Why Pakistan can regain World T20 crown
Mohammad Hafeez and his boys can go all the way provided their strengths overcome the team’s minus points
By Khalid Hussain

With a just couple of days left before the 2012 edition of ICC World Twenty20 gets underway in Sri Lanka, the question on every Pakistani cricket fan’s mind is can Hafeez and Co win back the coveted title?

There is no safe answer to this question. There are so many reasons why Pakistan can win the title on October 7 but there are also several reasons why they might not do that.

Three years ago, it was Younis Khan who captained Pakistan to a memorable title-winning triumph at the 2009 championship in England. Before that, Shoaib Malik led the national team to the final in South Africa in 2007 before a heart-breaking loss against India in what was an explosive clash for the inaugural title. Shahid Afridi was at the helm for Pakistan at the previous edition of the World Twenty20 championship in 2010 in the Caribbean where the Green-shirts fell to Australia from a seemingly winning position in a thrilling semifinal.

Pakistan have made the last four at all three of the tournament’s previous editions. Their record as one of the most successful teams in the shortest format of the game, earns them an automatic place among the major title contenders this time again. The fact that they have some of the most accomplished Twenty20 cricketers make them look pretty good, at least on paper. These are some of the obvious reasons why their fans expect nothing less than the title from Hafeez and his men. But first let’s discuss the reasons that could dog Pakistan in their quest for the crown in Sri Lanka.

THE WEAK LINKS

Though Pakistani selectors have tried to bolster the team’s batting with the induction of several allrounders, there are too many ifs and buts surrounding their selection. Players like Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq are back in the squad after being discarded as spent force in the aftermath of Pakistan’s unsuccessful World Cup title bid last year. There is no doubt that both Malik and Razzaq are accomplished campaigners especially in limited-overs cricket but there is a big question mark on whether they still have enough fire in their belly to be able to give their best in Sri Lanka.

Malik flopped on his return to national duty during the series against Australia in the UAE. Razzaq, too, hasn’t really justified his selection. He did give glimpses of his past brilliance by helping Pakistan win the second Twenty20 International against the Aussies in Dubai in the Super Over but whether Razzaq can perform consistently in the tournament remains to be seen.

Imran Nazir is also a controversial choice. The big-hitting opener has a habit of failing when it matters most though his fans might think otherwise. He just made 23 in three outings against Australia in conditions that were far from being batting unfriendly.

The fact that Mohammad Sami will go into the T20 World Cup without getting a single opportunity to warm up during the series against Australia speaks volumes about the team management’s confidence in the fast bowler’s abilities. Sami was chosen ahead of young pacer Junaid Khan purely on the basis that he is much faster than the left-armer. Sami’s brilliant exploits at the inaugural Bangladesh Premier league earlier this year also helped his cause. There is little doubt that on his day Sami can be a lethal bowler, especially in Twenty20 games. But he needs confidence to give his best and the team management is not helping by keeping him on the bench.

The leadership skills of Mohammad Hafeez would also come under the magnifying glass in Sri Lanka especially after the allrounder’s inability to in spire his team in its final T20 clash against Australia in Dubai. Hafeez came under a lot of criticism following the big defeat as he failed to come up with a strategy that could counter the rampaging Aussies. His inexperience as captain was highlighted during that defeat apart from the fact that he was unable to give his best under pressure.

Pakistan’s record as one of the worst chasers in international cricket could also haunt them in Sri Lanka. Pakistan succeeding in chasing a challenging total is a rare sight, something that should be a big cause for concern for their coach Dav Whatmore.

Just like Hafeez, Whatmore’s coaching acumen would also be put under the microscope. Whatmore is already under pressure following the appointment of Javed Miandad as Pakistan’s batting consultant in the lead up to the T20 World Cup and would need to make his presence felt during the Sri Lankan assignment.

THE STRENGTHS

However, there are reasons why Pakistan would start the tournament as one of the title favourites in spite of all their minus points. The biggest of them is their potent spin arsenal. Spearheaded by Saeed Ajmal, Pakistan’s spin trio, including Afridi and Hafeez, share 145 T20 International wickets between them. Then they have the young Raza Hasan and Shoaib Malik as two more options to exploit the generally low and slow tracks in Sri Lanka.

Umar Gul’s return to form is another big boost for Pakistan. Gul is one of the most deadly fast bowlers in Twenty20 format and if he fires then Pakistan could be unstoppable.

One of the chief reasons why Pakistan won in 2009 was their hunger for the title. This time again, they are the one team that really needs the title. Pakistan cricket remains in neck-deep trouble due to one reason or the other and the one thing that can provide a much-needed shot in the arm is a title-winning triumph in Sri Lanka.

As captain, it’s a huge test for Hafeez who can seal his fate as Pakistan’s long-term captain in all three formats by guiding Pakistan to the world title. As player, Hafeez has the potential to shine with both the bat and ball and in doing so he can inspire his team just the way Younis did three years ago.

Pakistan can also draw a lot from its long list of match-winners. Players like Afridi, Ajmal and Hafeez can win T20 matches single-handedly. Razzaq, too, was once regarded as Pakistan’s most valuable player and if he turns back the clock then anything is possible. Younger players like Asad Shafiq can provide Pakistan’s batting with much-needed stability while the hard-hitting Nasir Jamshed is good enough to give them quickfire starts.

Pakistan certainly have the firepower but the question is whether their big guns would click in Sri Lanka. Personally, I would like to put my money on them. Hopefully, Pakistan’s strengths would overcome their minus points.

Khalid Hussain is Editor Sports of The News, Karachi

khalidhraj@gmail.com

caption

(From left to right) Imran Nazir, Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Malik

caption

(From left to right) Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul and Mohammad Hafeez

All eyes on Afridi
Will Pakistan’s premier allrounder be able to bounce back in Sri Lanka?
By Bilal Hussain

Shahid Afridi’s critics are sharpening their knives as Pakistan go into the ICC World Twenty20 championship in Sri Lanka with their former captain battling a lean patch. Afridi, regarded by many as one of the most lethal allrounders in the shortest format of the game, has not been in his element in recent times as he has flopped miserably with the bat while his bowling form has also taken a dip. To make matters worse, Afridi has also been experiencing a few fitness issues that dogged him in the recently-concluded limited-overs series against Australia in the UAE.

His indifferent form and suspect fitness have enabled Afridi’s critics to predict that veteran player is over the hill and should think about quitting international cricket. They are already predicting that Afridi would most likely fail at the World Twenty20 which gets underway in Hambantota on September 18.

So are they right in claiming that Afridi is now more a liability than an asset for the Pakistan team?

I don’t think so.

It is true that Afridi has been experiencing a bad patch in recent months. He has batted well in a few innings but such outings are few and far between. Even his bowling exploits have been well below the high standards he had set for himself in 2011 when he was one of the most successful bowlers in limited-overs cricket.

But when it comes to Afridi the most predictable thing is unpredictability. Just when his critics are ready to reject him as spent force, the flamboyant allrounder would come out with the sort of heroics that have made him the most popular Pakistani cricketer of his generation.

Afridi is a cricketer for big occasions. Who can forget the role that he played in Pakistan’s accent to the final of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 championship in South Africa in 2007. And what about 2009, when Afridi gave match-winning performances in the semifinal against South Africa and final against Sri Lanka to help Pakistan lift the T20 crown at Lord’s. At last year’s World Cup, Afridi was the single biggest factor behind Pakistan’s progress to the World Cup last four.

I think Afridi, who has recovered from a thumb injury, is once again going to be one of the bigger success stories of ICC World Twenty.

The conditions are perfect for him as a destructive leggie and a one good knock can help him regain his confidence as Pakistan’s most lethal pinch-hitter.

Mohammad Hafeez, Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain, is well aware of the fact that much of Pakistan’s title hopes would depend on how Afridi performs in Sri Lanka.

“Afridi is a big match winner for us and hopefully he will deliver for us once more,” Hafeez told reporters in Colombo last week. Afridi, 32, is confident that he would bounce back.

“I’m working hard especially on my batting because it’s important for the tem,” he said in a recent interview.

Pakistan would be playing two warm-up games against old rivals India and defending champions England before beginning their title campaign with a game against Pool D rivals New Zealand at Pallekele on September 23. Bangladesh are the third team in their group. According to the tournament format, the top two teams from each of the four groups would progress to the last eight.

Pakistan look good ahead of the much-awaited tournament as they have a number of accomplished players, who can exploit the conditions well. But to go all the way, Pakistan would need some extra-ordinary performances from players like Afridi.

bilalsports86@yahoo.com

Favourites yet inconsistent
By Khurram Mahmood

Twenty20 cricket is always thrilling. Minor mistakes on the part of any team can hugely benefit its opponents. And it is the game of young guns, at least most of the times. The hit-and-run type of format demands more than 100 percent strike-rate from the batters.

In this format batsmen don’t exactly have to be technically correct, they just have to be able to hit the ball as hard as possible and score as fast as possible and for as long as possible. But this type of cricket reduces the gap between a good and technically sound batsman and an ordinary player.

The fourth edition of the Twenty20 World Cup is starting from the 18th of this month. India, Pakistan and England have lifted the previous three trophies.

Pakistan lost the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 championship final to India by just five runs at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2007 when Misbah-ul-Haq failed to control his emotions at the end of a dramatic match-turning comeback, and chose the wrong ball to flick over fine leg.

Pakistan continued their excellent performance in the next two editions of the T20 World Cup. Younis Khan and company held their nerves in the 2009 final against Sri Lanka and won by eight wickets at Lord’s, England.

Bowling played a vital role for Pakistan’s win. All bowlers performed up to the expectations. Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi created a lot of problems for the batsmen and never allowed them to score freely in the middle overs of the innings.

After lifting the Cup the winning captain Younis Khan announced his retirement from this format of the game, following in the footsteps of Imran Khan who chose to leave the field after the 1992 triumph.

In the third edition in West Indies in 2010, Pakistan showed their authority in the shorter version of the game in round matches but unfortunately failed in the semifinal against Australia. England won the title by seven wickets. It was the first ever World Cup win for the English.

Now in the fourth tournament, once again Pakistan are among the favourites despite their inconsistent performances.

Pakistan are as good as any world-class team if they play as a team and they have proved it so many times, but inconsistency in their performance makes them the most unpredictable side in the world.

Bowling is the strength of Pakistan, with Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal among the four top wicket-takers in previous three Twenty20 World Cups.

For their help there will be Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Sami, Abdul Razzaq and young Raza Hasan. So the bowling line has the capability to destroy any batting side.  The only concern for the new T20 captain Mohammad Hafeez is inconsistent batting, especially while chasing targets. Most of the times, batsmen get panicky and throw their wickets away.

One believes it’s time for Shahid Afridi to take responsibility of batting in middle and lower-middle order. No doubt he is a successful bowler in limited overs cricket, but spectators also expect something in the batting department from him. Afridi’s and Abdul Razzaq’s batting could play a vital role in Pakistan’s success.

Fielding is the other area of concern for the Green-shirts, particularly the catching. One dropped catch could cost the team the match.

If the top order provides good starts and the middle order plays according to their skills Pakistan has a fair chance to lift the cup again.

khurrams87@yahoo.com

Going with the flow
Zaka Ashraf completes his first year as PCB chairman next month
By Khalid Hussain

When Zaka Ashraf took over as Pakistan’s cricket chief, I had my doubts about his credentials. With little or no cricketing experience, Ashraf was installed as PCB chairman at a time when Pakistan cricket was at its lowest ebb. He had succeeded Ijaz Butt, the man who made a mess of PCB’s damage control campaign following the 2010 spot-fixing scandal. Under Butt’s watch, Pakistan saw one of sport’s worst tragedies taking place on its soil when the Sri Lankan cricketers and several Pakistanis, mostly cops, became victim to a brazen terrorist attack in Lahore.

With international teams refusing to visit Pakistan and some experts calling for its suspension from international cricket, the stage was set for some well-respected, able and competent sports administrator to rescue Pakistan cricket. Zaka Ashraf just didn’t fit the bill.

But in Pakistan such things hardly matter. Ashraf wasn’t just appointed as PCB chief by President Asif Zardari but also received complete authority from the Board’s chief patron.

Next month, Ashraf will complete his first year at the helm of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). His supporters hail him as a saviour, who they believe is all set to put Pakistan cricket back on track. His critics cannot help but disagree with this notion.

So how has Ashraf fared during his first 11 months as Pakistan’s cricket boss?

First of all, one has to agree that on the surface things look much better for Pakistan cricket then it did during Butt’s tumultuous tenure. But that’s hardly a big achievement. Butt had the tendency of shooting himself in the foot so if his successor wanted to better than him then the only thing he needed to do was to avoid following suit.

Initially, Ashraf sent all the right signals. He vowed to help bring international cricket to Pakistan and stressed that PCB would work to mend fences with the world’s cricketing fraternity. Luck, too, was on his side. Soon after Ashraf replaced Butt as PCB chairman, Pakistan experienced an unusually long winning spree that was capped by a stunning 3-0 series triumph against England, then the world’s top-ranked Test team.

However, a handful of Butt’s supporters argued that the victories that fell in Ashraf’s lap were a result of the “good decisions” made during the former chairman’s era. And they had a point because for several months after his arrival Ashraf refrained from taking any key decision. He opted to go with the flow. “Sweeping actions without proper planning could be counter-productive,” he would tell you at that time.

His first major decision came soon after Pakistan’s clean sweep against England when Ashraf decided against retaining Mohsin Khan as Pakistan’s coach. It was a controversial decision because under Mohsin, the Pakistanis had done exceptionally well. But Ashraf’s close aides convinced him that Pakistan needed a “qualified” coach in their bid to become the world’s top team. So in came Dav Whatmore. Initially, it seemed like the move clicked as Pakistan went on to win the Asia Cup for the first time in 12 years soon after the former Australian Test player took over as their coach. But the title-winning triumph was followed by a series of below-par results that finally forced Ashraf to entrust Javed Miandad with the task of helping Pakistan’s misfiring batters ahead of the ICC World Twenty championship in Sri Lanka. The move has allowed Ashraf’s critics to once again question the wisdom of roping in Whatmore. Questions are being raised about Whatmore’s utility because of the fact that Pakistan are relying on Julien Fountain to improve their fielding and have Mohammad Akram as the bowling coach. “And if they need Miandad to help remove batting weaknesses and raise the team’s morale then what is Whatmore’s job?” asked a former Test cricketer.

PCB officials, however, argue that the critics shouldn’t read too much into Miandad’s appointment. They claim that it’s just a small move to help out the team ahead of its biggest assignment of the year.

That may be the case but the move does underline the fact that Ashraf and his team of senior officials are ill-equipped to handle pressure. After putting complete faith in Whatmore’s abilities, the Board has shown signs of impatience with the Miandad move.

The biggest problem with Ashraf is that he relies too heavily on the input given by his inner circle that includes a few senior PCB officials, who were also a key part of Butt’s inept administration. Instead of bolstering the Board by bringing in competent professionals, Ashraf has so far pinned his hopes on the likes of Subhan Ahmed, Intikhab Alam and Zakir Khan. Such officials have been around for years without much success to their credit and to expect that they can shepherd PCB in its bid to lift Pakistan cricket seems like a case of false optimism. It’s not that Ashraf is not aware of the fact that the Board lacks competent professionals both in administration and marketing. Earlier this month, he expressed his helplessness in launching Pakistan’s professional T20 league by admitting that there is not a single official in the Board, who can take up this challenge. “We would need a lot of outside help to be able to launch the league,” he told me.

So why is Ashraf unwilling to bring about much-needed change in the Board? Surely, PCB needs competent and dynamic professionals who can do a much better job then the tried-and-tested officials who run Pakistan cricket and do quite a poor job most of the times. Surely, the Board has enough money to be able to afford top quality executives who can beef up its various wings. It’s time that the PCB chief answers this question because Pakistan cricket deserves to know.

khalidhraj@gmail.com

In the name of democracy
By Umair A Qazi

The present government has been an avid promoter of democracy and champions fairness and equality as enshrined in the 1973 constitution of Pakistan.

According to them, all their political moves are in the interest of democracy. However, one undemocratic act which warrants notice is the role of the Patron in the governance of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

It is no hidden fact that the cricket board, ever since its inception, has faced several crises, not only relating to the national team’s performances but also several administrative ones.

A glaring violation of the principles of democracy is apparent in the role of the Patron in the governance of the cricket board. The patron is an ex officio post whereby any president of Pakistan automatically assumes the role of the Patron with unfettered powers to appoint the Chairman and so on and so forth, completely against the working of a democratic setup.

One would perhaps imagine that at best the role of a patron would be more of a ceremonial nature or that of a caretaker similar to that of the chairman of a company.

However, much to the common man’s dismay, the patron of the PCB is in essence the supreme authority as regards appointments. He can and does make appointments without any electoral process whatsoever.

A democratic setup such as the one currently in the country would entail an electoral process whereby the chairman and members of the governing board were selected by way of election and not subject to the pleasure of the patron.

Since most of the major posts, including the governing board, are filled at the behest of the patron, the general body is only a hoax.

The general body is in essence a watchdog on the functioning of the governing board but since certain members of the general body are unelected and unopposed, it is almost impossible for the general body to function properly.

Given the state of affairs and the hand-picked chairmen of the board over the year, Pakistan cricket has always been mired in controversies internationally.

The most coveted power the patron has is that of superseding the governing board and the general body and appointing an ad hoc committee to govern the matters of the board. Thus far in the history of the game, there have been four instances of ad hoc committees taking over the helm of affairs and governing the board as per their whims and fancies.

For starters, the very power of the Patron to appoint an ad hoc committee is a power which is to be exercised sparingly and only in dire circumstances where the chairman and the governing board fail to govern the affairs in the prescribed manner.

Since the chairman and the governing board are themselves at the mercy of the patron, the ad hoc committee is only a furtherance of the unfettered powers of the patron.

Secondly, the term ad hoc denotes temporary existence or presence whereas in the case of the PCB, the board has been governed by an ad hoc committee for more than a decade now.

It comes as no surprise that due to the internal mess created by the mismanagement of the board and the constant temporariness of the unelected board wherein the management itself is not sure of its status, the negative impact it has on the national team and its individual players is what hurts the nation the most.

Due to the temporary nature of the board the national team’s performance has also been erratic for the last 15 years with successes few and far between.

With the raw talent available at hand and stalwarts having served the country through turbulent times, it is a pity that the team struggles to find a place in the top ranked teams.

An electoral process for the entire hierarchy of the board is the need of the day and would fittingly lead to the board being governed democratically as envisaged under the constitution of Pakistan.

umairkazi@gmail.com

Squash heroes in the land of legends
By Waqar Hamza

I happened to brush shoulders with Qamar Zaman, Jonathan Power, Ross Norman, David Palmer, Rami Ashour, and Geoff Hunt, all legends of Squash, at the Second Asian Masters Championship held in Lahore from September 3 to 6.

They were all content with the security measures, as they were escorted by huge number of police officials. It was not surprising then that they visited the Wagah border between Pakistan and India. During a 30-minutes conversation with Australian Geoff Hunt, I asked every thing I could ask about the game.

Hunt said that Australian squash is going through the same crisis as Pakistan’s. “I see Pakistan’s juniors are good, they only have to play more international events. Low dedication is a problem. You need to develop the game. Systems have to be set right and it’s not easy in squash. Keep striving for the betterment,” he said.

For Hunt the game of squash has changed much, but he was happy that a cross section of different nations have brought a lot of colour in today’s squash.

“Glass courts have changed every thing. Today equipment, speed, technology have changed the squash that was there in 1980s to 90s. Yet, there is still no shortcut in it,” Hunt said.

I asked whether sending junior players to the United States to play circuits will help them. He said it would be a good opportunity. He said squash authorities in Qatar with whom he is currently associated are also sending a few players to the US. “It’s environment that matters. I do support this initiative because you get to play against the players of different countries,” he added.

Pakistan is sending some junior and senior players to the US this year for the first time. Current world No 4 Egyptian Rami Ashour seconded Hunt’s opinion. “Sending junior players to the US is a good initiative, as they will learn a lot in that environment,” said Ashour who plays different circuits there.

Indian Lalit Agni Hotri won a gold medal in the championship. I had conversation with him when I greeted him for the good show of India in the World Junior Squash Championships recently held at Doha.

He said India’s squash is limited to elite classes. “And here in Pakistan this has never been the case. We see huge talent here in Pakistan.“You people should heavily invest in this game you ruled the world in for 18 years.”

Amjad Noon, President Punjab Squash Association (PSA) and the man behind this commendable show of Masters Championship, said Zarai Taraqiati Bank, National Bank, Pakistan International Airlines, and Pakistan State Oil should come forward to help this game. “We need financial assistance.”

Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) did not have enough funds to organise this Masters championship. So PSA invested about Rs7 million to make this happen in an amazing manner. Each legendary player, including Jahangir Khan from Pakistan, was given $5000, return ticket, and stay in special suites of a five-star hotel.

No doubt, the championship was fruitful. Yet there were two things that disappointed me. Our legendary player Jansher Khan did not come to the championship despite being invited. I later found that he did not come in protest against not given “due protocol”.

I think a champion of that stature should think beyond these petty things. He should have come to support the sport he dominated for years. The second thing was the refusal of president of World Squash Federation (WSF) N Ramachandran to come to Pakistan for this championship.

Perhaps he was too busy lobbying for his re-election. It must be noted here that Pakistan voted for Ramachandran in 2008. He should have come to show the world that Pakistan is safe for international events.

WSF’s President coming to Pakistan would have meant a lot for the sport, for the international community, and for the squash of Pakistan that is passing through very bad times.

Now that he has been re-elected for a four-year term, he should do something to bring Pakistan out of the isolation. In the end, I would say it was a good experience to see international players from many Asian countries play in Pakistan, even if it was for a short period. To see international squash in Pakistan again I will have to wait till 2015 when an international junior championship will be held in Islamabad.

vaqarhumzah@gmail.com

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