Selection on reputation

Unfairness in selection of Pakistan team, by not selecting the ones who’re capable of keeping wickets, instead of the top dogs selecting again and again after costing an almost won test match!

As Osman Samiuddin in his latest article on CricInfo clearly states:

The elder Akmal has actually been rewarded by being made top dog again. Someone should tell the fool of an understudy Sarfraz Ahmed, who didn’t even make it to the 35 probables, to drop four catches and screw up a Test (read match notes) and then very publicly oppose the selectors and board. Then there’ll be no removing him from the top spot.

Isn’t it unfair to the youngster after being a performer in domestic and relatively better keeper behind wickets than elder Akmal, leaving him [Sarfraz Ahmed] personally I feel was better choice than Kamran Akmal as I think he needs a rest and secondly we need to groom another keeper in Sarfraz Ahmed who can keep wickets in his [elder Akmal] absence and later by permanently keeping for Pakistan.

Its nothing new in Pakistan Cricket, there have been time when Rashid Latif and Moin Khan used to play and they had stiff performance competition between them which helped Pakistan and Pakistan Cricket but now just because this backup thing have been ignored, these old dogs are repeated again and again, leaving the youngsters hopeless for their future in Pakistan cricket.

Look at Australia, while Gilchrist was playing, they groomed Brad Haddin, and now when Gilchrist retired, Brad was the perfect replacement, and they [Aussies] didn’t lag in that dept, as severely as we are facing, as we’ve been insisting with Senior Akmal since 2003, apart from a T20 match against South Africa under the captaincy of Inzi for Zulqarnain Haider and a complete series for Sarfaraz Ahmed in 2008 edition of Asia cup played in Pakistan, apart from that Akmal has been insisted permanently without any backup plan.

Speaking of backup plan, this whole Pakistani team for Sri Lankan Asia Cup and England tour had been selected on reputation, no offence because if there was a permanent process for backup plans, players like Malik wouldn’t be selected, and they had to prove themselves to be part of Pakistani team. Just because they were selected without letting them know the importance of this green shirt and blazer they wore, like a spoiled child they’ll act again and again.

Hope PCB gets something in their heads.

Why Younis Khan?

Another bouncer to Younis from PCB by not including him [for sure] for Pakistan’s Asia Cup squad to be played in Sri Lanka!

The header says it, Why Younis Khan! He has played for the country and just for the sake of saving the team from more disturbance, he was gutsy enough to left captaincy and the team, else do we [Pakistan Cricket History] have such a role model in recent past who himself left the captaincy? Every captain that was changed in recent, was sacked, not resigned! Now Shahid Afridi has been appointed the skipper of Pakistan Team touring Sri Lanka for Asia Cup including the hosts, Sri Lanka, India and Bengal Tigers Bangladesh, and later Pakistan is going to play a tough tour in English Summer against Aussies and later against England, altogether 6 test matches with 2 against Aussies and 4 against England and it would be a testing tour for Pakistan and many of Pakistani players would be having there debut as test players in England including sensational Umar Akmal, Muhammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal to name some, and in this scenario you [Pakistan Cricket Board a.k.a. P.C.B.] are constantly ignoring players like Younis Khan and Muhammad Yousuf, because everyone who’ll read my this article will surely agree with me whether he’s an Indian, Sri Lankan or a Bangladeshi, that experience counts, for playing in England else you’d be bulldozed, remember Aussies lose their last two consecutive Ashes in England!

So why PCB being so idiot, instead working on 2 Y’s return to Pakistan test squad touring England for a “Home-series” against Aussies, they rather made themselves happy by inclusion of a termite named Shoaib Malik, after his inclusion what assurances do we have specially Shoaib Malik will never, ever plot such Star Plus drama again in the Pakistan team? I am quite sure that would happen in near future because the manager currently with Pakistani team is wholly responsible for what happened post-Australia tour, supporting group-making against Younis Khan, taking oath on Holy Quran [just think of it, how disgusting, for staging a plot taking support of a Holy Book, how shameful of these disgusting people], the plot was made by the manager and Malik capitalized on it, as he mentions Younis Khan responsible for taking off captaincy cap from him, according to the leaked video of the inquiry committee mentions [I have doubts on the stature of that inquiry committee too as it was based on the Board’s members other than Wasim Akram being the outsider, who didn’t participate because of his international assignments]. So how can you say that the inquiry committee findings were credible? Its simply looking like the case that Pakistan Cricket Board wanted to hide their ill-management and stupid-ness by blaming their faults to the players.

Instead of scrutinizing the players’, why can’t they scrutinize the management and helm of affairs of Pakistan Cricket Board, which has already been a laughing stock in International Cricket with no credibility, like it was once. People like Malik can only be “tamed” under strict management, unlike the current management where they are assured that they’re not questionable and even if they found guilty, they’ll [the PCB] lift it with the help of their own made appellate tribunal, which would not have its own credibility. If they were credible enough, they should have opted for Younis’ and Yousuf’s return, but they have adjourned Younis’ appeal till 5th June, 2010 and team for Asia cup to be announced of 3rd so Younis is definitely going to miss the Asia Cup, does a sensible Cricket Board acts like that? [I want answers from Indians, Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis to have their view points on this issue too]

And as far as Younis’s concern I’d back him to carry on this court hearing, heard PCB had tried bribing him that if he [Younis Khan] withdraw his cases, they’d lift his ban, completely bullshit, in my case I personally feel bribing in such a manner would be the last thing in my head, if PCB didn’t help, than he should proceed to supreme court of justice, that’s where PCB current management is going to have sweats on their foreheads for sure. Go Younis!

Credibility of this appellate tribunal

What is PCB doing? After tonight’s episode, what credibility of Pakistan Cricket Board is in the International Arena?

I doubt this one person appellate tribunal hearing where the only person conducting these hearings is a relative to Mr. Ijaz Butt. Right now when I am writing this blog, in news headlines Ijaz Butt is clearly saying that it was he who did all this mess, what can you [the media personnel who asked this question] do, I’ve the authority to do each and everything.

What the hell is it? He has made Pakistani cricket a laughing stock! Already cricket in Pakistan is a mere dream and now just because of false credibility of our head of the board, such things are happening, no credibility of our cricket team internationally. Injecting the same players which were responsible for what happened in Australia tour! you must be kidding. If yes than Allah is the savior to Pakistani team, because team is not going to play as a team in presence of Malik specially, as he already been rated as termite and giving second chance to termite can be injurious.

Already he has proved how lethal he [Shoaib Malik] can be when it comes to create a Star Plus sorta situation in the team! We say country comes first, he say I come first- country goto hell, literally its what I felt especially the way he got out in Abu Dhabi against Kiwis, thanks to Aamer and Ajmal that they played a face-saving innings, than test series in New Zealand and Australia is no different. On the other hand, PCB’s unconditional support to Shoaib Malik is without any clue! Even stats do not support him and his bowling in recent past has shown how good a bowler is he, isn’t able to perform well with the bat as well. World T20 2009 in England and 128 against India at Centurion are only worth mentioning innings he played in recent past, two worth mentioning innings in 1.5 years time is not enough for what is wobbled as the finest all-rounder Pakistan ever had.

Even PCB while working so hard to get rid of ban from Malik if they had worked a little more, we could had Mohammad Yousuf [as a batsman] but instead our Cricket Board had emphasized more on Malik on expense of a master blaster Mohammad Yousuf [although I again admit I am not a fan of his captaincy], and players like Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan are born once in a while, and irony of fate, we first humiliate them and later defused them like toilet paper! Is that a way proud nations honour their heroes with inclusion of termites? A question to be answered by US [not Uncle Sam, but we the common people]

Wedding Gift with love from PCB

Shoaib Malik got wedding gift from PCB in shape of a ban lift from PCB’s arranged appellate tribunal

Right now when I am writing this, 11.16 AM Pakistan Standard Time, its been a breaking news in news circuits in Pakistan that former skipper Pakistan Cricket Team Shoaib Malik, on whom PCB imposed ban due to misconduct and creating anarchy in the team, during the disastrous Aussie tour 2009-2010, have been uplifted by the PCB arranged 1 member appellate tribunal. Some saying its a wedding gift to Shoaib Malik from PCB, and this gift is worth mentioning compared to those which he got on his wedding day. I personally don’t like him that much and those who call him as termite are quite justified as he was responsible for having a complete Star Plus show in Pakistan Cricket Team, resulting in disunity.

Even in the video, which was leaked earlier on a Private Sports Channel in Pakistan, show a member of the six-member committee using the word ‘termite’ for Malik after being told by some of the fellow cricketers and coaches Intikhab Alam and Aqib Javed that the former captain was the only person to be blamed for the lack of team spirit in the team.

After such background of a certain player, how can such player can have his ban uplifted? On a personal note I have reservations on the proceedings of this so called appellate tribunal hearing and doubt its hearing. Some channels even criticizing that Justice Irfan Qadir, who is taking their [banned players] hearings, is Samdhi to Mr. Ijaz Butt, clearly violating the basic rules of modern management.

The more justified ban uplift was of Younis Khan who’s still having his hearing to be done. I personally feel he was the victim, flashing back to the time when Kiwis played ODI series against Pakistan in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, since than this whole Star Plus started. Even on the leaked video, one can easily understand that it was Shoaib Malik who blamed Younis Khan for captaincy take-over from him [Shoaib Malik], and disunity started from here, and like a termite plotted his plans, getting several players on his side, took oath on Holy Quran, against Younis Khan thanks to whole hearted support from our current team Manager Mr. Yawar Saeed, who himself has been a controversial character in Pakistan Cricket and has been a childhood friend to our beloved Mr. BUTT HEAD a.k.a. Ijaz Butt, another clear violation of modern management. I narrate my personal experience at a time when I was doing internship at another branch of the same bank my father works as internal auditor, and at that time my father had to visit my branch for auditing purposes, but he didn’t came as I was in that branch, instead he being the Manager – Internal Audit, sent his colleagues to the branch. Ok. Should I give example from a cricketing point-of-view, in 2003 Mr. Tauqir Zia the former chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board just resigned because his own son had to play in the domestic and for Pakistan, even in his later interviews he clearly mentioned that he didn’t wanted people to raise fingers that he utilized his power and seat to inject his son into the team.

Similarly, Shoaib Malik is also having some political and powerful support that’s why after having violated the PCB’s terms, he’s still being injected into the team and being called as the need of the time when team is touring to a tough English summer series. Complete bull-shit, there are several other players, know not as much experience but it can be overcome by giving some chances.

Action justified clearly

Pakistan Cricket Board should take strict but sensible decisions on management as-well

Some might say Intikhab Alam have been rough and rude to current Pakistani players, but I think it clearly justifies when you can’t perform on the field and off the field aswell, everyone was looking in a hurry and wanted to show himself superior on the tour.

That’s not only me saying but everyone who closely followed Pakistan’s tour of Australia, even in a TV clip I heard Mohammad Yousuf saying that Ricky Ponting said to him that his troops are not marshaling along him. On the other hand, Shoaib Malik was heard saying that it was not because of him that Pakistan lost but it was because of the defensive approach MoYo adopted, which resulted in disastrous tour down-under. I just want to ask one question, that ok MoYo was defensive, and one must admit that, but that wasn’t ONLY the reason behind such performance? Dropping of catches, mis-fielding, bowling not upto the mark, is skipper literally responsible for such individual acts of other players, I don’t think so!

Although I am not a great fan of MoYo’s captaincy capabilities but one must agree with it too that boys played their own parts in accomplishment of such results, and it would be unfair to singly point out MoYo for the result. We should also be ashamed that they used Holy Quran, just to take oath that they’ll not allow Younus Khan to captain them along post ODI series in Dubai and Abu Dhabi against Kiwis, (after that tour we had to tour down-under to New Zealand).

I agree somewhat with what Aamir Sohail mentioned just at the time current PCB management were thinking of changing Shoaib Malik with Younus Khan, he clearly mentioned that if such exercise would be implemented it would send clear message to the players that do whatever you want, and it could have disastrous results in return, but this suggestion wasn’t listen and now when Australia have 4 skippers replaced in 20 odd years, we had 3 skippers in span of 12 months. So like I was saying earlier that Intikhab Alam was right in his words, I think what I have drawn light on clearly justifies that although there was problem with players too, no one is denying this but this is also a fact that effective management was needed and the responsibility of effective manager is that of a preventer, (the person who prevents worst things to happen), players’ problem I admit prevails in Pakistan cricket but it could have been prevented, instead of being now wobbling for.

A termite indeed

PCB must look options other than Shoaib Malik himself

As some analysts clearly mentioned Shoaib Malik, that he’s a termite and is responsible for disunity in the team, I don’t know why he’s persist with, we all know he already had confessed on the National TV (PTV) that he had fixed a domestic match playing for Sialkot region, still there have been support FOR him, I think people running Pakistan Cricket Board are nuts.

When he could fix a Pakistan’s domestic tournament match, so how can you be so sure that he would not do the same in the broader arena? If he’s a team-man so why he opted to sit out on a green top against Kiwis, pre-Aussie tour- no answer!

He also knows that he’s invincible and no backup program or plan is underway that’s why he’s using his powers, else like some analysts said in a newspaper article regarding his family background and history and than his expenditures in his Valima, I don’t wanna go that far because that’s his own life but yeah wanna raise this issue that at the time of his birth, his father had to take loan for further expenditures, so how was he able to generate so much amount that even by born billionaires can’t even think of! Plus he has been more pro-Indian (I am not biased), like he’s always willing to goto India or play in India, I know it’s a big market but country comes first, he was the first person to show disappointment when Pakistani Government didn’t allow any of the Pakistani players to participate in IPL2 which was later staged in South Africa in 2009.

The only reason to tackle such things is that we should make a system and backup plans so that if one player is created, 3 players are behind him and while 3 are behind further 3 should be under process at NCA where instead of utilizing it for cricketing activities is being used for appellate tribunal hearings and fact findings for disastrous tour of Australia. Is that the purpose we built NCA?

As far as Mr. Malik is concern, PCB should show its power regarding his own place in the team, he might be an spectacular make-shift player but he’s not above the law (read Andrew Symonds), he was a good player but was not above the game according to Cricket Australia and they punished him because he didn’t attend the practice session when Bangladesh toured Australia but instead was found fishing although he was told by CA. Can’t we take something similar like that! What PCB has taken decision regarding Malik, they should had to take that decision quite earlier when he refused to return when he was asked! Taking tough decisions after the concluded tour is nothing important but brings more disgrace.

Don’t know but its my gutsy feeling that by the time they would leave the seats, the interest level of this game in Pakistan I believe would deteriorate for sure, the way everyone in the PCB is exploiting their own seats and status, without any check and balance.