By Senathiraj Thevaratnam
There’s a line from Steve Jobs that has stayed with me for years: “You can please some of the people, some of the time.” But the rest of what he said is the real lesson, that when you try to bring real change, the loudest voices are often the ones holding onto fragments of the past, not the future we’re trying to build. That is exactly where Malaysian cricket stands today.
Everyone has an opinion. Everyone remembers how things “used to be.” And many of them are right… but only in their own small corner. The real question, the one we keep avoiding, is this:
How do all these pieces come together to shape a bigger, braver, clearer vision for Malaysian cricket?
Because if we don’t have a vision, all we’re doing is protecting positions, repeating old habits, and standing still while the world moves.
What Kind of Cricketing Nation Do We Want to Be?
Before we talk pathways, coaching structures, high-performance plans or league formats, we need to be brutally honest with ourselves: What do we want Malaysian cricket to stand for?
Do we want to merely participate? Or do we want to compete, grow and rise? Do we want to remain predictable and comfortable? Or do we want to evolve into something sharper, smarter and more ambitious? If we cannot define the experience we want for our players, coaches, umpires, administrators and fans, then we are building shadows, not systems.
We Can’t Move Forward While Clinging to Yesterday
Our biggest barrier is not money. It is not talent. It is not infrastructure. It is comfort. We have built a culture where:
• change is seen as a threat,
• innovation is seen as disrespect,
• data is seen as criticism,
• and those who push for better are seen as troublemakers.
This mindset has held us back far longer than any opponent on the field. And it reminds me of a quote by Rahul Dravid, one of the sport’s most respected minds: “You don’t win by being comfortable. You win by constantly adapting.” That is a truth we need to embrace fully, without excuses, without ego.
Data and Science Are Not Disruptions. They Are Our Compass
Sport today is built on evidence, not assumption.
We need:
• performance analytics,
• athlete tracking,
• structured talent pathways,
• coaching effectiveness measures, • workload management,
• transparent selection frameworks,
• and long-term planning grounded in facts, not relationships of convenience.
This isn’t about being modern for the sake of it. It’s about being responsible to the athletes who trust us with their futures. As the great Billie Jean King once said, “Champions keep playing until they get it right. Leaders keep improving until the system gets it right.” For Malaysian cricket, that improvement must now be intentional and not accidental.
Fear Is the Real Opponent
The toughest battles aren’t fought in the middle of the pitch. They’re fought inside meeting rooms, WhatsApp groups, and people’s minds. Fear has done more damage to Malaysian cricket than any defeat ever could.
• Fear of losing relevance.
• Fear of losing position.
• Fear of new leadership.
• Fear of stepping out of comfort zones.
• Fear of new systems and new standards. This fear has kept us stuck in a loop we call “so close, yet so far”. We cannot keep losing to this. Because losing a match can be fixed. Losing to fear… that destroys potential before it even begins.
It’s Time to Choose Courage
Change will upset people.
Some will resist.
Some will leave.
Some will misunderstand.
Some will insist the old way is the only way.
But progress has never come from imitation. It comes from courage. We need people who will walk the harder path, embrace uncomfortable truths, demand higher standards, and build a long-term blueprint that outlives all of us. This is our moment to reshape the identity of Malaysian cricket honestly, boldly, and with unity.
I will end with a quote from Arsène Wenger, a man who rebuilt an entire sporting culture: “If you do not believe you can change or improve, you become average the moment you accept it.” Malaysia deserves more than average!! Our players deserve more. Our youth deserve more. Our cricketing future deserves more.
And it starts with one simple step: It is okay to lose on the field. It is not okay to lose to fear. Malaysia and its sports fraternity deserve better than cycles of hesitation. It deserves a cricket system built on clarity, honesty, ambition and courage. A system where progress speaks louder than politics, and where the next generation inherits a game stronger than the one we were given. Because Malaysia deserves a cricket revolution, but one that is not in noise, but in mindset.
Then maybe, just maybe, Malaysian cricket will finally have its own Steve Jobs moment or in other words, have its own moment of True Brilliance and True Glory. – January 27, 2026
The observations reflect the writer's personal insights and do not necessarily represent the official stance of The Vibes.com
