Botham is biased, stupid, foolish: Mohsin

  Pakistan's chief selector Mohsin Khan has lashed out at former England captain Ian Botham, describing him as a "biased, stupid, foolish" person who has an axe to grind with Pakistan cricket.     MORE.......

Amir: Salman Butt lured me into spot-fixing

Barely five days after the end of their scandal-hit tour of England, fresh turmoil gripped the Pakistan cricket team with suspended pacer Mohammad Amir’s shocking revelation that he was lured into spot-fixing by Test skipper Salman Butt.

The 18-year-old pacer was suspended by the ICC for his alleged involvement in spot-fixing during the fourth Test against England at Lord’s last month, along with Butt and Mohammad Asif.

Sources in the PCB said Amir had told chairman Ijaz Butt that he never wanted to be part of this “business” (spot-fixing) but was forced into it by Butt and Asif.

“Amir had gone to Butt and claimed he was innocent and a victim of the “seniors power lobby” in the team,” a source told PTI.

But the PCB refuted the reports with legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi saying that the implicated players continue to claim innocence.

“All three boys have been saying all along that they did not do anything wrong and they stand by it. They claim innocence and complete innocence and nothing but innocence. We are holding our investigations back at the moment and we are waiting for the Scotland Yard’s investigation report,” he said.

3 suspended Pakistan cricketers selected as reserves for T20 event

ISLAMABAD — The three Pakistan cricketers suspended and charged by the ICC over fixing allegations have been selected as reserves for their regional Pakistani teams for a domestic Twenty20 tournament next month.
Test captain Salman Butt and opening bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were charged after allegations they received money to bowl no-balls at predetermined times in a test against England last month.
Rawalpindi chief Naeem Akhtar says Amir was included in his team, and Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Nadeem Sarwar says Butt and Asif are reserves for Lahore and defending champion Sialkot. All three players will need clearance from the ICC to play.
The PCB has not yet announced when the event will be held.

Pak team manager Yawar Saeed quits

The manager of Pakistan's cricket tour of England resigned on Monday, just days after the players flew home following controversies over spot fixing.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt relieved Yawar Saeed of his duties at Saeed's own request, the board said.

The 75-year-old Saeed had hinted about stepping down before the tour began in June and denied that his decision to go was connected to the allegations that marred the team's tour of England.

The allegations surfaced after British newspaper News of the World claimed that alleged bookie Mazhar Majeed paid several Pakistani players to deliberately bowl no-balls during last month's Lord's Test against England.
Scotland Yard raided the team's hotel in London, and interrogated Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamir and Wahab Riaz.
So far no charges have been brought against Pakistani players.
The International Cricket Council has provisionally suspended Salman, Asif and Aamir.
"I had requested the PCB chairman to relieve me of the duties before the England tour... nor it is linked to the tour of England," Saeed told reporters.

Saeed is the son of Mian Mohammad Saeed, who led Pakistan in their first unofficial Test in 1948, and brother-in-law to the late fast bowler Fazal Mahmood.

Pakistan's next assignment is a neutral venue series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates, starting next month.

Saeed is likely to be replaced by Shafqat Rana, assistant manager on the England tou

Does Pakistan cricket need Shahid Afridi in Test cricket?

They say that Test cricket is a real test of a test cricketer. Test cricket is s test of skills, nerves, strength and character. The real legendary status is announced when a player has a great test career. A great career includes legendary performances, mental strength, and player’s ability to perform in different conditions, and all these traits are backed by patience and concentration. They say, “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going”. The same is true for the test cricket.

Pakistan cricket has been struggling in all forms of the game, especially in test match cricket. One of the main reasons of their struggle has been the ever-changing team captains. They have changed captains like a bus would change its route. The past one and a half year has seen them change about 5 captains.

The other big reason for their wavering scores in test cricket is lack of quality batsman. After the disastrous tour of Australia, top batsman Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were handed indefinite bans. Consequently, the two Y’s were not considered for the England tour. Nobody was there to fill this huge vacuum, and then Umar Amin and Azhar Ali were made scapegoats. Imran Farhat and Shoaib Malik are yet to make a mark in test cricket. So they have a pretty fragile batting line-up in conditions, where the best have struggled.

 Shahid Afridi who has been absent from test cricket was made the test captain. Previously, he had refused to play test cricket because he thought this type of cricket does not suit his style. Shahid was handed over the captaincy role in the ICC world T20, 2010. He has proved himself in the shortest format. His phenomenal performance in the last ICC World T20 finals and semi-finals earned Pakistan the title. He struggled for form in the world cup, but he proved his mettle in the Asia cup. Afridi gathered 2 centuries and 3 wickets. His success as an individual player answered many critics that he is good enough a batsman in ODI cricket.

The England tour started with a whitewash against Australia in T20 series. He was all set to make a comeback in Test matches against Australia. Previously, he played his last test in England four years ago. Lord’s Test marked his return to Test cricket. Pakistan started off well, restricting Australia to 253 in the first innings, conceding a lead of 104 runs. Shahid Afridi after getting a start played a poor short. Pakistan was chasing 440 runs to win. Shahid Afridi again, played a rash short, and was caught on the deep when his score was just 2.

He announced his retirement and was immediately replaced by Salman Butt.  Somehow Pakistan team managed to beat Australia and England in test matches. It was looking like a good start. However, soon spot-fixing scandal clouded them in the final test at Lord’s. As a result, three Pakistan players were suspended, including the skipper, Salman Butt.

This matter is currently being reviewed by the ICC. However, the ICC has taken quite some time in resolving the matter. Pakistan will be playing the next series against South Africa, which includes 2 test matches. If Salman doesn’t get cleared by the ICC to play, then there will be a need for a new Test captain.

Nonetheless, it seems like Shahid Afridi is interested in reigning the beleaguered Pakistan team, as he has been seen hinting his comeback in test matches. He has already indicated that if his country and team requires him, he will be ready to lead the side. If Afridi takes over, this would be his 3^rd comeback in Test cricket.
All in all, the talismanic all-rounder has played 27 test matches and has scored 1716 runs at an average of 36. He has a tally of 48 test wickets, amassed at an average of 35. His last 4 test score lines are, 31, 2,17,15,17 and 14.
Critics have talked about Shahid Afridi as more of a leader than a player. If he features in Test 11 then he might be negating a batsman or a bowler. He mainly plays at number 6, so he will be negating a batsman, while the team still struggles with a poor batting-line.
However, before arriving at any decision, PCB needs to answer the question that does a struggling batting line-up need a wicket thrower, or they need a solid Younis Khan back as a Test captain.

Pakistan cricket team: Does lack of education instigate controversies?

Waqar Younis, the former strike bowler and current coach of the Pakistan cricket team has stressed that education at a very early age is extremely necessary as it would keep the cricket players away from allegations and controversies.

“Players should be trained and given proper education from the age of 16,” said Younis on his arrival in Lahore following the completion of the tour. “It’s very difficult to coach them at the international level if they are not trained. But if they are brought up with a proper education, it will definitely help them to stay away from controversies.”

But the question really is then, where should they be trained? There are hardly any institutions or academies that educate players. The National Academy, which was opened by General Tauqir Zia in Lahore, had courses which would groom the players, but not really educate them. By the end of the day, it all depends on the sort of background they come from and upbringing they have had.

Most of the cricket players that make it to the Pakistan cricket team come from very impoverished backgrounds, where their families are trying to survive and make ends meet. Therefore, education is not one of their priorities. In addition, most of the players belong to either villages or far-flung slums which do not have schools or proper educational institutions. It is just their passion for the game that gets them to the cricket team.

Once they reach the cricket team, they are suddenly exposed to a lot of money, innumerable social contacts, fame and popularity. The cricket players try to make the most of it, by making as much money as they can, and as quickly as possible and because of that the line between right and wrong becomes very fuzzy. If the players had gone through a rigorous education routine, they would have been able to stay away from the menace of match-fixing, spot-fixing and other such immoralities. They would have stayed in the right company.

But sometimes even this logic doesn’t hold true. If the allegations on the three cricket players are proved to be true, then even attainment of education cannot be of any help for a cricketer to get corrupt. The biggest example of this is that of the captain Salman Butt, who is relatively well-educated compared to his team mates. He is a graduate of Beaconhouse, Garden Town, Lahore. He comes from a very good background as well, where both his parents are educated and polished. If the allegations were true, then it would leave one in utter bewilderment as to why players coming from such solid background indulge in such activities.

Looking at the history of the match-fixing allegations on Pakistan, one would come across the names of some of the greatest players who have come from very educated backgrounds. For instance, Wasim Akram from Islamia College, Lahore, Waqar Younis who was educated in Sadiq Public School in Bahawalpur, the Pakistani College in Sharjah and the Government College in Vehari, and most shockingly, Saeed Anwar, who was a NED graduate and was planning to go to the United States for graduate studies before he joined international cricket.

So this reaffirms the notion that education is not the only factor that plays a role in moulding the character of a cricket player. There are quite a few aspects that need to be considered, the upbringing of the player, being the most pivotal. The personal values and ethics that the player has been taught by his parents, the moral grounds of the player, his integrity, making the important distinction between right and wrong, are some of the factors that play a role in the cricketer’s character building.

One can only hope that such values are also thoroughly taught in the schools, colleges and universities, and the players are able to attain this sort of education. The Pakistan Cricket Board should finance the education of the players as it would prove to be an asset later on for the team.

Banned players can still appeal to courts: expert

 LONDON: Any player banned for life under the International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-corruption code can still attempt to have the sanction overturned by a civil court, according to a leading British sports lawyer.
Pakistan test captain Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif have been suspended by the ICC following an investigation into corruption allegations. The charges carry a maximum sanction of a life ban if upheld by an independent tribunal.
Adam Morallee, a partner in the London law firm Mishcon de Reya, said there were still several options open to any player faced with an ICC ban.
In an interview, Morallee said the first non-ICC avenue of appeal for any cricketer charged with an anti-corruption offence was the independent Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
He could also attempt to appeal to a court in the country in which the alleged offence was committed, or to a court in his home country.
"These governing bodies are subject to the laws of the various countries. They are just the same as any company or organisation, subject to the same rules and regulations as everyone else," Morallee said.
"Other entities try their best to close their world in and tell everyone only we can make decisions about us. That's just not the case."

LEGAL BATTLES
In 1997 the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was forced to cut its four-year doping ban for first offenders in half after a series of costly legal battles in European courts which took the view that the longer ban constituted restraint of trade. Two German track and field athletes successfully applied for reinstatement halfway through four-year bans.
The ICC's anti-corruption code stipulates that players must submit to the authority of the world governing body, its judicial commission and to CAS. Furthermore, it says players cannot initiate proceedings "in any court or other forum that are inconsistent with the foregoing submissions to the jurisdiction of the anti-corruption Tribunal and the CAS".
However, Morallee said that in practice players could appeal to whomever they liked.
"The ICC will have some very good defences in proceedings if a player tries to challenge their decision in the courts. They will say a player has effectively signed away his life to this tribunal, and therefore is barred from bringing proceedings in another court. In effect, he has lost and he can't do anything about it," he said.
"But a national court could theoretically grant jurisdiction and then, if the punishment was grave, rule that a life ban was an unjustifiable restraint of trade, the punishment was far too harsh and, therefore, disproportionate."
Under this scenario, Morallee said, any national cricket board would be "between a rock and a hard place".
"The ICC will say he is banned from international cricket and a court will say he should be allowed to play," he said.
"It will not be easy for a national association to reconcile those differences."