Sunday, November 6, 2011
The Shoaib Akhtar story
This is the Age of Scepticism. How much of what one reads and hears is one to believe? Can sportsmen really hide or distort the truth behind nicely-worded autobiographies penned by named ‘ghosts’?Shoaib Akhtar’s much-publicised autobiography Controversially Yours(with Anshu Dogra, Harper Sport, 2011, price: Rs 499) gives rise to such thoughts.
First off, this is an extremely readable account of the life of a paceman who rose from penury and virtual illiteracy to a position where, for some years he was regarded as the fastest bowler in the world, self-taught himself to speak the English language, to live the high life and to hold his own in any company, however exalted.
The book is an engrossing read, thanks as much to Anshu Dogra’s ability to tell a story — or as Shoaib himself puts it, “ for giving me the words” — as to Akhtar’s colourful and varied life experiences, where his “in your face” attitude invariably landed him into trouble, not always of his own making.
Page after page of the Shoaib story glows with his professed love for things Indian. His dearest friend, Sudesh Rajput is from Delhi. He loves Indian crowds and fans: “I have discovered over the years that Indian cricket fans are warm and generous and know their cricket. As a result, I love playing and touring in India...... I have really been touched by the Indian crowd....”; he admires the cricket set-up in India; he is a great fan of Salman Khan and Bollywood movies: “.... Salman is straight after my heart, he is generous, likes to help people, is a straight talking guy.....”.
He praises the two contemporary giants of Indian cricket, Tendulkar and Dravid but criticises their earlier approach, believing that they were not aggressive enough and not match-winners. In this, he is wrong, for figures prove the contrary. But as a great votary of the constitutional right of ‘free speech’ once said, “He is completely wrong in what he says, but I will defend to my last breath his right to say it”.
Shoaib believes that the induction of aggressive players like Sehwag, Yuvraj, Gambhir and Kohli, benefited the two great older stalwarts. Tendulkar, he believes, is “more at ease” now, where earlier “the poor man carried the entire burden on his shoulders”. Dravid, he writes, “has a great technique” (how perceptive, Mr Akhtar) “but has never been a match-winner” (wrong again, Mr. Akhtar!).
He also makes an unwarranted remark about Tendulkar, then handicapped with a tennis-elbow, “walking away from” a particularly fast ball which “he didn’t even touch” in a match at Faisalabad. If the comment was meant to convey that Tendulkar was “running away”, it is so utterly incredible that it can only be described as an untruth, a lie. More likely — in this Age of Scepticism — it’s a throw-away line, intended to boost sales?
Yet, despite an occasional demonstrable untruth, strangely, Shoaib comes across on the whole, as an honest, shooting straight-from-the-shoulder, god-fearing, loyal, brash young man.There is something almost childishly naive in his early self-belief that he would become a great cricketer one day, with a touch of emotional ‘teary-eyedness’ in his friendship with Aziz Khan, the tongawala outside Lahore Railway Station.
Akhtar, penniless and forlorn, sought some food and help from thetongawala. “He looked at me and said, ‘tu hai kaun?’ (Who are you?) I remember him smiling and asking why he should oblige me. Because when I joined the Pakistan team one day, I would come back to meet him, I said.In this manner, I managed to convince Aziz Khan, the tongawala, to share his bedding and sleeping space with us, and that night we slept peacefully on a footpath in Lahore”.
Shoaib kept his promise, when he returned from his debut series in India in 1999.
Though now famous and in an elite league, “I headed towards the railway station to look for Aziz Khan, the tongawala who had given me shelter six years ago.”
An emotional re-union took place. The crowd gathered around them. Aziz Khan pointed to them and said, “Look how many people recognise youand are dying to take you to their homes now”. I said: “Yes, but you were the one who gave me shelter when I was unknown, so I recognise you alone and am here to meet only you”.
His everlasting regret is that he did not play in the Imran era. He hero-worships Imran: “The Pakistan team is mostly made up of players who have come from economically challenged backgrounds and have been deprived of an education. So we learn everything from cricket; it is our educational institution. We learn to speak English, drive cars and conduct ourselves. Therefore, we are very vulnerable and need good, strong mentors to protect us and take us in the right direction. Somebody like Imran khan, for instance, who in my opinion has been our greatest captain. He was a fabulous bowler and all rounder who nurtured talent.... was selfless and hardworking and was an example to all of us.”
Almost everyone and everything else in Pakistan cricket earns a caustic tongue lashing. The PCB and its various Chairmen:“uncaring, incompetent and self-obsessed guys” (except Khalid Mahmood and Tauqir Zia); the captains he played under, (except Amir Sohail), the worst being reserved for Shoaib Malik: “a ghulam, a slave who would jump through hoops for them”;his coaches, especially Intikhab Alam and Wasim Raja. Sample this: “In general, our coaches have had nothing to offer, apart from playing dirty politics. They just want to earn some money and travel in their old age — bas! Take Intikhab Alam: he is the most illiterate man you could meet. He has no clue what coaching is all about and can’t distinguish an in-swinger from an out-swinger, but he gives us advice!”. Strong words.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
SHAHID AFRIDI CLAIMS BANNED TRIO WERE JUST LIKE HIS OWN BROTHERS
Former Pakistani skipper, Shahid Afridi claims that the Men In Green trio, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were just like brothers to him after the convicted men were handed jail sentence by Justice Cook.
In a sad day for cricket, Butt was sentenced for 2 years and six months for his involvement in spot-fixing, while Asif suffered a 1 year jail sentence. Amir, the youngest of the lot faced 6 months in prison after the court failed to offer any leniency in their verdict.
The left-hander ex-skipper, Butt was charged for conspiracy to cheat, accept and obtain corrupt payments, while Asif was jailed on accounts for conspiracy to cheat, after no money was found under his possession when the event took place.
Amir, along with bookie, Mazhar Majeed, who earned the maximum jail sentence of 2 years and 8 months, had pleaded guilty which resulted in a reduced sentence.
Afridi, who played with all three of the banned trios was dejected by the whole incident; however, felt that such verdict was necessary for the sport to remain clean forever. He somewhat blamed the Pakistan Cricket Board for not taking the initiative of defining boundaries for players, while also claimed that the players do not earn as much as they should.
The all-rounder also added that he considered the trio just like his own brothers and claimed that young players are enticed into wrongdoings due to lack of awareness.
"The players were like brothers to me. I have never been approached by a bookie but I know that young players are trapped into it (spot-fixing)," said Afridi.
Earlier, the player announced his conditional retirement from cricket after a public row with former coach, Waqar Younis and ex-chairman, Ijaz Butt. However, with the two men gone from the helm, he made himself available for selection and was immediately recalled for the national team’s forthcoming ODI assignments with Sri Lanka.
Finally the flamboyant star also commented that spot-fixing is not simply associated within Pakistan as such menace is spread throughout the cricketing world. For everyone’s sake, let’s hope that the sport learns from such depressing event.
Majeed tried approaching me too: Afridi
KARACHI: Pakistan's former captain Shahid Afridi has claimed that jailed bookie Mazhar Majeed tried approaching him several times but he kept the players' agent at arm's length as he suspected him of being involved in betting.
Former Test captain Salman Butt and pacersMohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer have been sentenced to jail in UK after being found guilty of conspiring with Majeed to fix parts of a Test match last year.
Afridi said Majeed tried getting friendly with him too but he ignored the London-based agent.
"He always tried to contact me personally in the hotel and wanted time to meet me. His brother Azhar also wanted to meet me. But I avoided them all the time because I had my suspicions that they were not trustworthy and involved in betting," Afridi said.
Afridi also rebutted Majeed's claim that some Pakistani players were willing to throw matches to undermine his position as captain.
"I never felt that any player was doing something wrong and deliberately trying to let me down."
Speaking on spot-fixing scam that has shamed Pakistan cricket, Afridi said he feels sorry for the 19-year-old Aamer.
"He is a great talent and I believe because of his age he was trapped into this scandal," he said.
Afridi accused former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt of disrespecting and humiliating players.
"Ijaz Butt didn't finish players power he humiliated the players," Afridi said on a talk show on the "Express" news channel.
The all-rounder said his differences with Butt developed because of the way he treated players.
"I won the ODI series in New Zealand and West Indies and we reached semi final of the World Cup and yet I was removed as captain by him without any justification. That is the way he treated the players which was unacceptable to me," he said.
Afridi, who is set to make a comeback in the coming ODI series against Sri Lanka in the UAE after taking back his retirement decision, said Butt didn't know how to respect players.
Afridi had announced his retirement in protest in late May after Butt removed him as captain after the West Indies tour.
Afridi claimed that Butt had also mistreated former coach Waqar Younis, who stepped down as coach after the Zimbabwe tour in September citing personal and health reasons.
"I don't think Waqar had any health problems he was removed by Butt. If he (Waqar) had health problems than how is he doing commentary in the series against Sri Lanka."
