Stani Army

The ICC has once again changed the 2006 England v Pakistan Oval Test result, this time back to the original result of an English win. To many individuals who were involved in the fiasco, the likes of Darrell Hair, Inzamam Ul-Haq, Michael Holding, Davids Morgan and Richardson, this is an important issue. Yet, in the grand scheme of things and with the current plight of Pakistan cricket, does it really matter?

Although one cannot be sure why the current PCB administration did not put up any objections to this recent change i.e. were they not bothered or did they want to concentrate on the pressing issue of playing Test cricket – staying quiet, I believe, was the right thing to do.
As for those who felt the need to revisit the issue, particularly the ICC, surely it would have been better for cricket had they spent this effort on discussing the future of a major Test cricketing nation which has found itself increasingly sidelined with hardly any Test cricket since that notorious Oval Test.

Since this recent news, Darrell Hair, has come out and called for the ICC officials who were involved in changing the result from an English win to a draw, to resign. It will be interesting to see if Michael Holding, who quit the ICC cricket committee over the original decision, asks for his old job back. I doubt it though, the “Whispering Death” feels he will be doing more for this game which gave him so much, by sitting in a comfortable commentary box. At the time, Holding, working for Sky Sports, said: “I have just written my letter of resignation to the ICC cricket committee because I cannot agree with what they’ve done,” he went on,”That game should never, ever be a draw.”

Rather than be in an influential position and strive to make real changes to cricket, he decided to take the easy option of quitting. What makes this even more remarkable is that in an interview with The Observer this January, Holding said:

“I fear for the future of Test cricket, yes I do,” he went on, “I am happy I am on my way out of the game, and not on my way in. All I want to do is turn up, do my commentary and go home.”

“Cricketers have an overall responsibility to remember that the game they play is what makes them what they are. They should not be looking to harm that. And that game is Test match cricket.”

How ironic. This is coming from someone who felt so strong about the changing of an insignificant Test result, that he resigned. Yet, like his counterparts, couldn’t care less why Pakistan did not play a single Test in 2008.

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