The Pakistan cricket team’s tour of England is in full flow and as witnessed by the positive result in the 1st Test at Lord’s, has yielded some mouth-watering performances for followers of the game.

Whilst the Pakistan team’s preparations for the tour and execution of their game plans has been credited to its coaching staff, there is an important aspect of the Pakistan presence in England this summer which needs to be highlighted as well.

For many the painful memories of Pakistan’s previous tours of England may well have dissipated due to the passage of time but the lessons learnt from the many sad episodes are quite pertinent to the current tour as well. Whilst the blame for the unfortunate events of the past could be attributed to many individuals, the fact remains that the furore caused as a result would have not compounded into crises if it had been handled by competent media presence by the PCB.

It is in this aspect that the current media manager, Mr. Agha Akbar is playing a key role for the Pakistan team. From handling contacts between players and eager media personnel to ensuring that the image of Pakistan cricket is portrayed fairly, the job of Agha and his colleagues is an example of professionalism which can only be measured by how well the tour has progressed so far.

There is not one example of a negative portrayal of the team in any media outlet in the UK or within the electronic media or in the highly important social media environment. All queries about the team and its well-being directed to Pakistan media manager have been dealt with promptly and with a high level of professionalism. The various updates to the media including short interviews outlining the team’s progress by the media team have been received with great interest by the international media. Even the much anticipated re-introduction of the previously banned Mohammad Amir was handled with elegance by Agha and his team and must have provided great comfort for the team as well.

However, it is sad to see that Pakistan team’s successful strategy to deal with the media which has no precedence based upon past tours has come at a painful personal price for Agha Akbar.

The friendly persona of a vastly experienced Pakistan media manager has come under attack of a personal nature by some in the trade who appear to have a personal vendetta against Agha.

The recent allegations of misdemeanours against Agha are but one example of how elements in the media will go to extraordinary lengths to malign honest individuals and in their personal hatred, demolish the excellent reputation of the Pakistan team as well.

How can such behaviour be tolerated by the media houses which employ such individuals is a moot point but what is equally saddening is that this type of character assassination is being done to gain some rating points and without regard for the reputation of the country they pretend to represent.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has done wonders to improve and project a positive image of the game at home and abroad. Now it needs to take further action to ensure that the good work done by its staff is not destroyed by the egos of some unscrupulous individuals.