Pak need good batsmen: former captains

Karachi: Pakistan's continuing poor form against South Africa in the ongoing series in the UAE has drawn stinging criticism from former captains who feel the team desperately needs good batsmen.

South Africa swept aside Pakistan by eight wickets in the first one-day international in Abu Dhabi on Friday after outclassing Shahid Afridi's men in the two Twenty20 matches earlier in the week.

"Definitely the batting is letting the bowlers down. The batting is just not good enough and they are not putting up enough runs for the bowlers to defend," former captain Asif Iqbal said.

Iqbal also felt that Afridi's poor form was having a negative effect on the team's overall performance.

"I think Shahid has to pick up his performance because he has to lead by example and it is the job of the team management and coach to motivate and lift the players in these circumstances," the former captain said.

Despite the return of former captain Younus Khan to the team and his scoring a half century, Pakistan were bowled out for just 203 runs.

Former captain Javed Miandad felt that the team needs to show more purpose and planning.

"There is no purpose in the way they are approaching the matches. The batsmen are playing without a plan and that is why they are struggling to get big scores," he said

Miandad said the players just need to learn the art of staying at the wicket and putting a high value on their wicket.

Another former captain Aamir Sohail said he was disappointed with the role of the team's coaching staff.

"Where is the coaching/support staff. What is their job description?" he asked.

"Nowadays in modern day cricket it is clear that the role of the support staff is very important and plays a big part in any team's success or defeat. But in our team I don't know what is happening, the players are playing without any plan at all."

Batting great Zaheer Abbas said the players need to realise that they are putting the future of cricket in Pakistan at stake with their shoddy performances.

"We have been playing badly since last year and and with all these controversies people are now becoming disheartened.

These constant changes in the team and the controversies outside the field are also affecting the team's ability to play good solid and sensible cricket," Zaheer said.

Former leg-spinner Abdul Qadir said it was unfortunate but the national team was not moving forward because of the strange policies of the cricket board.

"South Africa is a top team but on a pitch which was good for batting and where conditions were ideal for us and we even won the toss, how can you justify getting out for just 203 runs.

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Butt, Amir, Asif tough to replace - Mohsin Khan

Mohsin Khan, Pakistan's chief selector, is concerned about finding replacements for Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, the trio suspended by the ICC in the spot-fixing scandal, for a tough, upcoming series against South Africa.

The three players were served notices on September 2 after the ICC felt they had "a case to answer", and were initially given two weeks to respond, though this has been extended on the players' request. Of the three, only Salman Butt has filed a formal appeal, while the other two have until October 15 to do the same.

The series of two Twenty20s, five ODIs and two Tests will be played in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and kicks off on October 26; Pakistan are scheduled to leave on October 23. It is highly unlikely any of the trio will be cleared - if at all - in time to take part in the series. In any case, Asif would not have played at all, as he is barred from entering the UAE after he was detained at Dubai airport in June 2008 for being in possession of a banned substance.

Butt's suspension leaves Pakistan without a Test captain as well and contemplating the prospect of appointing a fourth different captain for Tests this year. "They are three of our key players, and will be in the squad if cleared to play," Mohsin said. "It will be really tough for us to find their replacement in case they are not available to play against South Africa.

"We are waiting for the chairman [of the PCB, Ijaz Butt] to return from England," Mohsin said. "He is expected to return later this week after which we will sit down and finalise the team."

The absences mean that former captain Shoaib Malik, who was dropped for the ODIs against England after a poor show in the Tests, can realistically harbour hopes of another return. "I know my form was not very good in the Test matches but I will be back to playing domestic cricket and I am sure I can convince the selectors to give me another chance against South Africa," Malik said.

With the World Cup around the corner, Malik said Pakistan had to identify a core group for the showpiece event. "I think the time has come for the selectors to decide on a nucleus of say 18 to 20 players who can play in the World Cup. We don't have much time now to experiment, we need to start forming the World Cup combination." 

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The thing about Pakistan

Those of us used to lulling ourselves to sleep with thoughts of great Pakistani cricket feats have been having a hard time lately. Even as recently as a few weeks ago, a silken Mohammad Yousuf late cut between gully and point, a Mohammad Asif in-cutter through bat and pad, or a bludgeoned pull into the stands by Shahid Afridi – or, for the nostalgic-minded, Imran Khan merely turning at the top of his bowling mark, Javed Miandad doing little more than taking guard, or Wasim Akram simply flashing a smile – would have been enough to sink even the most resistant insomniac fan into gentle stupor and a blissful night’s sleep.

As of the last three weeks, these images have not been coming as readily to mind as they once did. In their place, thoughts of misguided fast bowlers delivering suspicious no-balls and sleazy bookies counting a tableful of money have invaded the senses. Not that the betting scandal has been something particularly unusual. After all, off-the-record talk of match-fixing and spot-fixing has been going on in Pakistan cricket for a while. And as far as crises go, for the last few years Pakistan cricket has been going through one monster turn of events after another.

But the August 29 newsflash was spiced with enough salacious detail to take over the conversation completely. Still, any storm is expected to die down after a few days, and by now you would have thought the headlines would move on to an expectant wait, as the ICC appoints a tribunal and fact-finding begins. But a scandal-mongering British tabloid press is refusing to let go, and the sleaze and muck just keeps coming.

In Pakistan, most of us have learned that the most effective means of redirecting a cricket conversation is to play hard and play well. This lesson may have been lost on PCB chairman Ijaz Butt, who keeps talking in public as if he is holding forth with cronies in a drawing room in Lahore, but the coach-captain combination of Waqar Younis and Shahid Afridi, scarred veterans of multiple wars, knows it well.

Wounds were too fresh for any kind of fight back in the two-match Twenty20 series, but in the opening ODI in Durham the team walked out with purpose. That contest may have been lost by 24 runs, but it was clear that Pakistan had hit their stride. The next match at Headingley was stretched to the final over, but it was a 320-330 pitch and a target of 295 for a formidable English side led by an in-form Andrew Strauss was never going to be enough. Then came the victory at The Oval, one of Pakistan’s most reliable hunting grounds, and with it dreams of a victory to follow at Lord’s, and a decider at the Rose Bowl.

I’ll be honest. When the boundaries were coming thick and fast for Andrew Strauss and Steve Davies as they chased down 266 with a century opening stand last night, I had given up. Several other comrades, judging by the despondency of their text messages, had given up too. It was approaching midnight in Pakistan and a warm bed seemed far more inviting than fuming and stewing in frustration.

Then a wicket fell, and another. Sleep vanished. The ball began to reverse, boundaries dried up, and text messages began flying furiously. Eventually, Eoin Morgan stood between Pakistan and victory. Afridi had already dropped him, and this “little Irish genius” – as Osman Samiuddin described him in an urgent missive – was determined to cash in.

When Morgan top edged Shoaib Akhtar, I switched my television off. The ball rose alarmingly into the night sky, triggering a long-hidden reflex in my right thumb, which clamped down on the clicker. Even in the best of times, the idea of Pakistani fielders catching a skier is riddled with anxiety. On this occasion, it unleashed sheer panic.

After a few seconds, I turned the TV back on, but muted the sound and shielded my eyes from the screen. Holding my breath, I moved my hand just enough to allow a peek at the score line. From 211 for 7, it had changed to 211 for 8. Morgan was walking back and England were as good as gone. I realised I hadn’t indulged in these antics for many years, not since I was 15, which was thirty years ago.

That’s the deal with Pakistan. It may be a team that from time to time punches its fans in the stomach and kicks them in the face, but it is also a team that even in middle-age can make you feel like a teenager once again. Take that, forces of evil, whoever you are, wherever you are.
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Pakistan unlikely favourites ahead of decider

Big picture

Were it not for all the scandal and controversy that has rocked cricket this summer, Wednesday's Rose Bowl decider between England and Pakistan would surely be seen as a fitting finale to a classic series. It is a testament to the pedigree of these two teams in one-day cricket that, despite the continuing rumblings, rumours, allegations and counter-allegations, they have managed to produce four watchable and absorbing contests and while there may well be further addition to the ongoing off-field saga ahead of the fifth and final match, the cricket itself will surely be of the highest standard.

England were on the brink of pulling out of the series before the fourth match at Lord's and the ECB announced that it would be taking legal action against Ijaz Butt, the chairman of the PCB, after his allegations that England's players accepted a bribe to lose the third ODI at The Oval. But the tour has continued and after coming back from 2-0 down it seems increasingly apparent that Pakistan's cricketers have been better able than England's to maintain their focus amid a couple of hard-fought encounters.

Admittedly, Pakistan have relied largely on the personal brilliance of Umar Gul, who took 10 wickets in the two victories, to put them in this position. But Gul's performances have also had a noticeable effect on the rest of the team and amid the controversy Pakistan have rallied to seize the momentum. Kamran Akmal appears a changed man after his horrific form in Tests this summer, the batting order as a whole has grown in confidence and Shoaib Akhtar has defied age and injury with a string of consistent performances. Add to that Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi's destructive batting and allround ability and Saeed Ajmal's guile, and Pakistan look like formidable opponents.

England, on the other hand, seem jaded at the end of a long and arduous summer and it will surely be a relief to get this final match out of the way, whatever the result. England have dominated five series across three formats this season but a chaotic and controversial end would hardly be the best preparation ahead of a challenging winter in Australia. England will want to end on a positive note, but will be even more desperate to move on as quickly as possible once it is all over.

Form guide (last five completed matches)

England LLWWW
Pakistan WWLLWL

Watch out for...

Andrew Strauss has led England from the front all summer, appearing an assured, attacking captain and a batsman of increasing authority in all formats. Strauss will recognise the importance of a series win despite the overwhelming clamour of off-field distractions in recent days and his sparkling form makes him a vital component at the top of the order.

Umar Gul is currently without equal with an old, reverse-swinging ball in his hands in one-day cricket, and his potency was further increased under lights in the two London encounters. Perhaps crucially, the decider will also be a day/night affair and if Pakistan bat first once again - and the batsmen can scrap their way to a competitive total - Gul could well be Pakistan's hero once more.

Team news

Paul Collingwood has endured droughts and lean runs in the past, but he has appeared so woefully out of nick in recent games that he is a strong candidate for a rest with more important challenges ahead in the coming months. Luke Wright and Ravi Bopara are both primed to push for his spot in the middle order, but England are otherwise a settled unit.

England (possible) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Steve Davies (wk), 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Michael Yardy, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson

Pakistan have struck a winning combination and, barring injury, are likely to stick with the same starting XI. Shoaib Akhtar appeared to be struggling with a side strain towards the end of his spell at Lord's, but the word from the Pakistan camp is that he is fit to play in Wednesday's decider.

Pakistan (probable) 1 Kamran Akmal (wk), 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Asad Shafiq, 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Fawad Alam, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Abdul Razzaq, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Shoaib Akhtar

Pitch and conditions

The Rose Bowl had a reputation as a seamer's paradise in its early years, but the pitch has settled down considerably since then. The last ODI at the ground, between England and Australia in June, was a reasonably high-scoring affair featuring an Eoin Morgan ton and some tap for the spinners on both sides. With fine weather in prospect, the challenge of batting under lights will be less daunting than it might otherwise have been, although - it being late September and all - temperatures are likely to be on the low side once again.

Stats and Trivia

• Andrew Strauss has been in top form this summer, with 1,122 international runs since Bangladesh visited in May. While his Test form has been reasonable, Strauss's transformation into an attacking limited-overs opener has been remarkable, and he's scored 781 runs in 13 games, including two hundreds and a top score of 154. He's also hit 12 of his 30 international sixes this summer.
  
• If Pakistan bowl under lights, Umar Gul will surely be their most potent weapon. He has 45 wickets in the second innings of day/night ODIs at 21.20 as compared to his career average of 26.32. He now averages 17.92 in ODIs against England.
  
• Despite Gul's night-time prowess, Pakistan will have to overcome a statistical trend if they are to win bowling second at the Rose Bowl. Three of the four day/night ODIs played there have been won by the side batting second, including Pakistan on their last visit in 2006.
  

Quotes

"I've got to give a lot of credit to my players for the professional manner they went about their business, and ultimately I'm very proud of them from that point of view. I've got to give a lot of credit to the players from both sides for doing that."
England captain Andrew Strauss has been impressed by the ability of both sides to focus on the cricket in this scandal-hit series

"The boys really performed to the best of their ability, and this is what Pakistan is really all about. We are here to play good cricket."
Strauss's opposite number, Shahid Afridi, is keen to let Pakistan's cricket do the talking

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Pakistan High Commissioner defends Butt's comments

Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan's high commissioner, has insisted that the growing quarrel over match-fixing allegations will not affect relations between Britain and Pakistan and deflected criticism of recent allegations made against England by Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, calling Butt's comments "a very innocent argument".

The ECB has announced that it will be taking legal action against Butt after describing his allegations that England's players accepted a bribe to lose the third ODI at The Oval as "wholly irresponsible and completely without foundation".

Pakistan's tour will be completed with a series decider at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday, but the tension between the two camps has been palpable and spilled over into a physical confrontation between Jonathan Trott and Wahab Riaz in the nets before the fourth match at Lord's on Monday.

Hasan, however, sought to downplay Butt's comments. "Mr Butt made a very innocent argument," Hasan told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "He said it's very strange that, when Pakistan loses a match, people describe it as spot-fixing or fixing of the match. When Pakistan win the match, the same allegations are levelled against it."

He insisted that the escalating row would not have a wider political impact in relations between Pakistan and England. "Will this row sour our relationship? My answer is certainly no. This is a separate matter. Our relationship with the UK was not made overnight. It has its roots in the past. It is on solid ground."

Hasan also defended Pakistan's cricketers, adding: "I can tell you our boys are innocent. I still maintain [that] until proven guilty, they are innocent."

Hugh Robertson, the UK's sports minister, told Today that calls for Pakistan to be thrown out of world cricket would have a negative political impact, saying: "In terms of the wider British-Pakistan relationship, if we were seen to be playing a part in throwing them out of world cricket, that would have a very severe impact across the piece." 

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Conspiracy to defraud Pakistan cricket - Ijaz Butt

A day after the ICC launched a formal investigation into Pakistan's win in the third ODI at The Oval, Ijaz Butt has hit back at what he believes to be a "conspiracy to defraud Pakistan and Pakistan cricket". In an astonishing, prepared statement read out to ESPNcricinfo, the board chairman also indicated that suspicion should be cast on England players from that loss and that the PCB will soon reveal the names of those parties allegedly involved in the conspiracy.

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PCB anger at latest investigation

The PCB has said it is perturbed by the allegations of corruption surrounding the third ODI and expressed its regret at the ICC's handling of the situation, pointing out that it had not been consulted over the latter's decision to lauch an investigation and only learnt of it through the media.

The ICC decided to investigate Friday's match at The Oval after being tipped off by a newspaper prior to the start that bookmakers were aware of some of the scoring patterns that eventually occurred during the play. As the story emerged through the day and the ICC announced it's decision to investigate, it became clear that the Pakistan board had not been informed by the ICC; initially the board chairman Ijaz Butt, the captain Shahid Afridi and team manager Yawar Saeed refused to comment on the story because, they said, they had not been updated on the details. Butt flew to Dubai from Delhi on Saturday, though it is unclear whether he has met with the ICC.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board is extremely perturbed by the recent allegations of corruption in the third ODI between England and Pakistan," the statement read.

"The PCB regrets the way these allegations have been handled as, being a full member of the ICC, it only came to know through the media that investigations would be conducted by the ICC. The PCB feels the ICC should repose more confidence in its members... and further condemns sensationalizing of these allegations which are harming cricket in general and Pakistan in particular."

The ECB held a special board meeting earlier in the day after which it decided the tour would go on, as no "substantiative evidence" had been provided to it or the Pakistan board. Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, wrote to the ICC asking for further evidence and the PCB has followed suit. "The ICC has been requested by PCB through its counsel to furnish more details into these allegations."

This isn't the first time the PCB has disagreed with the ICC since the controversy began during the Lord's Test last month. The ICC's decision to suspend Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - the three players at the centre of the initial spot-fixing controversy - was criticised as being hasty with investigations still underway. At a press conference in Lahore, Butt said both the board and Scotland Yard felt the police investigations should have been completed before the ICC began its own inquiry.

The two clashed last year when the ICC took the decision to strip Pakistan of its rights to host the 2011 World Cup in the aftermath of the Lahore terror attacks and the PCB reacted by sending a legal notice. The dispute was ultimately resolved. 

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PCB, Pak High Commission in UK preparing strong defence for 'tainted' players

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Pakistan High Commission (PHC) in UK is reportedly working with a team of legal experts to prepare a strong defence for the 'tainted' players embroiled in the 'spot-fixing' scandal.
According to The News, PCB officials and PHC diplomats have agreed to back captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, who have strongly denied all charges against them.
Sources said that senior PHC officials are confident that the three players can prove their innocence through the legal process.
The High Commission is also believed to be preparing a case against the News of The World, which carried out a sting operation to unearth the 150,000-pound betting scam.
Sources added that PCB's legal advisor Taffazul Rizvi and Pakistan's Additional Attorney General K.K. Agha are on board, but British lawyers are preparing the case.
"Hectic efforts are being made to prepare a defamation suit against the tabloid on behalf of the three Pakistani cricketers," the newspaper quoted a source, as saying.
"The decision has been taken following a meeting between the players and Pakistan's High Commissioner," the source added.
Earlier, Pakistan's Ambassador to the UK, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, had said that the video evidence against the players may not be genuine.
"Were the videos timed, were they dated... do you have the answers to these questions?" Hasan had said.
When asked whether he thought that the players might have been set up, Hasan said: "Yes, I would say that."
However, News of The World denied the charges and said: "The News of the World refuses to respond to such ludicrous allegations." (ANI)
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Stop the tour, save the game

Before anything else, let this be said. No two cricketers have brought more joy in the last 12 months to the true lover of the game than Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif. Say what you must about the spectacles of strokeplay or close finishes in the shorter forms, there is nothing quite as sensational, or dramatic, as a pair of quick bowlers bursting through a batting line-up. And none has provided these more regularly - and more eye-pleasingly - than the two Ms, who have in a short time built a partnership worthy of comparison with the two Ws.

What tragedy, then, not only for Pakistan but for anyone who cherishes a good contest between bat and ball, that the two should find themselves entwined in a controversy of the most heinous kind. Judgements mustn't be rushed, and life has prepared us for bizarre twists, but irrespective of where the story ends, Pakistan cricket has again plunged into an abyss, and till the players are either absolved or punished, the game will not feel normal.

It is difficult to remember anything more unreal on a cricket field than the final session of Pakistan's last Test of the English summer. The fizz had gone out of what had been a delightful series. There was the obligation of Test to be finished, but did anyone have the heart to play? The English players seemed to go through the motions, perhaps deflated by the thought that a magnificent come-from-behind victory was now certain to be overshadowed by events off the field.

What must have been going through the minds of the Pakistani cricketers? It was impossible to take one's eyes off Amir, but for reasons different than those of a couple of days ago, when he was utterly compelling as he glided in and made magic with the ball. Now you watched him walk in with the knowledge that every eye in the stands looked on in judgement. A wan smile tried to hide the storm that surely raged within as he tried to defend his mere wicket with a shadow looming over his honour. The heart ached for the bowler who had captivated us all year. Surely a boy so gifted couldn't have let his soul be corrupted at such a tender age? It was a relief when Graeme Swann spun a ball past his bat and bowled him. Surely we'd see Amir bowl in a Test match again? The alternative is too depressing to contemplate.

The bond between the fan and the sports hero is among the purest in the world. It is also among the most sacrosanct. Fans might appear impossibly demanding and cruelly unforgiving at times of failure, but in reality their affection is unconditional. The most important aspect of this relationship, however unilateral, is faith. Fans may curse their heroes in the hour of disappointment, but they rarely lose faith in them. Failure hurts because it is real. Sportspersons can sometimes be forgiven for taking adulation for granted, but they must never test, much less abuse, faith. Once shaken, faith is the hardest to restore.

That's why the administrators must act urgently, decisively and clinically. Nothing can be more damning and debilitating for a sport than allegations that faith has been sold. Cricket was lucky to recover from the last match-fixing scandal as quickly as it did, but the loyalty of fans cannot be taken for granted.

Irrespective of how the investigations go, Pakistani administrators must ask some tough questions of themselves. Why is it that their cricket has not managed to shake off the ghost of match-fixing? Why will the whispers around their team not go away? Is it because the board itself is so dysfunctional and so utterly shambolic that it has been unable to provide any sense of stability, let alone guidance, to its cricketers?

Or is it because it never managed to make a clean break with the match-fixing, merely chopping down a few rotten trees but letting the seeds remain? Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum, who presided over the match-fixing enquiry and himself admitted to being lenient towards a player or two, has blamed the PCB for not implementing his recommendations in full. Too many players indicted by him were let off with fines and left within the system. It's hard to tell what message it sent to the players, and hard also to deny that the taint of match-fixing has never been fully cleansed.

True, innocence must be presumed till guilt is established, but the videos are disturbing and the allegations grave. It's hard to imagine how normal cricket can be played under such circumstances. Until the players are absolved, or punished - and anyone, however promising, found to have compromised the sport must be banned for life - cricket will be meaningless.

The PCB must suspend the tour and get on with the business of finding the truth. Among other things, there has been talk of matches in the ODI series being fixed. Cricket can't be played in an atmosphere where even a fair result will be doubted. It's terrible for the fans and even worse for the players.

The cost of losing out on a few one-day games is a trifle before the cost of the sanctity of the game. Mohammad Amir must either stand tall or never bowl a ball again. Nothing in between is acceptable. 

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Pak face more allegations of match fixing

More skeletons tumbled out today in the match-fixing saga with reports saying that the first Test between England and Pakistan in the just-ended series and Pakistan and Australia in Sydney in January were also fixed.

Meanwhile, another report claimed that the Pakistani players were found with cash exceeding their daily allowances during a Scotland Yard raid on Saturday night.

The bookie at the center of the storm, Mazhar Majeed, who was arrested on Saturday and released on bail last night, is seen claiming that the result of the Sydney Test between Australia and Pakistan was rigged in the video of the sting operation conducted by British tabloid 'The News of the World'.

In the video, Majeed is seen boasting about the fixed result of the Sydney Test and the money he earned from it.

"Let me tell you the last Test we did. It was the second Test against Australia in Sydney. Australia had two more wickets left. They had a lead of 10 runs and Pakistan had all their wickets remaining.

"The odds for Pakistan to lose that match, for Australia to win that match, were I think 40-1. We let them get up to 150 then everyone lost their wickets," newspapers here quoted Majeed as saying in the sting video.

"We made 1.3 million pounds on that one. But that's what I mean, you can get up to a million. Tests is where the biggest money is because those situations arise."

Australia clinched an unlikely 36-run win in the match after Pakistan lost nine wickets for a mere 89 runs. Pakistani Wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal dropped four catches in the match which helped Australia recover from a potentially losing situation.

The ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit had investigated the match but gave it an all-clear.

Compounding the Pakistan cricket team's woes was a report which claimed that the side's players rigged the opening Test against England, which the hosts won by a massive 354 runs last month in Nottingham.

According to British tabloid 'The Sun', Scotland Yard's Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick was told about Pakistani players being involved in match fixing a month ago.

"Police were told a month ago about match-fixing in the England v Pakistan Test series. Scotland Yard's Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick was tipped off over alleged corruption in the first match," the tabloid claimed.

Quoting a source, the newspaper said that an informer had given "credible" information about match-fixing by Pakistani players to the police here.

"The information given to Assistant Commissioner Dick was credible. But such an investigation would have soaked up a huge amount of resources, with no guarantee of a result," the source was quoted as saying.

"The intelligence was still being analyzed to see if there was any possible way forward. It now transpires that corruption has continued.

"With what emerged yesterday and the information supplied four weeks ago, it's hard to see how people will look at cricket the same again. Millions will have been watching on Sunday wondering if it was real or not," he added.

The new revelations are bound to damage the Pakistan cricket team's reputation even more after the sting operation "exposed" 'spot-fixing' by pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir, who were allegedly paid by Majeed to send down no balls during the lost Lord's Test against England.

The Pakistani cricketers implicated in the scandal, including Test captain Salman Butt, Asif, Aamir and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, have had their mobile phones and reportedly their passports confiscated by the police.

But the storm has failed to force a resignation from Butt, who has reacted by saying that, "I haven't heard any allegations, except just taking my name. There's nothing I've seen or been shown on TV that involves me."But rattled by the bookie's claim about the Sydney Test, Cricket Australia said the allegations are "most disturbing" and called for a thorough investigation into the scandal.

"The reports from the UK are most disturbing and we look forward to the outcome of rigorous investigation by the UK authorities as well as by the ICC," CA chief James Sutherland said.

"It is critical for cricket that the public has confidence in the integrity of the outcome of games, which is why CA and other ICC members have supported the significant world cricket investment in anti corruption over the last decade or more," Sutherland added.

Sutherland said that so far CA has not had doubts about the Sydney Test.

"CA had been in no doubt that Australia had won that game on the merit of their on-field performance and will now wait on evidence from UK and ICC investigations before making any further comment," he said in a CA statement.

Equally disturbed by the turn of events was Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who said if the match-fixing slur is proved right, all individual milestones by his players in the Sydney game would be "tainted".

"The thing that I'm most worried about if any of this is proven to be true is some of the individual performances that took place in that game," he said.

"You look at Mike Hussey's second innings hundred and Peter Siddle's batting and the way he was with Mike Hussey that day and Nathan Hauritz taking five wickets on the final day to win us the game.

"All of those individual milestones will be tainted as well," he added.

Ponting insisted that he never suspected anything fishy during the match.

"Not at the time, no, I had no idea about anything like that at all," Ponting told 'ABC Radio'.

"The way we won was one of the more satisfying moments that I've had on the cricket field. And now when some of these things come to light is when you start to slightly doubt some of the things that have happened. It's not up to us to worry about that anyway," he added.

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Waqar & Co furious over team selection

LAHORE: While the limited-overs series against England nearing, another crisis seems to be knocking Pakistan cricket after it emerged that coaches of the national team are not happy with the team selection, and were even about to quit the job before refraining from taking such an earth-shattering decision.
According to sources, head coach Waqar Younis, assistant coach Aaqib Javed and fielding coach Ijaz Ahmed, with Pakistan playing the final Test against England at Lord’s, had given their input regarding changes for the limited-overs contests — including two Twenty20s and five One-day Internationals starting with the first Twenty20 in Cardiff on Sept 5.

However, after the PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt’s meeting with limited-overs skipper Shahid Afridi and chief selector Mohsin Khan in Lahore on Tuesday, the chief selector picked the limited-overs team, claiming other members of the selection committee and the head coach had been taken into confidence before announcement of the 16-member squad with five changes.

Though sources said all the three coaches in England were all set to drop a bombshell by quitting the job after finding that their recommendations over the team selection were not being given any weight, later, they reviewed their decision and refrained from taking such a big step during the tour.

As Mohsin is also to go to England to witness the limited-overs matches and to discuss planning with the captain, coaches and manager about future competitions including the forthcoming series against South Africa in the UAE, there are chances that Waqar, Aaqib and Ijaz Ahmed will lodge a strong protest for not taking them into confidence while naming the limited-overs squad.

Surprisingly, the PCB has decided to finalise the ODI team here in Pakistan instead of doing it in England, where all the stakeholders are available for detailed discussions.

Players who have been selected for the ODIs and Twenty20s are Mohammad Hafeez, Fawad Alam, Shahzaib Hasan, Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Akhtar. While those were axed are Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Umar Amin, Shoaib Malik and untested pace bowler Tanvir Ahmed. 

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Yousuf returns to limited-over squads

Mohammad Yousuf's rehabilitation back into the Pakistan fold is complete as the batsman was recalled to a 16-man squad to face England in a five-ODI series and two Twenty20 internationals in September. There was no recall, however, for Yousuf's long time middle-order ally, Younis Khan, the selection committee and captain claiming he has not been "cleared" by the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt.

In another significant move, Shoaib Malik, a limited-overs fixture in Pakistan sides for a number of years, has been dropped. Mohsin Khan, the chairman of selectors, was economical with his words when asked about the significance of Malik's dropping. "Lack of form, lack of performance," he told Cricinfo.

Yousuf was retired from all cricket until recently in protest at an indefinite ban from selection the board had placed on him. After being cleared by the PCB, though, he answered an SOS to bolster an inexperienced and flimsy middle order in the England Test series and played a vital role in Pakistan's third Test win at The Oval. Yousuf had led Pakistan in four ODIs in Australia at the turn of the year but missed their last ODI assignment, the Asia Cup in June, because of the punishment.

Younis had also played in the ODIs in Australia, but with limited success. In the aftermath of the tour, he was also handed the same punishment as Yousuf but has not been able to reach a resolution with the board. A number of other players who were banned have reached a compromise with Butt and had their punishments overturned. "I asked the chairman PCB about the situation with Younis twice," captain Shahid Afridi said. "But the clearance wasn't given by the PCB. I did what I had to do."

The other major news is the axing of Malik, who also had a ban imposed and lifted in quick time after the Australia tour. Malik was in poor form during the ongoing Test series in England and was dropped from the side for the third Test. Over the last 12 months Malik averaged 30 with the bat in 11 ODIs, with only one fifty-plus score: a Champions Trophy hundred against India. Take that out and he averaged 20

The squad is a significant one as the countdown begins to the 2011 World Cup, due to start in February. Afridi said he was looking to build a pool of 20-25 players between now and then; Pakistan are scheduled to take on England, South Africa, New Zealand and possibly Zimbabwe in ODIs in that time.

In that light, two notable performers from the Tests against England have been called up. Azhar Ali, who played two innings of immense significance amid a sequence of low scores, had his first limited-overs call up. Wahab Riaz, who was a part of the ODI squad two years ago, also returned following an impressive Test debut at The Oval.

"In a 50-over game, there is still a lot of batting to be done," Mohsin said. "We've had problems batting the fulll quota of overs in the past so we felt the need for batsmen in this squad who can play long innings. Yousuf is one, and that is why he is in the side, and Azhar we feel is another."

Three others picks are significant. Fawad Alam, whose exclusion from the Asia Cup and the England Tests , was criticised, returned to beef up a lower middle-order in which he impressed in Australia. Mohammad Hafeez, in and out of the side, over the last two years came back in place of Imran Farhat, presumably as an opening option. And Shoaib Akhtar continued his remarkable return to the international scene, retaining his place from the Asia Cup and the Twenty20 internationals against Australia to complete a strong pace attack that includes Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir and a fit-again Umar Gul, alongisde Riaz.

Squad: Shahid Afridi (capt), Salman Butt, Shahzaib Hasan, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Yousuf, Azhar Ali, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Fawad Alam, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Wahab Riaz.

Reserves: Sarfraz Ahmed, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Irfan, Abdur Rehman. 

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Pakistan poised for redemption

That old Pakistan trait for doing the unthinkable has resurfaced. At tea on Friday afternoon their miserable series seemed to be getting worse as Alastair Cook laid a platform for a large England lead with a belligerent century. Kevin Pietersen had started off with positive intent and was forming a steady alliance with Jonathan Trott, who demonstrated his typically unflappable patience at the crease. Pakistan's bowlers had toiled hard through the first two sessions for the paltry return of two wickets.

Then something bizarre started to happen. The sellout crowd, which was clapping and joyously celebrating England gaining the upperhand suddenly started to grimace before eventually falling silent. In the penultimate hour of the day, England lost six wickets with the A-team of Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Amir playing destroyers-in-chief. Not for the first time Pakistan had pulled the rug from under the opponent's feet.

Turn back the clock and you will find many moments where Pakistan's bowlers have stunned the senses with their wizardry: through the tumultuous English summer of '92, then the one-off Hamilton Test a year later when New Zealand plunged from 67 for 3 to 93 all out chasing 127; At Lord's in 1996 England, batting for a draw on the fifth day, were going steady at 171 for 2 chasing an unattainable 408 before being shunted out for 242. Move on to Old Trafford in 2001 when England again were aiming for a draw on the final day before Pakistan snapped up eight quick wickets in the final session. If Australia do not give up till the very last minute, Pakistan have a unique ability to surprise at any time.

Coming back to The Oval, Pakistan were playing second fiddle in the first two sessions. The demons of the past defeats on this tour returned when Cook was dropped in his 20s as a thick outside edge flew between the yawning divide between the first two slips: Imran Farhat and Yasir Hameed. Both men stared at each other like wax models. Salman Butt rushed across and moved them into the right positions.

Far from being hilarious, it was getting frustrating for the bowlers. The prevailing blanket of grey cloud was the right canvas for Mohammad Asif to paint England's doom. But the slowness of the pitch restricted him from using a free hand. Still he persevered by trying to inject more pace and force the batsman to play on the backfoot. Immediately after lunch Trott played out three maidens from Asif before taking his first run after a 22-ball score-less sequence. Asif was growing tired and his frustration spilled out when he gifted Cook a comeback century with an unnecessary shy which flew over the wicketkeeper's head.

At the other end Ajmal was constantly firing in his doosra which both Cook and Trott, and later Pietersen, struggled to read, but they kept getting easy runs off the loose balls in the over. Wahab Riaz, who had celebrated his debut with a five-for on the first day, had only one wicket, that of Cook mid-way through the second session. England's lead was building. All this was not going according to script for Pakistan.

There had already been signs of spin and bounce, which Graeme Swann utilised cleverly yesterday. The combination of a dry surface and an old ball also made conditions ripe for reverse swing. Yet Amir was given just two overs between lunch and tea. Allied with Ajmal's struggle to find his rhythm early on, it all amounted to further frustration. Butt, however, had a plan and stuck to it. The reason he did not unleash Amir, he later explained, was because he did not want to exhaust all his bowlers at the same time.

When Amir returned for the final session he immediately cupped both hands to hide the shine on the ball and got enough reverse swing to force doubts into the batsman's mind. Once again, he got a wicket in his first over. Trott, despite his long vigil, chased a wide, angling delivery to offer a simple catch. Paul Collingwood was beaten by subtle away movement while Matt Prior, England's best batsman in the series, was clueless. It was not that Amir was unplayable. He just invaded the batsman's psyche with the thought that he could do something special.

It proved to be a catalyst for Ajmal at the other end, who mixed his variations cleverly from around the stumps, and quickly got the big scalps of Pietersen and Eoin Morgan. "The mystery ball [doosra] has done the trick for him as most batsmen find it hard to pick," Butt said. "Even till today we can't pick it in the nets." The biggest problem for the batsman, Butt reckons, is Ajmal is the only bowler who delivers both the straight one and the one comes back a little bit with the same action.

Saturday could mark a special day for Pakistan. Their foot soldiers, the bowlers, have got them once again to the doorstep of victory. The significance of a win at The Oval will not have escaped them. On August 20, 2006 Pakistan forfeited a match after ball tampering allegations were levelled against them. On August 20, 2010 they stand tall and clean with a chance for redemption. 

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Ijaz responsible for downfall of Pakistan cricket: Malik

LAHORE: Former Pakistan Test cricketer Aamir Malik has said that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt is responsible for downfall of Pakistan cricket. Talking to Deustsche Welle Radio on Wednesday, Aamir said that due to negligence of the PCB the game was dying at the grassroots and club levels. “This is the reason why Pakistan team is struggling. The present Pakistan team has no quality batsman apart from Mohammad Yousuf and the national selectors have no choice other than selecting incompetent batsmen for Test cricket,” he added.

Aamir, who scored back-to-back Test centuries against India in 1989, said Ijaz was responsible for the crisis being faced by cricket in the country. “When a head of any organisation have all the powers and money like Ijaz is enjoying than there is no excuse for consistent failures.” He said Ijaz had decorated the top floor of PCB headquarters with big names like Javed Minadad and Wasim Bari but the base was empty and hollow.

Commenting on Pakistan’s recent dismal performance in England, Aamir said without Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan it was written on the wall. Without naming Sohaib Malik and Shahid Afridi, Aamir said when the selection committee includes those players in the Test team, who became batsman after starting their career as spin bowlers one could only expect failure. “It is a big joke for Pakistan cricket.” He said the present team had services of some incompetent batsmen who can’t help to cross 200-mark in a Test match. 47-year-old Aamir, who played 14 Tests and 24 one-day internationals, said one should not blame the coaches for the team’s failures in England. “Waqar Younus and other coaches can only point out shortcomings of the players. It is players’ responsibility to learn and overcome as quickly as possible because they are professional and being paid. Cricket is a situational game and you have to adjust according to different situations and conditions. A coach can not bat or bowl or field.”

Aamir dispelled the impression that the Pakistan batsmen were not scoring in England because there was no home series available to them. “Many of the present lot have been playing for Pakistan for the last over ten years. They have also played many home series as well. But still history is against them because they are not quality players.” To a question regarding new players, Aamir said that Azhar Ali and Umar Amin are young and one should not expect too much from them in most difficult seaming conditions. “But I believe they have good future,” he concluded.

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ICC World XI to tour Pakistan 'in due course' - Clarke

ECB chairman Giles Clarke has called for Pakistan's return as a host of international matches and said an ICC World XI would tour the country "in due course" since it is still not possible for national teams to visit. Pakistan has not hosted international cricket since the March 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team.

"World cricket must keep giving Pakistan cricket the chance to fund itself and move forward, to do something for the spectator in Pakistan," Clarke wrote in the September issue of The Wisden Cricketer magazine. The security challenges are enormous but we cannot allow the terrorists to win. They must lose by an innings - repeatedly.

"So world cricket must go back and play in Pakistan. I do not think it will be possible for individual national teams to tour yet. But with determination and courage an ICC World XI in due course will go and play against Pakistan in her great cities and there will be a marvellous atmosphere."

He said the cricketing world could not afford to forsake a country with such fervent fans and a strong history in the game. "Cricket cannot abandon a nation with such a magnificent history in the game, such wonderful players and such enthusiastic and knowledgeable supporters. It will be an historic moment when international cricket resumes in Pakistan and the first ICC team walks out."

Clarke, who is also chairman of the ICC's Pakistan Task Team, revealed that the inability to host international cricket has resulted in the PCB's income falling from £27 million to £10 million, "a brutal impact that few enterprises could survive; terrorism does not care about its human consequences" he said.

The ECB plans to host more neutral matches featuring Pakistan to help the PCB with its finances. "The ECB intends to assist in staging more Pakistan games here [England] in 2011 and 2012," Clarke said. "The atmosphere, the passionate support and, of course, the tremendous cricket played by the Pakistan team made it a compelling experience. The PCB's economic needs make it imperative."

Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman welcomed the announcement and expressed his gratitude for Clarke's efforts. "It is indeed heartening to note that the cricket fraternity is working on revival of cricket in Pakistan. I am very grateful to Mr. Giles Clarke who is a dear friend of Pakistan, for pursuing our case and working tirelessly in bringing international cricket back to Pakistan," he said.

Ijaz Butt's views were echoed by Pakistan captain Salman Butt, who said it would be a major boost for followers of cricket in his country. "It would be wonderful to have any kind of international cricket going on in Pakistan and if all the players can come and do this favour for Pakistan cricket it would be wonderful.

"People of Pakistan are cricket lovers and they are their heroes not only from Pakistan but from around the world and they love watching them. hey are great admirers of people playing around th world so if that happens it would be great for Pakistan cricket," he said.

England captain Andrew Strauss said the initiative would benefit Pakistan's young players who would needed exposure at the highest level. "The key for them is to get as much cricket as possible. They've been starved over the last couple of years. For some of their younger players, the more experience they get the better they'll be. The international cricketing community has to help out teams like Pakistan who have difficulties at home," he said.

Strauss was open to the possibility of touring Pakistan with the World XI side, provided it were declared safe. England's 2008 tour of India was jeopardised by the Mumbai terrorist attacks, forcing the squad to head back home midway through the ODI series. Strauss was part of the Test side that returned to India to play a rescheduled series. "In the wake of Mumbai bombings, I've always felt it was wrong not to go somewhere if security people said it was safe. They make that judgment with as much information as they can. If they said it was safe to go I'd certainly consider it."

Strauss said that while the cricketing world had a responsibility towards Pakistan due to their situation, it should not extend to the field of play. "With the natural disasters there, some of the difficulties they've had in terms of terrorism over the last couple of years it's very difficult for their players to keep their minds on the job and play at their best. We can have sympathy for them in that sense, but it doesn't come into it on the pitch. It's like getting into a boxing ring: you can't have sympathy for the guy you're competing against," he said. 

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Miandad, Malik against specialist coaches

Former captains have rubbished the idea of having specialist coaches with the Pakistan team which is presently struggling in the Test series in England.

Former captain and director-general of cricket in the Pakistan Cricket Board, Javed Miandad said he did not believe in the concept of separate coaches.

"I believe there should be just one head coach who should have a strong cricketing background and be able to guide the players in every department. Having different coaches for batting, bowling or fielding will only cause confusion in the team and undermine the authority of the head coach," Miandad said.

"I don't think the national team is the place for players to learn something or take coaching. I just feel that there should be one head coach who is a good administrator and motivator," Miandad said.

Miandad noted that in international cricket there was no room for learning basics.

"Once you are selected for the national team you are expected to perform as a professional. A coach can only fine-tune a player," he said.

Some former players have urged the PCB to appoint a specialist batting and fielding coach with the national team after the players floundered in the departments on the ongoing England tour.

Miandad said that the batsmen just needed to learn the art of staying at the crease and putting a high value on their wicket.

"They are giving away their wicket too easily. I think Zulqarnain Haider and Saeed Ajmal showed in the second innings of the second Test how you should fight and play," he said.

Haider and Ajmal featured in a 100-run partnership for the eight wicket in the second Test to save Pakistan from an innings defeat.

Another former captain Salim Malik, who is serving a life ban for his alleged involvement in match-fixing, agreed with Miandad, saying a coach's job is only restricted to suggestions and guidance.

"There is a limit to what a coach can do. Yes it is the job of the coach to guide the players but at the end of the day. the players have to go out there and perform," he said.

Malik noted that in the past great players like Imran Khan, Miandad or Inzamam-ul Haq did not get specialised coaching while playing for Pakistan but still performed.

"In cricket it is the individual which matters. I think we are laying too much blame on the coaches. What can a coach do if a player does not follow his advice," he said. 

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There's more to Pakistan than Punjab and Karachi

A batsman from Karachi and a bowler from Punjab and that's your lot. For years this has been the truth of Pakistan cricket. On this has been built the Lahore-Karachi tale, a healthy, productive rivalry when times are good and a crippling divide when days are bad.

It has been around probably forever, though it first picked up some heat during the late 60s, when Karachi's Hanif Mohammad and Lahore's Saeed Ahmed (both born in pre-partition India incidentally) slugged it out for the captaincy. Not coincidentally, Pakistan was struggling.

Its most visible face came in the days of Imran Khan and Javed Miandad, days in which it became clear how much good and damage can be done by the tensions, egos, talents, friction and cooperation of two cities. They are actually two schools of thought. The roles are defined. The groans come from Karachi, where little excuse is needed to be a victim. Lahore simply carries on with the unconcern of the entitled.

The more Pakistan fails, the louder becomes this dispute. No one cares, after all, that the XI that won the 1992 World Cup final had nine players from Punjab (five from Lahore, but Karachiites will lump all of Punjab together to strengthen their case) and two from Karachi. The break-up of the XI that drew with West Indies in 1987-88 was usually of seven players from Punjab and four from Karachi.

Bad times are at hand again and so Karachi's belated outburst about the selection of the Test squad for the tour to England. Fourteen members of the 17-man squad are from Punjab, eight from Lahore alone. Tanvir Ahmed is the only Karachiite left. If neither Yasir Hameed nor Tanvir makes the cut in the next XI, the entire side will be from Punjab. That will be the first time ever in Pakistan's 351 Tests that the entire side is from one province. And if Tanvir doesn't replace Umar Gul, it will be the first Pakistan Test side ever to not have a single player from Karachi. To boot, David Dwyer's endearing Sydney drawl is the only non-Punjabi voice to be heard among the coaching and management staff.

Two points to consider. The immediate one is the Karachi gripe of bias and a lack of merit in selection. Many questions have been flung the way of cricket's governors, some more answerable than others. Why is Mohammad Sami not in, especially after that Sydney morning burst? Answer: Because, surely, he is Mohammad Sami, of 34 Tests, 84 wickets, and a 50-plus average. Where is Faisal Iqbal? Presumably somewhere near where a man with four fifties in his last 14 Tests (average 24) might be. The point nobody in Karachi raises is of the role Shahid Afridi, presently the city's most popular son, played in picking this squad.

Others are tougher. How does Shoaib Malik, for example, after nine years of not convincing anyone that he can play Tests, continue to deny Fawad Alam an opportunity in the middle order? What sin has Sarfraz Ahmed committed? Having been Kamran Akmal's understudy for three years, he was given one Test, where he dropped no chances, and is now not even in the Pakistan A side. Did Danish Kaneria deserve to be dumped from the squad altogether after one poor Test? If so, then jettison as well the keeper who has missed 17 chances off him alone over 24 Tests. And try as they might, still nobody has a convincing theory as to why Wahab Riaz is in this Test squad. If you chuck in the cases of Khurram Manzoor (77 in Hobart in his last Test innings), Khalid Latif (averaging 46 as opener over the last four domestic seasons, with 11 hundreds but zero Test calls) and Asad Shafiq (this season's top scorer in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy), a certain Karachi fury is understandable.

But consider the second point, of far graver concern. The great conceit of the two great cities is to act as if nothing exists beyond them, that the roughly 150 million people outside don't matter.

In 58 years as a Test nation not a single player from Balochistan - the largest province area-wise - has represented Pakistan. Not a single Test player has come from the vast, forgotten interiors of Sind that surround Karachi. Not one even from Hyderabad, where much more depends on Azeem Ghumman, Pakistan's Under-19 and now A team captain, than anyone can imagine. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (formerly NWFP) has produced barely a handful.

Of Pakistan's 18 centrally contracted players, only one is from outside Punjab or Karachi. Of the 19 stipend contracts, given to future stars, 15 are to players from Karachi and Punjab. In the U-19 team that finished runners-up in the World Cup earlier this year, 12 of the 15 were from Punjab and Karachi. Of the country's 200 Test players, a fraction under half come from either the cultural or commercial capital. What Karachi feels now and will feel this week if Tanvir doesn't play, the rest of the country has felt forever.

That a team comprising representatives from more than one province - or one province and the biggest city - cannot be produced in a country this big is damning not just of the current administration but a whole line of them, from the very first. This is how limited the spread of the biggest, most fabulous, most lucrative and most glamorous game, the only game that matters apparently, has actually been in this land.

The lazy, long-held assumption is that there is neither the talent nor the inclination for cricket in a lot of these areas. (In Balochistan, for example, football and hockey are popular.) The same was once said of East Pakistan. Nearly 40 years on, I know which top six I'd rather have. The truth is, no administration has been able or willing to put in place any serious, sustainable development plan for areas beyond these two. No infrastructure has been developed, facilities are poor, and access to the game remains difficult. The curse of modern Pakistan - the security situation in Balochistan and the north-west - has not helped.

It is admirable that players such as Mohammad Zahid and Mohammad Irfan from places as obscure as Gaggu Mandi, or Mohammad Amir from Gujjar Khan, can be found. Cities such as Faisalabad and Sialkot, and smaller satellites such as Sheikhupura, are contributing to the Pakistan side. This is good; cricket, it suggests, is the one grand equaliser in a country of great disparity. But it is not nearly enough because this is also a land of great diversity. 

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Selection case that damns Ijaz But

The Karachi City Cricket Association has called for the removal of Ijaz Butt as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Its central grievance is that Karachi-based players are being discriminated against in the selection process. The facts, they argue, speak for themselves. Tanvir Ahmed is the only Karachi-based player left in the squad.

Critics have started calling the Pakistan team a Punjab XI. They identify the omissions of Younis Khan, Fawad Alam, and even Mohammad Sami as evidence to support their case. Danish Kaneria, another Karachi player, was suddenly chopped from the squad and replaced by a promising Punjabi teenager. With Umar Gul out with injury and Yasir Hameed unable to earn selection, the taunts of Punjab XI may well become reality at the Oval.

If only Punjabis stride out to represent Pakistan in the next Test it will be a shameful moment in the history of Pakistan cricket. The Pakistan team has always been a microcosm of the greater struggle of the Pakistani nation, whose founder's ambitions were to bring together the peoples of the four major provinces of Pakistan. Among the many disasters during the regime of Butt, this suggestion of ethnic prejudice is among the gravest.

Karachi has produced some of the greatest cricketers in the history of Pakistan cricket. Hanif Mohammad, the holder of Pakistan's highest Test score, and Javed Miandad, in my view the best of all Pakistani batsmen, both hail from the heaving, over-populated metropolis that is Pakistan's largest city. Indeed, a neat but inaccurate generalisation suggests that Karachi has produced Pakistan's batsmen while the northern parts have produced the bowlers.

The power struggle between Lahore and Karachi, Punjab and Sind, has been an ever present backdrop to Pakistani life, waxing and waning with political regimes and the passage of time. Now the decision-making of Butt's regime has brought the issue into sharp focus again. He denies any regionalism in the selection process, saying that the selectors have chosen the best players available but here is why he, personally, has a case to answer:

1. The notion of an autonomous selection panel is a myth. Butt has taken too personal an involvement in selection matters, sometimes making decisions without the knowledge of the chairman of selectors. Some of Pakistan's greatest cricketers have begun working with the cricket board and then resigned. Butt's interference has been a deciding factor. Hence the responsibility for the current situation rests with him and his master, the patron of the cricket board.

2. The gross imbalance in the origins of the squad members is a statistic that cannot be ignored. This is not an argument for a quota system, nor is one desirable. But it beggars belief that a province the size of Sind, and with its tradition of cricket, cannot produce more cricketers to represent Pakistan. There are two possible explanations. Either the selection process is biased or the development of cricketers in Sind is being mishandled. In either scenario, Butt and his cricket board are responsible.

3. Some of the omitted Karachi cricketers have arguable cases. One player's case is clear cut. Younis Khan, who the cricket board has admitted has no case to answer, remains unselected. He was available for selection at the start of the tour but wasn't included. Now that the board has decided to recall Mohammad Yousuf - and let us put aside the issue of whether it was right or wrong to change the squad at this point - why is Younis, a Karachi-based player, not offered the same clemency? If anything, Younis had a stronger case for a return considering his recent appearances for Surrey.

The failings of Butt and his PCB regime have become legend. By constantly interfering with selection policy he must take direct responsibility for the failures of selection on this tour, which have left the team pitifully short of viable options. Even the existing options, such as Yasir Hameed, have not been tried. Further, the regional bias in selection, whether through intent or mismanagement, is also his responsibility.

In these circumstance, how can the Pakistani selectors continue in post? Mohsin Khan's reputation is being damaged by the second. A hero of Pakistan cricket is being walked all over. He only need look at the examples of Abdul Qadir and Aamir Sohail to see what the correct course of action is. It takes integrity to step away from a senior position on a point of principle. But integrity is in short supply among those who run Pakistan cricket.

These pages have been calling for Butt's resignation or removal for over a year. This has been the most damaging regime in the history of Pakistan cricket. Butt has run it like a dictator, taking comfort in the strength of his political connections. Meanwhile, the organisation that he runs has disintegrated below him.

The most important outcome of the work of the Pakistan Cricket Board is the performance of the cricketers who represent the aspirations of an embattled nation. The performances speak for themselves. The imbalance in selection means that a team unrepresentative of Pakistan is taking the field. Whatever that team is, however, it deserves our support. But the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, the man who engineered this disaster, does not.

Of course, President Zardari has other matters on his mind, such as dodging shoes and convincing his people that he does care about flood victims. He might also consider the irony that his visit to England was less important to Pakistanis than the visit of his country's cricketers. They are the most visible and engaging ambassadors of Pakistan on the international stage.

Just as Pakistan deserves better from its leaders in so many other spheres, cricket is no exception. While President Zardari would never sack himself, he can easily sack Butt. Politicians, administrators, former players, journalists, and fans need to raise their voices in protest. Zaheer Abbas, a Punjabi living in Karachi, said Pakistan cricket is heading for disaster. I'll go one step further - Butt has led Pakistan cricket to calamity and must be removed.

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Pakistan Cricket:

If the International Cricket Council (ICC) were to institute a doctorate degree for cricket system demolition and team disintegration, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt and his close buddy and manager of the Pakistan team Yawar Saeed will undoubtedly be the first recipients of this unique honour. Some of the highlights of the script of their great thesis and work of research will read as under:

1: Sack a highly successful captain after one defeat – Shoaib Malik.

2: Replace the sacked captain with an individual known for his temperamental nature and egoistic psyche – Younus Khan.

3: At a time when foreign teams are reluctant to tour Pakistan because of security reasons and one particular team undertakes a tour against all odds, do not make sure that security arrangements committed to them are in place – attack on Sri Lanka team which caused injuries to the players and resulted in death of 8 persons. Behave as if nothing has happened and when the ICC match referee who escaped death during this attack talks about the incident, you publicly snub him.

4: The first requirement after this tragedy should have been to go to Sri Lanka and express public sorrow over this tragedy with some compensation for players but this is beyond the PCB officials who are more interested in their own foreign travels and the huge daily allowances that they earn. Example Ijaz’s numerous trips at PCB expense including the latest summer stay in England. Reportedly, he received $48000 as daily allowance during one year alone.

5: Do not bother about completing the basic formality of sending a formal report to the games governing body on this tragic incident despite four reminders and when this requirement is made public, immediately announce that the report has been sent to the sports ministry but they have not returned it or approved it, a statement immediately denied by the ministry in a curt clarification – lying blatantly is the best policy.

6: After turmoil within the Pakistan team, sack Younus as captain and appoint Mohammad Yousaf as captain for the Australian tour without any leadership ability ensuring more trouble within the team – well planned disaster which befell Pakistan team during the Australian tour.

6: Keep sacking captains but do not touch the manager who was responsible for team unity and discipline during the series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) because he is a close buddy of the boss. The manager then says he is not available for any future assignments but is then back as manager for the English tour with greater powers and as adviser in chief – do not touch personal buddies such as Yawar.

7: Appoint a player as Pakistan captain for the English tour who has not played Test cricket for nearly five years. After the first Test in England he resigns without consulting anybody saying he is mentally and physically unfit for Test cricket but would still like to continue in the shorter version of the game! Which other country in the world would appoint a ‘cheat’ as a captain! Remember he was seen by the whole world biting the cricket ball which he acknowledged was an act of cheating and was banned by the ICC for two matches. Honour a player with leadership after this unforgivable crime!

8: Place a ban and impose fine on three successive national captains and then remove these penalties unilaterally to make the country a laughing stock in the entire cricketing world making people like Ricky Ponting say that ‘nothing about Pakistan cricket surprises us.’

9: Interfere repeatedly in team selection and other team related matters to ensure that the team does not settle down.

10: Announce a hefty cash award for the team, all accompanying officials and then show a clenched fist to the world as if the world has been conquered. The fielding coach is also recipient of this award at a time when the team is dropping an average of six to seven catches in every game.

11: Appoint a player as a national coach who is not even living in Pakistan and is settled in Australia.

12: Completely ignore your responsibility as president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Your priorities should include attending a dinner in the Presidency instead of chairing the annual general meeting of ACC, the most important event in the annual calendar of the ACC. While other countries have greatly benefited from this opportunity by getting their people in the paid secretariat of the organiaation, you should feel honoured by having just one development officer who migrated to Canada. This virtue is called bigheartedness at the expense of national interest.

13: Build a protective wall of big cricket names around you by employing them and when you find that they have superior cricket wisdom, greater integrity and self respect, get rid of them one by one.

14: Insult media, Senators, MNAs and PCB staff to show your strength and prove that you are not accountable to anybody because you have been appointed the by the big boss.

15: Make commitments at international level and then go back on them without any remorse.

The thesis had many other highlights. However, the committee constituted to examine this doctorate thesis had unanimously decided that all highlights of the script had been conclusively proved by two gentlemen, Ijaz and Yawar should be immediately awarded Ph.D degrees in a special ceremony attended by all the leading cricket administrators and eminent personalities of the sports world. An extremely impressive ceremony was arranged for this occasion. When Ijaz, clad in an embroidered gown and a hooded cap, walked up to receive this honour, an eminent cricket administrator sitting in the front row stood up and started shouting ‘buffoon, buffoon.’ Another administrator was in the process of taking off his shoes to throw at Ijaz when he was removed by security personnel. I think they were jealous of Ijaz’s extraordinary cricket achievements that have brought so much honour to this flood ravaged country.

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Pak team likely to undergo massive changes

The touring Pakistan squad may undergo some big changes during the remaining part of their tour as pressure grows on PCB, national selectors and team management for the string of defeats in England.

Chief selector Mohsin Khan told PTI that he would be meeting PCB chief Ejaz Butt in the next two days in which future strategies for the team would be discussed.

"It will be an important meeting as we have to discuss the future tours of the Pakistan team as well as the performances on the ongoing tour of England," Mohsin told PTI.

Pakistan team has a packed international calendar until 2011 World Cup with a Test and one-day series scheduled against South Africa in the UAE shortly after the conclusion of the England tour and then a full tour to New Zealand in the winter.

Mohsin said the selectors had a good chance to closely assess the performances of new and senior players in the tests held so far in England.

"The Chairman has given us full support so far in selection matters so I want to discuss the future plans with him for his approval," Mohsin added.

Sources aware of the developments told PTI that the chief selector and other selectors were not happy with the way the team management including the tour selectors had managed things so far in England.

"The selectors are surprised at the decision to neither play Yasir Hameed in the four Tests so far despite the frequent batting collapses as well as the decision to not push Muhammad Yousuf to play the second Test against England although his presence was requested on urgent basis to bolster the batting line up," one source said.

The source said that the selectors also wanted to get a clear policy from the board on the future of former captain, Younus Khan.

"They are keen to get Younus back into the team but now want the board to be clear about it as well. So far the board has not given any rational reason for keeping Younus out of the team after having now also invited Yousuf to join the team," he said.

Another source said that the chief selector would discuss with the PCB Chairman the possibility of bolstering the team in England as well as the composition of the side for the one-day series that follows in September.

"There is also the matter of the board announcing the appointment of a new selector in place of Salim Jaffer whose contract was not renewed by the board after it expired on July 31st," the source added. 

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