WeakCaptain,rogueplayers,dummycoach & corrupt management
on January 21st, 2008 at 3:06 amAfter the WC 07 both India and Pakistan cricket boards vowed to rebuild their teams, its been almost a year since the WC-07 and it seems that the Indian’s have accepted and adopted change without any resistance and they have integrated exciting young players around their core players and have regained their place among the top three teams in the world.
Pakistan after one year are still clueless regarding their combination for ODis and tests, since the T/20 WC their performance has been miserable, they have lost a home series against SA and in 24 years for the first time they lost an ODI series in India.
They have appointed a young captain who does not command respect from his senior team mates and the Pakistan Cricket think tank has been voicing its concern that the Malik does not deserve a place in the team on merit. The young players Pakistan tried in the past were not selected on Merit and it seems that a game of musical chair is being played with a certain group of below average players whenever a vacuum is created in the team with regards to a certain position one of these players is picked up to fill the vacuum, time and again the PCB management has shown its resistance in bringing about a radical change in the selection process where young raw talent is inducted in the team and groomed.
Malik at times is helpless and clueless on the field and has so far been unable to extract match winning performances from the senior players, the core senior players are disgruntled over the PCB policy to ignore them for the Captaincy and as a result they have gone rogue. If we look at the performance of Younus and Afridi in T/20 tournament in every key match they failed and even in the SA series although Younis scored runs but at an agonizingly slow rate highly un characteristic of him, Afridi threw away his wicket in the fifth match of the ODi series which Pakistan could have easily won along with the series if he had stayed on the wicket for one more over, Yousuf joined ICL for not being selected for T/20 and was later on given Rs 5 crore to persuade him to scrap that contract, Shoaib Akhter he does not need any reason he was born rogue. After every series PCB never know about his whereabouts he cannot bowl more than 4 overs and this drama has been going on since the last two years.
On top of that PCB has hired a foreign coach who himself was an average player and has nothing to offer to our players at times we have seen that the team has no plan no preparation and no strategy in key encounters. The whole mismanagement has resulted in producing a weak captain, rogue players, dummy coach and a corrupt board who has millions in its coffers and is spending nothing to promote domestic cricket.
Same players and same policies will yield the same results, Pakistan is about to start its new year by playing against a minnow team it was expected and was announced by PCB that some of the senior players will be rested and more young players will be tried for this series but now when the series has approached PCB has back tracked from all the promises and not more than two players will be introduced in the first ODI.
Malik has announced that he will persist with Kamran Akmal as an opener instead of Nasir Jamshed who is an exciting prospect and fully deserves to open the innings with Butt, chances are that Nasir might get selected and he might become the 12th man but so far Malik is more interested in saving his own skin by including another all rounder in the team so that he does not have to bowl as a fifth bowler because if Kamran Akmal is batting down the order the team will be short of one bowler so chances are that either Fawad Alam or Yasir Arafat will play in the first ODI. Malik is walking on the footsteps of Inzamam where he always tried to save his own skin and tried to protect some of the out of form senior players and got their unconditional support and respect in return and hence gave longevity not only to his own career but to some of the other players too. PCB should condone such behavior right now as it has already in the past harmed Pakistan cricket to great extent.
We have already seen that by playing Sarfraz in one match there was a dramatic improvement in the performance of Kamran Akmal and if more players are given a chance then most of these inconsistent rogue players might also start performing. So far they have no competition and their place is secured.
Malik needs to bowl as a fifth bowler in the team otherwise he cannot retain his place in the team, similarly if Younus Khan continues to perform poorly in Odis then its high time that Pakistan should replace him with a youngster in the Odi’s and the sooner the better. Afridi cannot retain his place just solely on his bowling he has to perform with the bat or at least show some sense of responsibility in the time of need otherwise its time to say him goodbye.
Shoaib Akhter should not be considered at all in future, we have a lot of upcoming young fast bowlers PCB should develop a pool of at least 6 fast bowlers. It will not be a bad idea to have two different captains one for the test matches and the other for ODI’s. With the present set of players it might solve a lot of problems especially relating to the rift in the team.
Zimbabwe is a minnow team they have only beaten Pakistan twice in 31 matches, but given the present state of affairs of Pak team I will not be surprised if the end result is 3-2 Pakistan.
I just checked Cricinfo site and came up with the missing names of the South African ” dream team ” of mid 60s and early 70s. These are Eddie Barlow, Dennis Liddsay and Ali Bacher and possibly others that I dont remember.
Let us start new threads on three prominent developments of recent past.
Shaun Pollock annonced his retirement. He was one of the great all-rounders the game has seen. His father, Peter Pollock was a highly successful fast bowler of South Africa and his uncle, Graeme Pollock was such an accomplished batsman that Sir Donald Bradman comlimented him to be one of the best lef-handed batsman he has seen. It was unfortunate that Aparthied ( or whatever it was called ) and resultant boycott deprived the fans across the cricket world to enjoy and witness such highly talented players like these two brothers along with Mike Procter, Barry Richard, Russel Endean, Trevor Goddard, and I am forgetting other team members who beat both Australia and England in their hey-days.
Another legend, Adam Gilchrist, the Austaralian wicketkeepepr batsman just anounced his retirement. In my opinion, there is no one better than him His predecessor, Ian Healy and his contemporary, Mark Boucher of South Africa are close but by sheer consistency and high standard he has set in a team dominated by Border/Waugh culture of winning at all cost put him above others.
Another legend, the one and only Sachin Tendulkar, without any doubt the greatest batsman since Sir Donald Bradman, scored his 39th century and may score 50 before he retires !! Any political or personal difference or bias apart, one has to give credit where it is due.
Instead of wasting our time and energy on Maliks, Afridis Raos and Niazis, we should open our minds and vistas on the world around us. As long as cricket is run by inept and corrupt Ullus, Sallus and Mallus, Pakistan will be rotting in eight position indefinitly.
The only solution is:
# 1 = GET AT LEAST THREE FAST BOWLERS WHO CAN BOWL AT AROUND 90 mph NOT repeat NOT Kph.
# 2 = FORM A SOLID OPENING PAIR.
The rest is easy. Select the players on merit, not because he is related to a certain General or a Polician or High Beurocrate who will return the favor.
Khansahab:
Just want to add one more incident, manager Talat ali’s report also states that Umar gul and Afridi are friends and Afridi has great influence over him and he made him not to co-operate with the captain and the coach and inside sources have revealed that Umar Gul was not sidelined bcz of injury but due to non co-operation with the captain and the coach.
LAHORE: Controversies simply refuse to spare Pakistan cricket. Sharp differences with the teammates has forced star all-rounder Shahid Afridi to leave the training camp and proceed to Islamabad, Daily Times learnt here on Tuesday. According to sources close to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Afridi has skipped the training session at the National Stadium in Karachi and left for the capital city. “Afridi did not take part in the practice session on Tuesday and left for Islamabad to meet some high officials there. He was given a cold shoulder in the dressing room during the first one-day international against Zimbabwe on Monday,” sources added.
Captain Shoaib Malik, coach Geoff Lawson and even manager Talat Ali are against the inclusion of Afridi in the team. “Captain, coach and manager are not interested in retaining Afridi in the team because of his behaviour and performance. Only chief selector Salahuddin Ahmad is in favour of Afridi.” Sources said despite a strong apposition from Malik and Lawson, Afridi was included in the playing eleven for the first ODI against the touring Zimbabwe. “Lawson had exchanged harsh words with Salahuddin when he came to know that Afridi was included in the outfit against his will.” In his report of India tour, Talat has held Afridi responsible for indiscipline and misconduct. He has also recommended ‘appropriate action’ against the all-rounder.
Afridi is in the middle of controversies for the last couple of years. He fought with batsmen Salman Butt and Younis Khan on a number of occasions at home and abroad, causing disciplinary problems. Last week Afridi had a fight with Younis over inclusion of leg spinner Danish Kaneria in the Habib Bank Limited’s (HBL) playing eleven on the eve of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final that was played between HBL and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) in Karachi. Many members of the team are also not happy with Afridi’s ‘offensive attitude’. It is pertinent to mention that fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar had blamed Afridi as the root cause of his rift with fellow pacer Mohammad Asif during the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa last year. “The incident started with a verbal spat between me and Afridi, who used foul language, and Asif intervened and in anger I hit Asif with a bat,” Akhtar told a press conference.
Last year Afridi was banned for four ODIs after being found guilty of breaching the ICC’s code of conduct during Pakistan’s ODI series against South Africa in February. The charge was laid by the ICC chief executive officer Malcolm Speed and related to an incident that took place after Afridi was dismissed during the first ODI on February 4. As the player walked up a set of stairs towards the dressing room a spectator apparently said something to Afridi and he reacted by appearing to push his bat at the person in an aggressive manner, causing the spectator to take evasive action. In 2005, Afridi was banned for one Test match and two one-day internationals for breaching the ICC code of conduct during the second Test match against England in Faisalabad. Afridi pleaded guilty to damaging the pitch during the second day’s play. “A player of his calibre and experience is a role model and he should set a good example as a lot of people not only in Pakistan but around the world look up to him. He has let them down with his actions,” ICC said in a statement later on.
Sources said Afridi had gone to Islamabad knowing well that his place in the team was in danger. “He will be meeting those officials who could help him retain his place in the team,” sources said. Afridi’s issue will be discussed in the PCB’s governing body meeting to be held on Friday in Karachi.
Sachin and Lara, I feel are the 2 cricketers who deserve this award the most. The title will probably also be given it to Aussies like McGrath & Warne.
I think they should give it to Sachin after he retires. He still has some cricket left in him.
Coming back to the match, India will probably go with 5 bowlers. I think they should include Bhajji only if the pitch supports spin. Otherwise, this move can backfire big time if India lose early wickets.
Well Gordon Brown is proposing to award whole new bunch of modern greats like … Border, S. Waugh, Mcgrath, Warne, Walsh, Pollock, Sachin … and dont know how many others are in the line. Apart from Sachin all the other guys have taken retirement …. but Sachin has achieved everything very early in his life .. so who knows ?
Btw what ab’t Lara ? He must be in that list.
Wasim …the guy is still playing!! ..after he turns 60 may be..not before!!
Sachin has been recomended by Gordon Brown for the Award of Knight hood,the guy truly deserves this award for being such a great player and a good ambassador for his country, do you guys think he will get the award.
Pakistan must allow its players to play in county cricket, our domestic cricket structure is flawed in many ways, there are too many tournaments and too many teams as a result the standard of the competitions is very low, the top players do not play all the mtches they prefer to play the finals only.
PCB never tries to promote domestic events as a result the stadiums are empty and we don’t see any competitive environment.
PCB should first develop its domestic structure on the lines of Australia and then it should first market the domestic tournaments so that it can earn heavy earnings and can pay decently to the players playing in domestic circuit, until then PCB has no moral justification to stop players from going abroad whether it is ICL,IPL or County cricket, it will be simply against the laws of economics.
Mr.Kasim:
You can check the news about shifting the venue to Australia in daily dawn sports section or cricinfo pakistan page.
I whole-heartedly support Wasim’s contention that had Wasim Akram not interfered with Waqar Younis’ career he would have taken more wickets than Akram. He also ruined the career of Aaqib Javed, the unsung hero behind the success of both Waqar and Wasim’s success. He kept a tight line and lenghth and had reined in the opposition batsman. And it is a known fact that Wasim’s victims were more tailenders than top order while Waqar’s were more top order than tail enders. If anybody dispute this, go and check any statics.
Whatever I wrote about the friction in team and about certain players who showed rogue behavior in India is now national news.
Daily Jang today reported pretty much the same what I have been saying and their report was based on Pakistan’s team managers official report.
http://www.jang-group.com/jang/jan2008-daily/23-01-2008/sports.htm
Amar:
Waqar if his career was not interupted by Wasim Akram would have taken more wickets than Wasim Akram. Akram was quite selfish he always used to take a first go on tailenders which means easy wickets.
I am yet to see another bowler after Waqar who can bowl those swinging toe crushers, shaun Tait is the only one but he is not as fast and cannot swing the ball at will.
my kasim,thanks for comment, i think so because name gangster maulvi maybe is cool. if you dont like is maybe will move it. no problem
If the players play in English conditions, they will acquire the necessary technique to handle moving and swinging bowls and how to tackle and overcome that. Similarly, the bowlers will learn how swing to and control their line and lenghth. And above all the fielders will learn to how field and dive to save certain fours.
The PCB expects the Pakistani players to field like Jonty Rhodes. I have better idea. All the Big Brass in the PCB should volunteerily give up 10% of their high salaries and give this money to the poor groundsmen and 10% of their perks which they get when they go on foreign tours with their Begum Sahebas to ” Promote ” cricket in Pakistan to invest in grounds to make it lush green and not leave like the ” Kakri Bagicha ” where the kids of my generation played. When I left Karachi more than twenty years ago for the United States, the kakri bagicha was still kakri bagicha. For those of you who dont understand Urdu, it means, Concret Park. And it is a CONCRET PARK. With Bata’s fifteen anna canvas shoe, fielding on this “park” was a challange itself, only if you have suicidal intention you will think about diving to save any runs. And believe me there are very few parks in Karachi with grass on it because of soil and lack of water. I remember during the Ruby Shield Tournament, there were many schools without their own ground with the result that a “neutral” venue was required and inevitably, Jahangir Park was always selected. Unfortunately, it has been occupied on all sides for decades illegally and being used as garbage dumpster.
Dr. Nasim Ashraf the PCB chief came out with “brilliant” idea
that henceforth no Pakistani players would be allowed to play
in county cricket. May be he is not aware that Mushtaq Mohammed, Asif Iqbal, Majid Khan (Mighty Magic Khan) Imran Khan, Javed Miandad ( Mumandad ) Wasim Raja, Sarfaraz Nawaz, and several leading players honed their skills playing in the English conditions and formed a formidable combination
even better than the present Indian batting power-house. Look at batting line-up: Sadiq Mohammed, Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Mushtaq Mohammed, Asif Iqbal, Wasim Raja and Haroon Rashid to choose from and Sarfaraz Nawaz and Imran Khan to lead the pace attack supported by Asif Iqbal’s tight medium pace and Iqbal Qasim’s left-arm spin, Mushtaq Mohammed and Waim Raja with leg-break googly and Majid Khan with ocassional off-spin
with Wasim Bari as wicket keeper.
It is still a mystery to many how such a talented and powerful side did not perform better than it did !!
I will have to agree with wasim about the “rivalry” between akram and wakar..although i rate akram highly as a cricketer ..i feel waqar was the better bowler and wasim just got rid of him when he was captain ….i dont think theres been any bowler who could so consistently bowl those perfect yorkers!!
just loved to watch waqar bowl those deliveries..i had same hopes from shoaib akthar..but somehow its been ten years and apart from a spell or two he hardly ever impresses…which is really sad.
Gangster Maulvi,
Where did you find out that PCB has agreed to move the tour to Australia? I was the first ( I think ) to moot this suggestion in my very early blog. Another thing, I am a practising Muslim and take offence to your title and would respectfully request you to change it to some better title if you are ashamed to publish your real name !!
And just because of that “rivalry” Waqar at the peak of his career stayed out of the game for at least two years and Aqib’s career came to an end, and Pakistan played with Ata ur Rehman I wonder how this rivalry or infighting was beneficial for Pak cricket.
By saying that Malik is trying to kick out Afridi from the team in a way you have acknowledged to the fact their is a rift and both are trying to pull each others leg.
There is a difference between speaking on others behalf and addressing them I hope you understand that, the blog has been very liberal but it doesn’t mean that we allow trivial arguments and baseless propaganda.
Wow what an accomplishment an average of 23 in 4 ODIS and on top of that two wickets he certainly deserves to be the captain, PCB should remove Malik after one bad series and appoint this Pakistani Bradman who averaged 23 in 4 odis as their new captain I’m sure he will do wonders for Pak cricket.
The following is a detailed comparison of performance between the two players over the last 12 months.
Statistics Afridi Vs Malik
t/20 Afridi
mat runs hs ave 100 wkts BB B ave
10 158 39 17.55 0 14 4/19 18.64
t/20 Malik
mat runs hs ave 100 wkts BB B ave
10 262 57 32.75 0 2 2/15 9
ODI last two series
Afridi
mat runs hs ave 100 wkts BB B ave
9 167 47 20.87 0 8 3/37 54.50
Malik
mat runs hs ave 100 wkts BB B ave
10 343 89 34.3 0 4 3/61 50.50
Last 12 months
Afridi
mat runs hs ave 100 wkts BB B ave
15 359 77 29.91 0 19 3/20 31.73
Malik
mat runs hs ave 100 wkts BB B ave
21 707 89 41.58 0 8 3/61 46.12
Wasim Saqib
It’s really funny that you can say in the bottom line of your earlier post “I know you still wont acknowledge it but the clarification is for other readers.” And when I responded to you, you say: “I think if you only speak for yourself and not other readers that would be much better.”
Why can’t I refer to what other bloggers have commented? Is there a rule or restriction of any kind on this blog? I mean is the owner of the blog imposing such rules like cricinfo’s 1000 character and blah, blah? And you say after what Awas wrote you have responded and that means PERIOD. No one can discuss it any futher, right? Wow.
I think the owner of the blog should start censorship like Mukul and other cricinfo blogs and should only allow those comments which are in praise and in agreement with the views of the avatar.
MY Kasim
On Hanif Mohammad’s 337 run out.
The most important thing people forget about this triple ton is, it was achieved in the second innings which still is a record, all others have scored in first innings. Hanif Mohammad’s record stands unbroken as of today. Unfortunately some pundits labeled him as a player with negative tactics that is he played slow to draw the matches rather than winning the matches. So was Gavaskar.
Regarding the conspiracy against Hanif Mohammad, Javed Miandad, I remember reading a similar article written by Salahuddin Ahmad or Sallu who is now the chief selector, he used to highlight the nepotism, jingoism and regionalism in his articles. However, since he has been made the chief selector he has never raised a voice again on that subject. Whereas, other sports critics keep on asking about the fate of Asim Kamal about whom Sallu was earlier protesting for Asim to be included in the team. It seems like now, pyjamay da koi zikr nai hai.
ganstar mouvli & Dr Haroon
I guess both of you wanted to discuss the weather especially the beautiful cool breeze at Fajr time which wakes up people for their needs or something like that? I am taking this as a hint like the Chinese people when they do not wish to discuss the subject any further, instead of not replying or keeping quiet, they expect you to change the subject. For example when you ask them to comment about the current political turmoil in the country. They reply, ‘your shoes are very beautiful, where did you buy them from’?
I want to ask everyone, what do you think about the commentary team in Pak ZIMB series? Especially Zaheer Abbas? I think he was calling Kamran Akmal, “Kamal Akmal”?
What a poor commentator!
Dr Haroon
Seattle
well pcb anounce is australia tour maybe be play in australia. i am agree,because is i think the good idea
This is nothing new in Pakistan Cricket. When Mr. Kardar retired after successfully building and leading the team he nominated Fazal Mahmood as his successor. When it was time for Fazal to retire, the Captainship should have gone to Imtiaz Ahmed, being the most senior player. That is what everybody were expecting. Out of blue, the selectors ( I dont remember who they were ) selected Javed Burki, a young batsman of 21 or 22 years old for the tour of England who was the son of Lt. Gen. Syed Wajid Ali Burki, one of the top ally of Field Marshall Mohammed Ayyub Khan !!
It so happens that his mother, Majid Khan’s mother and Imran Khan’s were sisters, hence they are cousins.
Similar was the case with Hanif Mohammad, the Greatest Batsman Pakistan has produced so far ( IN MY HUMBLE OPINION ) that as an opening batsman he faced one of the fastest and nastiest bowler at that time ( Roy Gilchrist ) for 970 minutes for 337 runs to draw the match for Pakistan beside playing several outstanding innings. He was unfairly treated and the players conspired against him because he came from a very poor family and he was sent into bat at number six position at times !! Can you imagine that?
When Javed Miandad was made Captain, the whole team revolted against him and he was removed. Few years later, he was made captain again, and again the same old story, no end to it.
In every country these things happens. It is only in Pakistan
that it is so blatant and shameless and dirty linen is washed
in public.
Javed :
I think if you only speak for yourself and not other readers that would be much better, What Awas said I have already replied to that and doesnt change a thing, If YK was so good where was he in the first two tests and thats exactly my point. If these guys cant score consistently on dead pitches then its high time to look for other options.
wasim
I am sure the other readers also don’t agree with your views and if they are not commenting that doesn’t mean they agree with you. Awas has expressed his views which in a way don’t seem to be in agreement with what you say or what you believe in.
Besides, on this blog we are just a few and the opinion of the majority does not change even if these few people agree with you. Because, the media reports and rumours about his fake injury have started surfacing once again after seeing him playing yesterday.
It was like Shoaib Akhtar in Pakistan against India during Bob Woolmer and Inzi’s time he complained of pulling chest muscle and did not bowl, then went in to bat and started hitting sixes and had no problem in jumping out of the crease and swinging his bat. He hit 4 sixes in that match that baffled Inzi and Bob and the rest of the world.
Now once again people are saying that IF Malik was really injured with a fracture and, his foot was in a plaster for so many weeks, it is possible that the fracture can heal and he can walk pain free, BUT being match fit and to run fast and to put weight on that foot is something more than what meets the eye. You can go on and defend him till posterity. But, there is no smoke without fire. Besides, these are you own theories and this one is just another side of the coin.
Secondly, if you think about your conspiracy theory that senior players are creating problems for Malik then it was a golden opportunity for Younus Khan to ruin Malik’s career by not accepting the captaincy role or, he could have lost the remaining 2 tests which on record are under the reign of Malik’s captaincy period and in his domain. But, YK not only batted well he lead the side well to at least salvage a draw. If it was a 3-0 test defeat after the ODI series defeat, Malik would have been axed for sure.
Did you notice that Malik wasted no time in taking care of addressing the press conference on both occasions after the two drawn test matches? Whereas, it was a courtesy to ask Younus to address the press conference because it was he who lead the team and not this bloke who was sitting with one leg in a plaster.
As regards Yousuf, I think Awas has cleared the air by quoting his performance against India in India (which is not so good) so who is left? Afridi? He was out of the test squad and was sent back. Was it Shoaib Akhtar? Malik can’t blame him because he relied more on the old horse, the Actor than on his so called buddy Afridi. Malik actually placed his bet on the wrong horse. Well, he can afford to because, he is still so young, just a baby!
Javed:
My ICC comment was just plain sarcasm to which you immediately subscribed and added on to it by stating your friends were in Australia and they new before hand what the match result is going to be.
You can call my observation as a claptrap theory or whatever, I don’t care thats my view and I have found no evidence on the contrary to change my belief.
For the record you were the first one to make fun of Malik for faking injury and after several days a similar allegation was made in a newspaper which you immediately quoted to prove your point. And since then you have clung to your original statement even though the doctors report the medical tests and every thing was quite open in Media about the Issue.
Before you accuse Malik of throwing his wicket look at that particular match situation and his score, and then look at all those situations in which Afridi and Younis threw away their wicket without remorse without making an effort to stay on the wicket.
I know you still wont acknowledge it but the clarification is for other readers.
Awas:
You are so quickly dismissing the possibility of a rift between the team as it never happened before in Pak team’s history, we are talking about an organisation whose history is filled with revolts, legpulling, and back stabbing conspiracies.
Actions speak louder than words, just the way Wasim and Waqar were best buddies according to their own statements same way Malik enjoys the support of all the players.
Also I have never said that we should make permanent wholesale changes, we have a good opportunity of playing a weak team so we should have played more than two players by resting some of the seniors so that we can test our new talent. What’s so wrong with the Idea?
No one should be happy with this victory by Pakistan. Pakistan couldn’t get Zimbabwe all out and they let Zimbabwe score almost 250 runs, which isn’t a bad ODI score and 3 batsmen of Zimbabwe scored 50 or over.
The only thing worth praising is Nasir Jamshed, who is a great prospect and annihilated the Zimbabwe attack. The only reservation I have with him is that he appeared a bit over enthusiastic at times- if he keeps his cool he can be a great player. IF THIS DOES NOT CONFIRM THAT WHAT THE TEAM NEEDS NOW IS YOUNG BLOOD, I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT CONFIRMS.
I would have liked to see Afridi being promoted up the order when Younis or Yousuf got out. This was Afridi’s home crowd and he could have destroyed the underconfident Zimbabwe attack. However playing Afridi is always a gamble. Perhaps it is time we should stop calling Afridi a “bowling all rounder” and merely call him a “leg spinner” because even bowling all rounders like Pollock, Pathan or Vettori have some sort of consistency or reliability in batting. Malik is at odds with Afridi at the moment but he should keep his feelings and biases aside and use Afridi as a tool to strike the iron when it is hottest.
The objective is not to hurt the sentiments of the learned Javed A Khan, who always defends himself in the face of opposition and remains largely calm when criticised. Afridi was once my favourite player, especially that time when he was our neighbour in Karachi. I loved Razzaq when he made his entry in international cricket but I liked Afridi even more.
I fully agree with Wasim Saqib as regards the desired team composition. I am 99% sure that youngsters if played would out perform seniors in the longer run. Younis Khan played some spectacular shots today but he offered his wicket to the opposition when he was on 21. If Zimbabwe were a slightly better fielding side the fielder would have caught that chance. There is always plenty of risk taking in Younis’s batting, and if he wasn’t such a lucky man his ODI average would only be in the mid 20′s.
Also, we are talking about “rebuilding”. If we are rebuilding why are we rebuilding with only one or two new players at one time? What difference would that make? I am not only complaining about Younis and Afridi here- I am complaining about the team psyche, Malik’s lack of control over the proceedings, and the lack of unity and team spirit. By rotating players at least we can get some team spirit into the players. IT IS THE SENIORS AND NOT THE YOUNGSTERS WHO WERE BEHIND PAKISTAN’S MISERABLE 2007. A SERIES AGAINST INDIA IS ALWAYS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE. WHY HAS THE STUPID SELECTION COMMITTEE AND TEAM MANAGEMENT NOT MADE ANY MAJOR CHANGES? WHY IS SHOAIB AKHTAR BEING MADE A SCAPEGOAT FOR THE TEAM’S FORTUNES IN 2007- WHY HAS THE SELECTION COMMITTEE AND MANAGEMENT TAKEN ACTION AGAINST HIM ONLY AND NOT AGAINST OTHER PLAYERS?
What is the stupid coach doing? What changes have we seen in the team since his arrival? Has he been able to remedy Salman Butt’s technique? Has he been able to keep the team united? Pakistan was the only major team that lacked a consistent gameplan in matches, amongst all teams in 2007. Is that not the coach’s job?
I am amazed to see even now, Butt, Younis, Yousuf etc are still running a few steps ahead of the crease after playing a shot, sending mixed messages to the non striker. They are totally confused. The running between the wickets is pathetic and apart from showing us that these batsmen are technically deficient, this also shows us that THERE IS A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND TRUST AMONGST PLAYERS.
wasim saqib
It would be more apt to call your conspiracy theories as “claptrap theories” because it is so pretentious and pompous to accept it.
My comment on Pak Spin about Malik faking an injury or Shoaib Akhtar faking and feigning a self-inflicted injury was only a media quote and you are clinging on to it to make a point? That is your prerogative and you have the right to think whichever way you like.
Its like you have said recently that the ICC wanted to compensate India after the Bucknor incident, was it a similar conspiracy theory? Like many people were talking about Australia losing deliberately against India at Perth, is there any truth in it?
You keep on citing about Malik’s performance in T20 as second best to Misbah and in the same breath you are nullifying the ICC’s decision of giving the player of the tournament award to Afridi as a nothing case! Because you think that Afridi did not perform well with bat. It is the over all performance that got him that recognition and if you think it has no meaning and no bearing then what can one say?
And you are also saying that Afridi and Younus Khan both threw away their wickets to loose the match is nothing but your own imagination. Whereas, Malik was twice out in T20 in similar fashion and you prefer to ignore that. Him being a captain why did he threw away his wicket? Was that a deliberate attempt to loose the match? And not only in T20, but in Pakistan against SA and in India against India he did that total 5 times, especially when it was not needed.
Even yesterday Malik could have played till the end had he played a sensible shot instead he chose to hit out on the last ball of the 48th over. Was it a deliberate ruse to get out and bring Shahid Afridi in to play the last 6 balls so that he gets out cheaply and then Malik can say that Afridi failed with his bat again?
Also, Misbah was twice out in T20 in a weird fashion and on both occasions Pakistan lost to India, was that a deliberate attempt to loose? I don’t think any player would play with this intention in mind that he wants to get out. This is just your own thinking and your own perception. I believe that these are circumstances when players get out and I don’t think it is deliberate, because I firmly believe in this theories.
And my comment on Butt that he was putting pressure on Nasir Jamshed is not a theory my dear its a mere observation and we all comment our views and opinions based on our observation unless someone else come to a blog with the intention to read Milad Sharif and expect to get some luddos!
I have said this before that I have no intentions of changing your perception about Afridi, Younus Khan and Malik so whenever I air here are my views so, why do you take it so personally and come back at me so strongly? It only proves one thing and if I say that or spill the beans then, you would be fuming all over again.
Awas
Once again you have expressed your views very nicely and made the same point more clear which I have said about change and total change, by citing the example of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. You have also mentioned Zimbabwe’s performance and their current ratings and standings in the international arena after they had changed the entire team from the top to bottom.
Both these teams made minor upsets in the Caribbean World Cup but after that their performance is abysmal and one or two of their youngsters go and hit out a fast fifty with a couple of sixes but that is not what you expect from a national side, it looks more like a under – 19 team’s performance.
If Pakistan follows in the footsteps of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh that will be the end of cricket in Pakistan. At least I wouldn’t be interested in watching a bunch of rookies playing international matches like they play Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches at the domestic level.
Javed:
Talking about conspiracy theories, by labelling Malik for faking the injury and by charging Butt for putting deliberate pressure on Jamshed what was that? I am sure it was your sharp observation.
The fact is that the team is divided as we are on the subject.
By playing Jamshed in the opening slot Malik had no choice but to bowl himself so it is not true that he made up his mind after scoring 63 he took three wickets and was economical the performance was against a weaker team so I am not impressed either, that is why I have been saying all along that more new players should be given a chance in this series.
Rao Ifti was the most expensive bowler he gave away 40 in his five overs, we all know his capabilities and I am sure he can make a comeback but the fact remains we wasted an opportunity to try out another young bowler in his place.
Amar:
I completely agree with your comment, when you have cancer in your body you dont cut off the head you just remove the cancer ridden part.The fact is that Malik was the second best batsman in T/20 after Misbah for Pakistan and trailed him with only few runs his performance against SA was also not bad. In fact it was Afridi who consistently failed the team with bat. I wont call him a rat but he sure is a skunk whose batting is stinking as ever.
Wasim
By the way, my comments were not directed at you entirely but just my views at what had been said in the thread by the writer and overall discussion going on.
What has been said in the media and so on is how rumours develop and how facts come out as well. At the same time there have been denials as well as general players’ statements that we support Malik fully. This is what happens in media, we get bombarded with facts, hearsay and opinions. Malik should be expected as well as entitled to support by all around him including supporters.
I do not have a choice of denying any “facts” if they are indeed facts but I do agree that “we all have different views”. No two people are alike when it comes to personalities or opinions. That’s what makes life interesting. Right?
I wasn’t “defending these players” by the way. I said “let’s face it we are not as good a team at the moment that we once were” but we can certainly strive to be and no doubt that’s exactly what the team aims to do when they go out on the field. I have no doubt Zimbabwe had similar ideas when they went out to play this first ODI against us thinking they can perhaps beat us. As always, the best team wins on the day.
None of the other teams can win a series against Australia either but that doesn’t mean it requires a wholesale change. If PCB had chosen to make a complete change like Zimbabwe did not too long ago then we have a perfect example already in Zimbabwe as their results show.
A couple of changes at a time are definitely more sensible and to me anyway. India has done so and we can see they are doing well with a combination of youth and experience.
My main point was (a) no player is big enough to become a rogue, under perform and then expect to keep his place. And (b) other than a couple of changes at a time, a complete one can damage us even more. Team is already in a phase of rebuilding process as it is with a new captain. And (c) captain and team should be supported where possible instead of blanket criticism.
So, I hope I am entitled to me views and it’s for the readers to judge which opposing views make more sense or perhaps non of us make much sense
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People are drawing comparisons between India’s team selection and Pakistan’s team selection for the ODI matches, and trying to make a point that, if India can drop Ganguly and Dravid why can’t Pakistan drop Afridi and Akmal?
First of all Akmal’s replacement is not so strong or dependable, he too has dropped catches and not as good a batsman as Akmal is. And we all know about Akmal’s past performance when he saved or won matches for Pakistan. Hence, Akmal has a proven track record and so has Afridi. Dropping them from ODI and T20 would be a suicidal act for the team Pakistan.
India is a different team and they have more all-rounders for ODI and T20 than Pakistan currently has. And for some weird reason Pakistani selectors, captain and coach have started believing that they need ONLY specialist players and ended up having a bowler or two short.
Then we have seen Malik asking players like Salman Butt, Yasir Hamid, Younus Khan and even Misbah ul Haq to bowl 5 overs each. What a ludicrous way of team selection? Even a club level team is more balanced than what Pakistan has done in the recent past. Thanks to the Sallu, Mallu and Ullu selectors.
India is making a big mistake by dropping Ganguly from the ODI squad, he is in very good form these days both with bat and the ball. And India, apart from their regular bowlers and batsmen have all-rounders in, Sachin Tendulkar, Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan. So they can experiment those changes and Pakistan does not need to follow their suit. Comparing them with us is like comparing grandmothers with toads as they do in Serbia.
There is a big difference between bringing in gradual change and thrusting change for the sake of complete over-hauling the entire team especially under the leadership of a young, novice, inexperienced, immature, weak, meek captain. That again is like the act of harikari, atma-hatiya, khudkushi or suicide of team Pakistan.
I have made my point clear in the previous comments that resting senior players against weaker oppositions is denying them of the opportunities of regaining their touch, form and confidence, after all it has helped Malik in this ODI against Zimbabwe. He wasn’t able to regain his confidence against SA and India and he wouldn’t have been able to do this against Australia. So for him this situation of playing against weaker opposition has helped Malik in regaining his confidence,s o why wouldn’t it help in case of other senior players? Unless one considers Malik as a baby debutant!
The teams that have made total and complete changes in the recent past is Zimbabwe and Bangladesh and look at their performances? They have shone in bits and pieces and never showed any consistency and stability in their performance for a long sustainable period of time. If Pakistan wants to do such major reshuffling and total over-hauling in the team Pakistan they can do this and join the league of minnows. Even the author of Pak Spin has said this in his recent thread on cricinfo and sarcastically hinted that it would become a regular feature for Pakistan and Malik would become the most successful captain in the history of Pakistan.
Awas
you have done a very good analysis, especially on the conspiracy theories that we are all so good at inventing them and then substantiating and backing up with our own lopsided views to satisfy our own egos and our own unjust claims.
This habit, as some people say comes from the proverbial expression of, “once bitten twice shy,” we start believing in it and this is nothing more than paranoia, which is an unfounded or exaggerated distrust of others, sometimes reaching delusional proportions. When we can’t do anything more than that, we start character analysis of people.
Unfortunately we (people from India / Pakistan sub-continent) take this game so seriously that we discuss it beyond the game as if it is a paranormal issue!
Anyways, Pakistan has won this match but the sad part is they couldn’t bowl out the Zimbabweans in the alloted 50 overs which shows their lack of bowling abilities, especially in the fast bowling department.
After scoring 63 runs and against a weaker opposition Malik’s confidence was high enough to take the challenge with the ball and that paid dividends and he took 3 wickets. That is what I meant in the previous comment that you need your senior players to play against weaker oppositions to regain your touch and your form. It confirms my point that Malik was lacking in confidence against the stronger opposition who were out there to attack him from the outset to dent his confidence.
He must not be petrified by those assaults and continue to bowl to get his confidence back in bowling. Afridi is so good with the ball that on many occasions whenever he was introduced he took a wicket in the first over like he did yesterday. Dropping him from the side on his one or two batting failures is not a practical thing because he is a very good bowler, an excellent fielder and he keeps motivating others and when his batting clicks we see fireworks and the fate of the match is sealed in Pakistan’s favour.
Taking advantage of this situation that the Zimbabweans are not comfortable aginst spin, Malik should get Fawad Alam in the team in place of his favourite blue eyed Butt. Nasir Jamshed must open with Kamran Akmal. With Fawad Alam in the side, he will have more spin options and more depth in batting. Butt should be kept for test matches but for ODI’s and T20 he has failed time and again and also ruined the number of balls in trying to find his so called “gaps.”
When Samiullah Niazi failed and Rao wasn’t effective Malik had to bring on Younus Khan and the unheard bowling from Misbah. You cannot do this against Australia, they will murder this kinda bowling attack in broad day light. You need one more all rounder in the team.
If Samiullah continues to fail due to whatever reasons, he should revert to Yasir Arafat because of his all-round capabilities. But, dropping Rao ifti would be a big mistake, because under the current lot of known and experienced bowlers he is on the top of the list. He may not have performed well in this single match, but he will definitely come back very strongly.
Amar, that analogy for Malik is not for his batting and bowling prowess it is his leadership role that is being criticized by all for being a weak meek captain. Its a fact that not everyone can be good in managing human resources and it effects their individual performance and it happened to God Tendulkar. Anyways, lets see whats gonna happen next.
Javed hold your horses!! …maliks going through a bad phase..each and every batsmen goes through it..calling him a rat ..n stuff is not at all on…
he has the skill..may be after the zim series he will be back in form and maybe will also start to bowl again.
Pakistan won the 1st ODI very comfortably, however they would have liked to grab all ten Zimbabwe wickets. Nasir Jamshed seems to be one for the future.
Awas:
Nobody is making conspiracy theories here, the media was talking the same thing after the Indian series, the sources inside PCB were also stating about the rift in the team now if you want to deny it then its your own choice we all have differrent views.
Also the fact that you say we are simply not good enough then why are we defending these players who are not good enough and why are we resisting change and not allowing youngsters to showcase their skills against a third rated team.If we are not going to do it today then when we will do it against Australia? There is a difference between being out of form and out of character,
Our team has become a laughing stock in the world and all the pundits very sarcastically use one remark “oh pakistan can blow hot or cold they are a highly unpredictable bunch.”
Why do we blow hot and cold, one day its a 100 and the next day we score less than 5 and it has not happened once it has become a routine. A batsman is either in form or out of form
Why in all the key T/20 matches Younis and Afridi failed.
Why in all the series deciders since T20 these players threw away their wicket at crucial moments of the game.
If it was their natural game then why are we persisiting with these players who let down the team and Nation time and again.
Zimbabwe series will infuse life in the careers of these otherwise dead players. We are making a big blunder by not resting these players and not trying out more youngsters.
I don’t espouse to conspiracy theory so readily. The notion that the senior players have gone rogue and are underperforming, should neither be acceptable to the players themselves nor the board as underperformance is bound to get eviction.
The seniors are hell bent to have Malik removed is perhaps a natural thinking after Pakistan got beaten in the last two series. The reality is that it’s just not a good enough team that is capable of beating a good opposition. No player in this current outfit is Tendulkar enough (or big enough) to be picked automatically. The biggest name that we have at the moment Mohamed Yousaf was even side lined for T20. And we all know how he got the hump after that.
The way Ponting has been getting out at low scores against Harbhajan, we all know. If same had happened to someone in Pakistan, people would have been looking at all other non-cricketing reasons and all sorts of conspiracies. This is just the same as Yousaf generally having a poor record against India in India. Cricket is a funny game. Such things happen. Ponting’s bad run against Harbhajan and Yousaf’s poor record in India are part of cricket. It is not necessarily underperforming to bring someone’s downfall.
Even Mr T can’t make a big score in every match that he plays no matter how all Indians always expect and wish him to do. When he was having a bad patch many were calling for his ouster too.
It is our natural pastime to say that if we are not winning then definitely there is something going on. Most Pakistanis with the exception of a few educated elite still think 9-11 was a plan America hatched itself to attack Muslim countries. If removing Malik was really what they all wanted then perhaps this was the perfect opportunity for PCB to do so on the pretext of his injury.
Let’s face it we are not as good a team at the moment that we once were that we were expected to win against India and SA in our recent encounters. People had predicted white washes but again we didn’t get humiliated. I think that’s a bit of a plus. Let’s support our team a bit more, if we can, than the blanket criticism they are getting.
Inducting two rookies in the team is a better strategy than wholesale changes. In my view PCB’s original idea of doing so was infact a hasty one and I am glad they changed their mind. India still maintains its core bench strength in ODI’s, hence only Dravid and Ganguly were the only main players dropped.
It’s good to have Afridi back. His bowling, fielding and presence are a big plus. Hope he realises he needs to show a little more discretion whilst batting as Wasim points out, and I hope too Afridi means it, when making those apologetic statements in the media about his performance.
Wasim
By the grace of God, I am a very happy person and I also love trigger pulling sport like, clay pigeon, skeet & trap shooting and I am pretty good at it and actively take part in trap shooting competitions. See how I can reply to your sarcastic phrase with a light hearted retort. But, what I have said is also a fact and not just a mere retort.
If it makes you happy then you may post your STATS as many times as you wish but, I don’t need to read them. Because, I know what and how to obtain the sats and also do the analysis for a period of time that is needed and to draw comparisons etc. And I am not challenging you or anybody.
But, by saying that I must read the post carefully you are assuming:
- that I don’t read carefully and skim it, or
- implying and underestimating my reading, writing and understanding capabilities, or
- taking my comments personally as if you have something to do with the post, like you have written it?
I can carry on adding more to the above list, but there is nothing I can do to change your perception. Because I am not here to do that. I know that no one can change the perception of another person through debates especially on a blog.
The way you are perceiving it or asking the PCB to condone Malik for being an Angel, because you perceive that he is handling these rogue demons in his angelic way which is not acceptable to you and the writer hence you say the PCB must condone him and ask him to become a rogue to tackle the rogues.
Our biases, prejudices, notions, preconceptions and accusations are built over a period of time and we use coloured curtains in viewing them and see as we want them to see. So, how can one expect to get rid of the cortical clutter in a jiffy when that is accumulating since a long time and gets imbued in the psyche?
What I don’t understand is why people keep calling Malik a young captain? He is 26 years old and playing international cricket since the last 8 years and he is still a young captain? By that analogy or standards Kumble is the youngest captain because he took over the captaincy role just a couple of months ago. Whereas the fact is Kumble is playing since the 17 years and he is 37 years old already past the retirement age. You may call him an infant captain!
You are saying that these so-called senior rogue players are going to retire in one or two years. You mean Afridi who is 2 years older and, Younus Khan who is 4 years older than baby Malik must retire in two years? Perhaps you mean Mohammad Younus to retire? Then what about Misbah ul Haq? He is older than Mohammad Yousuf, isn’t he or am I wrong? So, which yardstick are you using here?
Anyways, coming to the match, its innings break now and Pakistan against Zim’s poor bowling attack could have easily made close to 400 runs. But, they ended up at 347/5. Thanks to Butt Saheb for gyrating his Butt and not his foot or his bat. He scored only 4 runs in 16 balls, a strike rate of 25 which is unacceptable.
When Butt was out on 4 the team score was 45, the irony is he did everything to put pressure on the debutant with his slow batting. So in a way it was a blessing that he got run out and the rookie continued to play his strokes better than anyone and scored a breezy 61 in 48 balls with 3 sixes and a very good strike rate.
You cannot blame the senior “rogue couple” because they dragged the team out from a slower pace to a reasonable pace and both scored decently according to the situation. Although Malik scored 63 he slowed down while approaching 50 whereas Misbah continued his good form and good strike rate.
Now Pakistan should get them out under 200 runs otherwise the bowling attack would be under scrutiny. Also, like I said, the nation expects 5-0 win and no less against this team, seems easy and possible unless they experiment something foolish – which is of course possible.
Jamshed played superbly, this guy has talent now that he is out get ready for a painfully slow innings by Younis and Mohammed Yousuf.
Javed :
Before you get so trigger happy read the post carefully.
It was malik’s behavior which has been asked to be condoned.
I think we have already gone through the stats and I DONT WANT TO POST THEM HERE AGAIN ON THIS THREAD ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO REFRESH THEIR MEMORY CAN GO TO “ZIMBABWE NO MINNOWS”
THREAD AND CHECK THE STATS AGAIN.
Anyways Nasir is opening right now instead of Akmal, maybe somebody was able to put some sense In Malik’s head.
You said PCB dropped Afridi from the tests how many tests did he played in the near past he is a specialist ODI player these days, and even he knows why he was dropped from the team except you, maybe you didnt checked his usual oppologetic statements in the media about his performance. PCB dropped Yousuf from T/20 but rehired him by financially compensating him, they reprimanded Akhter so many times over different issues and as soon as any series approaches they desperately start looking for him. Oh my god we cant trace him his mobile is off, is that how you should make your players disciplined.
If Younus is not performing well in ODI s what so wrong in trying another young player in his place, if India can rest Dravid and Ganguly why cant we rest Younus, Akmal and Shoaib Akhter for the sake of rebuilding, and that too against a team like Zimbabwe
is that a revolution? And if Afridi continues to fail with the bat why cant we look for other options or do the selection stndards in your opinion should not apply on him. Did it took India 10 years after WC 07 to rebuild their team.
And why can’t we use the same Yardstick to judge all the players.
We dont need a revolution we need to stop resisting change and most of our problems will be solved, If we rest some of the senior players during this series it will not harm us in anyway these players are not going to play forever they are going to retire in a year or two so why not try out young players in easy series like the one which is going on now.
In my opinion the biggest rogue player is the captain himself and he is no one else BUT, Malak Saheb himself. If the captain of the ship wants to run away before the rats leave the ship, then why blame the rats? (Reportedly the rats are the first to leave the sinking ship).
The picture of Shoaib Malik in the previous thread on this blog which shows Malik’s middle stump uprooted off the ground and this is not a new sight, this happened twice during the T20 where he threw away his wicket. He did the same thing against SA and in India too. Total 5 times in a short span of his fragile captaincy career which appears more like a soap bubble, which is gonna bust anytime.
Another problem is, it is the Captain’s job to gel the team rather than hoping that everything will sort out itself. First of all as a leader he has to lead by example and lead from the front by scoring runs and also by taking wickets.
Time and again we have discussed this issue about Malik’s pathetic batting performance since he became the captain. Except for one person the whole of the Pakistan media is complaining that Malik seems to be totally out of sorts and lost his touch with the burden of captaincy on his poor weak shoulders and he is also using his prerogative by not bowling regularly.
To say, the PCB should condone this behaviour and ban the so-called rogue players mainly Afridi, Younus Khan and Mohammad Yusuf is not the solution. Then who is left in the team? Shoaib Actor is already out, Asif and Gul are injured, there is a sword dangling over Akmal’s head. The only one who is left gyrating his Butt is Salman.
In fact the PCB has never been more firm in dealing with the players than they are now. They dropped Mohammd Yousuf from the T20, they dropped Shahid Afridi from the test squad against India. They have warned Shoaib Akhtar and told him clearly to choose between ACTING & CRICKET. They did not insist Inzamam to stay for a little longer to sort out the captaincy issue and the smooth transition of leadership mantle. Instead they considered it as a golden opportunity to accept his resignation in haste. They allowed him to play in the last test only because of the tremendous pressure from so many circles to break Javed Miandad’s record.
They ignored the demands made by Younus Khan that the captain must have his say in team selection. The PCB even snubbed the coach (ref. khansahab’s link from Dawn on Sullu and Lawson’s row) They preferred a weak coach Lawson as the other one (whats his name?) the one who was coaching Bangladesh until recently is not a meek, weak person like Lawson.
They decided to keep a weak captain so that they can twist and turn his arm at their free will. So, asking them to be more firm and to condone or ban the so-called rogue attitude is like giving the gangster a carte blanch and a license to kill like 007.
As regards them being corrupt is not a news, its been going on since the inception of the board. So, ultimately what is the solution? I am unable to understand unless the author is asking for a REVOLUTION. That will take ten years to rebuild the team and by that time these rookies would be oldies and near to retirement and there will be the same problem as of today.
Teams cannot be built after a coup or a revolution, the youth induction should be slow, gradual and meaningful replacement and not just for the heck of it or on personal likes and dislikes.