Pakistani cricket team is not done making waves yet.
The Darrell Hair controversy, which ATP reported on and you commented on (here, here, and here), was barely behind us that a series of resignations have sent additional shock waves reverberating through the system.
The background to new development is the search for a new captain while Inzamam sits out his 4 one-day game suspension. On Thursday, Younis Khan was appointed to take the lead role, but then in a rare show of anger, he abruptly walke dout of a Press Conference, stating that he did not want to be a “dummy captain”. A visibly shocked and angered Sheheryar Khan was seen trying to calm things down for the press and media the same evening.
But now the bizarre turn of events inside the Pakistani cricket team has become bizarrer (if there was to be such a thing). Just one day after the Younis Khan episode, Sheheryar Khan, the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board has abruptly resigned. This can be a serious blow to Pakistani cricket. Circket fans in Pakistan and abroad, I am sure, are watching in amazement as the drama gets played out. Explaining his decision, Sheheryar Khan is reported to have said:
“These two incidents [ATP: Hair controversy and Younis Khan resignation] were very upsetting for me and spoiled an otherwise productive period for me. My tenure was until December 2006 so I decided to go now… Since the World Cup is just five months away, I wanted to give time to the new chairman to adjust before the tournament.”
Well, what else could he have said? It is surprising though that even a seasoned diplomat found it difficult to deal with the politics of the PCB.
Dr Naseem Ashraf, a member of the board’s ad-hoc committee and an advisor to the President on human development issues, seems to have taken on the role for now. He is not a man without controversy himself, but this time around it seems others have already created enough media frenzy that he would be best advised to invoke some calming down period to a cricketing nation hanging in suspense.
This can potentially get quite interesting and we are anxiously watching the developments. Pakistan’s coach, Woolmer, was hired by Sheheryar Khan after he fired Javed Miandad.
- Would Woolmer stay on?
- When did the PCB patron, President Musharraf, decide to axe Sheheryar Khan?
- And what role did Dr. Nasim Ashraf have to play in this,given that he was also present at The Oval stadium during the match boycott debacle, and was seen negotiating with the players.
In the meantime, the team is off to the ICC Champions Trophy. We wish them good luck!
This smells of a total management rot and we need drastic action. Not just a face change.
Following on tip from Eidee Man elsewhere, here is the latest bad news on Pakistan cricket (from Cricinfo):
Rashid Latif comments on Captaincy in Dawn. I liked his comments on Younis’ love for cricket during bad times in Karachi in the 90s.
http://dawn.com/2006/10/12/spt8.htm
“Can he make sane decisions at time of pressure?”
Yes, apparently. While Inzi and crew were staging the protest, it is now pretty apparent that they had little idea of what they were actually planning to do and for how long. Sharyar was the ONLY voice of reason within the Pakistani camp and saved us from much more trouble.
As a twenty-something, I’d much rather have the “old” man calling the shots than the other inexperienced lot who are so prone to give in to emotions.
[quote comment=”3904″]First of all, Shaharyar’s appointment was not right. Chairman PCB’s position has been ‘awarded’ to favourites since long who have little or no practical experience and neither they are good managers. Shaharyar was a dumped bureaucrat, well past the retirement age. What do you expect from a man 72 years of age? Can he make sane decisions at time of pressure? Only a handful I think, and Shaharyar was not one of them.
The new Chief is also of the same mould. A doctor by profession, Naseem Ashraf was boycotted by Pakistani professionals in the US when he supported Musharraf during the later’s first visit to US. Ashraf then invited to Pakistan and assigned to NCHD.
If Shaharyar was sacked due to his part in Oval fiasco then Naseem Ashraf should get some blame too as he was also actively involved in the scene. Rumours are that he called Musharraf immediately after Pakistani team refused to get back into the ground.[/quote]
dont generalise and use weasely words e.g. “only a handful”……..if you cannot make decisions at 72……..it not as if everyone aged 72 cannot.