Pakistan, Feb. 28 -- What is Pakistan's cricket story? A disgraceful exit from an event long-awaited, that too, on its home ground? A pinching diktat that we kept missing the stations on too many occassions to the point that there's no upturn left? Without losing a single wicket on Thursday, Shaheens' innings ended with a wet whimper; their pride and hope for cricket to return home, all dissipating into thin air.

For the Men in Green, this unceremonial exit should be a somber reflection of a broken cricketing dream, marked by mismanagement, lackluster performances, and a failure to rise to the occasion when it mattered most. Watching the matches felt less like cheering for a national team and more like witnessing a tragic farce unfold on...