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Everything’s Just ‘Fine’
By Tabrez Janjua for Stani Army in Pakistan Cricket
49 ViewsThe PCB has once again demonstrated it’s pointlessness in almost retracting every punishment they handed out to the seven players after the Australian tour. At the time, Ijaz Butt came out with some tough talk saying that he was going to hand out harsh punishments. Indeed, he kept his word at the time with life bans for Mohammed Yousuf and Younis Khan, one year bans for Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved, and heavy fines for the Akmal brothers and Shahid Afridi. With Rana Naved’s hearing still to be concluded, all punishments have been retracted except for the fines the Akmal brothers received which have been reduced by two thirds. It thus goes without saying that If Mohammed Yousuf should come out of retirement, his ban would also have to be lifted.
Untouchables of Pakistan cricket: Innocent when proven guilty
With all that has come out of the inquiry and various player statements, it is clear that Shoaib Malik was one of the worst culprits. Unfortunately, with Malik still around, I can’t see Yousuf changing his mind and returning to the side. I know who I’d rather have back if I had a choice between Malik and Yousuf.
In some ways, the return of the players is evidence of the dearth in Pakistan talent with hardly anyone from the domestic game being trusted to be able to step up into the international side and keep these criminals out. Many would say that this is something the punished players know and have been taking advantage of for some time. It is why, for most of the seven, it was important that the punishments were upheld, if not entirely, at least to some worthwhile degree. Right now the players must be inwardly laughing at the administration which governs and disciplines them. Ijaz Butt has denied that this will make the PCB seem like a soft touch to the players, but if everyone else thinks that is how it is looking then I’m certain the players are thinking likewise.
Butt’s excuse for the reinstatement of the players was that a constitutional process was simply followed and the players appealed and thus won their appeals. Yet this simply demonstrates the ineptness of those that handed out the punishments to the players, punishments which the appeals panel found were not deserved. So who are these inept people Ijaz? Hmmm. Until we have a change in the Presidency of the country, we will continue to suffer from this ‘jobs for the boys’ policy our Patron for the board and President of the country employs.
Will marriage have helped Malik to grow up?
So will everyone in the team now carry on as if nothing has happened? The recent leaked inquiry video will only add to the bad feeling between the players. With Shoaib Akhtar also returning along with the likes of Malik, we have almost all the ingredients for a recipe for disaster. Maybe there are not enough personality clashes in our trouble-maker’s XI already, so why not bring in Javed Miandad, Salim Malik, Abdul Qadir and Rashid Latif in as part of the backroom staff and really get the party started.
With captain Shahid Afridi recently stating that no politics in the team will be tolerated, it looks like his and coach Waqar Younis’ biggest test will be off the pitch in keeping things together. Shame, that.
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June 6th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Totally agree with the above..
I guess Intikhab Alam now infamous comment about this crop of current Pakistan players being mentally retarted, can be safely extended to most members of the PCB too.
June 6th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
Does PCB actually stand for Punishing Cricketers Briefly?
June 7th, 2010 at 1:01 am
Rizwan
Don’t forget to include the President in that! As for Intikhab, he may have had brains himself but he used them for wrong purposes. If you look back at many of our match-fixing problems of the past, his name is always somewhere in the background. Coincidence?
GCW
Very good. How about Pointless Cricket Bans?
June 8th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Stani
Ejaz Butt is totally spineless, just to save his job he hastily started the inquiry process and awarded those heavy punishments and again due to heavy criticism by the media and certain lobbies he hastily reversed the whole process.
I think it would be unfair not to blame the media and the cricket fans who first wanted accountability and when the process was initiated they immediately started criticizing PCB for it’s heavy handedness and now when PCB has reversed the punishments they are again criticizing.
In my opinion there was no point in handing bans to Younis and Yousaf they should have simply told Younis that he won’t be considered for any future selection until he proves his form and fitness in domestic cricket and county cricket, they should have told Yousaf that he is being rested to give chance to youngsters, there was no point in reversing Malik’s ban.
As regards the monetary fines I knew they will be reduced at some point in future.
I don’t know why everybody is making so much hue and cry over Younis Khan. The guy is completely finished as a cricketer, he can’t get along with anybody neither the administration nor the players but still some people fail to see any fault in his personality.
He had an altercation with Shahryar Khan over a petty issue, he again had an altercation with Nasim Ashraf’s Administration over selectorial issues, he had a public feud with Qadir and Yawar Saeed.
If one looks at his behaviour pattern he picks up a fight with everybody and then walks away completely from the scene, apparently he tried his best to become a dictator, if his behavior is of any indication then it is safe to predict that he must have been extremely rude with some players and must have been making the atmosphere in the dressing room very heavy.
I am sick and tired of all the propaganda about him being the most dignified and honorable cricketer, if he had an ounce of dignity or honor he wouldn’t have played a single match when he was out of form, he should have played domestic cricket instead of going on a fishing trip to improve his form, his behavior of boycotting domestic cricket clearly shows he gives a hoot about performance, the guy has a clear attitude problem.
Now he says he is again open for captaincy, Yousaf is also considering a come back, Malik is already there, I think PCB by reversing the bans have divided the dressing room again, I think Afridi is in big trouble.
June 8th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Wasim (Cicketfiles)
That’s an interesting point on Butt’s motivation behind the punishments. Now he is just hanging on the excuse that it was all a constitutional process.
I did call for heavy punishments and was satisfied with them to a large degree except for Yousuf’s and maybe Younis’. I do think that the Akmals, Kamran in particular, should have served a ban.
As for Younis, I see he is being defended on cricinfo. His stance is seen as ‘dignified’ but Mohammed Yousuf’s as ‘dithering’? Dr Kamran also describes Yousuf’s decision in regards to returning as opportunistic. Of all the punished players, Yousuf’s stance was the least opportunistic because he is sticking to what he believes and has not jumped at the chance to return at the first opportunity. And if Yousuf was dithering, where was Younis when he was needed on the Australian tour? I agree about Younis’ pettiness. His supporters seem to just completely ignore this or worst still, call it dignified!?
June 17th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
TJ
What is more likely ? Pakistan winning the Asia Cup or “Football coming home !”
Cricket it too good a game to be compared to Football… thats why there is less popularity with cricket .. much more technicality and rules and regulations are required in cricket which makes it uncomparable to Football for some.
Anyhow TJ, have you got your tickets yet for any Pakistan games in the UK this year ? I am buzzing for the drama to start !
June 17th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Maz
Errrm Pakistan winning the Asian Cup!
Cricket is a thinking man’s game. I do love my football though and we have to admit that no sport can compare to it in terms of global reach.
Got some tickets for the Oval ODI Maz…bloody expensive! Really want to go to the Tests but will have to see when I’m free. How about you? The MCC XI t20 game against Pakistan is coming up too.
June 17th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
When and where is that T20 game against the MCC,TJ ? Sounds good to me !
Yes hoping to go one of the Test matches against Australia and will probably attend a couple of county side fixtures too ! Yes very expensive prices indeed as expected !
The squad for the England touring party gets announced this Sunday. Fingers crossed that its a good one, but we can’t expect much from these morons that own the board as we all know by now ! Can tell you already that they are taking two keepers which is a good move though, especially when considering what happened to Kami in the winter at the SCG!
June 17th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
No worries about that first question, TJ. I got it now !
Sun 27 June
MCC v Pakistanis
Twenty20
1:30pm (Gates Open)
2:30pm (Start Time)
June 17th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
@Maaaaaaaz – Sorry, was out playing footy ironically enough
It may be worthwhile going to the MCC game although the last time Pakistan were over here and they played a t20 against a world XI, it turned out to be a damp squid. It was at the Oval and I was there. They had to reduce the game to 10 overs a side but it was worth it in the end. I think it was to raise money for the earthquake victims.
I think they named two keepers not only because of Akmals recent performances but because of the last time he was here, he had some issues gathering the ball. Because of the English seam friendly and usually overcast conditions, the ball does wobble to the keeper. Akmal had issues last time.
As for the English; I hope they pick Finn because they’ve been hyping him up ahead of the likes of Ajmal Shahzad just because of what he did against Bangladesh. The real test will be when he comes up against an established Test nation. I hope we put him in his place rather than make him look good.