1996: Takes 25 wickets on the Pakistan A team's tour to England. Pakistan manager reports him for indiscipline and he is dropped from the Pakistan one-day squad going to Toronto for one-day series on the basis of report.
2000: Pakistan board fines him 50,000 rupees ($870.8) for indiscipline on manager's report after tour of Australia.
2003: Dropped from Pakistan team after World Cup and PCB Chairman tells him his career is finished if he does not improve his behaviour and discipline.
2004: Disciplined by match referees in Australia for rude gestures against Australian batsmen in the tests.
2006: Banned for two years after testing positive for the banned substance nandrolone in an internal drugs test carried out by the PCB. A three-man appeals tribunal later clears him of doping offences.
2007: Has a dressing room spat with coach Bob Woolmer during the second test at Port Elizabeth against South Africa caught by television screens. Withdrawn from Pakistan's World Cup squad just hours before the team prepares to fly out to the West Indies.
August 2007: Shoaib is fined 300,000 rupees by the team manager and board for leaving a training camp in Karachi.
September 2007: Shoaib is recalled from the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa after a bust up with team mate Mohammad Asif.
Showing posts with label Analysis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Analysis. Show all posts
Friday, September 7, 2007
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Yousuf Shortlisted for Cricketer of the year & Test player of the year award
ICC short listed the nominees for various awards to be handed out on Sep 10 in Johannesburg before the start of 20/20 world cup. Yousuf has been able to make it to the shortlists of Cricketer of the Year and Test Player of the Year awards. He is the only Pakistani left in the final race after Mohammad Asif was cut from the long list of Cricketer of the Year.
For ICC's major prize of Cricketer of the Year, Yousuf competes with Kevin Pietersen, Ricky Ponting and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Mohammad Yousuf is competing with Kevin Pieterson and Muttiah Muralitharan for the Test player award. It will be important to see how ICC decides on this since on paper it looks like Yousuf is the sure winner with a record of 944 runs in 10 innings at 94.4, however Pieterson with 1255 runs at 54.4 and Murli with 43 wickets at 11.6 a piece are strong contenders.
Although Yousuf had a stellar year with the bat but considering ICC's bias against Pakistan and Yousuf's being out of favor with PCB it seems highly unlikely that he will be able to win any of these awards. If that happens it will be another great injustice to one of the most prolific batsmen of recent years who has a history of being tagged as under achiever despite his heroics. Yousuf's biggest problem has been that for most of his career he had to live under the shadow of other great names such as Javed Miandad and Inzamam-ul-Haq. Everytime he performed he was immediately compared to these two greats and he always came up short. Another of his undoing has been that he has never been a flashy player like a Shahid Afridi or Shoaib Akhtar. He had always been the quite accumulator who seemed to always have fun with his batting whenever he was out in the middle, always focused on his task never caring about what the spectators wanted him to do. For an odd reason his speed between the wickets has also been overshadowed by a few run outs, so much so that he was once labeled as second most likely batsman to be run out behind Inzamam. When put as a question, to this he once smilingly replied that he is likely to get run out because of his speed and enthusiasm to sneak runs where they weren't possible, unlike Inzamam. Anyway, it will be important to see if the cricket world continue to do injustice to this great batsman, failing to acknowledge his contribution to the game of cricket.
For ICC's major prize of Cricketer of the Year, Yousuf competes with Kevin Pietersen, Ricky Ponting and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Mohammad Yousuf is competing with Kevin Pieterson and Muttiah Muralitharan for the Test player award. It will be important to see how ICC decides on this since on paper it looks like Yousuf is the sure winner with a record of 944 runs in 10 innings at 94.4, however Pieterson with 1255 runs at 54.4 and Murli with 43 wickets at 11.6 a piece are strong contenders.
Although Yousuf had a stellar year with the bat but considering ICC's bias against Pakistan and Yousuf's being out of favor with PCB it seems highly unlikely that he will be able to win any of these awards. If that happens it will be another great injustice to one of the most prolific batsmen of recent years who has a history of being tagged as under achiever despite his heroics. Yousuf's biggest problem has been that for most of his career he had to live under the shadow of other great names such as Javed Miandad and Inzamam-ul-Haq. Everytime he performed he was immediately compared to these two greats and he always came up short. Another of his undoing has been that he has never been a flashy player like a Shahid Afridi or Shoaib Akhtar. He had always been the quite accumulator who seemed to always have fun with his batting whenever he was out in the middle, always focused on his task never caring about what the spectators wanted him to do. For an odd reason his speed between the wickets has also been overshadowed by a few run outs, so much so that he was once labeled as second most likely batsman to be run out behind Inzamam. When put as a question, to this he once smilingly replied that he is likely to get run out because of his speed and enthusiasm to sneak runs where they weren't possible, unlike Inzamam. Anyway, it will be important to see if the cricket world continue to do injustice to this great batsman, failing to acknowledge his contribution to the game of cricket.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
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.
Read More @ Cricinfo
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.
Read More @ Cricinfo
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
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.
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.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
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
Read More @ Cricinfo
Sunday, July 1, 2007
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
Read More @ Cricinfo
Friday, June 22, 2007
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
Read More @ cricinfo
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
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
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
PCB’s dual stance irks media
ABBOTTABAD, June 19: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has imposed a ban on interviews of the Pakistan cricketers, says manager Talat Ali as some local journalists approached the team’s captain and vice-captain.
It should be noted that the PCB has set a code of conduct for the team management, officials and players some time back which is still implemented but interestingly the team management and star players are giving interviews to their ‘favourite’ newspapers and TV channels.
Read More @ Dawn
It should be noted that the PCB has set a code of conduct for the team management, officials and players some time back which is still implemented but interestingly the team management and star players are giving interviews to their ‘favourite’ newspapers and TV channels.
Read More @ Dawn
Monday, June 18, 2007
PCB appoints Salman Butt as vice-captain
In another embarrassing about turn Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday appointed opener Salman Butt as vice-captain to Shoaib Malik till the end of the year. Butt replaced Mohammad Asif who was deputy for the One-day series in Abu Dhabi against Sri Lanka in April. Butt's appointment came after the board's ad-hoc committee met in Bhurban.
PCB chairman Naseem Ashraf justified the appointment of Butt for the remainder of the year saying it was a move aimed at securing the future of Pakistan cricket.
"We have to start planning for the future. We have lacked in this aspect and have never really prepared replacements. Malik and Butt are both young and compliment each other," he said.
Ashraf said Butt was picked because he was more focused on the game and had returned to the team with new enthusiasm.
"Everybody believes he has a long future in the national team and is a safe bet to become a permanent opener in Tests and One-Day Internationals."
The left-handed Butt was dropped from the national squad last year, but he has always been rated very highly by former players, including Javed Miandad. He made a comeback in the recent Abu Dhabi series where he had scores of 34, 74 and 2.
Ashraf said Asif was a team man and had been informed of the decision.
This comes after months of speculation regarding Butt's place in the side. He was even touted as a possible contender for the top job before Shoaib Malik was eventually appointed to that job.
There was a lot of talk from various circles referring to Butt as having a good cricketing brain and how he could complement Shoaib Malik as a future leader. But the cricket world was extremely surprised to learn that for Abu Dhabi series PCB choose to appoint Asif as vice captain citing the reasons that Salman Butt's place in the side was uncertain. It is not quite uncharacteristic of PCB that suddenly after only 3 matches his place in the side has not only become certain for the whole year but he has also been given the chance to lead the side in the captain's absences.
While no wonder Butt might be a good choice but why he was ignored just a few weeks ago has become the new burning question. It is quite obvious the decision makers at PCB haven't learnt anything from the past and they keep on making arbitrary decisions without any accountability and with blatant disregard of the impact of these decisions on the morale of the team.
PCB chairman Naseem Ashraf justified the appointment of Butt for the remainder of the year saying it was a move aimed at securing the future of Pakistan cricket.
"We have to start planning for the future. We have lacked in this aspect and have never really prepared replacements. Malik and Butt are both young and compliment each other," he said.
Ashraf said Butt was picked because he was more focused on the game and had returned to the team with new enthusiasm.
"Everybody believes he has a long future in the national team and is a safe bet to become a permanent opener in Tests and One-Day Internationals."
The left-handed Butt was dropped from the national squad last year, but he has always been rated very highly by former players, including Javed Miandad. He made a comeback in the recent Abu Dhabi series where he had scores of 34, 74 and 2.
Ashraf said Asif was a team man and had been informed of the decision.
This comes after months of speculation regarding Butt's place in the side. He was even touted as a possible contender for the top job before Shoaib Malik was eventually appointed to that job.
There was a lot of talk from various circles referring to Butt as having a good cricketing brain and how he could complement Shoaib Malik as a future leader. But the cricket world was extremely surprised to learn that for Abu Dhabi series PCB choose to appoint Asif as vice captain citing the reasons that Salman Butt's place in the side was uncertain. It is not quite uncharacteristic of PCB that suddenly after only 3 matches his place in the side has not only become certain for the whole year but he has also been given the chance to lead the side in the captain's absences.
While no wonder Butt might be a good choice but why he was ignored just a few weeks ago has become the new burning question. It is quite obvious the decision makers at PCB haven't learnt anything from the past and they keep on making arbitrary decisions without any accountability and with blatant disregard of the impact of these decisions on the morale of the team.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Commission to review Woolmer investigations
KINGSTON, Jamaica, June 13 (Reuters) - The Jamaica government will set up a commission to review the investigations into the death of former Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer, the island's minister of national security said on Wednesday.
"Given the high degree of public interest which the case has generated at home and abroad... I have considered it desirable to commission a review," Minister Peter Phillips announced in parliament.
More
"Given the high degree of public interest which the case has generated at home and abroad... I have considered it desirable to commission a review," Minister Peter Phillips announced in parliament.
More
Woolmer was not murdered
Pakistan's World Cup cricket coach Bob Woolmer died of natural causes and was not murdered as earlier announced, Jamaican police said on Tuesday, ending an embarrassing, three-month investigation that gripped the cricket world. The murder suspicions triggered speculation he had been killed by an irate fan or an illegal gambling syndicate. But police reversed course after reports from three independent pathologists and a toxicology test said the 58-year-old former England international cricketer died of natural causes and had no poisons in his body, said Jamaican Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas.
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Thursday, June 7, 2007
End of the Road for Dave Whatmore
Just a few days ago everything was going good for Dave Whatmore. While on one hand Pakistan Cricket Board was actively pursuing him as a replacement for Bob Woolmer on the other he was pursuing highly coveted and a much more lucrative Indian coach's position. And suddenly in a matter of days, it all came crushing down. The Board of Control for Cricket in India, BCCI, on Monday surprisingly ruled him out of contention for the India job during the specially-constituted seven-member meeting.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
New code of conduct for players; what about officials though?
According to some news reports PCB, through its director operations Zakir Khan, has made it clear that in future no player, including the captain, is allowed to talk to media unless authorized by PCB. This news has come at a time when Pakistan is in the middle of a complete revamp of the its team. According to Zakir Khan, PCB is establishing a strict code of conduct that was included in the recent short term contracts given to the players before the start of Abu Dhabi series, under which no player is allowed to speak to media, without any exceptions, unless authorized by the PCB or team manager within three months of the completion of the series. Zakir Khan went on to say that action will be taken against the players who went against this code of conduct after Abu Dhabi series. According to some inside sources PCB is also considering a suggestion that in future no player is allowed to be contracted with a media outlet without prior permission from the PCB.
I think its about time that PCB does something about such issues since in recent months almost every player has been eagerly talking to media about various issues including the issues of coaching and captaincy. Although at certain times, the media is to blame when it comes down to asking every player about their intentions to be captain and then sometimes quoting them out of context, it is also important for the players to understand that when they speak to journalist, they will be reported in the media. Pakistani players can't be naïve enough to not understand the implications of such interviews, especially when they have been playing international cricket for an extended period of time while traveling throughout the world and interacting with people including media personnel around the world.
While PCB is right to devise a code of conduct for players, it might not be a bad idea to make a code of conduct for its own officials so that they are held accountable if they are unable to perform their functions properly. The primary function of every PCB official should be to promote and develop the game of cricket in Pakistan, which should ultimately result in developing an infrastructure that produces not only great players but also great teams. As it is now, most of the Pakistani players are a product of great individual talent and skill that without any benefit from any of the measures PCB has taken over the years. They come into the national team directly from gali and mohalla cricket with very little input from the domestic infrastructure, while earning great accolade for the nation and a lot of money for PCB. Like what happened to Inzamam, after giving their golden years to the nation, their honor is dragged in the streets upon their retirement while the officials always escape unscathed. Looking at such results and considering the remunerations paid to various PCB officials, the time has come for these officials to also sign a code of conduct that should result in disciplinary action, their possible immediate removal as well as some form of financial penalty, if they fail to achieve their goals within a specified period of time.
I think its about time that PCB does something about such issues since in recent months almost every player has been eagerly talking to media about various issues including the issues of coaching and captaincy. Although at certain times, the media is to blame when it comes down to asking every player about their intentions to be captain and then sometimes quoting them out of context, it is also important for the players to understand that when they speak to journalist, they will be reported in the media. Pakistani players can't be naïve enough to not understand the implications of such interviews, especially when they have been playing international cricket for an extended period of time while traveling throughout the world and interacting with people including media personnel around the world.
While PCB is right to devise a code of conduct for players, it might not be a bad idea to make a code of conduct for its own officials so that they are held accountable if they are unable to perform their functions properly. The primary function of every PCB official should be to promote and develop the game of cricket in Pakistan, which should ultimately result in developing an infrastructure that produces not only great players but also great teams. As it is now, most of the Pakistani players are a product of great individual talent and skill that without any benefit from any of the measures PCB has taken over the years. They come into the national team directly from gali and mohalla cricket with very little input from the domestic infrastructure, while earning great accolade for the nation and a lot of money for PCB. Like what happened to Inzamam, after giving their golden years to the nation, their honor is dragged in the streets upon their retirement while the officials always escape unscathed. Looking at such results and considering the remunerations paid to various PCB officials, the time has come for these officials to also sign a code of conduct that should result in disciplinary action, their possible immediate removal as well as some form of financial penalty, if they fail to achieve their goals within a specified period of time.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The future looks bright
Khaleej Times reported after Pakistan's triumph in the second match of the three match Warid Cup, that Pakistan's Chief Selector Salahuddin Salu praised Shoaib Malik's captaincy citing his dynamic leadership in the series against Sri Lanka. He claimed that he and his team of selectors' took a bold step to appoint young Malik as the skipper which was the right decision.
''Malik proved that he was the right choice to lead Pakistan as he lead from the front. Hats off to him and the team for their brilliant performance. All the credit goes to them only.'' ''He himself bowled splendidly and used his players well.'' Salahuddin was also happy with the fact that the 25-year-old all-rounder has received full support from the senior players of the team.
Well, I would love to see what Mr. Salu had to say after the final match where all the old frailties were fully exposed by a ruthless but under strength Sri Lankan team. While there is no doubt that Shoaib Malik has been instrumental in Pakistan's recent successes, the recent series primarily belonged to Afridi's allround performances in the first two matches. Its important for Pakistan not to look at this one off victory as an ultimate achievement but just a step in the right direction. Its also important for them to sit down and analyze these three matches in order to pin point the shortcomings that have plagued their team for a long time. While there are some positives that could be taken from the series including the return of Salman Butt and Yasir Hameed at the top of the order that has helped restore some sanity in the batting order, the gaping holes left because of the absence of Inzy and Younis are too big to fill. Mohammad Yousaf looked a shadow of last year and Abdul Razzaq scratched around for a few runs before getting out in the second game. Shoaib Malik's captaincy also didn’t come under pressure too often in this series, and when it did in the second and third game, he appeared to come up slightly short, especially in setting up the batting order and bringing in bowling changes at the right intervals.
Shoaib definitely needs a good coach to guide him through this tough first year of his captaincy when Pakistan is scheduled to play some tough series against India, South Africa and Australia. That said, it was reassuring to see that as far as fast bowling is concerned Pakistan has been building good bench strength even in the absence of some top names. Najaf Shah has been the latest addition to this long list of prospects and he looked quite impressive in his first outing for the national side. He was also greatly praised by Waqar Younis as a very talented young prospect who with persistent hard work could one day fill Wasim Akram's shoes.
''Malik proved that he was the right choice to lead Pakistan as he lead from the front. Hats off to him and the team for their brilliant performance. All the credit goes to them only.'' ''He himself bowled splendidly and used his players well.'' Salahuddin was also happy with the fact that the 25-year-old all-rounder has received full support from the senior players of the team.
Well, I would love to see what Mr. Salu had to say after the final match where all the old frailties were fully exposed by a ruthless but under strength Sri Lankan team. While there is no doubt that Shoaib Malik has been instrumental in Pakistan's recent successes, the recent series primarily belonged to Afridi's allround performances in the first two matches. Its important for Pakistan not to look at this one off victory as an ultimate achievement but just a step in the right direction. Its also important for them to sit down and analyze these three matches in order to pin point the shortcomings that have plagued their team for a long time. While there are some positives that could be taken from the series including the return of Salman Butt and Yasir Hameed at the top of the order that has helped restore some sanity in the batting order, the gaping holes left because of the absence of Inzy and Younis are too big to fill. Mohammad Yousaf looked a shadow of last year and Abdul Razzaq scratched around for a few runs before getting out in the second game. Shoaib Malik's captaincy also didn’t come under pressure too often in this series, and when it did in the second and third game, he appeared to come up slightly short, especially in setting up the batting order and bringing in bowling changes at the right intervals.
Shoaib definitely needs a good coach to guide him through this tough first year of his captaincy when Pakistan is scheduled to play some tough series against India, South Africa and Australia. That said, it was reassuring to see that as far as fast bowling is concerned Pakistan has been building good bench strength even in the absence of some top names. Najaf Shah has been the latest addition to this long list of prospects and he looked quite impressive in his first outing for the national side. He was also greatly praised by Waqar Younis as a very talented young prospect who with persistent hard work could one day fill Wasim Akram's shoes.
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