Afridi's media outbursts cost him captaincy: PCB officials

 Shahid Afridi's refusal to stay away from the media cost him the captaincy of Pakistan's ODI team as Board officials said the all-rounder did not take warnings to keep "internal matters" to himself seriously.

Although some former Test players and administrators have criticised PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt for his decision to appoint Misbah-ul-Haq as captain for the coming two matches against Ireland, insiders in the board said there was ground for action.

"There were a number of factors involved in Butt deciding to remove Afridi as captain but the main was his refusal to listen to board warnings about repeatedly going to the media with internal matters," one official source said.

He said even before the World Cup, Butt was not very keen on having Afridi lead the team after a number of incidents that is why the announcement of the captain was delayed.

"Butt and other officials in the board were not happy at inside information of the team and about details of discussions held with Afridi being published in the media from time to time," the source said.

He said Butt had in one meeting before the World Cup told Afridi to refrain from going to the media all the time on confidential matters.

"In one particular incident Afridi was called to a meeting by Butt in which the PCB Chairman discussed an issue with him about which no one had knowledge except the two and the chief operating officer.

"The next day when the issue was highlighted in the media, Butt had no doubt left who was behind the leakage as only Afridi didn't know that the information given to him on the issue was incorrect," the source said.

He said Butt was also unhappy that the details about his discussion with Afridi on team matters after he returned from the West Indies were also published in the media the next day.

"That is why Butt reacted so strongly and removed Afridi as captain. The PCB chief is clear in his mind that he will not allow any player to dictate terms to the board or violate the code of conduct.

He said Butt had told Afridi after he complained about problems with head coach Waqar Younis on selection matters that he would sort out things after the tour but he should refrain from speaking in the media on the issue again.

Another source said the board was also not happy that Afridi had failed to send his reply to the notice issued to him after he returned from the West Indies and spoke to the media at the airport about interference in his domain.

Former Test pacer Sarfaraz Nawaz backed the decision to remove Afridi as one-day captain. "He didn't do anything in the West Indies with bat or ball and he has struggled as batsman for a while now. He should now just concentrate on leading the team in Twenty20 cricket," Nawaz said.

Wasim Akram takes aim at Waqar, PCB

Legendary pace bowler Wasim Akram on Saturday joined the growing list of former Pakistani players criticising the removal of Shahid Afridi as ODI skipper, saying the decision defied logic.
He also took a shot at Waqar Younis by saying, “In Pakistan, the coach wants all the power and when it doesn’t happen, the fight begins.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) discarded the the flamboyant Afridi as Pakistan’s ODI captain after reports of a tussle with coach Waqar Younis became public.
“Arguments between captains and coaches are not new in Pakistan cricket. Afridi was hailed as a national hero after the World Cup, and came back from the West Indies after winning the ODI series only to find out he has been sacked. What is the PCB upto?” Akram told ‘Mobile ESPN’
Akram also thought the decision to appoint 36-year-old Misbah-ul-Haq as Afridi’s replacement was “at best a stop-gap arrangement.”
“The present Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq is on the wrong side of 30 and I don’t see him leading the side beyond 6 to 8 months”, said Akram.
“It is a wrong step taken by PCB, and only (chairman) Ijaz Butt is to be blamed for this,” he added.

PCB invites Sri Lanka to play test and one-day series in Pakistan

The Pakistan Cricket Board has invited Sri Lanka for a test and one-day series later this year in a bid to bring back international cricket to the country.

PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar told The Associated Press on Saturday that an official invitation has been sent to Sri Lanka Cricket.

Sarwar says the PCB has also promised "foolproof security" for the Sri Lanka team.

International cricket has not been played in Pakistan since March 2009 when gunmen killed six police officials and a van driver when they attacked the Sri Lanka team bus.

The Afghanistan national team will play three one-dayers against Pakistan's second-string team next week.

Pakistan cricket board, a dog's tail will never be straightened

In 1996 after the Bangalore tragedy Pakistan toured to England under Wasim Akram and since that tour the whole year for Pakistan had been brilliant. Records were made; trophies were won in plenty and as time marched on the Pakistani fans began to forget the Bangalore tragedy. Pakistan ended the 1996-97 seasons as the best team both in Test and ODI cricket. Wasim was walking through path of Imran. In 1997, under him Pakistan digested the West Indies a 3-0 whitewash and the then rankings put Pakistan ahead of Australia and South Africa. They were the best side in the World. Wasim was rocking as a captain.

But the next year on the basis of some false allegations claimed by some hypocrites of Pakistan cricket Wasim was removed from captaincy. And the so called honest characters of Pakistan cricket were given the chance to lead. But what they did was nothing but destroyed the number one ranking and took Pakistan cricket to the doldrums. The false claims are more important than the most wanted leader.

Wasim came back, removed again, again came back and removed again. The circus show continued. And since 1992 the PCB has some somewhat been a total joke. There had been no cricketing sense and sensibility, no logical views and no long term stability. The world moves on but Pakistan cricket moves backward. The best suitable persons are overlooked and from no where the ability less characters are made to sit on the chair of captaincy and thus made the cricket look a complete mockery.

Last week, for criticizing Waqar’s interference on team selection, Shahid Afridi has been axed from the ODI captaincy. Afridi’s was on the knife’s edge during the New Zealand tour but he showed ample character and skill to help Pakistan win an ODI series since 2008. And during the tumultuous period of spot-fixing Afridi kept the unity intact and it reflected in the recently concluded World Cup where to the surprise of all, Pakistan played in the semifinals.

Pakistan gelled well against Afridi but in Pakistan they just hate good things. They love to spoil things. Remember how Younis Khan was giving Pakistan stability in 2009? He was being regarded as the leader of men. But sadly on the basis of false claims Younis had to be removed and the person who pointed finger towards Younis later on proved to be the biggest crook. How important these personalities are in Pakistan! How badly the best characters are harassed in Pakistan cricket!

Since 1992 chopping and changing captains has been a culture in Pakistan cricket. And more importantly, the captain who takes Pakistan cricket to the helm of glories meets a sorry end. Wasim Akram, Younis Khan, Javed Miandad, Younis khan and now Shahid Afridi all had made Pakistan look better from ugly. But their rewards had been pathetic.

Ijaz Butt’s useless egos certainly have to be blamed but Ijaz Butt is a product of a rotten Pakistani cricket culture which is simply been necrosed and infracted by filthy politics. Time and again good works are washed down the drains and the worst players are vested on the job.

Though Misbah-ul-Haq has been good in test cricket but at 37 he is not the long term solution. As Osman Samiuddin says, “Misbah might be a decent captain. His form since his return to all formats last year has been outstanding, even if it takes in the much-pilloried World Cup semi-final half-century against India. But turning to a man who turns 37 on the day he leads Pakistan against Ireland in the first ODI isn't a long-term solution.”

Airing private matters in public had been the reason of Afridi’s sacking and that came through the growth of differences with the coach Waqar Younis. But it can happen and for which sacking the best man for the job is an unprofessional act and none better than the PCB bosses can do better in exhibiting unprofessional acts. In the past captains were changed like toilet tissue papers without even a second thought.

Writers and fans all over the world are tired and exhausted with the stupidity of the PCB. The moment they began to dream a settled Pakistan unit and the next day they discover their dreams being shattered by the idiotic PCB bosses.

19 years have passed since Imran have retired, two decades has gone and sadly those stupidi