Pakistan's dismal show: Malik's captaincy was just one factor!
The report by the PCB inquiry committee to put the entire blame on Malik for the loss is an unwelcome development as it is just an attempt on part of the big bosses to absolve themselves of their responsibility in this regard
By Gul Nasreen
Though the decision to remove Shoaib Malik from the captaincy seems to be 'a blessing in disguise" for our cricket team and a welcome move indeed as the 'junior' cricketer by no standards was fit to be given the reins of a national side that contained prolific batsmen and classic bowlers.

We need to manufacture our own 'kismet'
Pakistan has come down a long way from the days when we were considered a valuable contributing member to our current status where we find each of the institution's meetings to be more embarrassing than the last one
By Malik Arshed Gilani p.s.n.
In the troubled times that beset Pakistan these days, the cricket lover is longing for some cheer from the game that we all love so much. It seems that events and institutions around the world are all conspiring to make this a forlorn hope. At times like this the powers that be need to take note of those immortal words of Iqbal, which roughly translated are, "Make yourselves so great, that at every turn of fate, the Lord himself enquires of you to ask what is your desire".

Contrary to popular belief, in a historical context, it is not by the performance of the managers and administrators of a particular sports organisation that the stature of any sport is judged, but by the success of its players out there in the middle. Critics of all hues and shades may go on banging on their computer keyboards, churning page after page about how a certain administration has failed or not been able to deliver the goods, but it will only be made to look good or bad in the light of how its players have fared in a particular series or tournament. Chairmen, secretaries, chief executives, directors of a sports body may be easily forgotten but players live on in most people's memories.

With the Sri Lanka team returning to Pakistan today (Sunday) to play a two-Test rubber here following a limited overs series last month, the focus has once again diverted to the players themselves, irrespective of the trials and tribulations the Pakistan Cricket Board's hierarchy may be facing, within the confines of its headquarters in Lahore, in the media or in the conference rooms of the Senate, where it recently was subjected to a relentless grilling by the standing committee on sports.

The roster of 22 players named for the conditioning camp prior to the Tests against Sri Lanka is surely an odd mixture. A sort of 'rainbow' collection of players. The national selectors trio of its chief, former ace leg-spinner Abdul Qadir and members Saleem Jaffer and Shoaib Mohammad, has basically picked their best choice from players who have recently done well in the various national first-class tournament. Yet, one regrets to say, that one or two players have walked into the collection without having impressed much at any level lately.

It is obvious from the list of chosen players that the selectors had their recent first-class record in view. Like most other considerations, this attitude sometimes works and on most occasions doesn't work at all. All the players among the invitees have been tried and tested before though, and some may have done beter than the rest or the other way round. But where Test match representation is concerned, the 22 players have made only an average of 12.54 Test appearances per person!

Nine of the players have never entered the field in a Test match, three others have played no more than two such games. In spite of the extensive experience of men like new skipper Younis Khan (58 Tests), leg-spinner Danish Kaneria (51), wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal (38), Shahid Afridi (26) and Faisal Iqbal and Shoaib Malik (21 each), the rest remain largely inexperienced at this level.

Yet, the selectors must be commended for spotting the talent in players like fast bowler Mohammad Talha, left-handed all-rounder Fawad Alam, middle-order batsman Saeed Bin Nasir and wicket-keeper Sarfraz Nawaz, and also handing out a recall to the left-handed Asim Kamal, who had been absent from the Test scene for a little over three years.

This is a relatively 'new' bunch of players, of which only 14 or 15 may make the final cut for the first Test match in Karachi, that starts from February 21. Chief selector Abdul Qadir has already hinted that Talha may be given a Test cap when the team lands at the National Stadium.

Due to the absence of star batsman Mohammad Yousuf from the middle-order, there might have been a gaping hole in the batting line-up, but realistically there isn't. The Pakistan captain Younis Khan will be able to pick his men from a good bunch of players including himself, former skipper Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq and then there's the cushion provided by Faisal Iqbal, Asim Kamal, Fawad Alam, Saeed Bin Nasir and, if considered for selection, the aggressive Shahid Afridi.

One may sound being unfair to the player but Asim Kamal has certainly been included because of public pressure, mainly in the media. For his sake, if he does play in the forthcoming Tests, he must succeed, otherwise he could really be history this time round.

Salman Butt will surely be one of the opening batsmen for the Tests. When Pakistan last played a Test rubber, in India back in late 2007, his partner in all three matches was Yasir Hameed, who has strangely been ignored by the selectors in spite of being among those who have won the PCB central contracts.

Salman may have either the right-handed Khurram Manzoor or the left-handed Nasir Jamshed as his partner for the Tests, but neither has played in a Test match so far.

From among the others who have not yet appeared in Test cricket are Fawad Alam, Saeed Bin Nasir, Mohammad Talha, pace bowlers Sohail Khan and Abdul Rauf, off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and 'keeper Sarfraz Ahmed. The 23-year-old Fawad could get an early call as, in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Championship, he has scored a staggering 855 runs at an average of 122.14 in seven matches, with a career-best score of 296 not out.

Due to his past experience, Faisal Iqbal could also be in for a nod for a middle-order place. In spite of his much trumpeted recall, Asim Kamal may miss out in the end.

A rather strange selection has been that of Bazid Khan, the son of former captain Majid Khan. The 27-year-old Bazid has played in just a single Test and five one-dayers without making much of an impression. In nine first-class matches this season, he has scored a mere 247 runs at a modest average of 22.45 -- in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy he has gathered just 131 runs in seven matches at an average of 14.55 with a highest of 32.

In case the Pakistan selectors want to formulate a team including three pacemen and three spinners, they must go for Talha alongside Sohail Tanvir and Umar Gul in the first category. Yasir Arafat may have to sit it out. Danish Kaneria, Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi could easily be the team's spin trio.

There has been talk recently of Sarfraz Ahmed, a former champion Pakistan Under-19s skipper, taking over from Kamran Akmal for the forthcoming series. Sarfraz has given a good account of himself in the eight One-day Internationals that he has played and what better opportunity than this one to be given his first Test cap. Kamran can easily be rested for a while.

Saeed Bin Nasir has provided great service as a first-class cricketer for more than a decade. At age 29, he could be ripe enough for a chance, but he may not make the final eleven. At 30 pace bowler Abdul Rauf and Saeed Ajmal, who is 31, are no spring chickens either but for the moment they are among the selectors' list of priorities.

Talha, the 20-year-old tearaway fast bowler from Faisalabad, has been through the mill already. In the season's Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, he has taken 34 wickets at only 19.73 apiece. In 2005-06, he played the Afro-Asia Cup Under-19s Championship in India and last year had a successful tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya with the Pakistan Cricket Academy. Then he also appeared in the Hong Kong Sixes tournament. According to most cricketseers, he is ready for his big chance.

There surely won't be any big headaches when the selectors sit down to prune the list of 22 players to 14 or 15 and, then, when the final elevens are being chosen. Achieving the kind of success expected is an entirely different story altogether.

The selectors have in fact picked as many as 32 players for the two Tests and the two-day warm-up match that the Sri Lankans would play in Karachi at the Southend Club Cricket Stadium (formerly the Defence Housing Authority Stadium), on February 17 and 18. The lads hoping to get into the Patron's XI line-up include opening batsmen Ahmed Shahzad, Azhar Ali and Azeem Ghumman, middle-order players Khaqan Arsal and Bilal Khilji, leg-spinner Yasir Shah and fast-medium bowlers Mohammad Khalil, Wahab Riaz, Fahad Masood and Najaf Shah.

Already, the left-armed Najaf of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has emerged as the highest wicket-taker of the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with a haul of 45 at 19.51 runs each. One player who may have missed out is National Bank's left-arm seamer Mohammad Aamer, a Pakistan Under-19s star, who has collected 32 wickets at just 14.40 apiece.

Other bowlers, like Lahore Shalimar pace bowler Mohammad Naved (43), may have figured prominently on the national first-class list, but they can certainly wait for a better day. The injured Shoaib Akhtar and Rao Iftikhar, whom the selectors feel is not one of the best bets for a Test match, have both being excluded from the main list.

Pakistan's new cricket captain Younis Khan will face his first big challenge in the Test series against touring Sri Lanka next week. Interestingly, Younis Khan's first Test series as skipper will be the last Test series of his counterpart Mahela Jayawardene, who has announced that he will step down as captain after the Pakistan-Sri Lanka two-Test series.

Pakistan has gone without Test cricket for more than a year now and the fans here are desperate to have Test cricket at home. Pakistan, once rated as one of the best cricket playing nations in all types of cricket, are now struggling to get enough international matches these days, specially home series. Making an issue of the law and order situation in the region, big teams have avoided to visit Pakistan, especially Australia who have cancelled its tour twice.

Mahela's decision must be appreciated as he vacates his post when around two years are left to World Cup 2011. He wants to ensures that his successor should have enough time to build the team for the mega event.

Under the leadership of Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka qualified for the 2007 World Cup final and won the Asia Cup last year in Paksitan. He led the team in 26 Tests, winning 15 and being defeated in seven with a winning ratio of 62.5%, higher than any other Sri Lankan captain. Under his leadership Sri Lanka played 94 ODIs, won 54 and lost 35.

Mahela's decision has set an example for the other captains who want to remain on his job till their 'forced' retirements.

This Sri Lanka team won the One-day International series here by 2-1 against Pakistan under the leadership of Shoaib Malik last month. But the same team just avoided a whitewash against India at their home ground last week.

The main reason behind India's win in Sri Lanka was their aggressive approach and the contribution of every player. In the only Twenty20 match when the top order failed, the two Pathans took the responsibility and won the game for India from where the local spectators had started their celebrations.

In One-day Internationals the Indian bowling was not as strong as Pakistan's, but skipper Dhoni utilised its limited resources very intelligently and restricted the Sri Lankan batting before reaching the target except in the last match.

But on the other hand, Shoaib Malik failed to take advantage of home grounds and home conditions against the same opposition. The bowlers failed to restrict Sri Lankan batsmen to post mammoth totals and the batting chocked as usual when their skills were required.

After one of worst ODI defeats to Sri Lanka, the PCB once again offered Younis Khan to take over as skipper and finally Younis, who twice refused to lead the team in the last two years, accepted the challenge. He will lead the side in both Test and One-day Internationals in the future.

It was also an old demand from senior players and critics that Shoaib Malik had no capability to lead Pakistan teams at the international level. His differences with senior players became headlines.

Overall Shoaib Malik's captainship record is good, but his success has mostly been against weak teams like Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. But against quality opposition his success rate was below par.

Pakistan lost both Test and ODI home series against South Africa, failed to qualify for the Asia Cup final on their home ground and Malik failed to handle the pressure.

In the next challenging series against India, again Pakistan not only lost the ODI series after around 24 years but also faced a first Test series defeat on Indian soil since 1978-79. During the Pak-India series the Board without waiting for the India series results had extended Malik's tenure for one more year.

It was not all Shoaib Malik's fault; he hasn't had enough captaincy experience before. He led only a regional (Sialkot) team for a few Twenty20 matches and surprisingly then was appointed the skipper of the national team. After getting this sudden responsibility, unfortunately, he faced two toughest series against South Africa and India -- at such an early stage.

Normally before appointing a youngster directly as skipper, the Board should give him a chance under a senior captain as his deputy to learn to handle the side especially in pressure situations.

Australia is a great example of this. Ricky Ponting remained vice-captain for a long time when Steve Waugh was leading the side. When Waugh hung up his boots, Ponting earned enough experience and was geared up to take the responsibility.

Younis was also the first choice after Inzamam's retirment as he had spent around two years as vice-captain to Inzamam. But he refused the offer saying that he didn't want to be a "dummy captain".

To win the Test series against Sri Lanka the home side needed strike bowlers especially a spinner who could perform consistently in all conditions, like Muralitharan, Warne and Kumble.

One more important thing that was needed in the Pakistan team was coordination between the captain and all the players.

Now the fans have high expectations from new skipper Younis Khan and he has the ability to deliver, but cricket is not a one-man show, he needs the support and 100 per cent effort from each player in every department.

To win the home Test series, the captain and coach should plan a strategy to handle the 2Ms -- Muralitharan and Mendis -- as Indian batsmen had not given any opportunity to these two bowlers to dominate.

Preparing fast tracks against the Sri Lankans will not only help Pakistan play to its strength but will also serve to counter the spin threat from Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis.

The fact is that Pakistan is the only side in the world that does not 'believe' in the home advantage. The defensive attitude of the team management almost always deprives the team of utilising its resources effectively and efficiently.

They should have also a Plan 'B' for the team. If the original planning fails to restrict the opposition, there should be a second and third plan to control the situation immediately.

Pakistan have the ability to bounce back in the Test series if every player gives his best, especially the bowlers.

During the course of a season each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents for a total of 26 games for each club per season

By Abdul Ahad FarshoriFootball may not seem to be the most popular sport in our country but the fact remains that we have been playing it since our independence and are yet to set up a proper domestic structure after more than sixty years of kicking.

Pakistan's first National Football Championship was played from May 28 to June 5 in 1948 in Karachi. The winners were Sindh Reds, beating their fellow provincial team Sindh Blues. It was a knock-out competition, which remained this way until it was replaced by the Football League in 2004.

Football leagues in Pakistan remained underdeveloped for decades due to mismanagement, lack of support and corruption. The Pakistan national team suffered as a result, and from once being one of the strongest sides in Asia, became one of the weakest in the world.

In August 2003, with the support of FIFA under their 'Goal Project' to build new training facilities and offices for the PFF at the headquarters in Lahore, and new management within the Pakistan Football Federation, Pakistan restructured the national football system. The National Football Championship was replaced in 2004 by the national football league, called the National Division A Football League.

It contained 16 teams from around Pakistan -- the first time Pakistan had a national league. A second division was also created, formally known as National League Division B Football League before being named the PFF National League. This initially contained five teams but now has expanded to 12 teams.

The two bottom teams from the A league would be relegated to the PFF league, while the top two teams in the PFF league would be promoted in their place.

Due to lack of funding, relegation and promotion was an issue, as was the teams continued participation. This led to further changes in Pakistani football. The following year, after more reconstruction of the game, the National Division A, was renamed the Pakistan Premier League. The Pakistan Premier League became a 12 club league, with the bottom two being relegated. In the 2005-06 season, football was played over the winter months instead of the summer.

In 2007-08 the league expanded to 14 teams. The Pakistan Premier League is semi-pro league operated by the Pakistan Football Federation.

The PFF oversee all aspects of the league and make unilateral decisions over any changes to the format, funding and sponsorship. There are 14 clubs in the PPL.

During the course of a season each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents for a total of 26 games for each club per season. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference and then goals scored.

If a side fails to turn up, the opposition will be granted a 2-0 win. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned as champion.

If points are equal the goal difference and goals scored then determines the winner. If still equal they are deemed to occupy the same position; if the champions, teams for relegation or qualification for other competitions thus cannot be decided, a series of play-off matches are played between the affected teams at neutral venues.

The two lowest placed teams are relegated into the Pakistan Football Federation League and the top two teams from the PFFL are promoted in their place.

The top team in the league automatically qualifies for the AFC President's Cup, the weakest continental club competition in Asia. Technically, the PFF can nominate any team to represent them in Asia; however, only the teams that have finished top of their highest league are sent.

The league is only semi-pro as clubs are financially weak. The PFF also lacks funds, and occasionally has to prop up other clubs to keep them going. This is why most clubs are run by companies or organisations, these clubs are known as departmental teams.

PPL clubs have almost complete freedom to sign whatever number and category of players they wish. There is no team or individual salary cap, no squad size limit, no age restrictions other than those applied by general employment law; however teams are restricted to not more than two foreign players in the squad for the season and there are only a few foreign players in the league.

Players move on free transfers as contracts only last for a year, but some contracts can be as long as three years, and the transfer fees are small. Due to the semi-pro nature of the league, players tend to work for the company/organisation they play for during the off season. Top players can command respectable football salaries.

One of the main drawbacks in the schedule of the PPL is the number of games played over a short space of time. One team can be forced to play three games in a week due to the congested fixture list.

The PFF's attempts to cut costs have led to players becoming exhausted. Another major flaw is that the league has an amateurish setup which isn't allowing players to develop. The Pakistani club teams are considered lightweight in comparison to other Asian club sides and defeats by the opposition in the AFC President's Cup suggest that this may have some foundation. The recently concluded PFF league was won by Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).

Sahiwal-born stopper Ishfaq Ahmed fired the lone goal as WAPDA recorded their seventh national football title when they overwhelmed Pakistan Army 1-0 in the final league match at the football field of Rawalpindi's Army Sports Complex.

WAPDA has previously lifted the title in 1983, 1991, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008.

Pakistan WAPDA earned passage into the 5th AFC President's Cup qualifier 2009 when they secured the top spot in Pakistan Premier League, thus becoming the 54th national champion of Pakistan.

A lot of the same people who rant and rave every time the PCB and country's cricket has another security snafu are being strangely silent about ICC's recent flaws. I wonder how many of the PCB top-tier technorati are willing to give ICC a pass every now and then because of its superior support to India.

The ICC's team are also to be commended for their hasty, bald-faced and uncivilised response to the security issues in Pakistan that has become vulnerable by default. No compassion was shown and the global situation was hardly considered as India also decided not to help Pakistan in retaining the rights of holding the Champions Trophy in the country – duplicity or hypocrisy?

The failure of PCB's foreign policy is now clear to everyone except its architects, and even they must entertain private doubts, from time to time, about a policy whose crowning achievement has been to lay the groundwork for hiring of ex-superstars to remodel Pakistan cricket, seeing a paradigm shift to a swaggering silence and a deafening status quo.

In the four-odd months since Mr Ijaz Butt's arrival as Chairman of the PCB there has occurred a dramatic India-ICC nexus build-up, matched by Pakistan cricket's stagnation, and a dramatic extension of an Indian influence globally, in step by a declining Pakistani position in all areas. The PCB has never tried so hard and failed so utterly to make and keep friends in the cricket world.

As if this hasn't been bad enough, in the current month Pakistan has suffered two other major blows -- first the ICC decided to shorn Pakistan's right to hold the Champions Trophy and then Mr Butt agreed to allow an Australia-Pakistan ODI series to be held at a neutral venue.

It was perplexing to note that on one end the PCB were coercing the ICC to let it hold the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and on the other he was readily submitting to Australia's demand of not touring the terror-stricken country -- both decisions of large and strategic significance. It is poignant that Mr Butt's administration not only failed to prevent the undesired outcome, it actively collaborated in the change of The Oval Test 2006 result in England's favour by failing to persuade the ICC with extreme reasoning.

It is too soon to be certain about what kind of regime will ultimately emerge in Pakistan, but accumulating evidence suggests that things are as likely to get worse as to get better both internally and externally. There are pointers that some in the PCB top-tier appear to be as skillful in consolidating powers as Dr Nasim Ashraf's inept load of flamboyant management team and people from both administrations displayed an intolerance and arrogance that do not bode well for the peaceful sharing of power at the ICC or the establishment of Pakistan's writ, especially since these people made clear that they had no intention of seeking either.

Within the current scene, it is at least possible that ICC's double standards may stimulate new scrutiny of Pakistan cricket team's loss of steam and its inability to come up as game's major power as it was in the 1990s and early 2000s, but there are no signs that anyone in the PCB is giving serious attention to our role in recent ICC developments -- despite clear warnings that India faced acts of terrorism and still England were prompt to complete the series, only a huge market being the attraction and also its resurgence as a world force.

Yet no problem of Pakistan cricket's foreign policy is more urgent than that of formulating a morally and strategically acceptable, and a realistic, programme for dealing with non-democratic decisions taken by the ICC who are threatened by the Indian-sponsored subversion. In the absence of such a policy, we can expect that the same reflexes that guided the ICC to bully us and India being permitted to determine and protect its own interests, leaving Pakistan mulled over due to the disastrous effects of its isolation.

That the PCB administration hasn't called its policies a failure -- and probably does not consider them such-complicates the problem without changing its nature.

There were, of course, significant differences in the relations between Pakistan and each of the countries affiliated to the ICC, and even with the premier body itself during the last twenty to thirty years. Pakistan's ability to produce world class players such as Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Aamer Sohail, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Rashid Latif, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmad etcetera, and proximity to the world status (champions in 1992) gave Pakistan greater economic and strategic import than any other country in the region, and closer relations were cultivated with the ICC.

Led by a real stylist and an often dogmatic Mr Arif Ali Khan Abbasi and captained by the attractive and well-groomed Imran Khan made the difference. Relations with the ICC were probably also enhanced by our approval of Imran's manifest determination to give freehand to the exceptionally talented lot he had under his command regardless of the effects of power-eccentricity on traditional social and cultural patterns (including those which enhanced his own authority and legitimacy).

This helped Pakistan cricket dramatically during his presence but once he left, it was really hard for any of his descendants to hold onto the stage he had set with his typical Oxford background. And, of course, Imran was much better looking and British educated and altogether more dashing than his inheritors; his private life was much more interesting to the media, popular and otherwise. Therefore, more Westerners were aware of him than of the equally tenacious and talented successors.

But even though Pakistan was rich attracting the world financiers and sponsors due to their star-worth and an unpredictably high flying team, blessed with a product that ICC, and its allies needed badly, and led by Imran and subsequently even Wasim Akram before he got maligned with the match-fixing allegations, while India was rocked along because of their inability to win matches and players of less striking aspect, there were many similarities between the two countries and our relations with them.

The PCB until it got into a self-imposed disarray, they tolerated limited apposition, including opposition newspapers and critiques, but as they lost their focus, playing into circles of intrigues and vested interest, they were confronted by radical, violent opponents bent on cricket's social revolution.

Regrettably, at a time when the PCB and country's cricket needed more compliant and practical leadership, it was given in the hands of personnel said to be too harsh, too arbitrary, and too powerful. And they had people with them, pledging their allegiance to them rather than the constitution and game's prosperity or some other impersonal entity.

In short, people like Shaharyar M Khan and Dr Nasim Ashraf, in central ways, were traditional chairmen of a semi-traditional society. Although Nasim very badly wanted to create a technologically modern and powerful environment, he lost it due to poor choices and selections he made bringing people completely alien to their mind-set and priorities, and his predecessor Shaharyar Khan tried hard to introduce more bureaucratic methods of governance, neither sought to reform their organization in the light of any abstract idea of modernisation, justice and cricketing virtue -- neither attempted to alter significantly the distribution of the product, status or power ending Pakistan into a messy state.

Mr Butt's regime is not shaping any differently. The pattern is familiar enough: an established autocracy with a record of not moving an inch, maintaining status-quo. With some strikingly wrong decisions and a couple of controversies have seen us slipping to unflustered isolation, it's about time that he appoints a credible man, completely neutral who confirms the deterioration of cricket government's position and its diminished capacity to control the situation and recommends various measures of strengthening and liberalising the regime, all of which involve diluting its power scientifically, creating a balance and also takes PCB to the point of a complete overhaul and preferably a quick reorganisation.

No particular crisis conforms exactly to the sequence of events described above; there are always variations on the theme. First and foremost we need to strengthen our main product, the Pakistani team and also ensure that steps are taken to renew players' productivity at the first-class level so as to have bench-reserves of equal credentials and ability.

It wouldn't be done instantly but we need to move in some direction. In a manner uncharacteristic of the current administration, which generally seems willing to negotiate anything with anyone anywhere, they need to adopt an oddly uncompromising posture in dealing with the ICC. And it could only happen if we have the strength to live the current isolating times.

Although most cricket governments in Pakistan are, as they always have been, autocracies of one kind or another, no idea holds greater sway in the mind of educated observers and critics that the belief that it is possible to democratise them, anytime, anywhere, under any circumstances. This notion is belied by an enormous body of evidence based on the experience of dozen regimes of the past which have attempted with more or less success to move from autocratic to democratic forms.

Many of the wisest cricket people of this and previous times agree that democratic institutions are especially difficult to establish and maintain because they make heavy demands on all portions of a population and because they depend on complex social, cultural, and economic conditions.

It may not always be easy to distinguish between democratic and totalitarian agents of change, but it is also not too difficult. Authentic revolutionaries aim at securing governments not on the consent of the governed and believe that ordinary men are not capable of using freedom, knowing their own interest, or picking and choose. Mr Butt needs to know he has to be different, tackling the core issues and not believing that he would be able to cure the false consciousness of almost everyone without moving his limbs.

We don't have to label the ICC or BCCI as enemy of freedom and peace loving Pakistanis, the perpetrator of imperialism, racism, double-standards and colonialism but at the same time we essentially need to draw the parallels taking issues head-on and it would only be possible if we have some cricketing strength to show.

We need to develop cricket at all levels and wait patiently before we become strong to talk about unilateral restraints and decisions taken against us.

For these reasons and more, a posture of continuous self-abasement and apology vis-a-vis the PCB is neither morally necessary not worldly appropriate. No more is it necessary or viable to support vocal detractors like BCCI recently because they invoke the rhetoric of popular liberation.

Mr Butt must remember that liberal idealism need not be identical with masochism, and need not be incompatible with the defence of cricket and the national interest.

Pakistan's dismal show: Malik's captaincy was just one factor!

Though the decision to remove Shoaib Malik from the captaincy seems to be 'a blessing in disguise" for our cricket team and a welcome move indeed as the 'junior' cricketer by no standards was fit to be given the reins of a national side that contained prolific batsmen and classic bowlers.

The team that Shoaib could not lead from the front definitely featured more senior and talented players than him. He was no match for the calibre of either Younis Khan or Mohammad Yousuf as also Shahid Afridi, whose contribution to the national cause has been far greater than that of Malik.

He was also responsible for the team's bad show during last month's Sri Lankan visit of Pakistan and the cricket circles after the bizarre loss were frequently questioning the credentials of Malik as captain, yet the subsequent report by the PCB inquiry committee to put the entire blame on Malik for the loss is an unwelcome development as it is just an attempt on part of the big bosses to absolve themselves of their responsibility in this regard.

It is an exaggerated 'finding' which has focused on just one factor of the loss, and has tried to conceal other contributing factors in an effort to shield other responsible individuals like the team coach and the manager as also the authorities.

There is no denying the fact that Shoaib Malik, who succeeded Big Inzi as the national team captain in the aftermath of Pakistan's humiliating first round exit from World Cup 2007 in the Caribbean islands, could by no means fit in the shoes of his predecessor as he was not only inexperienced but also lacked leadership qualities and skills to inspire his players and take the best out of them, particularly in pressing times.

His communication skills too were 'questionable' as he seemed to be an introvert type of guy, who used to take individual decisions and follow his own whims not involving his teammates in what was going on and off the field. As such, he not only failed in taking the team out of hot waters, but also caused many an exit of senior players like the prolific batsmen Mohammad Yousuf from the team due to his "demand care" and "bullying" attitude that was by no means acceptable to legendary players.

Indeed, Yousuf has openly blamed Malik for his behaviour and treatment meted out to seniors on the field. Other seniors too did not hold Malik in high esteem as a team leader. His performance as player too was not up to mark as he earned no automatic place in the team like the senior players Younis Khan, etc.

But all said and done, it all does not signify that he was solely responsible for the team's bad show against Sri Lanka in last month's ODI series at home. There were a number of factors that combined to contribute to the team's defeat on home soil and before the home crowd -- foremost being the team's inconsistency in form and approach to the game, which is talk of the town for so long. And hence the defeat could have been viewed realistically and objectively by the inquiry committee so that the factors gnawing at the root of Pakistan cricket should have been identified for once and flaws removed accordingly.

The irony is that the current bosses too are following in the footsteps of their predecessors and have forced the removal of Shoaib Malik, who has been "rubbished as a loner who lacked leadership" by the team coach and manager in an effort to absolve themselves of their responsibility in this regard.

The reality is that like the captain, the team coach and manager too are as much responsible for the defeat as other contributing factors. Rather than accepting the lack of homework on their parts, they have put the entire blame on the captain.

To be honest, it is very evident that the PCB bosses are not looking to the cricket affairs from an objective point of view. Viewing in the broader perspective, those at the helm of affairs need to identify collective causes of the team's downfall, particularly their persistent inconsistency. They should then try to redress the same.

The team definitely lacks mental toughness, which is the coach's job to inculcate. Besides, the players are casual in their approach to the game. They succumb to pressure and also not choosy in their shots and play whenever they like to not judging the deliveries by their worth. The bowlers too lack good line and length.

Secondly, the team has lost quite a good number of star players to either the ICL -- the rebel league, or due to the indiscipline and fitness dilemma like the two key pacers -- Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar, who fall into this category. So all these factors need to be taken notice of and remedied accordingly with a view to bringing the cricket back on track.

It may be mentioned here that the ICL players have got a nod from the PCB for featuring in domestic cricket; a court has suspended the ban on them. And the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt too had earlier sent signals of being in favour of lifting the ban on the banned players. So it is hoped that players like Yousuf and Imran Nazir will be back and available for the national side.

As far Shoaib Malik is concerned, it is good to note that he has exhibited great sportsmanship by expressing his willingness to give full support to the new captain and do whatever he can from the platform of the national team for the pride of the nation. One hopes, the new captain commands support of the teammates and delivers the goods by involving each and every member of the team in the decision-making process.

In the troubled times that beset Pakistan these days, the cricket lover is longing for some cheer from the game that we all love so much. It seems that events and institutions around the world are all conspiring to make this a forlorn hope. At times like this the powers that be need to take note of those immortal words of Iqbal, which roughly translated are, "Make yourselves so great, that at every turn of fate, the Lord himself enquires of you to ask what is your desire".

We need to manufacture our own 'kismet'. This approach will require the managers of the game to have clear concepts and aims and have faith in themselves. These are difficult times and one may not find precedences to be a guide. The need of the hour is to resurrect the standing of Pakistan cricket in the world.

We need to recreate a world beating team with pride in representing their country that have self belief and enter every game with confidence in their skills. To achieve these goals the management must clearly identify the hurdles that stand in our path and then set about over coming them in a measured manner. We must set targets that are within the realm of reason, we must understand the politics that might be contributing to our hurdles and approach every international meeting having done our homework so that our words and deeds are coordinated to best effect.

Enough has been said about team building and one would therefore like to address other factors that are relevant.

The ICC must surely be our first target as this body oversees and supervises world cricket. Pakistan has come down a long way from the days when we were considered a valuable contributing member to our current status where we find each of the institution's meetings to be more embarrassing than the last one.I would like to digress here to say that the decision taken by the ICC to overturn the award of a Test Match to Pakistan was absolutely correct. The previous ruling was against the laws of the game. To return to the main subject, a number of reasons could be contributory to our present dilemma but the leading one in my opinion is the perception carried by the ICC regarding the PCB's standing at home.

The honeymoon period that an organisation is permitted to make their mark when they come into the saddle is very short especially when affairs have been as chaotic as they were in Pakistan. Unfair though it maybe, the world at large expects that any competent new management will stop repeating old mistakes, and at least bring a stop to unnecessary controversies that seem to beset our cricket.

The expectations are understandably higher if the incoming management has years of previous experience. The newspapers keep reporting continued difficulties in this matter. The PCB must be able to relate to the major individuals that constitute the ICC as a company. It is the need of the hour to develop some personal rapport with the individuals that are now occupying the managerial seats.

Most of them are youthful and thus we should allow for this when we interface with them. We as Pakistanis tend to sit fairly high on our horses in our personal demeanors placing an exaggerated value on our seniorities. In present times respect has to be earned and cannot be demanded. Our reputations do not necessarily precede us. We will need to extend our hospitality at every opportunity, even to the extent of inviting them for casual visits to Pakistan whilst of course spending time with them whenever the opportunity arises.

We need to identify those Cricket Boards outside the ACC that have common interests with us and then approach them to support our efforts. To this end we must use all our resources including individuals of known good standing to assist the PCB. I feel sure that the cricket world can be made to realise that our kind of situation could affect any country. 9/11 did not occur in Pakistan and no Pakistani was involved. The IRA bombings were not so long ago that they are forgotten. One could list many incidents but I hope the point is made. We all must band together to rid any country of such menaces by playing whatever little part that we can.

The ACC is a body that we have somewhat neglected. We lost sight of the reasons which had led to the creation of this Council. It is worth recalling that it was created by its founding members to counter the undue influence that was being exerted by England and Australia on world cricket. It was a great success and assisted significantly in development of cricket in Asia.Regrettably continuous incompetent management over some years has led to one of its principal founders, the PCB, losing its voice in this forum. In recent years the Pakistan Board has supported the BCCI inexplicably with almost shameful individual self interest. The growth of the monetary value of cricket in India seemed to light up the dollar signs in our eyes.

We so enjoyed the reflected temporary power that this appeared to provide us that we ignored the reality that we were mere appendages. Our approach that we had no reason to worry as long as 'India was with us' was stupid to say the least.

Let us compare for a moment the approach of the Sri Lankan Board, in spite of being cash strapped they did not lose their self respect. They even agreed to visit Pakistan at our time of our need although apparently India did all that it could to buy them away. We must make pro active efforts to increase our ties with the entire membership be they full or associate members. I am absolutely certain that Sri Lanka and Bangladesh can provide us good support.

We must look at inventive ways of encouraging international cricketers to come and play in Pakistan. I read a report that quoted Wasim Akram as suggesting we invite for an international eleven to come and play in Pakistan. This is a great idea. We must use the goodwill of our popular cricketers to arrange and encourage such an event.

The team could be constituted of named young and senior players who may not be doing national duty to come and participate in a twenty20 tournament. Intelligent marketing can ensure that this can be funded. Obviously this will need to be done with the goodwill of the ICC and the Cricket Boards but if approached sensibly it could be used to the credit of the ICC as they would appear to be assisting a full member country in remedying a situation which is not of its making. This as it so happens is a part of its task. As any single country will not be involved, individuals could be encouraged by their Pakistan co-cricketers to make independent decisions for monetary benefit. Every effort must be made to make this a 'rainbow coloured' team. The event must be designed to be enjoyable and fun and could be created as a benefit for an international cricket cause.

I may be wrong but we seem to have an unholy desire to play first-class cricket at all costs, even if that be at the price of our national image. Playing a home series abroad, even in such a brotherly neighbor like the UAE cannot be beneficial in the long term. We have already set precedences in this and they have not proved beneficial. We must stop taking the path of least resistance.

I fully realise that the PCB is cash strapped because of the wanton, unbridled and wasteful actions of our dearly departed managements but even that cannot justify such an approach. National pride must count for something. We are in the midst of a war with un-Islamic terrorists and forces which is not of our making thus playing a home series in a third locality is like surrendering to these forces.

One would prefer if the games were played in the competing country for a reduced financial benefit rather than in a neutral place. We must learn to tighten our belt and reduce the expenditure of the Board if need be rather than using this as an excuse for making doubtful decisions.

There is a lurking suspicion that the urge of playing in Dubai at a private Stadium that is not even fully complete may be playing a part in this decision. If this does come to pass I can only hope that the role being played by Pakistan in giving status to this private venture stadium will be officially and contractually of on going benefit to the PCB.

We must remember that not too long when awarding our television rights the Board deprived itself of the opportunity of participating in the upside of US$150 million which would have been our nest egg for this rainy day. I know it's crying over spilt milk but we really must stop repeatedly doing this as we are running short on this commodity.