Words that will never be part of Pakistan’s cricket dictionary: Stability, continuity, bonhomie, etc. One word that will always be associated with Pakistan cricket — entertainment. At least for the outsider.

On Sunday evening, a long-standing squabble between the local media and the Pakistan coach erupted minutes after the hosts lost their Asia Cup Super Four encounter against Sri Lanka — a defeat that leaves them on the brink of elimination going into the game against an in-form India on Wednesday.

In an attempt to shield captain Shoaib Malik from what was undoubtedly going to be an edgy press conference, coach Geoff Lawson walked in himself, and he opened the interaction by laying down the law: “A couple of rules before we start. Don’t make statements, ask questions. Make questions sensible or I won’t answer. If someone asks a question twice, I won’t answer,” he said, also asking a journalist to speak proper English.

A couple of heated exchanges later, the media walked out in a huff.

The issue didn’t end there. With the PCB unhappy with Lawson for having provoked journalists, the coach made a public apology on Monday. “I would like to clarify that the incident that took place at the press conference after the Pakistan-Sri Lanka match is most unfortunate,” he said in a statement released by the PCB. “What happened was regrettable and I would like to apologise for the events that led to the incident. I appreciate that the media has a job on hand to do and at the end of the day our collective efforts should be focused on getting good performances from the team.”

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