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Time for Butt to Kick Some Behind
By Tabrez Janjua for Stani Army in Pakistan Cricket
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Ijaz Butt: Needs to be harsh in his punishment of the Pakistan players
Pakistan cricket hasn’t exactly flourished under the stewardship of PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt. Described as “too old” and “physically unfit” by the senate’s standing committee on sports, many have felt that such an important role was beyond this 72 year old. On the team side, factionalism, internal bickering and a losing habit have plagued his time in charge.
Not being the most astute of operators, Butt is known to put his foot in where it does not belong. His insensitive and defensive approach in his response to the Lahore attacks was just one example. Rather than express condolences and outline the PCBs response, he went on the attack asking the ICC to ban match referee Chris Broad, for his comments on the lack of security. His most recent faux pas was the mixed messages he gave out in a press conference regarding the subject of match fixing.
Politicians are not the only people Butt has fallen out with. Javed Miandad, Abdul Qadir and Aamer Sohail, ex-Pakistani greats, have all come and gone from various posts during Butt’s tenure. Despite his unpopularity, Butt is still managing to hold on to his position of Chairman for the simple reason that he has the support of the most important man; Patron of the board and President of the country, Asif Ali Zardari.
The recent inquiry into the failings of the team on the New Zealand and Australian tour have given Butt an opportunity to do some good for his popularity. It is believed that the inquiry committee recommended heavy fines and bans for some top Pakistan players, including Shahid Afridi, Rana Naved, Shoaib Malik and the Akmal brothers, for various misdemeanours such as deliberately under-performing, provoking discord and undermining the captain.
While the details of any punishments have not yet been made public, Ijaz Butt has promised to take “more than significant” action against the players mentioned in the inquiry report. Butt needs to take this opportunity to do exactly that. Not only for the good of Pakistan cricket but for himself. He needs to realise that these mercenaries have not only made Pakistan cricket look bad, but have caused irreparable damage to himself and the likes of Mohammad Yousuf who came in for some harsh criticism as captain on the Australian tour. It is only now one can imagine how difficult Yousuf’s task must have been. These players need to be made an example of.
The Pakistan players: Some would have them lined-up and flogged
Banning the big names may be a difficult thing to do at the moment, but life will go on. Someone will step into their shoes and we’ll forget about them soon enough. It is a critical juncture which will be looked back at in years to come as the defining point of Pakistan cricket’s up-turn in fortunes. This is something that needs to be done to save Pakistan cricket. The players need to feel privileged to play for their country. Even if this “more than significant” action is Ijaz Butt’s last act, it will be a noble one and despite everything that has happened in the past, it will be the one that he will be remembered for the most.
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March 9th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Stani
Why can’t these morons take quick decisions, if two players were creating trouble why they kept on playing them? Why they didn’t send them home on the first available flight.
Neither Malik nor Rana is indispensable and both should get severely punished. I am not too convinced with the innocence of Yousaf he alongwith Akmal brothers played an instrumental role in losing the second test match against Australia.
I think they will have to closely monitor how the senior players perform their roles in key matches, any player who throws away his wicket and does not work hard to perform according to the role given to him by the team management should also get fired.
PCB is again making a huge mistake by creating multiple candidates for captaincy, again if the make Misbah or Razzaq the Captain it will offend Afridi and if his past behavior is of any indication then we can safely predict how he will perform in this coming WC. And if Razzaq and Misbah are ignored then they will create trouble. I am not convinced with the innocence of Misbah either he also in my opinion was seriously underperforming uner Younis and Yousaf, how can a player comeback into form overnight, he played some really good innings in domestic cricket after a horrible tour of Australia where at times he was struggling to get into the line of the ball. He should not have been a candidate for Captaincy.
Razzaq is a good player and is very experienced in this format but has fitness issues, I think PCB will have to be very careful over here in my opinion they should persist with Afridi.
March 10th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
I should have just commented here instead of emailing you – have you seen this on crapinfo today?
http://www.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/story/451392.html
“They will not be part of any Pakistan team in any format from here on,” Taffazul Rizvi, the board’s legal advisor told Cricinfo. “A life ban means they cannot play domestic cricket or any other similar cricket, but we are not stopping them from that. They can play domestic cricket or county cricket here and abroad.”
I know you have had some serious internal problems, and I fully admit I am not totally up-to-speed on them, but this seems really harsh …
March 10th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
I don’t think I’ve made myself overly clear … I agree with you on the banning, but a life ban?
March 10th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Wasim
This indecision and reactiveness is synonymous with the current Pakistan board and boards of the past. You called Yousuf correctly although I am surprised his ban was so serious compared to the other ones. We do not know the reasons yet of course.
After this decision, I think it will be a brave player who raises issue with the selection of the future captain. This is one of the main reasons why a strong decision was required, so that it has a real and lasting effect on all the players and not just the ones that were punished.
If they do go with Afridi for captain, as it does seem they will, he will have to be on his best behaviour.
Sid
I think a serious punishment was required to get rid of this disease. Thing is Sid, this was something that plagued our cricket, every game, every series. For the greater good of Pakistan cricket, I think it had to be done to teach every player a lesson. It’s gone on for far too long. If it means losing players for life, so be it.
I am a little surprised by the harshness of Mohammad Yousuf’s punishment though, but we don’t now all the facts at the moment.
March 10th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Wow, a life ban for Moyo and Yoyo !! In one way I feel its harsh and in another way I feel maybe its time PCB took some extreme steps to ensure players behave themselves and play for the country.
Must say though, Moyo and Yoyo will be thoroughly missed in the Pakistan test team – they were the best test batsmen.
Regarding the other bans, i guess those were expected – regarding shoaib malik etc. I am curious to see if all these bans actually stay or they are overturned in the near future.
March 10th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Whoohooo!!! Blood!!! Gore!!! Flying limbs!!! Action!!! Wait! I’ll just quickly get my axe an join in! Good times whoohooo!!!
Ijaz Butt for king!!!
Wes’ last blog:
Yousuf banned from “play for country” o_O
March 10th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
Rayden
I think Yousuf’s class will be missed. Yes, maybe it was required for the greater good of Pakistan cricket. No doubt there will be a big public backlash.
With Pakistan’s track record on punishments, don’t be surprised if they’re overturned as soon as a new board is drafted in.
March 10th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
The bans are extremely harsh and surprising for two truly great middle order batsmen. I can’t believe this foul play. On Malik and Rana it is deserving. Afridi has already served a 2 match ban , but is still fined nevertheless. Good in the sense that he would have thoroughly learnt his lesson, but bad in the sense that it was only a minor offence and the ICC have already dealt with him. The Akmals deserve what they got, but Umar should have been fined much more worse and severely as he is young and thereby would have understood how diabolic the action he undertook was and thereby will most hopefully refrain from getting anywhere that level of indiscipline in the long term future. He needs to taste the bitterness of the bans otherwise we might need another dirty Akhtar in prospectus.
Another dark day for Pakistan cricket and its supporters. This happens too frequently.
The captaincy fiasco is next, so many twists and turns since the 07WC in the Caribbean for the position, Malik then YK then Afridi for T20 then MoYo then Malik again. Misbah would be my choice preferably now following this diabolical penalising circumstance. But, with the excepting of YK and MoYo I more or less agree to the enforced bans. Surely we want a clean team at the end of the day who are playing for national pride, personal willingness and hope, don’t we ? Hopefully , following these bans we can move on swiftly.
March 10th, 2010 at 7:13 pm
With the exception of Younis Khan I think the bans and fines are fair but I also believe that the administrators have covered up their own role by not carrying out an independent inquiry and by keeping the details of the inquiry proceedings secret. Also I seriously believe that they have left a door open for all the banned players. The fines will also get revoked through appeals.
Younis has only been punished because he refused to become a puppet in this corrupt set up otherwise his stance has been completely vindicated through this inquiry.
They took the side of Players at that time for their own vested interests. What were those vested interests is not hard to figure out, through out the last two years the team has been accused for match fixing and internal bickering but PCB continued with the same group of players just kept on shuffling them. What was hampering them from nipping the evil in the bud? Doesn’t it reflect their complete negligence?
I think they have kept all the proceedings secret just to cover up their own role.
Also if I remember correctly 7-9 players went to Butt against Younis, and now it is clear that they all took oath not to let Younis succeed, why only a few are getting punished?
I think justcie has been served on the players but who will serve justice on the administrators.
March 10th, 2010 at 11:07 pm
Who will kick Butt’s butt?
March 10th, 2010 at 11:22 pm
It freaks me out @_@
Yousuf contemplates retirement
March 13th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
Wakeup Stani!
March 15th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Quite a shocker, but Like Stani said, it had to be done.
With the administration already in doldrums, the players too cannot be forming internal groups and bicker on. It will take a while to bounce back, but there will be a newer bunch of players, hungry and willing to just play THE GAME on the field rather than in the dressing room.
Stani where are you dude? Have you too lined up in the picture (just not in the frame) and gotten ready for your whipping? Didn’t know you’re into that sorta stuff man
March 15th, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Maz/Wasim
I think the PCB will be forced to tell us the reasoning behind the bans eventually. Certainly, there are things that must have gone on that we don’t know about. In general, I think the punishments needed to be harsh for our players to be taught a lesson. I am not certainly not saying that the PCB are angels themselves, but that is a separate issue.
I think the door has certainly been left open for Yousuf and Younis as they didn’t put a time period on their ban.
Vick
I think the player power needed to be addressed. It is just sod’s law that the current PCB had to do it but that’s the way it is. They now need to do the honourable thing and clear off themselves.
I’m out of camera shot in the photo Vick….whip in hand. I’m glad you guys missed me, but I’m back though and I brought the whip with me