Are heroes treated like that?

	Not only Afridi but there are many players who were disgraced in current cricket board’s tenure. After a week long gap, I’m again in a mood to write one, as dust from Afridi-PCB controversy starting to settle as Afridi withdraw his petition against the PCB and made himself available for the hearing at PCB HQ. On the other hand PCB gifted him with hefty fines and with that gave him a PCB NOC which means he can now play his remaining stint with UK County Hampshire and the SLPL. Since 8th of October 2008, when this Azaab-e-Ilahi (God’s Curse), imposed on us in the shape of PCB chairman, following the support with some of the in-power political parties and parties in the opposition, has ruined and deteriorated Pakistan’s and Pakistan Cricket’s image once and for all, It’ll take sometime to get these wounds healed. We lost players like MoYo and Younis just because they came in against of the Butt’s dictatorship. They claim that we got rid of dictatorship but I say a new sort of idiotic dictatorship has been imposed on us where no one’s accountable on the top but the sub-ordinates do. I am too young to have a memory of PCB’s history but whatever I heard and searched about PCB from my elders and from the internet, I never found a clue that so many players went in against of the administrator of the PCB to the court in a same tenure. Players had to have a visit to Provincial High Courts in order to gain some justice against the PCB. I don’t know why and what in the world making them so complacent to take action against this buffoon in human shape. Neither he has provided with a future plan for Pakistan cricket, nor invested in PCB property like Grounds, infrastructures etc, but in order to get positive gestures from the people in power, he has created an International Cricket Ground in Garhi Khuda Bukhsh. I do not object on this construction of ground but what guarantee do they give it’d be well maintained, unlike National Stadium in Karachi, which is under shattered, although they’ve worked so much on the outfield but what about the outlook of the ground? Similarly with a domestically used PCB held cricket ground recently constructed at Mirpurkhas, Sindh, which outer walls were on ground when last year torrential rains after Cyclone Phet hit Thatta and adjourning areas. Talking about players, this is not the first time that a senior has retaliated against the current administration of the PCB, Younis Khan who won us the 2009 WT20 stint in the UK also came under fire, than MoYo and so on and so forth. I just thank Almighty Inzamam-ul-Haq retired on the right time, else the kinda respect and response he got from everyone wasn’t even thinkable. Already we’re famous in the World for not respecting our seniors when they retired, they came up with a boom and die with a spark like a star whose life’s diminished with just a spark of light and than its a history. I don’t think after great Imran Khan and Javed Miandad, I don’t remember we gave a standing ovation to an outgoing sports personality, whether it comes to two great W’s. Saqlain Mushtaq, who innovated the Doosra Ball, Shoaib Akhtar, even those who’re in and are in hot waters although because of their own, the PCB should have had supported them whatsoever, we should not forget many of our current cricket team players’ hail from humble background, so when PCB is spending so much in creating their own housing societies and etc, they should invest in their own players because of them, the PCB is able to generate money but instead of investing them into their players, they’re using them in themselves, and let players to play for foreign leagues, to earn, instead of doing something like that on their own ground. I was hearing about PPL or PCL whatsoever since Pakistan played that famous Karachi test against the Indians in 2006-07 season, had they started it on war-approach, if they had started PPL or PCL back than, eventhough attack on Sri Lankan team would had happened, atleast we’d had some source of earning and similarly up-to-date upgrade of our grounds, or at Dubai, Sharjah and/or Abu Dhabi. It could had been a profitable venture in whatever the circumstances. Look what India have gained from their domestic multimillion tournament, they’ve up-to-date ground facilities, they are able to have back-benches populated so that there’s backup to every single player, on the contrary I need not to mention what’s the situation in Pakistan, even those who do not watch cricket know what’s and where’s wrong! Instead of spending time in investing and creating new ways of generating incomes, they are wasting their energies in court visits and Uncle Butt‘s foreign trips with the team. May Allah bless us all, Ameen.

He too, did it…

	Many people will disagree with me but I feel don’t blame PCB as they’re pathetic but I didn’t expect such a childish act from him As right now when I am writing all this, Pakistan white washed Ireland 2-0, in Belfast yesterday (Monday, 30th May 2011), but again Pakistan Cricket was under spotlight later that night, when I was about to sleep at night when news broke that former Pakistani ODI Skipper Shahid Afridi has retired from International Cricket under condition that he’ll return when current cricket board will be dissolved. Being a Shahid Afridi fan, I said to myself mate you did just right, as whatever was happening with you recently means that such an action was on cards. But later on when I thoroughly went through all this fiasco, I felt that PCB was on fault but Afridi on the other hand was not right in going for an emotional tactic. Why I am saying so? Because in an corporate organization (don’t wanna say PCB though), one must has to follow the rules and regulations of an organization whether you like it or not, its obligatory. If Afridi had some sort of problems with management, he should have created some lobbying so that he may get some favour against the PCB which could had made his case a lot stronger than right now, as right now when I am writing this, PCB has terminated his central contract and thinking of sending another show-cause notice to him! That’s what I feel decisions made on emotions backfire, this is the prove of it.   Reasons to prove: 1. If PCB was so hostile than weren’t there any other options other than exposing your aces? 2. If he felt he was not treated the way he should have been, than there were other ways to expose them instead of exposing them in front of Pakistani media, which has been without a sense of patriotism and will publish any report without confirming that whether it’ll help the country or not! 3. If he was having problems with management, than he should had gone for a step-by-step revelation, instead of direct revelation, consequences he’s already facing. I feel the current PCB will put him under such restrictions that he’ll find it difficult to return from that exile, even though if PCB changes. 4. There are ways like putting your case in front of the board of directors of PCB. I know those people are also sold out but still there was some moral gap than that yeah I put my case over there that’s why I am taking such drastic steps, than PCB won’t had any chance for explanation. 5. He could had taken a diplomatic step that he complained of having players respecting problems, he could had made a league of his own comprises of former skippers in this tenure and than he could had put pressure on the PCB, that could had worked. The reason I am writing all this, there were alternatives but taking a drastic step to show he was innocent and others were doing wrongly to him, is a childish act, because already retirements from a Pakistani player has been a joke as they retire and they come back. What I feel the definition of retire is to end, finish and not to continue, what sort of retirement is this? Like some English communication errors, we’re using redundant and ambiguous terminologies like partial retirement etc. Already Pakistani Cricket has suffered alot because of this “partial retirement sort of blackmailing”, this should be stopped by any means. Respectable nations don’t do such pathetic acts to deteriorate their country’s impression and let their country’s flag to go down, when our players will learn it? Time will tell

Time to create some backup!

What is life for Pakistan Cricket after them? Are we working for a backup plan who’d replace them after they retire?

Although now clouds have been shed from the captaincy of upcoming series’ in Sri Lanka and England, but have we thought of a backup plan, for life after Afridis, Younis’, Yousufs, Maliks, Shoaib Akhtars etc?

Why we’re wasting talent like Asim Kamal? Instead of trying in their later matches in New Zealand and Australia just after the World T20 triumph in England, they emphasized on a player who was instead of attending Pakistan’s domestic matches which were on those days, went on to play a private league in Bangladesh, where according to stats mention, he was the high scorer! but did that thing helped Pakistan in New Zealand and Australia when it needed most? Afridi was also in Australia but he did played his part like the first ODI innings which he played and than the captaincy at the fifth and final ODI where Pakistan had almost won against Aussies. But did Misbah played his part? His inclusion in the team was just on the basis of his lucky year 2007 performance.

Like some analysts said, selecting players on reputation has paid the price in this World T20 played in West Indies, Pakistan also paid the price in this regards. If there was any other deserving player in place of Misbah it would have paid like the inclusion of Abdul Rehman following an injury to Yasir Arafat.

What I am saying instead of selecting team on players’ past performance why not selecting them on the basis of their performances in domestic circuit? It might good to listen but we have to improve our domestic circuit standard, with comparison to Australian Shield. It has been a norm that a player emerges from our domestic taking handful wickets or scoring tons of scores but when the real arena for performance matters, they fail!

Asim Kamal had promise in his performance why isn’t he be giving chances I don’t know, but wanna know!

Skipper announced for Asia Cup and England Tour

Shahid Afridi has been announced as the skipper for Asia Cup and off-shore home-series in England against Aussies and England

Shahid Afridi has been announced as the skipper for upcoming Asia Cup to be played in Sri Lanka, featuring India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. After that they are gonna travel to England where they have to play against Aussies and later against England.

The importance of this series is that this is a full fledged home-series Pakistan has able to play against any opponent since the attack of Sri Lankan team convoy in Lahore on 3rd of March 2009. After that incident Pakistan played a ODI and one only T20 series against Aussies in Dubai and Abu Dhabi just before the 2009 edition of World T20 in England.

Another big news is that some of the seniors minus Mohammad Yousuf have been recalled in the 30 member probables, like Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik and Shoaib Akhtar to name some.

I personally feel the inclusion of Shoaib Akhtar would benefit Pakistani team as what I saw in the Pentangular ODI cup recently concluded just before the start of ICC World T20 2010, and he was impressive aswell. Shoaib last played an international for Pakistan in May 2009 and his last Test back in December 2007, but has this season turned out in domestic cricket in a bid to prove his fitness; he was particularly impressive in the Pentangular ODI cup in Karachi recently.

Again being personal, this time selectors did the right thing in dropping Misbah-ul-Haq, I’ve a great regards for him but his stay on the pitch isn’t benefiting Pakistan as much as he’s expected to. Plus he has been included in the team since Pakistan started their tour to New Zealand and than not to mention Aussie tour where he didn’t perform up-to-the-mark, and even in the World T20 2010, he wasn’t in his prime form like he was once in 2007 edition of World T20 in South Africa and later in tests in India, so I personally think it was time to give that space to someone more deserving.

Inclusion of Shahzaib Hassan is a good omen for the team, I personally think (maybe I am saying too much) that he’s a similar sorta player compared to Sanath Jayasuria, the way he played in RBS Pentangular ODI cup, he deserved a place in playing national team squad.

Kamran Akmal has been named with another keeper on his back Zulqarnain Haider, so that now Kamran Akmal has performance pressure on his shoulder, as during the New Years Sydney Test 2010, he dropped Mike Hussey 4 times in second innings of almost won test match and than fluffing a easy run-out, this sorta performance needed some check and balance and selection committee did the right thing by pressurizing him by placing a second wicket-keeper with him in the squad, the only edge which Kamran Akmal has on Haider is of batting, he’s a much better batsman than Zulqarnain Haider.

The only drawback in this squad I feel is of absence of Mohammad Yousuf whom Shahid Afridi told the media that he [Shahid Afridi] insisted Yousuf to withdraw his retirement decision but Afridi said Yousuf was unwilling to change his mind. He was the successful run-scorer for Pakistan in their last trip to England against the looks of Steve Harmisons, James Andersons etc and now in this trip Mohammad Yousuf’s absence would be greatly felt as I personally feel their isn’t any player of MoYo’s caliber in this currently announced squad.

Probables for Pakistani team:

Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Khurram Manzoor, Shahzaib Hassan, Azhar Ali, Azeem Ghumman, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Faisal Iqbal, Fawad Alam, Hasan Raza, Asad Shafiq, Umar Amin, Aamer Sajjad, Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi (capt), Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Sami, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Tanvir Ahmed, Aizaz Cheema, Danish Kaneria, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Kamran Akmal (wk), Zulqarnain Haider (wk)

Shahid Afridi confirms himself for tests

Yesterday Shahid Afridi confirmed himself for the upcoming test series against Australia and than England in England. He last played a 5 day international test match against England in England in 2006.

Although couple of days ago from unconfirmed sources it was being said that he might go for a test retirement but yesterday all those rumors got vanished when he confirmed that he’ll be available for playing tests for Pakistan in England against Australia and England.

If we go through tests stats for Shahid Afridi, it shows positive results, his last home test was against the Indian, where he had shown his class and told the world that he can play test cricket aswell and labeling him to ODI and T20 limited cricketer only is unfair to him. He had his self exile from test cricket as since 2006 he was not selected for test matches although according to stats he’s more successful in tests compared to ODIs and T20s.

[reference]http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/42639.html?class=1;template=results;type=allround[/reference]

Career batting and bowling averages
	Span	Mat	Runs	HS	Bat Av	100	Wkts	BBI	Bowl Av	5	Ct	St
overall	1998-2006	26	1683	156	37.40	5	47	5/52	34.89	1	10	0
home	1998-2006	13	841	156	38.22	2	22	5/52	34.22	1	7	0
away	1999-2006	11	714	141	35.70	2	22	3/13	36.04	0	2	0
neutral	1999-2002	2	128	107	42.66	1	3	2/31	31.33	0	1	0

Still having such healthy record in tests, I am sure quite better than some of established test players in Pakistani team, he was being ignored, he hasn’t played a home and away test since 2006 and on neutral venue since 2002. What a waste of a good player.

We should thank him that although he was abruptly ignored but still he’s willing to crack his self exile from tests.

Wishing his inclusion in the team may brings something good.

Ameen