There was time left yet ~ and there still is ~ for Zaka Ashraf to take the Pakistan Cricket Board over, with political assistance which in turn was reliant on martial blessings, when, with one salvo, the former bank executive turned the Asia Cup upside down. It was more than a stormy teacup. Najam Sethi, before pushing off, had made sure the tournament would be held without India going across the border ~ their take-it-or-leave-it stipulation ~ and Pakistan, official hosts, holding four matches and Sri Lanka, nine. “A bad choice for Pakistan who get some cut-price matches,” Ashraf bellowed.

He wanted all the matches in Pakistan, as the hosts of any tournament anywhere could indeed say they wanted all the guests to savour their hospitality. There was also the little matter of the size of the takings. Ashraf promised action so justice was done, which had some people, tired of the Asia Cup roulette, laughing as they saw only his delusions of grandeur in the battle cry. The verbal tug of war had begun when Jay Shah of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, let the Asian Cricket Council in on just how stubborn New Delhi was in the matter of a visit to Pakistan. The Council found themselves struggling in choppy waters with all others inclined to edge away from them. All Sethi could hope for when it had come to the crunch was salvaging something from the shipwreck, which had been what he had attempted. And Sri Lanka, with India backing them, had been ready and on their mark to hold the tournament on the island. Was it going to be another dive to the Titanic wreckage? Ashraf, of course, was not Harry Potter all over again.

Hours after he had suggested a turnaround at his own initiative, he was eating his words and quite obviously not relishing the experience, whereupon he let it be known that he had only expressed his personal opinion initially. He would honour the previous dispensation’s arrangement though he did not approve of it, once again stressing Pakistan’s interests. Ashraf essentially had no choice either. The Asia Cup impasse admitted of no unlocking until it came home to the International Cricket Council that the 50-over World Cup, later this year, could take a nasty commercial toss, if the sub-continental rivals were not making a show of getting along with each other even if they were not exactly sailors on shore leave. The BCCI already fights a tax battle in New Delhi as the ICC wants it to make sure that World Cup profits do not have to be dropped into the revenue department’s bulging bags. The amazing alacrity with which Ashraf fell in line showed great adaptability, but those high-ups in Dubai would also want him not to rock the boat. Or, play up. Never again.