Inzamam called up for trials

The Pakistan Cricket Board's selection committee has called up Inzamam-ul-Haq for fitness trials for the forthcoming Test series at home against South Africa. Inzamam's fitness will be ascertained at a week-long fitness camp ahead of the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa in September.

"We have decided to invite a few players including Inzamam-ul-Haq to check their fitness for the Test series against South Africa," Salahuddin Ahmed, the chief selector, told The News.

Considering the fresh rethinking on the part the board, the chances of Inzamam making a comeback to the national team for Test matches now look good. Inzamam was not given a central contract by the board and the official reason for his omission was his retirement from ODIs after the World Cup. The board was keen to award contracts to only those who could play both forms of the game.

"It all depends on his fitness," Salahuddin said. "If Inzamam proves his fitness, he could be selected for the series against South Africa.

"We have decided to arrange a one-week training camp ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup as it would be too difficult to have an idea of players' fitness at the eleventh hour of the start of the series."

Foolproof security for Australia A, U-19 - PCB

Pakistan will provide the Australia A and Under-19 teams, due to visit in September and October, with the kind of security cover generally reserved for Test squads touring the country.

Zakir Khan, director cricket operations, PCB, told The News he is confident the tours of the Australian squads will go ahead without any problems and that players and officials alike will be completely safe. Close protection officers will accompany the squads through the entire tour.

More

PCB dope testing before world Twenty20 meet

The Pakistan board has decided to carry out dope tests on the 30 players in the provisional Twenty20 World Championship squad before the final 15-man side is announced next month.

Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, has instructed the board officials to get the tests carried out as soon as possible so that the results are received from a laboratory in Malaysia before the final squad is picked on August 10. The tournament takes place in September.

More

Geoff Lawson talks on the challenges that lie ahead

Afridi - Something is hurting inside!

In an interview with local and international media at a training camp in Qadafi Stadium, Shahid Afridi once again revealed that he was a contender for the top job in Pakistani team and he could not conceal his disappointment at not getting even the job of skipper's deputy. While talking to the journalists he admitted that he became a contender for captain's position after Younis Khan rejected the offer made to him, because he thought it was in the best interest of the team and he was ready to accept any such offer if it was ever made to him. Too bad, the offer never came his way and Shoaib Malik was chosen instead by the PCB.

"It is great honor to be in Pakistani team and being a captain is even greater honor," he said.

It was quite obvious from Afridi tone and words that after he was overlooked for captain's job, he was hoping to become vice captain but once again he was overlooked by PCB and Salman Butt was chosen out of nowhere.

"Board did the right thing to appoint Shoaib Malik as captain. He is a very talented cricketer and the decision of appointing Salman Butt as vice captain is PCB's so what can I say?"

Well, Mr. Afridi, you could say that it was also the right decision or if not at least you could keep your mouth shut so that people wouldn't try to read between the lines and make you look like a fool.

CHRONOLOGY-Pakistan coaches in the last decade

Australian Geoff Lawson on Monday became Pakistan's 12th appointment as coach in the last decade.

Since 1997 Pakistan have had nine coaches with some, including former captain Javed Miandad and South African Richard Pybus, in charge for more than one term.

Changes have often been triggered by internal politics, heavy defeats and man management issues.

Below is a chronology of the coaches who have worked with the Pakistan team since 1998.

Sept 1998. Javed Miandad replaces Haroon Rasheed.

April 1999: Miandad resigns over differences with the players following a tournament in Sharjah despite a successful tour of India.

Mushtaq Mohammad is brought in as coach two weeks before the World Cup in England where Pakistan reach the final but lose to Australia.

Aug 1999: Mushtaq is replaced after the World Cup defeat with the team facing a government inquiry about match fixing in games lost to Bangladesh and India.

Sept 1999: Wasim Raja is appointed coach.

Nov 1999: South African Richard Pybus is appointed coach for the tour of Australia after serving as assistant coach at the World Cup.

Dec 1999: Intikhab Alam replaces the sacked Pybus after Pakistan are whitewashed by Australia in a test series amid reports of disciplinary issues in the team.

March 2000: Miandad returns to relace Intikhab, who is sacked after a home series defeat by Sri Lanka.

April 2001: Miandad is fired after Pakistan's ill-tempered tour of New Zealand and Pybus is brought back by the board for the tour of England.

Sept 2001: Mudassar Nazar takes over as coach after Pybus does not return to Pakistan due to security concerns following the 9/11 attacks.

Sept 2002: Mudassar is summoned to return home midway through the ICC Champions Trophy. Pybus takes over again.

March 2003: Pybus resigns after Pakistan are knocked out in the first round of the 2003 World Cup. The board turns again to Miandad.

April 2004: Miandad is forced to step down after Pakistan lose tests and one-dayers to arch rivals India at home in a series marred by internal problems in the home camp.

June 2004: Former England player and ICC high performance manager Bob Woolmer becomes coach.

March 2007: Woolmer dies during the World Cup from natural causes one day after Pakistan are shocked by Ireland and tumble out of the tournament.

July 2007: Former Australian fast bowler Geoff Lawson is named as the new coach -- the third foreigner to get the job.

Contract for Inzamam?

The Pakistan Cricket Board has awarded performance-based central contracts to 20 players but former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq is not among those who will receive the monthly retainers.

Inzamam also does not figure in a shortlist of 20 bench players given smaller retainers based on their performances in domestic cricket.

"The concept of the new contracts is not just based on seniority. Now 40 percent points will be awarded for performance and the remaining 60 for fitness, discipline and seniority," Zakir Khan, director of cricket operations, told Reuters on Monday.

He said the board had no grudge against Inzamam, who retired from one-day internationals and stepped down from the captaincy after Pakistan's early World Cup exit.

Inzamam has said he wants to continue playing test cricket.

"If Inzamam is fit he will be considered. We have given those players contracts and retainers who are available for both forms of the game," Khan said.

The board had cancelled the central contracts of its players after they returned from the World Cup. Those contracts were based on seniority.

Injury-prone fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has been given a central contract in the A category although he has played just one test and four one-dayers in the last 14-months.

In addition to Akhtar, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Asif have been given A category contracts which have a monthly salary of 250,000 rupees ($4,166).

Salman Butt, Mohammad Sami, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Yasir Hameed, Danish Kaneria and Kamran Akmal will get 150,000 rupees ($2500) in the B category.

Imran Nazir, Rao Iftikhar, Faisal Iqbal, Misbah ul Haq and Yasir Arafat have been placed in the last category which carries a salary of 100,000 ($1666).

The monthly retainers are in addition to the match and tour fees and other incentives earned by the players.

What happened with Whatmore

While PCB was busy in announcing the decision to appoint Jeff Lawson as new coach of Pakistan for next two years, at least one person was left bewildered at the turn of the events within a short span of time. Dave Whatmore who was the darling of South Asian cricket just a few months back must be wondering what happened to his bid to become Pakistani coach after his name was unceremonuosly scratched out of the list of possible coaches just days before the final decision was announced at a press conference by PCB.

Whatmore has no one else to blame but himself for this snub, after he initially declined to become Pakistani coach rejecting an offer that was made to him by PCB, right after the sad death of Bob Woolmer. Everyone knew by then that Whatmore was eyeing the highly lucrative position of India's coach as Greg Chappel was slowly being pushed out by the Indian Board. He even expressed this desire during the recently concluded World Cup when he was still Bangladeshi coach, for which he received a repremand from the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

What happened afterwards was not what Whatmore could have thought. After his refusal to become Pakistani coach, he was not even selected among the final candidates for the Indian position. At that time too much water had passed under the bridge since PCB had already advertised the position and they were actively looking at all the options. Although Whatmore was still in the mix, he was not the only candidate. He was invited to be interviwed by PCB along with fellows Aussies Jeff Lawson & Richard Done. At that point he was still a leading candidate but then suddenly something happened that tilted the balance against him.

As the rumor have it, Sri Lanka's world cup winning former captain Arjuna Ranatunga had a chance meeting with Pakistan's manager-cum-coach Talat Ali in Scotland where the team had recently gone to play two one-day games. According to reliable sources in the Pakistan team Ranatunga advised Talat and the Pakistani players not to have Whatmore as a coach. According to a source, "Ranatunga during his talks with Talat and some senior players gave them a run down on Whatmore and eventually his advice was to avoid him,” he added, “Ranatunga did admit that Whatmore was coach when Sri Lanka won the 1996 World Cup but said the players had a big credit in this as well,” Rantunga advised them how he had problems with Whatmore when he was Sri Lankan Captain. This advice when looked at coupled with Whatmore's recent performance with Bangladeshi team pretty much convinced PCB that he was not the right man for the job.

Everyone admists that even in his stint with Sri Lanka, it was the single minded determination of then Sri Lankan captain and vice captain, Rantunga and Arvinda Desilva, not the brilliance of Whatmore that won them the world cup. For the first time PCB management which has been knows for its hasty decisions which are often wrong, took a long time to think about a decision and the outcome has been slightly positive in a sense that they at least avoided a person who has nothing to show for in his last few years as a coach of a national team.

Lawson is the new Pakictan Coach

After months of speculations Jeff Lawson has finally been named as new Pakistan coach. It was almost a dead heat between him and Dave Whatmore but in the ned it was Lawson's fast bowling background that won him the final nod. The appointment has been made for a period of two years.

"Pakistan has many pace bowlers and we win matches with them", Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, said. "Having a former fast bowler on board is an advantage for that definitely."

"We weighed all our options and, though all three were highly qualified, we felt Lawson was most suitable to our needs. Dav Whatmore and Richard Done were not any less candidates, just that Lawson was what we needed."

There were rumors in the media that Sri Lanka's ex-captain Arjuna Rantunga played an important role in tilting the bar against Whatmore and in Lawson's favor but PCB chairman dismissed this as inaccurate.

Lawson, a level 3 qualified coach, will arrive in Pakistan on August 15 and is expected to be on a similar financial package as was Woolmer. He is likely to bring his own management support team with him and Ashraf said Pakistan might appoint a specialist batting coach, given their brittleness in that department. "We will definitely have a fielding coach and we want world-class trainers and physiotherapists as well. We want to have a streamlined management team and Lawson has his ideas on that," said Ashraf.

This is Lawson's first international assignment although he has been head coach with Australia's New South Wales team and is currently involved officially with the state.

'I'm always thankful to Dalmiya' - Shoaib Akhtar

Cricinfo staff

July 5, 2007

Shoaib Akhtar has said that he would always be thankful to Jagmohan Dalmiya, the former ICC and Indian board president, for supporting him when doubts were being raised about his bowling action.

"The first time, in 1999-2000, was awful," said Shoaib, in an Asian News International report, of the suspicions raised at the time. "I'm always going to be thankful to Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya, the then ICC president, for his support. But, as I said, every controversy has made me a better and stronger person. I may have felt gutted, but the controversies haven't killed my josh (passion) and desire to play for Pakistan."


Shoaib also said that the doping controversy, during the Champions Trophy last year, was one of the toughest periods in his life. "My own countrymen shunned me, with some even refusing to look at me. It was a terrible period. Everybody's body mechanism isn't the same and certain levels are higher in my body compared to others.

"My hormone level fluctuates. I didn't take drugs to enhance my performance. I don't need to. I don't know why I was treated so badly. The test didn't show I was an evil person. I've always been misunderstood. I've never seen myself bigger than the game."

Shoaib wasn't happy with the way the entire Bob Woolmer episode was handled. "His death left me stunned. What's worse is his body remained in Kingston for weeks and weeks. Such indignity."

WADA and out: no winners in the drugs scandal

Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif can heave a massive sigh of relief. You can be sure that if their case had been heard at the Court for Arbitration for Sport their plea of ignorance would not have been received sympathetically.

Read More @ Cricinfo

Doping: Shoaib and Asif exonerated

The Court of Arbitration for Sports has been forced to dismiss an appeal by the World Anti Doping Agency over the reprieves for the Pakistan fast bowlers, Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, saying it had no jurisdiction to overturn the decision.

Read More @ Cricinfo

Ifs and Butts

I was lucky enough to watch Salman Butt on debut. The immediate observation was this was a young player with a tremendous amount of time and hence--almost paradoxically--able to play the ball wonderfully late. A bright future as Pakistan's star opener beckoned. Since then Salman has delighted and dumbfounded. Some of his best efforts have come against Australia while last summer he was sent home early from England after a disappointing tour.

Read More @ Cricinfo

Shoaib Planning to last out the whole season

The injury-prone Shoaib Akhtar has set his sights on lasting out the whole season this year especially the forthcoming test series against South Africa, India and Australia. Shoaib left with the Pakistan squad on Wednesday for Glasgow where they play two one-day games against Scotland and India next week. He was selected having played just one test and four ODIs since February last year after an array of knee, hamstring and groin problems.

"It is never easy coming back from a prolonged lay-off due to fitness issues," Shoaib told reporters before the team's departure.

"But I am feeling the best I have in my entire career. I see this chance as a new start for me and a chance to end my playing days in a creditable manner," " my target is now to remain fit for the coming test series," he said. "This is one of the biggest international cricket seasons for Pakistan. We play three of the best teams in the world and I want to be part of it all," said Shoaib. "I want to be recognised for my performances and I don't think you can get better opposition to do that than against these three teams."

In response to a question regarding a junior player's appointment as vice captain, he said that junior players will become senior players in the future and he doesn't see any problem with such appointment.

Pakistan host South Africa for two tests and five one-dayers in October and then tour India in November and December for three tests and five one-day matches. Early next year they host the Australians.

Team manager and interim coach Talat Ali said efforts would be made to nurse Shoaib through a hectic and tough season.

"He has come back after a long while and we will not try to overburden him although he is our main bowler. Our other bowlers are good as well

Afridi & Talat Ali fight over Salaman Butt's vice captaincy

There have been unconfirmed reports suggesting that Talat Ali, Pakistan's manager had a showdown with all-rounder Shahid Afridi during the national team’s training camp which concluded recently in Abbottabad. The incident happened on th eteam bus when Salaman Butt couldn't find a seat and had to sit on the gearbox of the bus. At that point Talat Ali asked Shahid Afridi to vacate a seat for Salman pointing out that he was thier vice captain. Upon hearing this Shahid Afridi offered his seat making a sarcastic comment saying "afterall Salman is our vice captain." An argument ensued between Talat Ali and Shahid Afridi resulting in some harsh words being spoken by both sides and according to some uncofirmed reports, Afridi rushed to assault Talat but was stopped by other team members.

Later on talking to journalists, Talat laughed off this version saying that the incident has ‘tremendously been blown out of proportion’. “May be there are some elements, who have their own hidden agenda and are trying to spread disharmony in the Pakistan team,” he said. Talat said that there is little truth in the ‘false reports’. “Actually, it was no big deal,” he said.

“These are false reports,” claimed Talat, who is looking after the team’s coaching in the absence of a national coach. “There have been no revolts and there would be no revolts. Our team is slowly turning into a well-oiled unit and we are looking forward our future assignments,” he added.

“There is complete harmony in my team and if some people are saying otherwise then they have malicious intentions,” Talat told ‘The News’ in a telephonic interview from Lahore.

According to Talat, what happened was that when Butt entered the team bus all the best seats were already occupied and he had to fit himself into a small seat near the gear box. “Pointing towards the side where some of the junior players were sitting, I just said that one of you should offer his seat to Salman, he is your vice-captain. It was Afridi who said that ‘he can take my seat, after all he is the vice-captain’. I told him (Afridi) to stay where he is and that some junior boy would vacate his seat but he was insistent and I had to tell him firmly to stop it. That is all that happened and now people are trying to make stories of it,” he explained. Talat, however, did admit that Afridi was a ‘bit sarcastic’ when he offered to vacate his seat for Butt. “He did sound a bit bitter but that was all,” he said.

Afridi, 27, was a candidate for captaincy following the resignation of Inzamam-ul-Haq after the World Cup debacle in March. But he and other senior players like senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq were all overlooked by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that appointed young all-rounder Shoaib Malik as the new Pakistan captain.

Sources close to Afridi said that the player later anticipated that the Board would appoint him as the vice-captain but initially the PCB chose medium pacer Mohammad Asif for the job and later replaced him with Butt.

Sources say that Butt’s appointment has not been welcomed by some of the senior players especially the volatile Afridi. Before his appointment as Malik’s deputy, Butt was counted among the team’s junior players. When it comes to seniority there is no comparison. When Afridi made his international debut for Pakistan in 1996, Butt was just an 11-year-old schoolboy.

Afridi has scored 5074 runs and taken 204 from 240 one-dayers besides scoring 1683 runs from 26 Tests. Butt has played 14 Tests and 26 one-dayers since making his international debut as a promising teenager in 2003.

However, Talat said that the team management is working to promote a new culture within the national team where ‘performance and not seniority’ would be rewarded. “We had made it clear to all players that they have to behave professionally and can only stay in the team purely on the basis of performance,” he said.

Inzamam keen to play on in Tests

Inzamam-ul-Haq, former Pakistan captain, wants to play Test matches for some more time before retiring "in an honourable manner."

Inzamam retired from ODIs after a disastrous World Cup and resigned from the Test captaincy. The PCB is expected to leave out Inzamam from its list of centrally-contracted players, on the basis that he is no longer an ODI player. Further, sounds coming out of the board and selection committee suggest that it may be difficult for Inzamam to find a way back into the team.

Read More @ cricinfo

Military training camp comes to an end

The military training camp organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to improve the players' fitness levels finishes today with the team in a great shape for the forthcoming season, according to Major Mohammad Arif, the camp instructor. The 20-member squad attended the camp in Abbottabad for 15 days to prepare for a season that starts off next month and includes Test series against South Africa, India, Australia as well as the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship.

Read More @ cricinfo

Central contracts list finalised; Inzamam snubbed

By Khalid Hussain

KARACHI: National selectors have ignored former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq while finalising a list of 30 players to be submitted today to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for issuance of central contracts.

Well-placed sources told ‘The News’ on Tuesday that the members of the national selection committee have reached a consensus on the list of players to be recommended for new central contracts. They have decided against recommending Inzamam for a central contract but have opted to keep in the list all other leading national cricketers who were previously given contracts by the PCB.

Read More @ The News

Cricket South Africa okays Karachi as Test venue

KARACHI: South African cricket officials have given the green light to their national team playing a Test match in Karachi during a tour of Pakistan this fall.

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official told ‘The News’ on Tuesday that the South African cricket board (Cricket South Africa) has okayed Karachi as one of the two Test venues during their team’s tour of Pakistan from September 26 to October 29 this year.

Read More @ The News