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Pakistan Cricket:
Reversals, Retractions and Turnarounds? Younis
needs to bring maturity in his decisions Money
can't buy you Champions League success The value
of Pakistan cricket Andre Agassi's revelation, in his forthcoming autobiography, that he abused crystal meth in the late '90s isn't shocking. It's not scandalous. It's not even surprising. We're talking about Andre Agassi here, not Pete Sampras or Lindsay Davenport. The rebel, the teenager who was all flash and little substance, the kid who feared his father and hated tennis with a "dark and secret passion." In 1997, when Agassi used the drug, his career and personal life were in shambles: His tennis was terrible, his ranking was falling, and he had doubts about his upcoming marriage to Brooke Shields. When a friend named Slim first promised Agassi a few minutes of bliss in the form of crystal meth, he gave in to the temptation. Pakistan target New Zealand in UAE Captain gives his career new lease of life When Younis Khan yielded to the PCB demand by reversing his resignation decision, he gave his cricket career a new lease of life. Younis had undergone significant developments of his cricket career during the recent months.
Pakistan Cricket: Reversals, Retractions and Turnarounds? By Dr Nauman Niaz I must commiserate with Wasim Akram-His wife's
untimely death has rattled quite a few and I am one of them. My sporadic
meetings with her particularly in Barbados in 2000 were a moment that I
just can't forget. Unlike her Western debonair, she was a simple soul,
kind-hearted, straight-forward and filled with deep-rooted humility. She
was, to me Wasim's real power. Wasim and his most charming wife hosted
us for a private dinner also attended by Nottinghamshire's ex-fast
bowler Franklyn Stephenson. A dialogue on changing global dynamics and peripheral transformation in the philosophical domain all had a classy flavour. She was intelligent, sharp and well-read and above all, she was extremely well-mannered. I remember doing a small favour that wasn't really anything, couple of days later she came up to me presenting a specially made Guyanese bracelet; it only showed the cultured and sensitive part of this woman of substance. I met her quite a few times and mostly saw her as one from a literate genre. She is no more. I know all things will die and as Lord Alfred Tennyson said: 'The stream will cease to flow; the wind will cease to blow; the clouds will cease to fleet; the heart will cease to beat; for all things must die. All things must die. Spring will come never more. O, vanity! Death waits at the door'. May God rest her soul in peace? As I tremble imagining what Wasim must have gone through and how would he see his two sons growing up without a very affectionate and a conscientious mother, Pakistan cricket thunderstorms flicker and alarm with a brand of hostility that is vicious and disheartening in equal measure. We, as we are now quite familiar with PCB top-tier's often ill-equipped and untimely decisions and their reversals, retractions and turnarounds-somewhat we are all too well acquainted with the pyrotechnics. After a sequence of pointless rebuttals and storms in their tea-cups with Younis Khan first resigning and then re-taking the responsibility albeit conditionally, left Mr Ijaz Butt somewhat bewildered. Such happenings are unseasonal, interminably renting not our intelligence but cricket itself. At issue at the PCB hasn't only been Younis's predicament but Mr Butt's long lasting friend Yawar Saeed also seemed disenchanted, if not disappointed. We heard, before Pakistan toured South Africa for the Champions Trophy that Shafqat Rana was appointed Yawar's heir apparent and was an automatic choice to take over from him. And then there were news that Younis was unlikely to be retained as country's captain, all so shambolic that the images appeared frazzled. There were reports that Yawar had tried arranging a meeting between Butt and Shahid Afridi and if the latter could replace Younis, there could still be no change in team's management. Younis outsmarted each and everyone conspiring against him, so it looked and the reflections changed dramatically. Yawar's tenure ended and suddenly there another surprise -- Rana was nowhere to be found and Abdur 'Sir' Raqeeb was appointed as team's manager. Aaqib Javed was sacked after Pakistan's Twenty20 World Championship victory. He wasn't required; now again he is needed and he returns to his job as an assistant coach, in a 'bystander' mode. Intikhab Alam had couple of butterflies wriggling his stomach too-the acrimony flew back and forth like windblown gun smoke, as Butt during a press conference with Intikhab in attendance confirmed to the media and journalists that he had the authority to sack team's coach; not really articulate he then added such a decision could be taken with captain's consent; later on he tried rubbishing his utterance by saying that all was said in a lighter vain. With Younis's opera not really over, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Sports of the National Assembly readily and publicly promised to help changing PCB's structure and also mentioned about ambiguities in Auditor General's report. Mr Butt, during Dr Nasim Ashraf's tenure was heading Board of Governor's Audit Committee and with over a year in an office, the subsequent slumber stirred quite a few. Insiders say that Mr Butt has asked his 'competent' staff to re-open an inquiry regarding dispensing of Rs 10 million to Inzamam-ul Haq before he played last Test of his career. The controversy, as it looks, may well swagger through the newspapers like a padded-up porn star in the next couple of weeks. In case if Mr Butt needs a concrete evidence that a sum of Rs 1 crores was paid to him, they should refer to a receipt signed by Inzamam on October 22nd, 2007 in which it is clearly written: 'received a sum of Rs ten million with thanks from (PCB) Pakistan Cricket Board'. Furthermore there is a Voucher No: BP 000420, Voucher Date: 22/10/2007, issued from Department of ADMIN & HR in which a amount of Rs 10,500,000 through cheque NO: 602505 has been withdrawn in the name of Newage Cables/Creditors as paid advance for purchase of cable for Multan Floodlights from Bank Alfalah Ltd A/c# 2900070 Lahore. There has been another reported evidence that Rs 500,000 which were over and above the Rs 10M given to Inzamam, it was reported that by adding another Rs 500,000, (a total of Rs 1M) was extended to Ijaz Ahmad Jr. as donation-the in house inquiry with reference to this vague dispensing of money has already been ordered. Let's hope people who were really at it, whether in the PCB or now out of it should be held responsible? Trouble is the men who control the PCB have cast themselves in that role since the days they dealt the World Cup 2011 issues under-prepared, giving them an appearance of a mean machine. Now they say the final document is secret and the contents couldn't be revealed. I hope it isn't really about 'Nuclear Proliferation'. Logically, as PCB claims that they have won the West, why shouldn't they show how masterly they have annexed the greener pastures? Critiques believe there is nothing much for the PCB to celebrate? Not surprisingly, they took none too well to the criticism, and this intolerance has made them impermeable to logic and rationality. Unlike elsewhere, arrogance is admired. PCB should be empathic about their fledgling decision-making. This could be because they have been forced to reflect the public concerns-inside a year we have seen a foreign coach sacked, the other almost booted out, chief selector, Director National Cricket Academy & Game Development and COO being replaced; Mr Butt appointed them and then with ease defected them. These controversies have taken on undertones. PCB is currently a product of democratic Pakistan, and as such is an ex-cricketer-led, freely run organisation. The loudest voices in the PCB are of loyalists, though some of them are leaving one by one cynically. The next couple of weeks should be tough for Mr Butt, and these facts stand out like a Swastika tattoo on a sun-starved forehead when the PCB is forced to fight on multiple fronts a) The Pakistan team and its captaincy b) management vs players c) Critical international and domestic decisions d) reversal of decisions and failure of policies e) the deteriorating domestic cricket f) future plans and their practicability and g) waning of public trust and erosion of confidence. These highlight PCB's woeful record of twelve months of governance. Let's hope that a future based on tolerance ensues. PCB may be more jaded now that the afterglow of Twenty20 World Cup win has faded, and there isn't any sense of pride in the fact that powerful people in control of the PCB are required to keep our trust high doing things properly. PCB has to realise that the real investment is in exploring development programmes and learning quickly from the mistakes made advertently or inadvertently-it's time we start tapping the entrepreneurs, impresarios and professional management and cricket experts giving solutions to the problems. So far, PCB has added problems to the solutions. Guaranteed, you'll hear much worse when the normally frenetic streets of Pakistan ooze to a standstill.
Younis needs to bring maturity in his decisions By Ghalib Mehmood Bajwa We can see hundreds of cricketers around us with
different qualities. Some are blessed with rock-like decision making
power and some are those who change their mind and decisions frequently
and at times without much reason and logic. And frankly Pakistan's Test and ODI captain Younis Khan belongs to the later category. One can observe hasty, careless and casual approach in his decisions during his decade-long career. In the latest episode, he expressed his intention to come out of Twenty20 cricket retirement. In his recent statement Younis, who retired from T20 cricket after leading Pakistan to the Twenty20 World Cup title in England in June, said he might make a comeback to the shortest form of the game if his teammates were willing to accept him in the squad. Remember, Younis, who has played 22 T20 Internationals and scored 432 runs at an average of 25.41, recently stepped down from Pakistan's Test and ODI captaincy in protest over match-fixing allegations arising from the Champions Trophy, but was persuaded by PCB Chief Ijaz Butt to stay on. According to majority of the cricket fans, Younis had done a wise and Imran-like decision when he announced his retirement from the shortest form of game after winning Twenty20 World title in England five months back. Now if he reverses his T20 retirement decision, he could lose Imran-like respect and status. He must keep in mind the example of legendary Imran Khan, who is remembered as one of Pakistan's greatest captain. Though Pakistan T20 skipper and whirlwind all-rounder Shahid Afridi expressed his willingness to step down from captaincy for Younis but honestly the captainís stance of making comeback does not carry any weight. His performance in T20s shows that he does not enjoy the status of a match-winner at least in the briefest form of cricket. A captain in a side must be sort of person who can lead from front and in this regard performance remains the key factor. The 32-year-old Younis will not only disturb the T20 team management and formation but also deprive a deserving youngster of his place in the national T20 team if he decides to resume his T20 career. He must keep in mind that the Twenty20 form of cricket requires cricketers with young legs, quick movements and sharp reflexes, particularly in the fielding department. Afridi, who has struck 50-plus scores in his last three T20 games, has led Pakistan to a Twenty20 victory against Sri Lanka recently and will lead the national outfit in T20s against New Zealand and Australia, before spearheading Pakistan's defence of the world title in April next year in the West Indies. Afridi suits to Pakistan T20 captaincy in many ways. His aggressive playing style, contribution with the ball and above all quick and positive body language make him the most appropriate cricketer than Younis Khan and any other player to lead the side in T20s. During the last couple of years, the scenario in cricket world has been changed a lot and several star cricketers including Australian captain Ricky Ponting, Andrew Strauss, Andrew Flintoff, Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, VVS Laxman and Sanath Jayasuriya etc have chosen one or two particular forms of the game as per their liking, age, style and temperament etc. Master batsmen Ponting, Strauss, Tendulkar and Kallis are playing Tests & ODIs while Laxman is taking part only in Test cricket and all-rounders Flintoff and Jayasuriya have adjusted themselves in ODIs and T20s. In 2007, India dropped four leading but ageing performers -- Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Laxman for the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa. Similarly, South Africa overlooked Kallis and reliable batsmen Hashim Amla and Ashwell Prince when it comes to Twenty20 form of cricket. As far as Younis' calibre is concerned, there is no doubt about his cricketing potential for Tests and ODIs. He has been Pakistan's batting mainstay in Tests and ODIs for the last 10 years and can remain for another 3/4 years. He proved his talent on a number of occasions in the past. Younis needs to formulate strong planning for next ODI and Test assignments instead of indulging himself in T20 'tensions'. It remains a fact that despite growing popularity of Twenty20s, the longer version of the game (Test cricket) and ODIs are still considered the real and prime forms of the game. During the last three years, Younis changed his mind a couple of times on captaincy apparently without any solid justification. Younis first led Pakistan against the West Indies in 2005. In September 2006, he was offered captaincy for ICC Champions Trophy, following the suspension of Inzamam ul Haq but he rejected the offer, stating that he didn't want to be a dummy captain. However, on the insistence of Pakistan Cricket Board, he agreed to lead the national cricket team in the tournament which is regarded as the second best after World Cup. Following the resignation of Inzamam after 2007 Cricket World Cup, Younis was again offered the captaincy now on a permanent basis, but he turned it down. Then in early 2009, PCB chief Ijaz Butt appointed him as the regular captain of national cricket team after Pakistan's 2-1 defeat in ODI series against Sri Lanka at home. The above-mentioned analysis shows that Younis needs to concentrate only on Tests and ODIs and bring serenity in his decisions if he wants to serve Pakistan cricket in a proper way during the remaining years of his career. Email: ghalibmbajwa@hotmail.com
Money can't buy you Champions League success By Abdul Ahad Farshori The Champions League was, maybe, missing the spark for the audiences in Pakistan -- and that's a big maybe. Sialkot Stallions, winners of the local Twenty20
tournament, would have been the team representing us in the event and
would have been backed by the millions watching the league in Pakistan
just to enjoy a good game of cricket. Except the Indian teams, with heavy cash enforcements, most of the teams participating in the tournament were new to the stage. Apart from anything else cricket evidently mattered significantly to the teams taking part, particularly those not used to competing against unknown sides from far-off places and all under television's exacting scrutiny -- Trinidad & Tobago, Yayamba Elevens and Otago Volts to be exact. In short, it can be stated as a competition played between ambitious, hungry teams that fought tooth and nail for the right to take part, surviving many challenges, overcoming provincial opponents, holding their nerve in the critical hour. The Champions League appealed to observers on several fronts. Nothing gave more delight than the sight of Trinidad and Tobago, the Cape Cobras, and for that matter the Diamond Eagles, performing valiantly and surpassing expectations. All of them seemed to relish the occasion. Several of the participants surprised on what economists are pleased to call 'the upside', and all of them were genuine provincial teams. A fever could be detected in their gait. Inexperienced youngsters and seasoned campaigners alike responded to the clamour and met the challenge. Many of them have spent their entire careers playing in empty stadiums that seem to echo with irrelevance even as they apply themselves to their task with every ounce of skill at their disposal. Don't tell these chaps that the Champions League did not matter. Meanwhile, none of the feared Indian Premier League (IPL) sides advanced to the semifinals, not even the Deccan Chargers (who fell at the first hurdle) with their array of dashers or the talented collection representing Delhi Daredevils. Unavoidably it was merely another tournament for them. Plain and simple, the outfits with deep cricketing roots progressed and makeshift line-ups fell back. Whereas the IPL teams contained stars, veterans and a handful of locals, the visiting sides from Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa and Australia had played together not for weeks but years turning into decades. By and large the players had emerged from youth teams, working their way through the ranks, making friends, gathering knowledge. Moreover, the Champions League was a huge opportunity for the unsung to prove their worth, to mix with the mighty, to make a name for themselves. Admittedly it was often a close-run thing, but it's precisely in tight finishes that the teams with strong cores endure. Arguably New South Wales (The eventual champions) and Victoria had the perfect combination of identity, experience and hunger. Although it was considered, neither state signed any imports. Neither took any shortcuts. New South Wales relied on their tried and trusted players. Itís strategy worked because the team was united, the policy was clear and consistent and the players full of calibre. As far as Indian cricket is concerned, the lessons are obvious. Suppose Delhi had won the title, what would it signify? By all means continue to organise the IPL as it stands, with franchises bought and sold, stars signed and sacked, celebrities running around all over the place, and so on and so forth. But do not send those sides to the Champions League. Better to arrange a domestic tournament with all provinces, proper teams with histories and traditions and structures, taking part. It is not a question of effort. All of the overseas players are proud professionals and all of them play with their hearts as well as their heads. Just that theirs is a commitment that cannot be attained overnight. Perhaps, too, the provincial sides were on the rise and the IPL sides, dependent on older players, are in decline. For that matter the results shed doubt upon the standard as opposed to the showmanship on display in IPL. It'll be interesting to see how long IPL teams retain expensive stars unable to produce the expected returns. If they are serious about winning, as opposed to thrilling, then some will be given their cards. But legends are not so easily replaced. Without them, the IPL might lose some of its lustre. The feats of the minor sides herald the Champions League's second attraction. Not only were the newcomers able to beat their highly regarded opponents, they were also bursting at the seams with fresh and gifted cricketers. Numerous exciting players previously limited to domestic matches were able to stretch themselves and pit themselves against the best in the game. Helped by a format that permits no inhibition, a version that encourages risk, they let loose with thunderous blows or brilliant interceptions in the field, or gasps of wickets. Quite a few neglected sons will have caught the eye of national selectors interested in their power and response to pressure. Amongst the T&T players, several caught the eye-spinners, speedsters and powerful batsmen. Kieron Pollard's assault on Moises Henriques was memorable but by no means isolated. In the final match before the semis, Adrian Barath, given his first opportunity, let loose an array of some scintillating strokes, while Navin Stewart struck the ball with power. Established West Indians in their tents might regret their inactivity. Provided they are not spoilt by the sudden bulging of their bank accounts, the younger players taking part will return to the domestic ranks bristling with determination and confidence. Obviously, it takes more than a few beefy blows in a 20-over tournament to convince selectors that a player has the characteristics needed to thrive in all forms of the game. But it is no small thing to travel overseas and score runs and take wickets in such illustrious company. Trinidad and Tobago's superb efforts served another purpose, reminding all about the attractions of West Indian cricket and how much has been lost in these days of incompetence, egotism and idleness. T&T, and for that matter the second-string West Indian side that appeared in the Champions Trophy, played with sufficient passion to shame the overwrought incumbents and their headstrong administrators. Certainly Trinidad and Tobago's performance gave frustrated observers food for thought. Daren Ganga's side played as a team partly because they are a team and represent a nation. T&T has an identity, a meaning, a sense of patriotism. Contrastingly, West Indies is a cause not a country. Those convinced that the only lasting solution to the West Indies' cricketing problems is to break it up and let the islands play as individual nations found in Trinidad and Tobago's thrilling display plenty to support their case.
By Malik Arshed Gilani The award of television rights by the PCB has
regrettably always been a some what grey area as it is seldom that the
Board specifies in clear real terms what they earn from this source.
This Article aims to quantify for the knowledge of the readers what
generic values should be expected so that they can judge for themselves
the spin given by the various bits of information that are periodically
officially and unofficially imparted to the press. The value of Pakistan Cricket for sale on television has grown from some US$10,000 annually in 1992 to anywhere near US$40 million per year depending on who is coming to play in Pakistan during that period. As a comparison up to about 2002/2003 Pakistan international cricket 'rights' were valued at about one sixth of what the Indian Board earned from their rights and was about in proportion to the relative populations. It is now near one eighth due to the rapid increase of advertising revenues in India. If we were to list the permanent ICC member countries in order of their rights values they would line up as follows; India, England, Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. These values imply that should these countries tour Pakistan or play Pakistan at neutral venues the net earnings for the PCB should be in the broad order listed. It may interest the readers to learn that the time difference between the countries also plays its part. If Pakistan plays Australia in Pakistan the time difference would have the matches being broadcast through the night time in Australia. If, however, Pakistan plays Australia in England the time difference would have the matches being broadcast at more convenient time. This would increase viewer ship and would fetch more value. The valuation of 'rights' is not a black art. In theory, the total hours of play multiplied by the cost of a 30 second spot into the number of spots gives a value for each Country. The sums of the same exercise conducted wherever the match is broadcast gives a good estimate of the gross income. It is for this reason that a minimum guarantee method is advantageous for Pakistan where historically the tour programs get disturbed. This system ensures that the Board gets a guaranteed minimum sum plus some 90% of the balance amount above the minimum figure. Obviously the audited production costs and a fee for the Rights Marketing Company are reduced from the gross sales. In 1993 the contract minimum guarantee was around US$1.25 million and the PCB earned about US$3 million. In 2003 the PCB earned three times the minimum guarantee. Conversely an outright sale limits the Board to a wild guess and no part of the upside. For purposes of comparison the first outright sale netted the PCB US$42.5 million. The gross sales were estimated to be over US$200 million. The PCB voluntarily gave up the chance of a good portion of the total revenues. Let me say that they were advised that even in the worse case scenario the Board would earn more than the US$42.5 million they received. To complete this learning curve in one small paragraph from experience that has been collected over some 15 years let me briefly value one day of cricket between Pakistan and three of the top value countries. Please let me stress that they are at best good estimates and will vary in line with market conditions at the time; India: US$1.85 million. England: US$1.15 million and Australia: US$0.85 million. As a comparison an India v England, match day, should be worth over US$2 million per day. We eagerly await the figures achieved by the PCB from the tours that have taken place so far during the period of duty of this Board. If and when the accounts are finalised and disclosed the readers, the readers will be able to judge the results themselves. I for one cannot imagine the 'technical difficulty' quoted by the PCB chairman which is preventing the completion of the accounts.
By Tom Perrotta Andre Agassi's revelation, in his forthcoming
autobiography, that he abused crystal meth in the late '90s isn't
shocking. It's not scandalous. It's not even surprising. We're talking
about Andre Agassi here, not Pete Sampras or Lindsay Davenport. The
rebel, the teenager who was all flash and little substance, the kid who
feared his father and hated tennis with a "dark and secret
passion." In 1997, when Agassi used the drug, his career and
personal life were in shambles: His tennis was terrible, his ranking was
falling, and he had doubts about his upcoming marriage to Brooke
Shields. When a friend named Slim first promised Agassi a few minutes of
bliss in the form of crystal meth, he gave in to the temptation. I don't think any less of Agassi for having used a recreational, non-performance-enhancing drug, or for getting hooked on it for the better part of a year, or for making this admission, at least in part, for the sake of book sales. It doesn't make him less of role model to his fans or the children whose education he supports through his school and charities. If anything, he's more of a role model: He did something stupid and destructive (he used meth dozens of times, according to excerpts of his book) and recovered from it. At the end of 1997, Andre Agassi made a choice, and he chose to become the man most people now admire, the married man with two kids and a passion for his charitable work. He might not have become that man without first reaching the depths he reached in the late '90s. There is one disturbing element of Agassi's drug use, though: the ease with which he got away with it. In the fall of 1997, after he failed a drug test, Agassi wrote a letter to the ATP claiming that his personal assistant, identified only as "Slim", regularly spiked his soda with crystal meth (true, Agassi says). Agassi said in the letter he accidentally drank Slim's drink (not true). The ATP's independent tribunal chose to buy the excuse and let Agassi go unpunished. In a statement this week, the ATP said that none of its executives had ever interfered with a decision regarding a drug suspension, but the organisation has declined to get into the specifics of Agassi's case. It's highly unlikely that a positive test would be kept quiet today, now that the World Anti-Doping Organization (WADA), rather than the professional tours, governs drug testing in tennis. Anti-doping tribunals still accept dubious excuses, as one did recently in the case of Richard Gasquet, who argued that he tested positive for cocaine because he kissed a woman who had used the drug (The International Tennis Federation and WADA are appealing the decision). But at least that decision was made in public, with attorneys present, evidence presented, and reports written. The Agassi decision was made in secret, for reasons which remain unclear. Until the ATP elaborates, we're all going to have doubts about what went on in tennis in the '90s, and not just concerning Agassi. The '90s were a pivotal period in tennis training during which most players realized that strength, once seen as an enemy of loose, powerful strokes, became important in the professional game. Agassi said as much in 1992, after he lost to Jim Courier, then ranked No. 1 in the world, in the US Open quarter-finals. "I need to get stronger," Agassi told reporters at the time. "I need to be able to hit that ball as hard as I do a little easier because I feel over the long haul, that paid off for Jim. You know, somewhere along the line he got stronger than me." Agassi did get stronger, and so did a lot of other players. If any of them took drugs to help them do so, they might well have hidden it as easily as Agassi hid his meth use. Agassi's admission doesn't just affect his reputation; it casts doubt on the reputations of his fellow players, too. How much could they have gotten away with through simple I-sipped-the-wrong-drink lies? How much were the tour's supposedly independent panels willing to overlook to spare the game an unwanted scandal? Is there anyone else who tested positive for drugs, recreational or otherwise, who convinced a panel to look the other way? "I'd like to know what the specifics of the program were that this could happen," Dr. Gary I. Wadler, the Chairman of the WADA's Prohibited List and Methods Sub-Committee, told me Wednesday. "You're talking about transparency, you're talking about accountability. This is why the creation of WADA was so significant, to have an independent body to watch what's going on." Before Dr. Wadler became involved with WADA, he sat on ATP tribunals. (He did not serve on ATP tribunals in 1997, and when he served in later years, he never heard cases involving American players.) Given his experience serving on those panels, Dr. Wadler is surprised Agassi's case could have been so easily dismissed. "I was quite impressed by the seriousness of purpose when I was there," Dr. Wadler said. "I often said that I wish the critics of anti-doping had been a fly on the wall. We had a doctor, we had a lawyer, we had a laboratory scientist. It was very, very good." No doubt the ATP has done a lot of good in drug testing over the years. Now that Agassi has made his admission, though, the ATP needs to make a few of its own. Keeping quiet can only hurt the credibility of the tour and make fans skeptical of the past. – tennis.com
Pakistan target New Zealand in UAE By Saqlain Haider After the excitement of the Pakistan teams' performances over the last few months in two major ICC tournaments, the players now embarks on possibly one of their toughest assignments in recent times. The first week of November will see Pakistan square off against New Zealand in the UAE for three One-day Internationals and then two twenty 20 clashes which will be played at Dubai. Given Pakistan's strong record against the Kiwis and the fact that the UAE stadiums are familiar to our players the team will be expected to win, however an intriguing contest is expected. The New Zealand cricket team took a big blow with the advent of the ICL and the subsequent bans placed on their participants. The Blackcaps lost two of their frontline fast bowlers in Shane Bond and Darrel Tuffey and for a small country like New Zealand that doesn't produce bowlers at the rapid rate that Pakistan seems to, the effect was palpable. The return of Bond to the New Zealand setup paid immediate dividends as he was key in their run to the final of the Champions Trophy. With Kyle Millsís consistency the bowlers will provide a tough challenge to Pakistan however it is to be seen how well they adapt to the conditions in the Gulf. For New Zealand the key to their performance will once again be Daniel Vettori. Apart from the regular pressures of captaincy and now the additional challenge of touring without a coach Vettori will be tested to his limits. This is especially so since his spin bowling and his late order batting has become a critical factor to his teams' fortunes. He is sure to enjoy the slow turning wickets in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. As for the New Zealand batting lineup once again the focus for Pakistan will be Brendon McCullum. He is the game changer and his wicket will be vital for the green caps. Crucially for New Zealand, Jesse Ryder is fit and along with McCullum he will form a strong opening pair. The rest of the batting will revolve around the impressive Ross Taylor and the experience of players like Scott Styris, Vettori, and Jacob Oram. The bowling attack as mentioned will be led by Shane Bond and he will be backed up by Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, and Ian Butler. Along with Vettoris improving captaincy the Kiwis look like they will present a strong challenge to Pakistan. After the matches in the UAE the Pakistan team will travel directly to New Zealand for what is a ěhomeî series for us. This will be an intriguing challenge for the Pakistan batsmen. The vulnerability of South Asian players on bouncy wickets is well known and our batsmen are no different. How well our openers and our top order deals with the extra bounce will probably determine the course of the series. However, like most pitches around the world that were known to be batsman's graveyards the pitches in New Zealand are also not as vicious as they used to be. If our batsmen can get off to a decent start we should give the Kiwis a tough battle as our fast bowlers Mohammad Aamer, Umar Gul, and Mohammad Asif are sure to enjoy the conditions. Combined with the trickery of Saeed Ajmal and Danish Kaneria Pakistan is well prepared to try and win the test series. The performance of our batsmen will go a long way in determining the result of the test series. The Pakistani selectors have picked three openers for the series in Imran Farhat, Salman Butt, and Khurram Manzoor. No doubt the expectation will be with Butt and Farhat to start with as they are experienced and both are in need of some big scores to cement their places in the team. With the ball coming on to the bat both should benefit however the New Zealanders will no doubt test them thoroughly. With Younis Khan, Mohammed Yousuf, Shoaib Malik and the exciting Umer Akmal, plus the presence of Kamran Akmal the Pakistan team has all the tools to make this a successful series. Younis Khan will have to be at the top of his game because there is no doubt that Vettori will be well prepared for the matches with plans for our batsmen. It would be a good idea for the team management to prepare their plans well for the key players mentioned in the Black Caps lineup. Given the nature of the pitches in New Zealand the workhorse Abdul Rauf could be a surprise performer for the team as he has the height and the discipline in line and length to excel on New Zealand pitches. If for any reason our batting fails to click we have ample backup in Faisal Iqbal, who will be desperate for some runs, and Fawad Alam. Younis Khan will have all the options to try and keep Pakistan's dominance over the Kiwis intact. The upcoming matches should provide Cricket Fans in Pakistan with plenty to shout about so let's hope the team continues their brilliant performances this year.
Captain gives his career new lease of life By Waris Ali When Younis Khan yielded to the PCB demand by reversing his resignation decision, he gave his cricket career a new lease of life. Younis had undergone significant developments of his cricket career during the recent months. First, he won the Twenty20 World Cup for the country, thus becoming second only to Pakistani cricket legend Imran Khan to win a world cup for Pakistan. Then he decided to step down from Twenty20 cricket, giving way to Shahid Afridi for captaincy in the shortest version of the game. Then he suffered the torture caused by match-fixing allegations of a short-sighted parliamentarian, leaving for him a resignation as the only honourable way out. Jamshed Dasti, chairman of the sports committee, had summoned Younis, coach Intikhab Alam and Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt to explain the defeat to New Zealand in the semifinal. However, Younis Khan's return to the national squad is going to cast a lasting impact on his career and will prove a key milestone in his cricketing career. Interestingly, the 11-day long cricket series, from November 3 to 13, against New Zealand, comprising three ODIs and two Twenty20 fixtures, has its own overtones. First, it is being held against the team who had recently quashed the hopes of the Twenty20 champions by defeating them in the Champions Trophy semifinal last month. Second, it is the second series being hosted by Pakistan in UAE because of security-related problems. Cricket has really been banished from Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates has become a shelter house for security-hit Pakistan who has to resort to host its guests on neutral venues. The refusal of the Aussies and Kiwis, and then of England and the West Indies, to tour Pakistan on security grounds is, by all means, justifiable after the Sri Lanka cricket team, which had agreed to tour the fast-getting lonely state to expresses solidarity with it, fell prey to the worst terror of game's history on March 03, 2009. Terrorism, or at least the fear of terrorism, had crept into sports becoming a major concern since Athens Olympic in 2004. But the March 03, 2009, attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore sealed the fate of cricket in Pakistan, and endorsed the ICC decision to shift away the biennial Champions Trophy tournament, and the ICC World Cup 2011 matches from the terror-ridden South Asian nuclear state. In the exile of the Champions Trophy, could be foreseen, indeed, exodus of the cricket world cup event from Pakistan. Starting in September 2001, when the New Zealand team returned even before reaching Pakistan after the 9/11 attacks on the United States, a chain of terrorist activities speedily rendered Pakistan lonely, gradually alienating the cricketing nations from the South Asian country. In May 2002, a suicide bomber killed 14 people outside the Karachi hotel where the New Zealand team was staying, prompting them to leave and abandon the series; Australia had already refused to tour Pakistan for the same reason. The next year, a bomb blast in Karachi kept away South Africa from visiting Pakistan, while England refused to play a Test in Karachi in 2005. The Karachi Test had to be shifted to Multan after South Africa refused to play there after assassination attempt on former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. In March 2008, Australia bluntly refused to tour Pakistan. While Pakistan rightly boasts of its batting greats such as Hanif Mohammed, Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Muhammad Yousuf, the cricket team at present direly needs a batting master strong enough to bear the burden of Pakistani batting line-up and inspire the young cricketers to excel their performance. And such expectations can be set from Younis Khan. The courageous decision of Younis Khan in response to match-fixing allegations was another instance of the skipper's no-compromise approach. The fact is that Younis is going to lead the team by 2011, as has been assured by PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt on the only condition of his physical fitness, and this will make Younis strong enough to quell any inward conspiracy, thus making his way to the 2011 World Cup easy. While our major cricketers are expected to play the forthcoming World Cup to be conducted in the Sub-continent, Younis will be able to inspire them enough to fight for the world championship.
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