An Independent tribunal would have been better says Mohammad Amir’s Lawyer

Mohammad Amir’s lawyer, Shahid Karim has expressed his desire to have had an opportunity to defend his client (Amir) in front of an independent tribunal instead of International Cricket Council’s (ICC) three member panel which consists of Michael Beloff QC, Albie Sachs and Sharad Rao. Three Pakistani players, Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif are currently suspended and awaiting trial on charges of being involved in spot fixing.

Karim said, “Looking at the case from a legalistic point of view, from the point of view of the case being presented to an independent and unbiased tribunal, then I think he has a fair chance of coming out clean, however the situation is an odd one. Ideally we would have liked the tribunal to be completely independent of the ICC, but at this point in time I have to have full faith in the tribunal."

The lawyers of two out of the three players (Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir) have expressed their mistrust on the three-member panel because last month a panel headed by Michael Beloff rejected Butt’s and Amir’s appeal against their preliminary suspension.

This verdict drew a strong criticism from the players and their lawyers, who saw this verdict by Beloff as biased and unjustified, and now the presence of Beloff in the panel that will be hearing the suspended trio’s case has made it controversial.

The lawyers of the three players have clearly been unsatisfied with the members of this panel and there is a strong belief that the players will not have a fair chance to clear their names in front of the tribune, which is all set to convene next month from 6^th to 11^th January in Doha, Qatar.

Amir’s lawyer, while expressing his views about the members of the panel said, “We raised a slight objection to Michael Beloff QC chairing the hearing in Doha, as he had heard the case in the provisional hearing, but he chose not to remove himself, however, my training as a lawyer requires me to have full faith in the forthcoming tribunal and I should expect a fair hearing. Although the members of the three-man tribunal are already part of the anti-corruption commission which is a permanent body in the code of the ICC and are nominated by the ICC, and the tribunal members have been picked out of those members, I still think that I have faith in their independence and impartiality."

The whole tribunal has struck controversy, which may have an adverse effect on the outcome of the hearing. The ICC should pay heed to the rising concerns of the players and their lawyers and should try to remove the mistrust between them and the ICC tribunal so that the final judgment of the hearing is acceptable to all concerned parties.

Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal rubbish PCB reports

Veteran Pakistan batsman Shoaib Malik and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal have rubbished reports of the PCB that had stated that they were asked to submit details of their assets and bank accounts ahead clearing them for inclusion into the preliminary squad of the World Cup. The two players have categorically said that they have not been asked for their personal details regarding movable and immovable assets along with the details of their personal bank accounts.

The PCB had earlier claimed that they were not satisfied with the documents of these two players. The cricketers refuted the claims stating they never even gave any documents.

"When the board has not asked us for anything so where does the question of us not satisfying them arise. I have never done anything in my career that has anything to do with corruption, I will be back in the team," Shoaib Malik told a local newspaper from Dubai.

The PCB formulised new rules and procedures under the ICC code of conduct regulations which require players to submit details of their assets and personal accounts. The media had reported that the integrity committee of the PCB was unhappy with the documents that had been submitted by the payers since they were incomplete and not sufficient.

The legal advisor for the PCB Taffazul Rizvi failed to comment on the workings of the integrity committee.

However reliable sources within the board have confirmed that the integrity committee had indeed asked for the details of the payers, in lieu of which leg spinner Danish Kaneria already submitted details and documents. Therefore according to the source it was hard to understand why Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik were in a state of denial.

PCB selectors were interested in selecting the three players for the World cup however having not been cleared by the integrity committee the PCB has decided not to clear the players until they have been cleared of any wrong doings.

"That is the only reason the board has got an extension until January 5 from the ICC to announce its World Cup squad whereas other countries have already announced their probables including top teams like India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, England and Australia," the source said.

Kamran Akmal was reportedly upset over media channels claiming that he had four properties in Lahore in the name of his father. Malik meanwhile said, that he had nothing to hide and was in form hoping that he would be able to contribute to the national team in the World Cup.

Younis Khan, a man of courage

Younis Khan made a Test century in his debut, though his appearance on the cricketing scene wasn’t very appreciated by the fans of Pakistan cricket. Concurrently, he made a fighting 46 runs in his debut One-Day international innings, when his team was in a tough situation, though couldn’t stop his side from losing. One thing was certain about him though, the man had the mental strength and courage to take on the best.

In the start of his career, Younis had flaws in his technique and there was a carelessness about his approach towards batting as he used to ‘gift’ his wicket by playing reckless shots. Adding to this, he was vulnerable against both conventional and reverse swing as he used to play away from his body and his bottom hand seemed to carry his drives, which is by far an unorthodox way of playing a drive, not only on the low and slow tracks of the Subcontinent, but everywhere else in the world.

The 33-year old had a remarkable start to his Test career as he registered a century in his first Test match, in what was a sparkling start to a shaky career. Apparently, his inaugural hundred was backed up by a string of modest scores as he averaged 21 in his first 12 innings.

The Mardan born cricketer was a heavyweight at the domestic level as he scored heavily in friendly conditions. His purple patch in first-class cricket was acknowledged by the selectors, though they didn’t overlook him and, resultantly, they provided him with continuous chances.

Nevertheless, he was a man on a mission and greater achievements were about to come. In the process, he refined his technique and added flow to his batting, producing a succession of centuries in away matches. In doing so, he registered hundreds in unknown conditions like, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Bangladesh, as he silenced his critics around the globe. More importantly, he looked settle, batting at a coveted number three position, though his erratic form continued as he followed his tons with a string of single-figure returns.

Nonetheless, in the summer of 2005, Khan met his soon to be favourite opposing side, India. At the time he faced India, his average in Test cricket was 39 in 32 outings. Younis started the tour poorly as he bagged 10 runs in the first Test at Mohali, and as a result, faced severe criticism from the management and disapproval from ex-cricketers. It was a do or die situation for Younis in the second Test match as he was about to be axed from the team, following his poor display in Mohali.  

In addition, the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata was filled with expectations as Younis Khan arrived at the crease with his team in need of a hero. And Khan delivered. Respectively, he scored 147 runs in order to put his team in a comfortable position. Khan’s scintillating display with the bat was not enough for Pakistan to avoid a massive 195-run defeat, however, in the process, the right-hand batsman marked the first signs of batting brilliance.    

Pakistan was trailing by a margin of 1-0, going into the third and deciding Test of the series at Bangalore. The start to the final Test was imperfect as Pakistan lost their first two wickets for a grim score of 7 runs. The master batsman responded to Pakistan’s arch-rivals with one of the greatest innings ever played in India, amassing 267 runs to power his team to a mammoth 570-run first innings total. The second time around, it proved enough for his team to register a series-levelling win, trouncing India by a massive 195 runs.

Since then, Younis has never looked back as he has been the best number three batsmen to play for Pakistan. Adding to his numbers, the master craftsman is one of the three Pakistani batsmen to have an average of over 50 in Test cricket. Evidently, his 17 centuries in 64 Test matches are significant proof of his productivity as a top-notch willower.

Besides his batting achievements, in England in 2009, he became the country’s second captain to lift a World Cup, when Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka in the final of the ICC World T20 to record their first ever title in T20. With these achievements, it seems Younis will remain one of Pakistan's favourite sons.  

Making an example

In the next few days Kamran Akmal may finally meet the one bullet he can not dodge when the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) self-proclaimed “Integrity Committee”serves judgment on his immediate (and possibly long-term) future. While the inquiry is long overdue, the completely arbitrary initiation of the investigation may be worth questioning since it appears to have been based on no premise other than a combination of international posturing and the overdue realisation that: “You know what, there is something not quite right about these guys”.

Whatever the rationale was that lead to the investigation and however peremptory it may appear, one thing is for sure. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer bunch of guys.

For Kamran, such an inquisition is in itself almost delinquent in its belatedness. Before Kamran was everpictured cruising around London with Mazhar Majeed and Salman Butt, there were ample reasons to haul him in front of a tribunal or, at the very least, discard him from international reckoning based on abject performance alone. Yet, the PCB has repeatedly shirked from taking a decisive step as Kamran, in all fairness, is a vital cog in their limited over plans.

All that has changed over the last few months during which the ICC has been ramping up the pressure on the PCB to adopt a tougher ethical and disciplinary stance. Kamran is positioned to be among the first to be subjected to the heightened scrutiny and perhaps, penalties which may come to define a more vigilant era of player monitoring. And for that he has no one to blame other than himself.

At this point in his career, Kamran should have been a shoe-in for the World Cup squad. A veteran of the team for almost a decade, Kamran’s experience would have been priceless in a young team bereft of its strike bowlers and relying on a raw middle order. His last few international innings’ had been solid and he was beginning to form a promising partnership with Mohammad Hafeez. Over the last few weeks he has also done enoughdomestically to warrant a place in the side, even taking six catches, believe it or not. Going by numbers alone, the recent form, experience and the lack of attacking batting options at our disposal, Kamran was an automatic selection.

But then it’s never been that simple with Kamran, has it? No one should doubt that he is talented and is a natural cricketer just as no one should doubt that his erratic career typifies the inconsistency so characteristic of Pakistan cricket. For every Karachi, there are a couple of Sydneys. For every blinder, there are a multitude of dollies. In a way, Kamran’s penchant for thrilling and disappointing in unequal measure is akin to Shahid Afridi’s. But whereas Afridi has been able to successfully channel his mercurial talent as a launching pad to nation-wide hero-worship, Kamran is almost universally reviled. The highs were simply never high enough. The peaks were not sustained enough. And the failures were simply too unforgivable. The country can excuse Afridi his indiscretions because however gradual, there is a visible attempt to better himself, either in the development of his spin-bowling or the relative maturity in his batting. In Kamran’s case, the same mistakes are repeated over and over again. Why root for a guy who does not care enough to put in the hard work in learning how to take a catch off a spinner?

Despite all that, I remained a proponent of his inclusion in the national side. Inconsistent performances notwithstanding, he adds a balance to the side as an opener which Shahzaib Hasan and Imran Farhat simply cannot. Moreover, we are dead in the water with a specialist keeper like Sarfraz in the limited overs squad who adds nothing with the bat. Lacking a better option, Kamran’s “skills” were necessary.

However, if there is even a grain of truth behind the suspicion that Kamran has been profiting under the table through his insipid performances, then this has to be the final straw in his unfulfilled career. It is bad enough that we have had to put up with his flimsy keeping for the last eight years, but to know that there is a possibility that he’s been exploiting his inadequacies to make a dishonest buck at the cost of our sanity, is absolutely reprehensible.

The PCB will now decide whether Kamran is eligible for selection for the World Cup and an adverse ruling would presumably spell a prolonged expulsion from the national side, if not dealt a fatal blow to his career altogether. The question, though, is whether the evidence supports a decision against Kamran.

The ICC has already investigated and apparently, cleared him of any wrongdoing. Also, one has to question the sincerity of a committee charged with defending “integrity” but headed by Ijaz Butt, which is an oxymoron in of itself. The committee may be merely cosmetic; a demonstration to impress the ICC. So Kamran may just find himself back in the fold. A move which may prove to be potentially dangerous, given the current composition of the squad.

Let’s face it. Kamran is a bad influence. Look no further than his little brother for evidence of Kamran’s dubious mentoring qualifications. Umar would probably be much less of a temperamental drama if he had a positive role-model but, as things stand, he too risks being tainted by the specter of match-fixing. The team currently has a bunch of younger players trying to establish themselves and the last thing we need is Kamran doing to one of them what Salman Butt and Asif did to Mohammad Amir. Once was enough, thank you very much. Kamran has flirted along the fringes of our national set-up long enough. For the good of the future, it’s high time to toss him off.

IPL to lose gloss after snubbing Pakistan stars, warns Akram

KARACHI: Legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram has warned that the Indian Premier league (IPL) will lose its gloss after ignoring Pakistani cricketers, most of whom are counted among the best in the slam-bang version of the game.

In a candid chit-chat with reporters on the sidelines of a match featuring special children here at the PIA Academy on Wednesday, the former Pakistan captain also took a swipe at the national cricket authorities over their failure to get IPL berths for Pakistani players.

But Akram mostly focused on how the IPL – a cash-rich Twenty20 league – has scored an own goal by snubbing Pakistani stalwarts for the second year running.

“There is little doubt about the popularity of Pakistani cricketers in Twenty20 cricket,” said Akram regarded among the greatest fast bowlers of all time. “That is why I believe that the IPL will certainly miss exciting players like Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq,” he added.

Pakistan have featured in three finals of the four ICC World Twenty20 championships held so far and are considered to be a major force in the shortest format of the game.

But IPL officials have shown little interest in them.

Pakistan’s cricket stars were not included in the auction of 416 players for next year's edition of the IPL. The auction will take place in Bangalore on January 8-9.

Although Pakistani cricketers took part in the inaugural IPL in 2008, they were forced out in 2009 due to security concerns in the wake of the Mumbai attacks and were ignored for this season's Twenty20 event.

IPL organizers have declared that Pakistan’s cricket authorities didn’t inform them whether any of their players were interested in the featuring in the league.

However, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has claimed that the IPL organizers never kept them in the loop.

Akram lamented that a lack of communication between the PCB and IPL organizers has deprived Pakistan’s players of an excellent platform to exhibit their skills. But he also stressed that apart from that, PCB’s incompetence also played a role in creating this issue.

“There was obviously a lack of communication but PCB should have initiated and pushed for the inclusion of its players in the event.

Their failure shows a lack of vision among the board officials.” Speaking on a different issue, Akram threw his weight behind the idea of forming a players’ body in Pakistan. The idea of a cricketers’ association has gained momentum after Aamer Bashir – a first-class stalwart – died of cancer earlier this week at the age of 38.

“There must be an association for welfare of our cricketers especially the former ones. I have sympathies with Aamer’s family. I played first-class cricket with him and he was an excellent player.” Akram also had a word of advice for Mohammad Yousuf, the former Pakistan captain who was axed from the team because of fitness issues.

Yousuf claims that he is fit and has rapped Pakistan’s selectors for overlooking him for the ongoing tour of New Zealand.

Akram said that instead of criticizing the selectors, Yousuf should prove his form and fitness.

“Yousuf is claiming that he is fit but the thing is that he has to prove it in front of the selectors. He is a fabulous batsman and can still serve the country.”

Don't rush John Wright - Intikhab

Former Pakistan test captain and coach Intikhab Alam has warned the New Zealand public not to expect instant results from new Black Caps boss John Wright.

But Intikhab, on tour with the Pakistan team as manager, believes New Zealand Cricket's decision on Monday to replace coach Mark Greatbatch with Wright will eventually bear fruit.

The Pakistan stalwart, now 68, considers Wright a personal friend after playing against him on the English county scene during the late 1970s.

He says he watched with interest as the former New Zealand opener carved out an impressive five-year reign as coach of India between late 2000 and 2005 and sees no reason why history won't repeat itself in this part of the world.

"It [changing coaches] happens with every country really," Intikhab said yesterday.

"Nothing is like success. If a team is playing well, then everything is OK. But if the senior players aren't performing or playing to their potential, it can be hard.

"If you look at the administration side of things, they [NZC] had to do something about it. Change, I think, probably brings about better results.

"We will have to wait and see, though."

Intikhab is qualified to talk about the need for a change of coaches in an international team.

It was only a summer ago, when Pakistan were last in this part of the world, that Intikhab was the coach of the team.

But poor results in Australia saw him replaced in favour of former fast bowler Waqar Younis.

In replacing Greatbatch with Wright, Intikhab believes NZC has made a prudent decision.

However, with the World Cup just around the corner in February, he said his old friend would be under pressure to deliver results immediately.

Wright's first assignment will be Boxing Day's Twenty20 between the sides in Auckland.

"I have known John Wright for a very long time, right back to when he was playing in England," Intikhab said.

"I was playing for Surrey at the time and he's been a good friend of mine. I think he's a good coach as well, actually. He spent five years in India and now he's got an opportunity to coach his own country.

"The pressure will be on him and I wish him all the best of luck. I think he's a good enough person to be the coach of the New Zealand side."

7 pakistanis in ICC shortlist for all-time greatest ODI team

                         The shortlist for Dream Team:

Opening batsmen (2) — Saeed Anwar, Sourav Ganguly, Gordon Greenidge, Matthew Hayden, Sanath Jayasuriya, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Glenn Turner.

Middle—order batsmen (3) — Michael Bevan, Martin Crowe, Aravinda de Silva, Inzamam—ul Haq, Brian Lara, Javed Miandad, Ricky Ponting, Viv Richards.

All—rounder (1) — Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Andrew Flintoff, Richard Hadlee, Jacques Kallis, Imran Khan, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock.

Wicketkeeper (1) — Mark Boucher, MS Dhoni, Andy Flower Adam Gilchrist, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Moin Khan, Alec Stewart, Kumar Sangakkara.

Fast bowlers (3) — Wasim Akram, Allan Donald, Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Dennis Lillee, Glenn McGrath, Chaminda Vaas, Waqar Younis.

Spinners (1) — Shahid Afridi, Carl Hooper, Anil Kumble, Muttiah Muralitharan, Saqlain Mushtaq, Harbhajan Singh, Shane Warne, Daniel Vettori.

Greatest ODI match of all—time:

West Indies beat Australia by 17 runs at Lord’s, 21 June 1975.

India beat West Indies by 43 runs at Lord’s, 25 June 1983.

Pakistan beat India won by one—wicket at Sharjah, 18 April 1986.

England won by three wickets against Australia at Sydney, 22 January 1987.

Australia won by one—wicket against West Indies at Sydney, 12 January 1996.

Australia tied with South Africa at Edgbaston, 17 June 1999.

Pakistan tied with Sri Lanka, at Sharjah, 15 October 1999.

India beat Pakistan by five runs at Karachi, 13 March 2004.

Bangladesh beat Australia by five wickets at Cardiff, 18 June 2005.

South Africa beat Australia by one—wicket at Johannesburg, 12 March 2006.