Pakistan’s under-19 cricketers have given the nation a rare jolt of jubilation. In Dubai, the youngsters crushed India by 191 runs. Opener Sameer Minhas blazed a record 172 (the highest U19-Asia-Cup final score ever), lifting Pakistan to 347/8. To add to the glory, a disciplined bowling bundled India out for a paltry 156. Young Shaheens were supreme in every department. This was the largest final margin in U19-Asia-Cup history. For a country starved of good news, this was a rare moment of pride. It matters. Indeed, it is even sweeter because this same Pakistan side had been thrashed by India in the group stage–a statement of redemption on the biggest stage.
Yet for all the cheer, caution is due. A trophy is just a piece of metal if our system fails to back it up. Too often, Pakistan’s youth stars burn bright and then vanish. We last lifted this trophy (that too, shared with India) in 2012; the 13-year gap since underlines how fleeting these peaks can be. The PCB has announced education scholarships and new camps for promising cricketers, but such gestures will ring hollow unless sustained. For these players, hope must be matched by action. Let this victory catalyse real change.
Cricket still performs a civic function in Pakistan that other institutions struggle to match. It draws attention across class and province, which is precisely why it should be treated as policy rather than spectacle. School competition remains uneven, club cricket is underfunded, and coaching standards vary sharply across districts. A national sports policy, tied to education and local government, would not guarantee trophies, yet it would reduce the churn that turns promising careers into anecdotes.
This win should remain what it was: a convincing sporting achievement, earned properly and enjoyed without apology. The test begins after the applause. If the board and the state respond with sustained planning rather than ceremonial announcements, this squad may be remembered not only for a final won handsomely, but for forcing the system to grow up with them. *