They can do but we can’t

Muhammad Asif Khan

The past week stated with a masala news of a rift between Pakistan Test and ODI captain Misbah-ul-Haq and his deputy Mohammad Hafeez and ended with an even bigger episode when the Australian Coach rocked the very foundation of his own team, beaten and bruised at the hands of the home side in India.

The four dismissed Australian players - Shane Watson, James Pattison, Mitchell Johnson and Usman Khawaja – failed to submit a report on the team’s and their personal performances with suggestions but there was another signal attached to the development which the coach – Mickey Arthur – wanted to transmit. He sent a stern warning across that nobody was above the system.

He further elaborated his decision on a blog to make his concerns and priorities absolutely clear.

Arthur said: "Being late for a meeting, high skinfolds, wearing the wrong attire, back-chat or giving attitude are just some examples of these behavioural issues that have been addressed discretely but continue to happen.

These are all the disciplinary issues. Do they have an effect on the performance of a player as well? But this is what Arthur believes and explains in the following way.

"If we're deadly serious about getting back to number one in the world, all players need to raise the bar and lift their game. If not, we must be content at being number three or four or five in world cricket because we won't get any better. The players won't learn and we'll continue a vicious cycle.

Here you go the mystery is solved, he has set some priorities for the team, he feels some players are not adhering to, and hence he pushed them aside and moved on. It sounds so simple but implementation of this unsympathetic philosophy and its likely impact in the longer run could be disastrous.

Fearless approach of Arthur and his muscles to swim against the tide are because of the confidence given to him by the system imposed by the Cricket Australia. Is it the first time they snubbed top-notch players? Absolutely not, as not so far back one of the best all-rounders of his time, Andrew Symonds was sent back from a tour only upon coming late for practice. All in all, penalising players is not a rare sight in the Australian Cricket setup.

Apart from the Board’s backing, another aspect should be highlighted to fully understand and digest the bold step taken by the incumbent Australia coach and that is their sound domestic structure which has been providing the team with quality backup of almost every player. This very tough and almost immaculate structure produces good players and that is the reason why even the star players keep their heads down in-front of the management, and that speaks volumes of their methodology to achieve excellence.

Excellence is indirectly proportional to compromises and here comes the difference between Australia and the Pakistan Cricket Board. I am comparing Pakistan and Australia because over the years the PCB has had a number of individuals from Australia to serve the national Cricket team. After Geoff Lawson, the current head coach, Dav Whatmore is also from Australia. It means that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also acknowledges the competence of these men yet the excellence the PCB sought is still a far cry.

As far as the reported disturbance in the Pakistan team camp is concerned there is nothing in it to write about. If it has actually happened even then that was not unprecedented in the Pakistan Cricket culture.

What matters is the loose grip of the authorities over the matters related to discipline in the setup. Whenever the PCB tried to put its foot down, it failed one way or the other. Not so far ago, an inquiry into the miserable Australia tour resulted in bans and fines on a number of top players but gradually almost all had made their way back to the national team. We have also seen rift between a captains and cricket board chiefs in the past but the end result was always a patch-up between the two parties. What it indicates is that the players were treated as indispensable.

Why players are seen as indispensable because of a weak domestic cricket structure, which has not been producing quality backup of the star performers.

The onus is not only on the fragile domestic setup, the Cricket Board should take responsibility as well for not sticking to its stern decisions against the star players.

One great reason for the Board’s weakness is their political affiliation. Currently the Board chairman is directly appointed by the President of the country. We are hearing about the new democratic constitution which, the PCB says, will soon be implemented, however in the existing scenario the Board chairman is a fairly political personality. What change a ‘democratic’ constitution will bring about is a different topic altogether but what we have seen in the past is the lack of control over various matter and no accountability.

Lack of control over the players is, to some extent, linked with the weak domestic structure, but letting the ‘penalised’ players off the hook by being lenient with them indicates the lack of will within the Cricket Board. Individual brilliance is all-right but as a team, unless the mentioned issues are not overcome, sustainable excellence will remain a dream and team will be dubbed as ‘unpredictable’ for ever.

The writer is a Pakistani sports journalist, and tweets @mak_asif

Pybus bails Whatmore out, feels lack of experience cost Pakistan

By Muhammad Asif Khan

KARACHI: The Test series white-wash at the hands of South Africa instigated a debate in Pakistan and almost every other former Cricketer demands the dismissal of the head coach, Dav Whatmore, however one of the former foreign coaches of Pakistan, Richard Pybus thinks otherwise. “That's life at international level, and I am sure Whatmore is also aware of it. I think he [Whatmore] has done well. All you can do is prepare the team and hand over to the captain in the game time.” said Richard Pybus, while talking to this correspondent for News One TV.

“I popped in to watch a bit of the Cape Town test. Overall the [Pakistan] side disappointed in the Tests in South Africa but this is not new though. They lack depth in experienced batters for these conditions while the bowlers weren’t up to the standard even.” added Pybus, who coached the Pakistan team twice between 1999–2001 and 2003.

“If Whatmore was coaching South Africa with players like Smith, Kallis, De Villiers and Amla then he would be called a great coach”, maintained Pybus

Richard Pybus is the first amongst the four foreign coaches appointed so far by the Pakistan Cricket Board from 1999, followed by the Late Bob Woolmer, Geoff Lawson and the incumbent Whatmore. 

The former coach also acknowledged that the Pakistan Cricket was suffering from the lack of international events at home.

“It’s really tough if you take away a side’s home advantage but Pakistan have adapted reasonably well. I saw them prepare in Sri Lanka for the T20 and they looked a profession outfit. Pakistan needs to build on continuity of selection, trusting and challenging players to success”, concludes Richard Pybus.

On the upcoming ODI series against South Africa, Richard Pybus hopes to see competitive encounters, adding that with the inclusion of a few players, Pakistan look a more formidable outfit in the limited-over matches.

The writer is a Pakistani sports journalist, and tweets @mak_asif

Modification in action saved my career: Anwar Ali

By Muhammad Asif Khan

KARACHI: The U-19 Cricket World cup triumph of Pakistan in 2006 is still fresh in memories. Pakistan collided with India in the low-scoring final in Colombo where the magical spell of fast bowling by Anwar Ali spearheaded his country's 38-run win. The rookie paceman of that time has now become a force to recon with in the Domestic circuit and owes his recent success mainly to the modification of the bowling action. “After the World Cup I got to play my debut First Class season, where the lengthy bowling spell actually exposed the flaws in my action. Soon after I broke down with side strain.” said Anwar Ali while talking to this correspondent for News One TV.

 

“For the sake of my career I went on to modify my bowling action which turned out productive for me. Now I can effectively bowl both ways with much ease”, added Anwar Ali.

Anwar Ali, 25, said that he had been concentrating on his batting as well, and his performance in the past two seasons was evident of the improvement in his all-round abilities. “The selectors picked him as all-rounder for the India trip late last year, I couldn’t get a chance but I hopeful of getting a go in the future”, said the Karachi-born Right-hander

“After a good outing in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, now my focus is on the upcoming domestic one-day tournament, where I would strive to get the best bowler’s slot”, concludes Anwar Ali, who made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe in 2008, his only international appearance for Pakistan till date.

Anwar Ali was an important member of the Karachi Blues outfit, which won the recently concluded Quaid-e-Azam Trophy - Pakistan’s premier domestic competition - by beating Sialkot in the final match.

The writer is a Pakistani sports journalist, and tweets @mak_asif

Accountability, but on every level

By Muhammad Asif Khan

What happened in Centurion a week or so ago was nothing but an old tale narrated by new tellers. The green caps succumbed to the mighty South Africa within only three days of a five-day encounter. Nothing fresh to write about the demolition mission of the Proteas and their overall dominance in the three-match Test rubber but still a few questions have risen again which should be sorted out once and for all to curtail the recurrence of such humiliations in the future.

Alright, this is also a valid argument that this was not the first time that green caps surrendered in South Africa or in Australia for that matter, but this is also a reality that such facilities include highly qualified foreign coaches and a sizable number of support staff as their helping hands were not at the disposal of their predecessors yet the Misbah-led outfit faltered and faltered badly. Their accountability will and should be done but will it happen in Pakistan Cricket for the first time? Not at all is the answer.

Haven’t we seen inquiries after inquires from the dismal 2003 and 2007 World Cup campaigns then very recently after the 2009-10 Australia tour? After all the probes only the players paid the ultimate price and the other responsible were ignored or let off the hook. Who can forget the saddest event of the Pakistan Cricket history when three players got convicted and banned by the International Cricket Council but again apart from the players nobody from the team management was taken to task. The manager on that infamous England tour of 2010 went unquestioned.

Will the same happen this time around as well? If this is the case then such performances would keep on coming I am afraid. Yes, the players should be questioned and taken to task but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should also give a review to its decisions in the recent past.

Pakistan, not so far ago, beat the then number one team of England in the United Arab Emirates, however that winning combination was rattled by the PCB chairman himself. Even before that tour he put the fear in the mind of coach Mohsin Khan that he [Mohsin] would be replaced come what may. Imagine how a man, who is on the verge of embarking an important assignment, would feel with such a threat. The reason given by the chairman was that Mohsin Khan was not duly qualified for the job, fine but why this ‘golden principle’ wasn’t taken into consideration while appointing other key individuals for various slots in the Cricket board or with the team?

Is the Director of the National Cricket Academy is duly qualified? Nothing against him at all because he knows the game inside out, but rules are rules and should be adhered to in every aspect. Moving on is the incumbent bowling coach of the Pakistan Cricket team meets the criteria mentioned in the advertisement posted for the job? Also when the batting consultant was appointed, prior to the India series, then was the qualification of the great Inzamam-ul-Haq taken into account? No, is the answer and rightly so because a man of Inzamam’s caliber doesn’t need any recognition to his credentials.

Modern day game is changed and why other teams are inclining towards qualified coaches is a separate debate. In short, in view of the culture in Pakistan, I am a firm believer of having someone with reputation rather than a certain level of qualification to impart in a better manner. For instance if Wasim Akram and Muhammad Akram tell something to a young Pakistani bowler, then who would have the greater impression on that youngster is not hard to guess to make. Not maligning Muhammad Akram at all, he might be a successful man, but before joining Pakistan, he worked in a different culture all together.

How the players were prepared for the South African trip is evident in their performance over there, but what facilities did the board provided them with is also a matter of concern. Why the batting consultant was appointed for the trip of India only? Does the PCB think-tank believe conditions in India are tougher then in South Africa? They also sent a physiologist with the team to India and that practice was discontinued on the African safari, they were either wrong earlier or put a foot wrong this time around, only the people at the helm could solve this puzzle.

I am also convinced that the able people who are  running the cricket affairs are well aware of the fact that which nature of Cricket balls are being used abroad these days, therefore shouldn’t the same be provided to the players in the domestic circuit too? If it’s a costly business then should limit it to the premier tournament to gauge the true potential of a bowler.

I would like to come back to the point mentioned earlier that players did perform badly no doubt, but they were not the only answerable for the recent debacle. The way a few players collapsed during and even before the Test series raised question on the medical panel of the PCB which is responsible for the final clearance on players’ fitness. Will they be questioned?

After every series only the team is bashed for the lack of consistency, and rightly so, but who is responsible for bringing consistency in the decisions taken by the PCB officials.

It has not been a culture where a person either takes responsibly of a mistake or doesn’t feel free to work accordingly and steps down with pride. Last such resignation was from Muhammad Ilyas, in March last year, for the post of chief selector. It was reported that he reached to the decision upon Pakistan team’s poor performance against England in the ODI and T20 series – followed by the famous Test white-wash - and meddling of the PCB in the selection affairs. In either case or both Mr. Ilyas deserves credit for his bold stance.

Who is responsible for sending half-fit players to South Africa, who should be blamed for not appointing the batting consultant or the physiologist, who should be asked upon the use of cricket balls at the domestic circuit? These and a lot of other questions converge to one person only, the PCB chairman, who is considered to be the man running the show alone.

Anyway individual shouldn’t be either targeted or praised overwhelmingly but Zaka Ashraf cannot enjoy this distinction because of the fact that he is directing every matter. From the appointment of a Director General to the Coach, captain and vice-captain for the national teams his consent is a must.

With the management experience under the belt, Zaka Ashraf seems to be a man who can do it. Unluckily most of his initiatives have backfired lately, which should be enough for him to realise and revisit the strategy he is drafting with his team. The PCB Chairman is no less than a General, but even the best General can’t win a war on his own.

The writer is a Pakistani sports journalist, and tweets @mak_asif

Rehan Butt terms retirement a one time affair

By Muhammad Asif Khan

KARACHI: Despite being out of favour since long, the former Pakistan Hockey captain, Rehan Butt is in no mood to hang his boots anytime soon. Talking to this correspondent for New One TV the experienced forward applauded the younger lot which performed well in the recent international events.

“Dropping me was the decision of the hockey federation, but frankly the players performed exceptionally well in the absence of some senior guys, therefore should be highly praised”, said Rehan Butt

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) dropped a few senior players including Rehan Butt, following team’s dismal show in the London Olympics last year.

“I am pleased to see the team returning with Bronze and Gold medals in back to back events lately”, added Butt, who has recently monitored the trails to pick national U-16 outfit for the upcoming Asia Cup.

On a question about retirement, the former skipper termed it a one-time call, adding that he wanted to take the important decision after through deliberation.

“I don’t want to go and then come back. Retirement will come eventually but not till I am playing foreign leagues. I will hang my boots once and for all.” maintained Rehan Butt  

The PHF recently gave Rehan Butt the responsibility of coaching the junior outfit for the upcoming event. In the first phase he, along with other officials, has witnessed trials in various cities to pick a bunch of U-16 players.

Rehan Butt, 32, said he has been enjoying his new responsibilities and considers it as a way to give something back to the country.

“I have witnessed very good players at this level especially in Punjab and KPK, soon the probables be announced for the training camp in Karachi, where I will be working on them for the Asia Cup” concludes Rehan Butt

The U-16 Asia Cup is scheduled to be held in Singapore from April 4 to 7.

The writer is a Pakistani sports journalist, and tweets @mak_asif

An interaction with Ehsan Adil

The interview was conducted after his selection for the South Africa tour.

By Muhammad Asif Khan

Hard work always pays, and EHSAN ADIL is an example:

Pakistan has been a fortunate nation when it comes to sports and especially Cricket. Despite of the fragile infrastructure the supply of the talented players continues at every level, however the transition from a lower to the top level has not been up to the mark lately and due to this very fact, a fair amount of talent fades away.

The younger lot is exuberant and recent showing is indicative of the fact the future of Pakistan cricket is safe provided the smooth transition is taken care of adequately.

Talking about upcoming players reminds the recent U19 Cricket World Cup, where Pakistan’s performance wasn’t impressive but a few youngsters caught everybody’s attention and 19-year old, Ehsan Adil was one of them, who finally made it to the National squad, Presently in South Africa, to take on the mighty hosts.

Very much like many others the journey to the top wasn’t that easy for Ehsan Adil either. Since childhood, the Mureedkay born all-rounder had a dream to wear the Green cap one day, and now he is on the verge of achieving this goal but his upward voyage has not been a smooth sailing.

Early days:

“Cricket was my passion since childhood and I used to imitate Waqar Younis and Glenn McGrath after watching them on TV”, recalled Ehsan Adil who started playing the game with a taped tennis ball similar to the majority in Pakistan.

In 2000, when he was only 7-year old, the family shifted to Gojra from Mureedkay, where Ehsan continued with his fervour for Cricket and kept on playing with the tennis ball.

First competitive level:

“I joined a local club – Gojra Friends – where the in-charge, Lala Ijaz Khan, advised me to concentrate on bowling more, which I did.” Ehsan Adil

Adil kept on performing and impressing not only his mates but the other teams in the area too. One day he was told by an opposing team member to try his luck at the Faisalabad region’s Under-15 trails.

Turning Point:

While terming his entry to the Faisalabad Under-15 outfit the turning point in his career, Ehsan Adil also shared an interesting episode attached to it.

“In the trials, I was provided with a few delivers, which I felt were not enough. In dejection I said something to my friend which was heard by one of the selectors passing by, who said that was enough for them. Later I found my name in the selected bunch”

Later, the inspirational show at the U-15 level brought Ehsan Adil to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in 2007, where Aaqib Javed modified his action a little.

The next level – Pakistan U-19:

After U-15 and a stint at the NCA, Ehsan played for regional Under-16 team and then entered the Under-19 outfit of the region.

In 2011, Ehsan Adil captained the Faisalabad Under-19 team during the regional tournament. He performed very well throughout but his match winning performance in the final against Pindi was exceptional. With more than 500 runs and 46 wickets, Ehsan Adil was selected for the Pakistan U-19 team touring South Africa where he lived up to the expectations.

U-19 Asia Cup & a sensational match against India:

On the basis of his performances in South Africa, Ehsan Adil was chosen for the U19 Asia Cup in Malaysia. Pakistan and India played the final match which was ended in a tie, and both the teams were declared joint winners. Ehsan’s performance in the nerve-racking encounter was instrumental.

 “India needed seven runs in the last over and I dismissed two players including the captain on 122”, Ehsan Adil.

The U-19 World Cup:

The lanky pacer continued his match-wining stuff and helped Pakistan win the away series against South Africa with his all-round performance. Later in the U-19 World Cup, the Pakistan team was below par, but Ehsan stood out and caught the eyes of the top domestic teams of the country.

Entry to the top domestic circuit:

After the Under-19 World Cup, Ehsan Adil was offered a place by Pakistan’s top domestic teams but he opted for Habib Bank Limited (HBL) on the advice of Sabih Azhar.

Magical words of the Sports Head:

“Senior guys like Younus Khan and Imran Farhat were very encouraging but the words of Abdul Raqeeb elevated my confidence to a different level”. “He [Raqeeb] said I could play for Pakistan in one year’s time”, said Ehsan Adil.

In the President’s Cup matches, Ehsan Adil lived up to the expectation and showed a lot of promise with both bat and ball. He scored 121 runs and took 53 wickets.

Almost there:

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) organised a T20 tournament just before the Indian trip, and in view of the heartening performance in the event, Ehsan Adil became the talk of the town. With the notable run of form, Adil was seen as certain for the India-bound squad however his luck didn’t favour him. The younger was unmoved upon the non-selection but his family, he said, was a bit depressed.

“Hopes of my family were very high therefore they were understandably disappointed, but I have no complaints whatsoever. My job is to keep on performing and leave the rest to the selectors”, said Ehsan Adil

Finally there:

The selectors left him out of the India tour, his family was dejected but the youngster showed big heart and accepted the decision.

“God must have thought something better for me, now my focus is on the upcoming tour of South Africa."

And God granted his prayers, and the selectors expressed faith in Ehsan Adil for the tough tour of South Africa.

The all-rounder is aware of the importance and delicacy of the chance he got, and upbeat to retain his hard-earned place in the National team. 

“My past experience on South African track would come handy; I will try and perform to the best of my abilities”, concludes Ehsan Adil.


The writer is a Pakistani sports journalist, and tweets @mak_asif

ICC: International or ‘Indian’ Cricket Council

Muhammad Asif Khan

To run a business adequately the existence of a competent governing body is a must, however only the competence would be of no use if the system is not followed in it’s true spirit.

This is a universal rule, hence also applied on the bodies responsible for running the affairs of any sport including Cricket.

Converging on Cricket where the International Cricket Council (ICC) is the supreme authority which, with the help of it’s member Cricket boards, works for the betterment of the game worldwide.

The game of Cricket also requires a system like other walks of life but before the system and it’s effectiveness firstly to understand the system itself is a must. By definition, the system is consist of a set of components work in coordination or harmony to perform a certain job, and if it’s Cricket than the ICC has the system and the member cricket boards are it’s components.

Over the years, with the harmonious work of the components – Member Cricket Boards – the ICC has been able to introduce a lot of innovations to the sport and transformed it into a much better spectacle at the moment.

But, in recent times this harmonious love affair between the system and it’s components seems to have jolted. Not so far ago the ICC introduced the Umpires Decision Review System (UDRS) to minimise the element of error as much as possible but contrary to other members, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been tenacious and not willing to adopt the UDRS. The BCCI has it’s reading to the situation and it does not consider the UDRS as an immaculate methodology hence is not favouring it.

Not blaming India because a system needs to have all it’s components working properly, while in case of the UDRS, the major component is the Hot-Spot which should be present everywhere, also the hawk-eye needs to be spot-on to produce error-less conclusion however these aspect have not fully satisfied all the stakeholders.

What can the ICC do in this situation? It can not put it’s foot-down the way FIFA did on the implementation of the goal-line technology in football.

Before moving further, the role of FIFA, rather the difference between the mechanisms of ICC and FIFA needs to be understood. We can’t compare both the governing bodies because FIFA is the federation – which has the power to impose it’s decision on it’s affiliated units while the ICC, being a council could not go all the way against a member.

So, it’s come down to the ICC again, India does not like the UDRS and it’s fine they have a right to do so but what the ICC is doing with the members who are happily willing to implement the review system?  As per the existing regulations, if two boards playing a bilateral series then the expense for the UDRS system would be their responsibility, however in an ICC sponsored event, this will be the responsibility of the ICC. Again, a confusion arises, wasn’t the last year’s ODI world cup the ICC event? Then why the UDRS was not installed there? The answer is the descent of the BCCI.

Okay, if the BCCI has a right to object then why other cricket boards can’t enjoy the same liberty in other matters? When the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) says that they could not entirely implement the ICC directives regarding a democratically elected Cricket board then why the PCB is given a cold shoulder by the ICC?

This is not the only case. In the ongoing women world cup, the ICC is acting as a spectator only. India says matches to be held in Mumbai or Cuttack or elsewhere, the ICC says okay, India accommodates one cricket team which is participating in the mega event at a stadium, which is indeed against ICC’s own regulations but again the International Cricket Council kept mum. This strange rather partial behaviour of the ICC puzzles the followers who wonder who is actually calling the shots?

If the BCCI is strong, then it also means that the ICC is weak. Can’t right much on the dichotomies and just want to leave you and ICC with a question.

Since the BCCI has set a precedent of accommodating a national cricket team at a stadium during the ICC World Cup then why can’t Pakistan be given the same liberty to host any of the teams with the same condition? Yes Pakistan can organise a bilateral series if allowed to put the visitors at the stadium all the time, can ICC or the BCCI do PCB this favour? 

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