The sports field in Pakistan is where Baloch talent is mostly disregarded. When talking about Pakistan’s sports teams, there are almost fifteen international teams, including cricket, football, hockey, volleyball, basketball, and many more. Sadly, no team shows any trace of a Baloch player, a clumsy moment for all those Baloch players who are working hard in the hope of representing Pakistan internationally someday.

Moreover, Baloch players are highly engaged in several sports in Pakistan, holding tournaments each month to boost their talent. Cricket, football, and volleyball to some extent are the popular sports played in Balochistan, with cricket being keenly followed in the province.

Tournaments of cricket are conducted annually and monthly among all the cricket-playing clubs in Balochistan. There are many talented cricket players who can even execute plans better than some of the current Pakistani players. Yet, these players are neglected.

Furthermore, the Pakistan cricket team was granted Test status by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1952. Approximately 235 players have represented Pakistan, says ESPN (Entertainment and Sports Programming Network). According to Wikipedia, 99 players have represented the Pakistan Cricket Team from 2006 to 2022, but no Baloch player has ever been part of the team.

As for Pakistan’s own cricket league, the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which was initiated in 2016, no Baloch players have participated in any of its nine editions. This means no Baloch has ever played in even one edition of the PSL, indicating that Baloch players are absent from the PSL—the national league that aims to polish new talent across Pakistan. It is very sad that a province covering 44% of the country’s land has not had its players included in the PSL.

There are many clubs in Balochistan that play quality cricket, but they are not given a chance to participate in the league. Quetta, a PSL team representing Balochistan as a whole, has no Baloch players either. Once, a player from Quetta named Bismillah Khan played for it, but unfortunately, he was not a Baloch.

In fact, Quetta should conduct its trial sessions in different parts of Balochistan to discover talents for the team. However, it lacks interest in conducting these trials. Baloch players are given neither a chance in the national league nor in the national team. This has been true for decades. I still wonder why the team is called Quetta when it includes no local Baloch players. As Mengal, the Secretary of the Quetta Cricket Association, said in the PSL’s third edition: “If you cannot include local Baloch cricketers in the Pakistan Super League, particularly in Quetta, then change the name of Quetta Gladiators.”

This ignorance recalls the words of Napoleon Bonaparte: “Talent without opportunity is nothing.” It is clear that Balochistan is not seen with the same eyes as players from other provinces.

Therefore, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should look into this issue and give Baloch players a chance. After all, this is Pakistan’s team, not one specific to any province or individual.

The writer is a student at Law College Turbat and can be reached at muneebmaqsood112@gmail.com.