Former test cricketers have accused the Pakistan Cricket Board of lacking vision after South Africa recorded a comfortable 2-0 sweep of the Twenty20 internationals at Abu Dhabi. Ex-test leg-spinner Abdul Qadir said on Thursday selectors picked the wrong combination for the shortest format of the game and players such as Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat and Misbah-ul-Haq did not deserve a place in the lineup.
Qadir said Pakistan's performance reflects that "PCB's think tank is visionless and has no planning at all."
Former test fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz said the team needed young talent but the PCB preferred veterans and accused some of the older players of playing for themselves, not the team
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Alam says 'strict steps' will lift Pakistan's game
ABU DHABI — Team manager Intikhab Alam Wednesday insisted that "strict steps" taken to improve discipline would improve Pakistan's cricket and did not disturb the players.
Pakistan last week introduced a new code of conduct with stricter punishments for disciplinary breaches, which Alam said were needed in the wake of England tour rocked by spot-fixing allegations against the team.
"All the strict steps taken are for the betterment of Pakistan cricket and all the players are feeling comfortable with them," Alam told AFP.Three Pakistani players -- Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer -- were suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following allegations of spot-fixing on the tour of England last month.
The suspensions came following reports in British tabloid News of the World which claimed several Pakistani players took money to obey orders from an alleged bookmaker during August's Lord's Test against England.
Salman and Aamer will attend a hearing on their appeal against the suspension in Dubai on October 30 and 31. Asif withdrew his appeal after initially deciding to challenge the sanction.
Alam said Pakistan cricket will show signs of improvement -- on and off the field.
"With players reminded of their responsibilities we hope that Pakistan cricket will show signs of improvement both on and off the field and the focus should be to do the best for the country," said Alam, also a former captain.
Alam said players have been told to take care in meeting people who they don't know.
"There is no curb on players' movement as dispelled in certain quarters. They have been asked not to go anywhere on match days and they are not allowed to bring any guest to their team hotel.
"But on off days they can go and meet their relatives but we have told them not to meet any strangers. Players are told to live within the rules of the new code of conduct," said Alam.
The alleged bookmaker Mazhar Majeed, initially arrested by Scotland Yard police before being released on bail, was described as players' agent and was seen in team hotels on the England tour.
"We have told the players to be aware of such strangers and we have given lectures to players how to avoid any attempt to corrupt them. I am hopeful things will improve," said Alam.
Except for captain, coach and manager no other member of the team is allowed to speak to the media, said Alam.
Alam was coach on the tour of Australia earlier this year when seven players -- including current one-day captain Shahid Afridi and former captains Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf -- were fined and banned for discipline violation.
However, the bans were overturned and fines halved on appeals by Pakistan Cricket Board -- a step criticised by former national and international players.
Batting let Pakistan down: Waqar
As Pakistan batting put up yet another miserable show, this time in Abu Dhabi, coach Waqar Younis said the team fell short by at least 25 runs in setting up a challenging total.“We scored 25 to 30 runs less than we expected,” said Younis. “We need to bat with strategy in the next game.”
Misbah remained Pakistan’s top-scorer with an unbeaten 27 despite taking 32 deliveries as Pakistan struggled for runs at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium – first match to be played by Full Member nations of the International Cricket Council (ICC) at the venue. While Shahid Afridi hit a brief cameo, a seven-ball 25, none of the other batsmen moved past the 14-run mark.
In contrast, JP Duminy hit an elegant 41 while Colin Ingram remained unbeaten on 46 as South Africa reached the target after losing three early wickets for 26.
The two left-handers shared a 66-run partnership for the fourth wicket after fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar gave Pakistan some hope with the quick wickets of Loots Bosman and AB de Villiers in the third over. Graeme Smith was bowled by spinner Mohammad Hafeez five runs later but Duminy and Ingram ensured that there were no further hiccups as they batted Pakistan out of the game.
“It was a clinical performance and I am happy at the way the young guns stepped in after we lost three early wickets especially Ingram and Duminy,” said South Africa captain Botha.
‘Strict steps for Pakistan’s betterment’
Team manager Intikhab Alam insisted that “strict steps” are needed to improve Pakistan’s cricket.
Pakistan introduced a new code of conduct last week with stricter punishments for disciplinary breaches, which Alam said were needed in the wake of the England tour being rocked by spot-fixing allegations against the team.
“All the strict steps taken are for the betterment of Pakistan cricket and all the players are feeling comfortable with them,” said Alam who replaced Yawar Saeed as manager after the England tour, before adding that Pakistan cricket will show signs of improvement – on and off the field.
“With players reminded of their responsibilities we hope that Pakistan cricket will show signs of improvement both on and off the field and the focus should be to do the best for the country.
“There is no curb on players’ movement as dispelled in certain quarters. They have been asked not to go anywhere on match days and they are not allowed to bring any guest to their team hotel. But on off days, they can go and meet their relatives but we have told them not to meet any strangers. Players are told to live within the rules of the new code of conduct,” said Alam.(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM AFP)
Pakistan's Salman Butt says suspension over alleged spot-fixing will be lifted soon
The purpose of the hearing is not to decide whether or not the players are guilty, but whether or not they should be allowed to play on while cricket's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit investigates the charges against them.
Mohammad Asif, the third player implicated in the News Of The World's investigation into deliberate no-balls, will not be present as he has already withdrawn his appeal.
"I am pretty sure to be cleared," Butt said on Wednesday. "It has been annoying for me because these kind of allegations have not only brought defamation, but as well it is career-threatening. Such things do come in your life but you have to stand up and face them." The original story, which broke during the final stages of the Lord's Test in August, gained credence from the video footage of Mazhar Majeed – a businessman and agent who was photographed with the Pakistani players – counting out stacks of money.
Majeed was later arrested, along with his wife and brother, on charges of financial irregularities. Yesterday, Butt admitted that he had worked with Majeed, but claimed that the video evidence was unreliable because of selective editing.
"Majeed is not somebody who is an agent for me because he has been there even before I was there [playing international cricket]," Butt said. "These are the people who deal with the marketing side of players and the promotional stuff and they also make money out of it.
"This is what is being done in the sporting arena around the world and this is not something that came up with Salman Butt.
"I do not want to comment on the News of the World," he added, "because everybody knows what kind of paper it is. Everybody knows about its reputation across the world."
Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding the Indian Premier League deepened yesterday when Kochi – one of two new franchises due to join the league next year – was told to sort out the arguments over its ownership within the next 30 days, or be expelled from the competition.
If Kochi cannot resolve the disputes between its owners, who include at least five different companies, it will end up in the same position as the Rajasthan Royals and the Kings XI Punjab.
These two teams have already been ejected, leaving the number of teams in the IPL at eight rather than the intended 10. However, the Royals were reported to have filed a petition of protest to the Mumbai High Court last night.
The murky ructions within the IPL have caused huge damage to the tournament's reputation since April, when its former commissioner, Lalit Modi, posted a message on his Twitter page questioning the probity of Kochi's ownership structure.
Since then, Modi has been stripped of his title, and now finds himself under investigation by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Mohammad Asif, the third player implicated in the News Of The World's investigation into deliberate no-balls, will not be present as he has already withdrawn his appeal.
"I am pretty sure to be cleared," Butt said on Wednesday. "It has been annoying for me because these kind of allegations have not only brought defamation, but as well it is career-threatening. Such things do come in your life but you have to stand up and face them." The original story, which broke during the final stages of the Lord's Test in August, gained credence from the video footage of Mazhar Majeed – a businessman and agent who was photographed with the Pakistani players – counting out stacks of money.
Majeed was later arrested, along with his wife and brother, on charges of financial irregularities. Yesterday, Butt admitted that he had worked with Majeed, but claimed that the video evidence was unreliable because of selective editing.
"Majeed is not somebody who is an agent for me because he has been there even before I was there [playing international cricket]," Butt said. "These are the people who deal with the marketing side of players and the promotional stuff and they also make money out of it.
"This is what is being done in the sporting arena around the world and this is not something that came up with Salman Butt.
"I do not want to comment on the News of the World," he added, "because everybody knows what kind of paper it is. Everybody knows about its reputation across the world."
Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding the Indian Premier League deepened yesterday when Kochi – one of two new franchises due to join the league next year – was told to sort out the arguments over its ownership within the next 30 days, or be expelled from the competition.
If Kochi cannot resolve the disputes between its owners, who include at least five different companies, it will end up in the same position as the Rajasthan Royals and the Kings XI Punjab.
These two teams have already been ejected, leaving the number of teams in the IPL at eight rather than the intended 10. However, the Royals were reported to have filed a petition of protest to the Mumbai High Court last night.
The murky ructions within the IPL have caused huge damage to the tournament's reputation since April, when its former commissioner, Lalit Modi, posted a message on his Twitter page questioning the probity of Kochi's ownership structure.
Since then, Modi has been stripped of his title, and now finds himself under investigation by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
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