PCB's about face on Shoaib fine

In another about face by PCB, Shoaib Akhtar has been cleared of indiscipline charges by the cricket board after being penalised for leaving a training camp without the team manager's permission. Akhtar was fined 300,000 rupees ($5,000) and docked 1.5 from the available 20 disciplinary points for leaving the camp and then not appearing for the board's hearing this month. However, manager Talat Ali said"It was a case of miscommunication which has been sorted out.
"I had a meeting with him and he said he had informed the captain (Shoaib Malik) before leaving the camp. That has been confirmed." "We have accepted his assertion that he left the camp after informing the captain who could not tell us about this due to a communication gap," However, Akhtar has been warned to be on his best behaviour for the next six weeks and would remain on a watch list, he said.
Akhtar had filed an appeal against the punishment last week and an appellate committee suspended the action, asking the board to review the case. The 32-year old strike bowler has returned to the team for next month's Twenty20 World Cup having played just one test and four one-dayers in the last 15-months due to fitness problems, which also kept him out of this year's one-day World Cup. Akhtar said he could now focus on the World Cup.
"It is a big load of my mind now as I don't like being charged with indiscipline when I have done nothing," he said.

Muddy waters run deep

Rare is the issue in Pakistan cloaked in black, white and little else. The deeper you delve, the more complex it gets; contradiction, hypocrisy, incompetence, lies, and sometimes facts, happily swim together in this cesspool, where nothing is really right or wrong. So it is with the decision of four active internationals to sign up with the Indian Cricket League, and maybe sign away what remains of their Pakistan careers.

What you also find is bristling diversity of opinion here. So for every person who says the PCB is incompetent, uncaring, and has driven its players away, another will chip in about the mercenary nature of the modern cricketer. The media, newly loud and proud, captures it best; one article in The News vented fury at the greed of the players, while the cartoonist down at The Post did likewise at the board. Both views are forceful, neither is wrong; but they should not be mutually exclusive either.

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Lawson says Pakistan can be top team in world

Pakistan's new coach Geoff Lawson is confident his team can become the best in the world. The Australian former fast bowler, who took charge of the senior team on Tuesday, said he saw a lot of talent, skill and enthusiasm among the players.

"They have all the required qualities to become the top side in the world. My main focus would be on improving their fitness and making them a more consistent side," he told a news conference.

Lawson said Pakistan had always been an unpredictable side, a trait that worked both ways. He said unpredictability could be a big advantage if it was used positively and did not become a habit.

Lawson is Pakistan's third foreign coach since 1999 after South African Richard Pybus and Woolmer. He has taken up his new post a day after four top players, former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf, all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and batsman Imran Farhat joined an unofficial Indian Twenty20 league.

"I am happy with the spirit I see in these players. My spirits are also not dampened because of the loss of some of the senior players," said Lawson.

The boards of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have threatened to ban players if they join the Indian Cricket League, which was launched in May.

Lawson joined the training camp set up for the Twenty20 World Cup on Tuesday and had a meeting with the players in which he told them about his future plans for them and his coaching methods.

Inzamam Yousuf and Razzaq join Indian rebel league

Reuters have just reported that Inzamam Yousuf and Razzaq have all been among the 50 players unvailed today who have signed up for ICL. Other prominent names from around the world are players like Brian Lara, Imran Farhat, Nicky Boje and Lance Klusener.

The Indian Cricket League (ICL), promoted by the Essel group which owns the country's largest listed media firm Zee Telefilms, also named several former India players, including Dinesh Mongia, and domestic cricketers.

Former India skipper Kapil Dev and Himanshu Mody, ICL's business head, said about 50 players had signed up so far.

"Our focus is to entertain the people of our country who sometimes only see test (international) cricket, they don't see any other cricket," Kapil Dev said.

"I think these boys, they have the ability and have the talent."

Abdul Razzaq quits international cricket

Abdul Razzaq, the Pakistan allrounder, has announced his retirement from international cricket in protest against his omission from the Twenty20 World Championship squad.

Razzaq told Geo TV he was "mentally upset" by the selectors' decision not to pick him and suggested the decision was based on factors outside cricket. "They used form and fitness as an excuse," he said. "I believe the selectors want to drop me from Test and ODI cricket as well and so, as a protest, I am quitting international cricket."

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Pakistan buzzes with familiar talk of player unrest

Five months on from the lowest point in their cricket history and into another fresh era, disruption and uncertainty have seemingly crept back into Pakistan cricket.

Following persistent reports linking several top players with the Indian Cricket League (ICL), news has also emerged of an impending showdown between a group of senior Pakistan players and a board official, a confrontation that some say may lead to the group boycotting the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa.

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Inzamam to play for Yorkshire, Farhat refuses contract

According to Reuters, Inzamam-ul-Haq is to make his English county championship debut for Yorkshire later this month, called up as a replacement for compatriot Younis Khan, who will be on international duty.

"I was offered a short term contract by Yorkshire and I have accepted it because I have never experienced playing for a county," the batsman told Reuters on Thursday.

Inzamam said he would be flying out to England next week to replace Younis, who is returning home to join up with the Twenty20 World Cup squad.

"I see my stint with Yorkshire as a good opportunity to get ready for a hectic international season for Pakistan," Inzamam added.

The 37-year-old stepped down as captain and retired from one-day internationals in March after his team was eliminated in the first round of the World Cup in the West Indies.

However, the player said he was keen to continue playing test cricket for his country and was also considering an offer from the lucrative Indian Cricket League (ICL).

He is expected to feature in three four-day matches and as many one-day matches while in England.

Inzamam has played 119 Tests and 378 one-day internationals.

The ICL, a private Twenty20 tournament starting in October, has been trying to recruit a number of leading players in South Asia and Pakistan opener Imran Farhat is the latest international linked with the competition.

On Thursday, Farhat asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to terminate his central contract and confirmed he was seriously considering an offer from ICL organisers.

The 25-year-old, who has played in 27 tests and 33 one-dayers, said he had taken the decision because he felt insecure about his cricket future.

"Look at what has been happening to me in the last five or six years. Merit has taken a back seat. I am a professional cricketer and I have to think about my future," he told Reuters.

The left-handed batsman was not selected for the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa, despite performing well at the training camp and in practice matches with the Pakistan team earlier this month.

He becomes the first Pakistani player to turn down one of the 20 central contracts awarded to senior players last month, although Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq and Younis are yet to sign them.

Farhat said there was no security in the central contracts.

"It is a one-way document and the board controls everything. What is the use of this central contract if I don't have a chance to play for my country on merit itself?"

Shoaib may face more punishment

Cricinfo staff
Shoaib Akhtar may face more action from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for his alleged outburst at the board's headquarters in Gaddafi Stadium on Friday, following the imposition of a fine of approximately US$5000.

On Friday, Shoaib reportedly clashed with several board officials over the fine, and specifically because he felt he wasn't provided a chance to clear his position. The board announced his punishment on Wednesday, after Shoaib did not turn up on Tuesday to clarify why he was absent from the national training camp in Karachi on August 4.

Shoaib has reportedly insisted that he received the letter for the original disciplinary hearing on Friday, and not Tuesday as the board claims. Shafqat Naghmi, the board's chief operating officer, however, contradicted this, telling Dawn that he had been in touch with Shoaib earlier.

"Shoaib rang me up and admitted that it was wrong of him not to attend the camp in Karachi and the PCB had rightly imposed a fine on him," said Naghmi. "He expressed annoyance over the manner in which one of the PCB officials had inquired of his whereabouts from his family."

Naghmi said he will be looking into the matter now personally. "I will be in Lahore on Monday and will inquire from the PCB staff about the actual incident which happened on Friday," he said. "After that, we will then decide on a course of action."

Razzaq faces sanction for criticising PCB

Cricinfo staff

The Pakistan Cricket Board has taken note of scathing comments made by Abdul Razzaq on a TV show recently, though it stopped short of saying whether any disciplinary action would be taken against him.

Razzaq told Geo TV, soon after he was dropped from Pakistan's Twenty20 squad for the World Championship, his omission was "illogical" and threatened to make himself unavailable for Pakistan.

"If this is the way I am going to be treated after serving the country honestly and diligently," Razzaq said, "I should be the one now to decide when to make myself available for national selection."

Razzaq, who has taken 246 wickets and scored 4465 runs in ODIs, said he felt most hurt because no one from the board or selection committee called him to explain the decision.

"I don't know what the logic was. I am a senior player and deserve a phone call. When I was injured no one in the board bothered to call me up and find out how I was doing."

Razzaq was one of seven Pakistani players to be approached by the Indian Cricket League (ICL). "I need to know what they have in mind but I am considering the ICL offer."

Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB's chief operating officer, told Cricinfo that some comments did constitute a breach of the code of conduct. "Criticising board policy is definitely a breach and we have taken note of the interview but have not yet decided whether to take any action.

"He has the freedom to say what he feels and certainly we understand he must have been disappointed. We are aware of it but are currently undecided over any future action to take."

Naghmi confirmed that Razzaq has now received his central contract though he hasn't indicated whether he will sign it. Until Friday, Razzaq was the only player among the 20 handed central contracts who had not been in touch with the board at all, heightening speculation that he may opt instead for the ICL.

A board official told Cricinfo, "We have got in touch with him now and he has confirmed receiving the contract. He has intimated, once his lawyer goes through it, that he will sign it." According to the official the delay was the result of a recent change in address.

The original deadline for signing the contract was August 10 but was extended by five days to accommodate other players yet to sign, including Mohammad Yousuf, Danish Kaneria and Younis Khan.

Kaneria and Younis are in England and sought extra time because of a delay in receiving their contracts. Both, however, are said to have accepted the terms and agreements in principle. Yousuf said he'd been out of Lahore and saw the contract on August 9, so needed a few days before signing it.

Yousuf set to sign central contract

Mohammad Yousuf is expected to sign his central contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board over the next few days, though uncertainty remains over the future of Abdul Razzaq, another player yet to sign the contract.

The two were surprisingly omitted from Pakistan's Twenty20 World Championship squad and coupled with the delays in signing their contracts have stirred speculation about the future of both players.

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Yousuf & Razzaq ommitted from 20-20 squad

So finally the cat's out of the bag, after weeks of speculations, the selection committee confirmed today that Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq couldn’t make the final cut for the sixteen member team that will represent the country in the first 20-20 World Cup. What a turn around in fortunes for Yousuf who just last year broke the world record for the highest number of runs scored by any batsman in one year, in test matches. This is a batsman who has been touted by all time greats as one of the most prolific batsmen that came out of Pakistan. Some even rated him higher than Miandad but he himself played it down because of his humble nature. It is extraordinary to see names like Misbah-ul-Haq in the squad, who hasn't played for the country for last few years and who just a few months ago couldn't even make it to the squad ahead of Faisal Iqbal for the World Cup.

What a pity that selectors have come down to this level that in order to get Yousuf out of the team they had to question his fielding which has never let the team down. Yousuf over the years have been a sharp out fielder and an excellent catcher but above and beyond that he is an exceptional batsman who can pace his innings in such a way that he can achieve any run rate. He gathers his runs through orthodox, composed stroke play. He is particularly strong driving through the covers and flicking wristily off his legs and brings with him as decadent and delicious a backlift as any in the game. He is one of those batsmen who can score runs when he wants to score and where he wants to score them. Particularly known for his inside out shots over the covers, in the shorter version of the game, he accumulates 20-30 runs within no time before anyone notices. And that might be his downfall as well, since the selection committee also failed to notice this trait of his. Its mind boggling to see someone of Yousuf's caliber being questioned for his ability to score quick runs after he has scored close to 15000 international runs at averages better than anybody else in the team, in both versions of the game.

What we fail to understand is that how the 20-20 format is so different from the one day format that Yousuf is considered to be one of the best batsmen for one format and a liability for another. While there have been a lot of questions asked by various quarters over the years about Younis Khan's inclusion in the one day side no has even remotely questioned Yousuf's position. Why then Younis Khan appears prominently in the 20-20 squad and Yousuf is not there? This baffling questions would definitely be asked time and again by Pakistani cricket lovers over the next few weeks until the end of 20-20 World Cup.

Razzaq has also been short changed by the selection committee which has totally forgotten his abilities to launch attacks at the death where he has won many a matches for the country by his power hitting. While he might be slightly out of touch at the time but no question he is a quality player who could change the face of a game within a few balls. This is exactly the kind of quality that is required in an all-rounder for a 20-20 format match. While he might look lazy to many when bowling but he has always been bowling at close to mid eighties m/hr and has the canny ability to swing the ball both ways. In 231 one day matches, his bowling avg. of 31 and economy rate of 4.69 is a testament to his abilities as a bowler. Apparently selection committee also failed to take a notice of that.

Its quite obvious that the selection committee didn't take Shoaib Malik's input while deciding about the team. While there were many acquisitions leveled against Inzamam by different quarters while he was a captain, at least he had it in him to ask for the players that he thought could make the difference. Shoaib Malik, although young and still learning will have to acquire this trait as soon as possible if he wants to be a successful captain. He will have to know who is needed in the team and will have to learn to stand up for those team members as well, because when the time comes, that’s what counts the most.

South Africa want Pakistan venue changes after violence

Provided by: Reuters News
South Africa have asked the Pakistan Cricket Board to revise their tour programme, which includes two tests and five one-day internationals, due to the security situation in Pakistan.

Pakistan Cricket Board sources told Reuters on Thursday that South Africa had expressed concerns over playing in Peshawar, the capital of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

"They have asked for a revision in the itinerary including a second look at the venues. They are not comfortable with Peshawar," said one PCB source.

South Africa's tour is due to start on Sept. 27 with the tests scheduled for Karachi and Lahore while the one-dayers are in Lahore, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Multan and Faisalabad.

REVISED VENUES

"The venues will be revised in the next two weeks as we are having discussions with them (South Africa)," the source said.

"But they are satisfied with the overall security arrangements we are making for their tour. They have confidence in our ability to handle things," he added.

He added that he did not expect South Africa to refuse to play the first test in the southern port city of Karachi.

In 2003, South Africa refused to play in Karachi and Peshawar for security reasons.

Pakistan is also due to host the Australia A team from Sept. 1 and the source said the PCB was concerned another major security incident could derail the tour.

"Cricket Australia at this stage is committed to go ahead with their tour. But we fear one more incident could lead to a rethink on their part," the source said.

He added their could be a special security protocol in place for Australia and South Africa because of the situation.

But PCB Chairman Nasim Ashraf told reporters in Karachi the Australia and South Africa tours would be held on schedule.

He added that the interior ministry and Punjab police were handling the security arrangements and there was no cause for concern on the part of touring sides.

Razzaq too????

Highly placed sources in the PCB have confirmed to journalists that Abdul Razzaq is expected to be another major causality of the 20-20 World Cup, along with Muhammad Yousuf. Though Pakistan don't announce their squad until Aug 10, Yousuf and Razzaq are set to be sacrificed on the pretext of testing country's younger talent and bench strength. Razzaq is expected to be dropped citing the reason that he failed to impress during the three training camps held for the world cup preparation. Sources mentioned that Razzaq has not been performing as well as he is expected to be for last two years while his poor fielding skills don't help either.

We can't help but note that these rumors are coming at a time when Pakistan cricket is going through a transition and when a new direction needs to be taken for the future of the team. Apparently in the eyes of PCB this new direction doesn’t involve two of the most prolific cricketers Pakistan has produced in recent years. While there is not even a question about Yousuf's abilities as a middle order supremo in both longer and limited form of the game, Razzaq's place has always been a point of contention among various circles. But he has always been able to shut his critics up by performing tremendously well in difficult conditions. No question that he has been one of the most devastating power hitters the game has ever known, in the shorter version of the game especially in the dying overs when stakes are their highest and going gets tough. Trying to get him out of team to play 20-20 world cup must be one of the worst decision ever made by PCB clergy, and if PCB takes this decision, it could be one of the greatest disaster one could bring upon itself.

Yousuf : In or out of 20-20 World Cup?

Rumor has it that Mohammad Yousuf is not being selected in the Pakistani team for the upcoming 20 worldcup. These rumors have been circling around for a few weeks now but they were further fuelled by Yousuf's sudden departure from the National training camp currently going on in Karachi. Muhammad Yousuf left national camp on Wednesday without participating in day's training match and he also took his kit along with him effectively meaning that he wasn't coming back to the camp which is scheduled to end on Sunday. It was later revealed that Yousuf left because of his mother's sickness, but inside sources didn't accept this explanation.

Well whatever it is, if these rumors even have remotest chance of being true I believe it will be a total disaster for the Pakistani team. Yousuf certainly does not deserve to be treated this way since he was the leading run scorer in the test arena last year breaking the 31 year old world record of highest number of runs scored in an year. After Inzamam's departure he is the most important member of the team who could be a potential match winner. With his attacking strokeplay and ability to block wicket taking balls he is currently rated among the best batsmen of the world. It is obvious that 20-20 cricket is an entirely different ball game but it is players like Yousuf who have the capability to excel in any form of the game regardless. I think no one in PCB management could be stupid enough to not understand Yousuf's importance to Pakistani team at this critical juncture when the metal is being passed on from Inzamam to the new generation of players. It is important for the selection committee to understand that Yousuf makes the backbone of Pakistani team and every team needs a backbone no matter what form of cricket they are playing.

PCB offers 27 players retainership contracts

Asim Kamal and Taufeeq Umar are among the 27 players who have been offered retainership contracts for the period from July 2007 to June 2008. The players have been offered a retainership fee of Rs 40,000 per month.

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