Umar Gul and Yousuf are also contemplating to join ICL next year and who knows how many more will migrate. The prize money of Rs 2 crores and six tournaments in a year will ensure that players in ICL earn much more than those playing for IPL.The incentives will ensure that the mass exodus continues. ICL is going to play six tournaments in a year which will ensure that these players only play ICL and not any other form of Cricket so even if the ban is lifted on these players they will hardly be available.
PCB is not a poor organization according to its balance sheet as on 2006 they had a cash and bank balance of RS.2896 mil they can easily organise a T20 tournament of their own, the purpose of PCB is to promote cricket and look after the welfare of cricketers and not to be run like a PVT Ltd Co. The domestic structure needs to be changed and its high time that PCB should change its operating model. The franchise sytem should be introduced instead of the departmental system, the marketing should be done more aggressively for sponsorship rights, we have plenty of private TV channels who are hungry to fill their IDLE air time, the Infra structure is already there, all we need is planning and affective management and implementation.
Given the security situation in the country their is a risk that more tours will get cancelled in the near future, and PCB will struggle again to fill up its tour schedule, as a result the players will continue to migrate, in order to keep them match fit and financially satisfied PCB will have to revise its policies and its operating model.
We are offering the fastest bowler in the world only Rs 75000/m and then expect him not to join IPL or ICL or sign endorsement deals across the border it is wishful thinking and one can only laugh at the simplicity of the DNA & CO. Imposing bans on players will not stop this migration the boards will have to be competitive with these leagues they will have to organise their domestic cricket on commercial lines and will have to increase their revenues.
The Lahore Badshahs which was comprised of test discards from Pakistan lifted the standard of ICL and made it look like an International quality tournament,the tournament was a big success and if you compare it with the lacklustre tournament of last year it has improved a lot. The stadiums were packed, and I am sure from a financial standpoint its management is going to make money especially when their are no franchises.
PCB will have to design a T/20 league of its own starting from next year which can compete with these leagues the sooner we do is the better as England is also contemplating to start a league of its own pretty soon Australia and Newzealand will do the same, the Carribeans already have a league whichwas also quite sucessful, if Pakistan has to retain its players then we will also have to do the same their is no other way out.
If we look at the domestic ABN AMRO ODI tournament being played in Pakistan you can easily feel the void created by the exodus of top 17 players who are playing in ICL, the standard of the tournament has fallen you can hardly find a recognizable name as far as bowling is concerned. In the absence of big names not only the standard of the game will further deteriorate but also it will have a financial impact on the balance sheet of PCB this year the revenue from tickets will fall, the future endorsement deals will get geopardized the money from the vendor contracts will also fall considerably.
The governemnt should remove DNA & co from office and should hire professionals to run the organizations.The Cricket world is entering a new Era where commercialism is going to affect every thing we should change our operating pattern right now before ts too late.
ICL related bans can only be effective if the money offered by PCB is competitive with that of ICL or IPL, I foresee more players joining ICL next year, all the players who are not selected in the National team will continue to play for ICL.
ACU team’s visit was unrelated to Shoaib’s allegations, they have questioned Kineria,Gul and Younis.Younis seems clearly upset as PCB did not informed him about the interview,he was convinced at the eleventh hour by PCB to play the first match as he was pulling out of the first match in protest.
Younis was the stand in captain in the last two test matches in the absence of Malik.
Malik says this is not a time pass series poor guy is trying his best to make the series look of International standards, but sadly a victory in this series is only going to add to personal records and might improve Pakistan international rating, but I think the players would have learned more if they had played against a good domestic team, their has been no visible improvement in the players, Sohail Tanvir is still bowling consistently on the pads with an angle he still has not developed the ball which comes in to a right hander, Umar Gul is still pitching it short and struggling with the line, Butt and Jamshed still do not move their feet Younis again got out on a ball outside the off stump trying to cut it he has thrown away his wicket so many times in the recent past he is still standing where he was a two years ago.
Bangladesh are not a team which is going to pose any challenge to the skills of these players, so it is a time past which is going to cost pakistan cricket millions in losses, its an attempt by PCB to look busy and save their skins.
The ACU team has left Pakistan silently after completing their initial investigation, there are no news about what they have found, Some people here are by default thinking that Shoaib is in hot waters, I think they are underestimating his intelligence he must have some proofs to back his statements,to dismiss the guy as a complete idiot is a mistake,I think some players are going to get into deep shit.
Looking at the Pakistan bowlers today we have improved nothing if it was another team instead of Bangladesh they would have given a lot more runs, Sohail Tanvir is still wayward and bowls up and down same is the case with Umar.
Pakistan crushed hapless Bangladesh,the competition was completely one sided I was not expecting it to be so one sided,
It appears Bangladesh has not improved at all they looked weaker than an average club team, Pakistan scored 322 although they got an early scare when they were 77/3 Younis Khan got out in simiar fashion trying to cut a short rising delivery outside the off stump he scored only 1, Nasir Jamshed and Salman butt also gave away their wickets by chasing deliveries outside the off stump but not moving their feet,its a technical weakness and Butt has enough experience to overcome this problem. Yousuf and Shoaib restored the Pakistan innings and scored runs aggressively Yousuf scored his 15th odi and looked quite fit his running between the wickets was good he looked in shape and in form, and by scoring his consecutive ODI 100 he gave a befitting reply to his critics he is still the best batsman in Pakistan.
Malik scored 85 off 75 balls he ensured that the runs are scored at a high pace he looked in good form in his post match interview he said he will continue with the same team and will not play any youngsters until Pakistan wins the series,Afridi also chipped in with the bat and ball he scored 27 off 11 balls and took three wickets although he gave away too many runs but he also silenced his critics especially the coach but he is still under observation. Misbah scored 39 off 27 balls he scored some good boundaries and seems to be still carrying his form.
Bangladesh made the mistake of not going in with three seamers other than Murtaza none of their seamers had any pace or movement their spinners also didn’t bowl according to the field they might have to lift their game.
Umar Gul and Rao Ifti made a comeback Umar still looked rusty he was quite wayward and it seems he needs more practice to come into rhythm, I was surprised at the selection of Rao I was hoping that Sohail Khan will get a chance as he earned it by taking 91 wickets this year in the domestic season Rao in the matches he played was hapless.
One interesting thing I noted that relations between Malik and Afridi are strained both of them were not talking on the field, maybe its because Afridi’s aggressive drive for Captaincy during the last few months, but what ever the reason is both of these players should sort it out.
Fingers have been pointed at Younis in the past and anybody who has been watching his game closely can point out countless times in the recent past when his performance was suspicious, the performance of Umar Gul in India and against SA was also Shady,he was sent back home on allegations of not co-operating with the coach and captain but later on the allegation was changed to Injury but due to his unavailability all the burden fell on Shoaib who bowled fiery spells and took most of the wickets but did not received any help from the other end, their are people who would like to bury every thing for the sake of false pride but I agree with you, all the culprits should be put to justice and this malice should be eradicated from our cricket for once and all.
It seems as if Shoaib has already talked with ACU and has given some names as Younis and Gul were summoned by ACU and were grilled by the ACU representative, why these two were summoned,is not clear yet but one thing is for sure that Pakistan team is going to get surrounded by match fixing inquiries all over again.
LAHORE, April 7: Pakistan’s star batsman Younis Khan and fast bowler Umar Gul were on Monday called in by a two-man ICC Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) panel to probe the match-fixing charges levelled by Shoaib Akhtar following the imposition of a five-year ban on him by the PCB.
Reliable sources close to the PCB and the Pakistan team, staying at a local hotel here for the Bangladesh one-day series, said the two players were summoned to an unknown place on a short notice to face the panel comprising Col (retd) Mohammad Nur, the ACSU’s representative in Pakistan, and another ICC official.
The ICC official reportedly came from Dubai on Monday morning to investigate Shoaib’s statement regarding offers made to him to under-perform in key matches on the South Africa and India tours in the last few years.
The sources added both Younis and Umar looked extremely disturbed after their return from the ACSU grilling session, blaming the board for not informing them beforehand of any such exercise.
It is being feared that since the match-fixing row has been re-ignited by Shoaib’s recent statement, more Pakistan players will be asked to give their views by the ACSU officials who are likely to stay here for several days before finalising their findings.
These guys can’t manage 15 players how will they manage 6 teams.
Its a good Idea only if they plan it properly.There is a huge following of the T/20 game in Pakistan, I don’t think the departments will be able to buy franchises,PCB can follow the ICL model,PCB can sell the media rights by open bid to one of the independent TV channels, the gate money can be huge if the tournament is advertised and promoted properly, the logos and sponsorships can be sold to foreign multinationals and local banks.