The Pavillion panel, consisting of former Pakistan captains Wasim, Waqar, Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik, was telecast on Pakistan’s Sports TV ahead of the T20 World Cup. The topic of discussion was Scotland’s Mark Watt and the paper note he took out from his pocket during the match against the West Indies. It was later revealed that the “cheat sheet”, from team analyst George McNeil, featured the match-up strategies Watt should adopt against each batter.

Back in Pakistan, the quartet of panellists, along with anchor Fakhr-e-Alam, conjectured over the contents of the paper. It was going fine until Waqar linked Watt’s notes to Dementia and Alzheimers.

A clip of the discussion, going viral on social media, features the five panelists discussing the note. For the sake of clarity, let us recap the conversation between the quartet.

#ThePavilion panel guesses the reason behind Scotland's players carrying notes during the match#ASportsHD #T20WorldCup #PhirSe pic.twitter.com/ZVhqxBN5MW

— ASports (@asportstvpk) October 17, 2022

Fakhr began by saying he initially thought it was a sheet featuring the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern table. It was a valid guess, for rain had delayed the start of the match, and there had been rain threats throughout the second innings. However, after the game, the Scotland camp clarified that it was not.

“I thought his mother told him to get one kg of ice and three kg of lemon,” laughed Wasim, setting the tone for a jesty discussion akin to a post-dinner catch-up of chatty neighbours. “And three Panadol (tablets),” Misbah chimed in.

But the humour went downhill really fast. “What do you think it can be?” continued Wasim. “You guys can tell me – our present cricketers (pointing at Malik). It‘s not D/L.”

“I think it has match-ups,” said Misbah, trying to restore some sanity into the discussion. “I think what you said before – pretty close to that,” said Waqar, pointing at his long-time new-ball partner.

“We’re going to Hobart, it will be cold. Get some ice along,” Wasim fell back upon his grocery humour. Nothing wrong so far.

“On a serious note, these are match-ups for every batter,” Misbah continued, trying to drive some cricketing sense into the discussion. “What needs to be bowled to whom.”

“But as a bowler, I don’t have to carry notes,” Wasim quipped. “Generally speaking.”.

“You know, these days, you need to show a bit,” replied Misbah.

The anchor suggested having another look at Watt’s paper, which was when Waqar chimed in with “It could be that he [Watt] has an issue of Dementia or Alzheimer’s, we don’t know, we don’t know. C’mon guys. He might be forgetting things, would have written them down. We don’t know…”

There was awkward, almost forced laughter in the background. Wasim and Misbah did not engage, while the anchor just shook his head with a smile.

Malik, the youngest of the lot, proceeded to steer the discussion back into the general realm of sport. “I think it’s what Misbah told us. The discussion they had in team meetings…”

“That’s what, that’s what I am saying”, said Waqar, probably realising his lapse.

“What to bowl to whom,” Malik continued. “Especially left-armer to left-handed batsman. If we see it again, we can spot [Nicholas] Pooran’s name at the back. Pooran was playing and he was bowling to him.”

Wasim entered the conversation once again: “We can’t see Pooran only, how will we read his name from so far?” The comment was followed by collective laughter, led by the anchor.

The clip is problematic, and there cannot be two ways about it. For those who defend the brand of dated, politically incorrect humour, it is imperative to note that we, as a society, have evolved enough to be more sensitive to suffering, illness and disease. Those born in the subcontinent, have, unfortunately, grown up on a diet of such humour – kaala (black) and mota (fat) jokes have for the longest time been easy subjects to laugh on, as have jokes on illnesses and physically challenged. A part of society still finds it acceptable.

But this is 2022. And these are some of cricket’s finest, an ensemble cast of sportspersons who brought glory to their country, and have established themselves as powerful voices within the game, and to a larger society outside. Fans and followers eagerly wait for their analysis and opinion. Their words aren’t fleeting, each of it is recorded, disseminated and broadcast to millions.

So, when Waqar says that Watt might be suffering from Alzheimer’s, or Wasim says that he “can’t see Pooran”, they sadly dilute the respect they have garnered over the years. For a planet still suffering the wrath of a global pandemic, the least one can do is be sensitive to those who are actually suffering, and not use it in a way that makes a mockery of their struggles.

A couple of weeks ago, Kapil Dev, unarguably a sporting superhero in India, called depression an “American fad”. One would not expect the great all-rounder to be an expert on a condition that takes about 70,000 lives every year, but at the same time, one cannot ignore the power of words, and the negative effect they can have on countless impressionable minds.

It is time we stop them in their tracks, raise our voices and tell them that certain lines need not be crossed. There is enough room for humour without bringing insensitivity into it. Public figures need to remember that times have changed, and in the age of social media, words carry more meaning than before. There are still millions waiting to hear their expert analysis on the sport, but there are also some, ready to turn their backs if these greats are still stuck in decades-old mindsets as part of what is, hopefully, a more considerate and cooperative world.

In a way, it is also an opportunity to make amends. It is understandable, if regrettable, for someone to make an off-colour joke or step over the line while trying to keep up with the pace of a light-hearted discussion. But it is also an opportunity to own up, to seek to improve. It sends out a statement that these things are not okay.

As players, leaders, and national icons, they once stood tall and set an example for others to follow. It is just more of the same.