Khan, Misbah Ul Haq and Shoaib Malik.

The entire panel of the show “The Pavilion” appeared disheartened after Keshav Maharaj struck that boundary off Mohamed Nawas' delivery to guide the Proteas to victory with only one wicket remaining. Moin Khan strongly believed that Tabriz Shamsi was unquestionably out leg before wicket on the last delivery of Haris Rauf's final over, a decision that was denied by the on-field umpire. In contrast, Misbah argued that the Decision Review System (DRS) itself has some flaws, as it tends to favour the on-field umpire when there is a doubt regarding the decision.

Critical of Pak’s performance

Despite their national team bias, the panel was highly critical of their team’s performance. Everyone was deeply disappointed that the team couldn’t even complete their full allotment of 50 overs in five out of the six matches they have played so far. This commitment to objectivity and critical analysis is the main reason for the significant popularity, the show has garnered from the subcontinent.

Following the loss to Afghanistan, when Fakhr-e- Alam attempted to find some silver lining by mentioning that the Pakistani openers had, at the very least, managed to break the streak of being unable to hit sixes during the power play, Shoaib Malik humorously distanced himself from the show, saying, “In a defeat like this, if you can find positives with the Pakistani team, I'm not sticking around on the show.”

This encapsulates the essence of the show, and it’s no surprise that it’s gaining popularity, especially among Indian fans. Furthermore, all the panelists have nothing but praise for Team India.

Draws praise from India

“By far one of the best shows,” commented one Anirban Chatterji on the show’s YouTube channel. There are several comments from Indian handles praising the show on various social media platforms.

Sudarshan Menon, a former club-level player from Kerala, remarked, “You can't fathom the level of criticism these former players are directing at their administration. This becomes evident when we compare them to our retired players, who are actively seeking to curry favour with the BCCI management and the leaders of the ruling party.”

For many of the viewers, how Wasim Akram responded to Ravi Shastri's unseemly criticism of Shaheen Shah Afridi serves as a prime illustration of this phenomenon.

After gaining immense recognition and praise on its debut season during the T20 World Cup 2021 broadcast on Pakistan’s first high-definition sports channel, A Sports HD, there were whispers about discontinuing its flagship cricket programme.

Shooting down all the rumour balloons, the show made a triumphant return last year with the T20 World Cup in Australia and made a similar impact. This time during the ODI WC, the only change was that Waqar Younus, who took up the commentating assignment for the official broadcaster of the World Cup, was replaced by Moin Khan.

Throughout this World Cup, the show made headlines for various reasons, ranging from Malik's admiration for the Indian team to Akram's unfortunate use of a derogatory casteist term or his criticism of the jersey swap between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam. Unquestionably, Pakistan emerged as the most talked about team, thanks to their dismal performances so far, alongside the reigning champions, England. In terms of audience acclaim, ‘The Pavilion’ outshone the official pre-match, mid-match, and post-match programmes broadcast on the Star network and its digital partners, garnering even more attention.

What truly sets the show apart is the undeniable influence of its versatile host, Fakhr-e-Alam who stands out as one of those rare television presenters who possess full control over both the medium and the content. This is reflected in his previous show, “Tell Me What’s Up?” which he hosted for Geo TV in the early 2010s.

Alam's multi-faceted personality

Interestingly, Fakhr-e-Alam is a man who wears many hats: a pioneer of Bhangra rap music in the nineties, an acclaimed actor, and a philanthropist. He is the son of Pakistani defence journalist Aroosa Alam who was all over the Indian news media, as Captain Amarinder Singh's friend from Pakistan creating a political storm in Punjab a few years ago.

In addition to the frequent viral videos featuring the panel’s humorous analysis, the light-hearted discussions and friendly exchanges that occur during breaks, before and after the show, offer a great deal of entertainment. While these behind-the-scenes (BTS) moments may not be visible on television, Fakhr-e-Alam ensures that we don't miss out. He consistently shares playful moments from the sets of ‘The Pavilion’ on his Instagram account, providing us with a glimpse of the analysts’ sense of humour.

Indeed, the panel is predominantly composed of the affluent class of Pakistani cricket who are fluent in English, although the show maintains a bilingual format with Urdu as the primary language. However, their cricketing knowledge and expertise are truly engaging, and the A Sports crew is effectively harnessing this through “The Pavilion”.