PCB & Spot Fixing Cases

The newly appointed chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Zaka Ashraf has landed himself in the first controversy that led the ruling body ICC to take him head on, on a very sensitive issue of talented yet reportedly suspected all-rounder Wahab Riaz’s inclusion in Pakistan team for the series against England.

The controversy arose from a statement of Chairman PCB Zaka Ashraf claiming Wahab Riaz was recalled in Pakistan team for the forthcoming series against England after ICC apparently gave the clearance that it had no proof of Wahab Raiz’s involvement in spot fixing.

This statement from Chairman PCB, prompted ICC to issue the following statement ” The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday denied an alleged statement made by the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board that the fast bowler Wahab Riaz was selected in the Pakistan squad for the series against England after clearance from the game’s governing body.

In a statement, ICC Chief Executive Mr Haroon Lorgat said: “I have said before and reiterate that the ICC has no part to play in the selection of any team. It remains the absolute right of a Member Board to decide which player it wishes to include in a squad or select in its team for any match.”

Mr Lorgat further added: “Only if a player has been charged and/or provisionally suspended by the ICC and/or banned by an independent tribunal, will he will not be cleared for selection. In all other circumstances, it is the Member Board’s absolute right to select players.”

This statement from ICC puts PCB in an embarrassing situation and it had to come out with a statement from it’s spokesman Nadeem Sarwar saying that,” The factual position is that in pursuing its zero tolerance policy towards corruption, PCB as a precautionary measure approached ICC’s anti corruption Unit regarding any such information on Wahab Riaz.

The ball is now in ICC’s court again if PCB has sought any information from ICC’s Anti Corruption and Security Unit on Wahab Riaz or not. The new chairman PCB Zaka Ashraf, it seems, is following the foot steps of the former Chairman Ejaz Butt by publicly involving ICC in sensitive matters like spot fixing. One hopes that Mr. Zaka is well advised by his aides, that Mr. Ejaz Butt was perhaps not. One may recall, it was Ejaz Butt who, in a media conference had dropped a bomb shell by saying that ICC had provided match fixing proof against two players to PCB.

It may be recalled that during Pakistan team’s tour to England in 2010, Wahab Riaz was shown wearing a jacked handed by bookie Mazhar Majeed containing money. Moreover, Wahab Raiaz’s and Kamran Akmal’s name was mentioned time and again during the criminal proceedings in spot fixing case in London that led to the jail terms for Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Amir and Mazhar Majeed.

This was for this reason according to PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf that Wahab Riaz was kept out of Pakistan team for about 7 months and now he has been included in Pakistan team against England for a series to be played in UAE.

Well if this is the case, then PCB should come out clean on Kamran Akmal whether has also sought information about Kamran from ICC or not? Similarly, leg spinner Danish Kanaria has also been a victim of PCB’s rigid policy and has not been cleared for selection. The PCB has not yet come out with concrete evidence against Kanaria.

In order to avoid controversies and confusions, Mr. Zaka Ashraf should carry out clean and transparent policy . If ICC had not indicated any thing to PCB about Wahab Riaz, why was he kept out of Pakistan team for 7 months and why Kamran Akmal and Danish Kanaria are still out of Pakistan team. If ICC had not conveyed any thing to PCB , why did PCB chose to seek information from ICC Anti Corruption and Security Unit?.

The appropriate way for PCB to deal the Wahab Riaz issue would have been or would be to carry out detailed investigation and grill Wahab Riaz that what the whole money filled jacket wearing incident was all about?. Had PCB done this, there would have been no need for PCB Chairman to seek information or clearance from ICC’s ACSU who in turn wasted no time to refute the PCB chairman’s statement referred above.

Now since PCB is setting up its own vigilance committee, it should thoroughly investigate the matter of other reported suspects of Pakistan team before it is too late. For this purpose, the PCB should also investigate and get to the roots of a reported telephonic conversation between the acting chief selector Muhammad Ilyas and the then CEO Salim Altaf who have named a few players allegedly involved in Match Fixing. This reported conversation is available on Youtube but first credibility of the conversation has to be established.

The Chairman PCB should get a detailed factual briefing from his office that who are the alleged suspects and what proofs are available against them. PCB should investigate them transparently and punish or acquit them on the basis of the investigation and not on the basis of suspicion.

What is surprising is that Chairman Zaka Ashraf, a few weeks back, in a reported media talk said that he will reveal Wahab Riaz and Kamran Akmal the reasons of their non selection in Pakistan cricket team and now it’s shocking how Wahab Riaz is back for England series. The PCB Chairman was also quoted by some media reports that some thing fishy was there in Wahab Riaz and Kamran Akmal cases. There may not be some concrete and hard evidence against some players but at times, the circumstantial evidence is so strong that some kinds of precautionary measures have to be taken. If Wahab Riaz, Danish Kanaria and for that matter Kamran Akmal are in same boat in terms of no proof from the relevant quarters, then they should also be considered for selection otherwise the factual reasons for their ouster from the team may should be made public so that these players can take legal course of action if they so desire.

One can not claim that corruption from the sport can be fully eradicated but keen vigilance and constant education about the menace can help minimize it.

Why do we need a Coach?

After the resignation of Waqar Younis, PCB is now in trouble whether to choose a foreign coach or a local one for the team. PCB made a dedicated committee based on former Pakistani captains Intikhab Alamm, Zaheer Abbas and former Test wicketkeeper Col (retd) Naushad Ali without analyzing if they need a coach at this level and time?

If yes, than that means there are serious problems in cricket structure on the domestic level. When a player is chosen for an international team out of 16 curore population, it means you have surely selected the best, and what we expect from is that he gives his best and not learn cricket while staying in the team.

It’s a great idea to hire a foreign coach but not for international team. There should a proper coach from the ground level not only to help them improve their cricket-skills but also to teach them how to maintain discipline, how to interact with media, how to respect you seniors and moreover how to maintain one’s health and fitness. It should be a sure thing that when players come to international team from the domestic level they are well aware of rules and regulation.

I must say that before hiring a new coach for the International team, we have to look at the history of coaches for Pakistani team, which clearly shows that none stayed with us for more than 3 years

· Sept 1998: Legendary former captain Javed Miandad takes over from Haroon Rasheed, a former middle-order batsman.

· April 1999: Miandad resigns after falling out with senior players and is replaced by former captain Mushtaq Mohammad for the 1999 World Cup.

· Aug 1999: Mushtaq sacked after the World Cup. Wasim Raja, a former allrounder, steps in.

· Nov 1999: English-born Richard Pybus becomes Pakistan’s first foreign coach.

· Dec 1999: Intikhab Alam takes over after Pybus is axed following Pakistan’s 3-0 rout in a Test series in Australia.

· Mar 2000: Miandad replaces Intikhab after Pakistan lost home series to Sri Lanka.

· April 2001: Miandad sacked after Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand and is replaced by Pybus.

· Sept 2001: Pybus refuses to come to Pakistan for security reasons after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and Mudassar Nazar takes over.

· Sept 2002: Mudassar summoned home midway through ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka and Pybus returns for a third stint.

· March 2003: Pybus says he does not want to stay on after Pakistan were knocked out in the first round of the World Cup held in South Africa. Miandad returns as coach.

· June 2004: Miandad sacked after Pakistan lost one-day and Test series against Indiaat home.

· July 2004: Former England batsman Bob Woolmer takes over.

· March 2007: Woolmer dies in his Jamaica hotel room hours after Pakistan crash out in the first round of the World Cup in the West Indies.

· July 2007: Lawson appointed as coach.

· October 2008: Lawson sacked over poor results. Intikhab Alam appointed for three-day series against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi.
This I suppose is self-explanatory. What do you think?

On a Sad Note

They say that the team that learns from its mistakes is the one that is the true champion. Sadly, the English team emerged as champions during the 1st two matches of the one day series against a Pakistani side that has disappointed the nation as well as themselves. Be it the decision of playing Umar Akmal down the order and as a wicket-keeper, sending Shahid Afridi at a time when all battle was lost, introducing Saeed Ajmal when the English batsmen had settled, playing a side that looked strong on paper instead of on the field and not giving their 100 percent, Misbah ul Haq and his men disheartened the entire community following them.

So what should Pakistan do to level the series against England? First of all, win the toss and bat first in natural light. Secondly, they should act smart and play with the minds of their opponents by shuffling the batting order, even if that means dropping Younis Khan for Asad Shafiq. Younis Khan may have a good record but like Mohammad Hafeez, he needs a jump start so that he can perform. Mohammad Hafeez seems shaky at the top, so he can be adjusted at number 3 or 4, and Asad Shafiq can open with Imran Farhat who is batting slow to keep his place in the squad.

The team should go for a regular wicket keeper in Adnan Akmal, one who takes catches instead of providing lifeline to the opponents. Umar Akmal should play as a batsman only and bat higher in the order. Same can be said for Shahid Afridi, because the two score quick runs, something the team needs. Abdur Rehman should come in at number 11 because the way he batted in the last match was one of the major reasons why we lost. He my have bowled well but the plot was lost because of his crazy innings of 1 run off 12 balls!

As for the bowlers, Umar Gul and Aizaz Cheema need to practice their yorkers because they hardly bowl the delivery, making batsmen play them with ease. Wahab Riaz should have been a better choice but it seems he is not ready to make a return to the international arena. Junaid Khan can be given a chance if the captain wants to win the series, but to accommodate him, he would either have to drop a batsman who isn’t scoring or a bowler who needs to understand his importance in the side. Inept all-rounder Shoaib Malik should ‘still’ stay out of the side because if he makes a return, the team will lose its fighting spirit, and surrender.

The green shirts played like lions in the Test series against England but failed to transfer their form in limited overs, and are on the verge of losing their first series in seven attempts as well as their 5th position to England in the ICC ranking. They should play with their heart out otherwise the heart of its followers will forget their recent success and criticize them for returning to its old ways!

ICC deny clearing Pakistan spinner Kaneria

The International Cricket Council Monday denied it had cleared Pakistan's Danish Kaneria to play, after he was implicated in a spot-fixing trial that saw a former English county cricket jailed for four months.

Prosecutors in the case, which culminated last week, told the Central 
Criminal Court in London that ex-Essex paceman Mervyn Westfield had been lured into the illegal scam after an approach by Kaneria.

The leg spinner denies the claim and has said the ICC had cleared him to play, as had the England and Wales Cricket Board and Pakistan Cricket Board.

But the ICC said in a statement that all three governing bodies "can 
categorically deny that such a clearance certificate was ever issued".

"The PCB stated that, following the Westfield judgment, Kaneria will again be called to appear before the Integrity Committee to explain his position," it added.

His clearance was "pending" and the player had been asked to provide copies of the tapes of his police interview in Britain, it added.

Westfield was jailed for taking 6,000 pounds ($9,200) for deliberately 
bowling badly in Essex's 40-over match against Durham in September 2009. 

He pleaded guilty to the charge in January and was sentenced on Friday.

Ponting to play on in Tests after ODI dumping

Former skipper Ricky Ponting said Tuesday he intended to continue playing Test cricket for Australia despite his dumping from the one-day team.

Ponting said he had been told by selectors that he did not fit into their future plans for the one-day team, but he was not retiring from Test cricket.

"I still have what it takes to be a dominant player," Ponting told a press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

"I still don't see a finish line for my cricket career. The passion for international cricket has not died for me at all.

"I don't expect to play one-day cricket for Australia anymore."

World Cup winner Ponting was Monday dropped from Australia's one-day team after a dismal run of form in the tri-series against India and Sri Lanka.

Chief selector John Inverarity said Ponting, the second all-time leading run-scorer in ODIs, had been dumped because of a lack of form after just 18 runs in five tri-series knocks.

The Heroes who Made History Possible!

The 6^th of February will always be remembered as the golden day in Pakistan’s cricket history. Not only did the Men in Green achieved the impossible by claiming a whitewash over England, they also tamed the English media that had called them chuckers, thrown ball tampering allegations at them as well as termed them spot-fixers during their last tour of the country.

This was the first time that Pakistan played like a winning unit in many years. Many of those who follow the game religiously had written off Misbah ul Haq and his men ahead of the series, and this scribe was one of them. I publicly apologize to the Pakistan cricket team for underestimating them, but aren’t they the best when cornered? Yes they are, and their unpredictable nature was one of the biggest factors that helped them tame the best in the world!

Both the batsmen and the bowlers gave more than their 100% and the credit of the success goes to the captain, Misbah ul Haq who remained calm even in tense situations. The batsmen displayed patience and presence of mind, due to which the batting clicked throughout the series, to the disappointment of the English team and media. Out of the 6 scores of over 250 runs in an innings, Pakistan dominated the chart with 4, including the 365 all out in the final innings of the series. The 338 runs in the first test were also the highlight of Pakistan’s first win in the series, whereas England’s 327 at Abu Dhabi was not enough to save the match.

Pakistan’s Azhar Ali was the only batsman in the series who scored more than 200 runs. In fact, he not only scored 251 runs in 5 innings at an average of 50, he also posted the highest score of the series – 157 in the third Test. Younis Khan followed with 193 runs, 127 of which came in the last match of the series. He may have scored just one score of more than 50 runs, but Mohammad Hafeez came third in the batsmen’s list with 190 runs, followed by the skipper Misbah ul Haq at 180 and youngster Asad Shafiq with 167 runs. Batting proved to be the main difference between both the sides as the top English batsman – Jonathan Trott – came on the list of most runs at number 6 with 161 runs, behind 5 Pakistanis.

Similarly, Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman dominated the bowling chart with 24 and 19 wickets respectively, followed by Monty Panesar with 14 scalps. While Ajmal remained the only bowler to take 10 wickets in the series, the left-arm spinners Rehman and Panesar shared two five-wicket hauls to finish at second and third position. Saeed Ajmal’s 7/55 at Dubai was the best bowling performance from either side, followed by Rehman’s 6/25 and Panesar’s 6/62 at Abu Dhabi.

The Test series is now over and will be followed by a one-dayer against Afghanistan and 4 one dayers and 3 Twenty20 internationals against England. It remains to be seen whether the selectors retain successful players like Azhar Ali for the limited overs or try youngsters against the reigning T20 World Champions. Whatever they decide, Pakistan will have the upper hand because they had outclassed, outsmarted and outwitted the world’s best side with determination, dedication and unity!