Pakistani press mourn 'dark day'

Fans show their disgust for the team's performance

Pakistan's shock defeat by Ireland on Saturday has received a largely negative reaction in the national press, with many calling it "the darkest day" in the country's cricket history.

Some have blamed the debacle on the politicisation of the game in the country, and are calling for an end to government appointees managing the Pakistan Cricket Board.

One newspaper has asked whether the defeat, along with India's loss to Bangladesh, might be a positive overall development for the world game.

---

Pakistan crashed out of the 2007 World Cup with a humiliating performance against the leprechauns of Ireland. Saturday the 17th of March will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of Pakistan cricket. The proud history created by cricketing heroes like Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis has been dragged through the mud of Montego Bay.

Karachi's Dawn

---

The humiliating defeat capped perhaps the darkest week in Pakistani cricket history... The much-touted batting line was torn to pieces by an Irish bowling attack largely made up of part-time cricketers with the so-called 'big three' - Inzamam, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf - totalling 16 runs between them. All of them fell, playing poor shots in a match where everything was at stake.

Islamabad's The News International

---

Having come up with the poorest performance for any Pakistani team in any World Cup, this is the worst crisis to have hit Pakistan cricket. And this crisis should be an opportunity to bring about a change by which we can tap the immense talent available to Pakistan cricket. The first change that I propose is that the president of the country should have nothing to do with selecting the Chairman PCB. Inzamam should be thanked for his services but we need a captain that leads from the front and a coach that can make an attacking strategy so that Pakistan can utilise fully the existing talent in the country. This is an infamy that has been brought on by cowardly leadership tactics.

Imran Khan in Lahore's The Nation

---

Pakistan's three wicket defeat in the World cup at the hands of a weak Irish team is being considered another addition to a long list of dark chapters in the country's cricketing history. This was Pakistan cricket's black day...it now lies buried in Kingston's Sabina Park cricket ground. A defeat that was though impossible has raised a number of questions which need to be answered by multi-millionaire cricketers who have once again let the country down.

Karachi's Jang

---

Pakistan have been shunted out of this World Cup, courtesy of a brilliant Ireland on what was a truly magnificent day for them. The performance at the top level mirrors the standard of first-class cricket and the first-class cricket in Pakistan is not good at all. They are making first-class cricket very cheap. The licence to play first-class cricket is given for political reasons. This has to stop and strong decisions will have to be made by the present board to make sure that they offer quality.

Ramiz Raja in Lahore's Daily Times

---

After Pakistan's horrific defeat on Saturday, officials of the PCB switched off their mobile phones to avoid immediate comment. Ex-cricketers called for a complete overhaul of the present structure of cricket management in the country. They termed the defeat a result of inept planning and bad selection.

Peshawar's Mashriq

---

Was today a dark day for cricket, or a bright one for the future? Today Bangladesh did to India, and Ireland to Pakistan, what a gentleman would not to his enemy. Although cricket is a gentleman's game, the South Asian 'gentlemen' were left nowhere in the West Indies. Pakistan is out of the World cup. All that is left is to lose to Zimbabwe in the next match quickly and come back home.

Multan's Khabrain