Stani Army

Well he’s back, but I guess it was only a matter of time. When the ICC sent Darrell Hair on a rehabilitation course then the only possible outcome at the end of this period was to reinstate him unless he did something drastic. In reality, they put themselves in a difficult situation by not getting rid of him when they had their chance. Surely, if I blackmailed my employers I would expect to get my marching orders right?

In an interview with Sky Sports News, ICC General Manager Dave Richardson, sitting in his nice office in Dubai, gave the most bizarre reason for why Pakistan should be more understanding and forgiving about Hair’s reinstatement and why Inzamam was wrong in saying he was “shocked and disgusted” by it.

Richardson said:

“If Pakistan had one of their best batsmen or best bowlers and he had behavioural problems, and the Pakistan board sent him on a rehabilitation course and he came back and said right, now I’m a changed man, surely you’d have to look at him and it’s only fair to look at him. Yes I can understand [Inzamam’s] feelings but I don’t think that’s fair”

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One day…..and I’m afraid that’s where the story ends; at least for the foreseeable future anyway. With the “postponement” of Australia’s tour to Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has filled the gap with a one-day international (ODI) series and a twent20 game against Bangladesh. But where have all the test matches gone?

After the above series, Pakistan will be involved in the Asia cup at home which precedes the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Champions Trophy which is also to be held in Pakistan provided there are no security issues. In December, India will (hopefully) arrive for a 3-test 5-ODI series. This would mean that this is the only test series Pakistan would have played since December 2007 which was also against India. This equates to a whole year without test cricket. Is test cricket not the most important and highly regarded form of the game? It doesn’t seem that way to the ICC and the PCB.

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The saddest thing to come out of this tour cancellation….sorry postponement (I must stop saying cancellation!) is that the fans of Pakistan will not get to see one of the best teams for a while come and put their talents on display in Pakistan.

When the tour does eventually go ahead, you can rest assured that the same players will not be involved and it may even be a totally different spectacle altogether as who knows if the Aussies will still be number one at that time.

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It has been announced that Australia has not cancelled but postponed its tour of Pakistan. What’s the difference I hear you ask? well my guess is as good as yours. In my previous post I raised the issue how the boards and players had done the situation no favours by bringing it out in the open but it did at the very least give us a view of just how the two boards operate.

Cricket should be something totally separated from politics yet in Pakistan this is hardly ever the case and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) can take most of the blame for this. How do you separate the game from politics when the Patron of your board is the current President? This has led to the current situation in which Pakistan cricket continues to be linked with terror and the current security situation all over the world. Now when the PCB’s Chairman Dr Ashraf insists that the postponement of this tour will have no affect on future cricket in Pakistan he is just kidding himself. The Asia Cup takes place at the end of June and I’m sure that the nations involved would seriously ask themselves that if it’s not safe enough for the leading test nation then is it safe enough for us.

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With the Chairmen of the two boards of Australia and Pakistan set to hold talks later this week, it looks like Australia’s cancellation of its tour to Pakistan will finally be confirmed. It would be surprising if the two sides agree to proceed with a shortened version of the tour as this doesn’t really change anything as it would still mean that the Aussies are spending a considerable period of time (30 days) in a country they obviously don’t want to be in.

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