Zulqarnain and his latest queries

By Muhammad Asif Khan

KARACHI: Pakistan test wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Hyder has come out of hibernation and once again the target of his onslaught is none other than Kamran Akmal.

Not so long ago - after apologising to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the run-away episode - the lanky wicketkeeper made his way back to the domestic cricket and did really well.

The latest twist to the tale came as Zulqarnain posted a message on his Facebook profile on Wednesday. He wrote and I quote with a bit of adjustment “The ICC didn’t clear Kamran Akmal but the PCB, its selectors and other members did. What a justice? One thief goes and another comes in. Lot of stories about selectors and corruption will surface soon”

On the face of it these allegations have no substance whatsoever and this is the very question asked by this correspondent on which Zulqarnain Hyder replied that he would soon present three questions before the media. He added that he was taking this step along with his lawyer “in the best interest of the game”.

The wicketkeepers said his lawyer will hold a press conference soon, and will present following three ‘relevant’ questions.

1. What was the reason of sidelining Kamran Akmal?

2. The ICC’s clearance letter should be made public.

3. Names of the PCB integrity committee members who questioned Akmal should be made public along with their findings.

“I am doing it in the national interest and for the betterment of the game of Cricket. My lawyer will also probe into the documents presented by Kamran Akmal before the Integrity Committee. Furthermore a bond should be signed by me and Kamran Akmal, and whoever fails to prove his point should be sent to jail for 5 years”, said Zulqarnain Hyder

Zulqarnain Hyder’s latest allegations seem as fragile as his earlier claims, but this is for certain that this new outburst would not bring any good for him.

Previously in 2010, Zulqarnain had fled to London from a team camp in Dubai without informing the PCB after receiving “death threats”. He also retired from international cricket but later withdrew his decision.

Inconsistent policies prior to Olympic led to debacle – Hassan Sardar

By Muhammad Asif Khan

KARACHI: The below par performance of the Pakistan Hockey team at the Olympics rightfully irked the nation and former greats are no exception. On team greens’ below-par performance at the mega event, one the most celebrated stars of Pakistan’s hockey history, and arguably the best centre forward Pakistan has ever produced, Hassan Sardar, minced no word in putting the blame on the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), saying that the inconsistency in the policies, only weeks before the London event, had an adverse effect on the team’s overall performance. Hassan Sardar said that if the senior players were to be selected then it should have been done at least six months before the mega event so that the oldies would have worked hard on their fitness level.

“Only weeks before the Olympics, the fate of some senior players was uncertain. A few players were penalised for violating the PHF code of conduct, however were mysteriously included in the team eventually. This clearly shows the uncertainty in PHF’s priorities”, said Hassan Sardar while talking to this correspondent for News One TV

The former captain said that Pakistan conceded too many goals in the competition which is indicative of the fact that the defence of the team was relatively weak. “Pakistan’s goal-keeper and defence were badly exposed during the Olympics, and the inability of the forward line to assist the defence was the main reason for that. Unlike other teams Pakistan players were not fit enough to come back all the way from opponent’s goal to assist the defenders. A huge gap between attack and defence cost Pakistan badly”, added the former captain, who was part of the gold medal winning National Hockey Team at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

After retiring, Hassan Sardar later managed the Pakistani Hockey Team. He has also served as the Chief Selector of Pakistan hockey team.

On a question the former great said during the matches against Great Britain and South Africa the number of goals conceded by the Pakistan team was alarming. “After the match against Great Britain, the number of goals conceded against South Africa was alarming for Pakistan's defence but then it was too late to devise a fitting strategy against Australia.”, concluded Hassan Sardar

Kamran Akmal cleared despite ‘suspicion’

By Muhammad Asif Khan

KARACHI:  Some people call him a wicket-keeper, while others consider him as a ball-stopper only. In whatever case, Kamran Akmal has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Ever since his emergence on the scene he is considered as a dependable batsman but at the same time is seen as a dodgy glove-man.

When he was away, people wanted to know the reason, now when he has made his way back to the team, the cricketing world is curious again.

The 30-year old Wicket-keeper batsman was accused of deliberately under-performing during Pakistan's defeat against Australia in the 2010 Sydney Test. After the tour, a probe committee was constituted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which recorded statements of players and officials. During the inquiry it was suspected that Akmal deliberately under-performed and failed to run Shane Watson out and dropped three chances on Michael Hussey during the Sydney test.

Kamran Akmal's name was mentioned at the notorious spot-fixing trial in England as well, but was neither summoned by the London court nor banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Before his inclusion in the 15-member national T20 squad, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stated that the wicket-keeper was summoned by the Integrity Committee and asked to submit some material.

A source closed to the development has revealed to this correspondent that during the meeting the members of the integrity committee were not entirely satisfied with Akmal’s viewpoint; however they had no other choice but to provide him with a clean chit. “A great deal of suspicion on him was there, but he could not be penalised on the basis of severe doubts only. We needed concrete evidence, which was not there against him.” said the source.

“The selection committee also wanted his services while the Anti-corruption and Security Unit of the ICC had already given him the clearance, hence there was no room left to clamp him”, concludes the source.

A 53-test veteran, Akmal, was axed from the team after a dismal keeping behind the stumps at the World Cup in 2011 where he dropped New Zealand's Ross Taylor twice in one over.

Despite the allegations, Kamran claimed to have a clearance letter from the ICC saying he is not being investigated.

Since his debut in 2002, Kamran Akmal has played 53 Tests, 137 ODIs and 38 T20Is matches for Pakistan.

Pakistan T20 Squad and a few questions

Nine players were also present in the last World T20 Cup squad

By Muhammad Asif Khan

The passion for Cricket in Pakistan is overwhelming and this is the very reason why the game is discussed in almost every gathering.  The followers have their say on the issues related to the game and they don’t let an opportunity to comment go by whenever a decision is taken by the authorities at the helm of affairs.

Chopping and changing in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) setup do raise eyebrows however when it comes to the National team selection the mood swing of the enthusiasts is evident. The story was not different after the announcement of the 15-member squad for the World T20 Cup which is scheduled to be held in September this year.

There is no doubt that the squad announced for the mega event was strong on paper but a few inclusions need clarification. Before jumping to the list of players the question is that why the PCB was in a hurry? - the deadline to submit the final squad is mid August - At the time when other teams are only finalising their provisional 30-man squad for ICC World Twenty20, we have already curtailed the squad to 15.

Now coming to the squad and starting with Kamran Akmal, who had been out of favour since last 15 months for his alleged involvements in the wrongdoing, got a nod but the question still remains that why his selection was put on hold in the first place? Why his selection was subjected to the clearance from the Integrity Committee and the most important aspect is that what was presented before the integrity committee by Kamran Akmal to get the clean chit?

In the All-rounders’ category, the selection committee banked on the experience of Abdul Razzaq who was dropped from earlier assignments due to non participation in the domestic events. On the snub the all-rounder (Razzaq) went berserk and questioned the credibility of the selectors however the dust somehow settled and he is back in the team. His recent performance in England was good thou. Furthermore, another all-rounder in the list, Yasir Arafat seems to have a magic wand in his hand because he plays in the U.K., and gets into the team from nowhere.

Ahmed Shehzad, the tailor-made batsman for the shortest version, was snubbed but not on technical grounds. As per reports he was overlooked due to his negative attitude and erratic behaviour, again something is fishy.

Junaid Khan, the fast bowler, who bowled his heart out in Sri Lanka, however his superb bowling form was not considered enough, and the reason, is best known by the selectors only.

Drifting away from the team combination, it’s time to look into the vision of the authorities running the game in the country. Every now and then we read and hear statements about the futuristic approach by the authorities, but on ground the situation is not so and the example is the recently announced 15-member squad for the World T20 cup 2012.

Before the last edition of the mega event in 2010, the then selection committee assembled a bunch of 17 players and amazingly after around 28 month the incumbent selection committee accumulated the squad in which 9 players were in 2010 squad as well.

Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Muhammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Muhammad Sami and Yasir Arafat were included in the 2010 squad and later on Umar Gul and Yasir Arafat were withdrawn from it to make it a 15-member bunch which took part in the 2010 World T20 Cup in the West Indies. If this is called the futuristic approach then God knows where are we heading and where would we end up at he end of the day. The key to running any business successfully is the check and balance as well as the just approach but I am afraid we are lacking on both accounts.

Kaneria feels he was made a scapegoat by ECB

By Muhammad Asif Khan

LONDON: Slapped with a lifetime ban, for his involvement in a spot-fixing scandal,

by the Disciplinary panel of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the former Essex and Pakistan Leg-spinner, Danish Kaneria feels that he was ‘mistreated’ by the ECB panel as, according to him, the judgment was ‘pre-determined’. “My lawyers were not even heard properly during the hearing. I was given a harsh treatment even without concrete evidence against me”, said Kaneria while talking to this correspondent.

Kaneria has already filed an appeal against the life ban imposed by the (ECB) on July 12 2012 for spot-fixing in a pro-40 match played in 2009. Kaneria was found guilty of two charges following a contested hearing which was held in London. In view of the charges the ECB banned him (Kaneria) for life from any involvement in the playing, organisation or administration of any cricket under the jurisdiction of the (ECB).

Later the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also endorsed the ECB ban, saying that as per the International Cricket Council (ICC) rules Kaneria would remain suspended pending his appeal.

Only months prior to the ECB hearing Kaneria’s county teammate Marven Westfield, during criminal proceedings in a London court, admitted to have underperformed in match against Durham in 2009 allegedly on the behest of Danish Kaneria. Although, London Police never charged Kaneria in that case due to lack of evidence.

Danish Kaneria further claimed that he was made scapegoat in the fixing episode, adding that he had nothing to do with Westfield’s involvement in the menace. According to Kaneria – the most successful spin bowler of Pakistan – during the hearing of the appeal his lawyers would also want to question Westfield. “In an appeal my lawyers have requested for the formation of an independent panel. We also want to question Westfield during the proceedings, because we believe that probably in order to have his sentence reduced, Westfield pleaded guilty and accused me of instigating him”, said Kaneria who have taken 261 wickets in 61 test matches for Pakistan.

“The trail of the appeal should be transparent in which media should also be allowed to witness the proceedings”, concludes Kaneria.

In May 2010, Kaneria was arrested by the Essex police in connection with “match irregularities” in the 2009 domestic season. The investigations are believed to focus on a NatWest Pro40 match in September 2009, which Essex won.

Danish Kaneria dejected on “unfair” treatment

By Muhammad Asif Khan

KARACHI: Pakistan’s most successful Test spinner, Danish Kaneria got the jolt of his life last week when the disciplinary panel constituted by the English Cricket Board (ECB), handed down a life ban to him after describing him (Kaneria) as a grave danger to the game of cricket.

However, the lanky leg-spinner is of the view that he was treated unfairly during the 5-day trial during which, according to him, the behaviour of the disciplinary panel was also “discriminatory”.

Kaneria’s Essex county teammate Westfield served a two-month jail sentence after pleading guilty to spot-fixing during a pro-40 match in 2009.

Westfield, during criminal proceedings in a London court, admitted to have underperformed allegedly on the behest of Danish Kaneria. Although, the Essex Police never charged Kaneria in that case due to lack of evidence.

“The panel did not bother asking for evidence from Westfield to support his allegations against me. It was obvious that they had decided even before the commencement of the trial”, maintained Kaneria while talking to this correspondent for News One TV.

“Even the Essex players, appeared before the panel did not support the claims of Marven Westfield”, added Kaneria

On his alleged relationship with an Indian bookie, Anu Bhatt, the 31-year old leg-spinner said that he met with him (Bhatt) twice in his life and both the meetings were at public places. While admitting that the ICC’s ACSU official, Allan Peacock had warned him about the dubious activities of Bhatt, Kaneria added that the warning was ‘verbal’ which he said was adhered to as well.

“I met Anu Bhatt in 2007 for the first time when he invited the Pakistan team for dinner during Indian tour. Later in 2008, ACSU’s Allan Peacock verbally warned me to avoid Anu Bhatt, which I did”, said Kaneria, who represented Pakistan in 61 test matches since his debut in 2000.

“In 2009, I met with Anu Bhatt for the last time in England. The meeting was at a public

Place. In both encounters, Bhatt did not extend any fixing offer to me”, Kaneria recalled.

Danish Kaneria said that his legal team was weighing the available options, and would file an appeal – against the life ban – after receiving the detailed judgment from the ECB panel.

Hasty changes cost Pakistan Hockey – Salman Akbar

By Muhammad Asif Khan

KARACHI: Like every hockey lover in Pakistan the discarded Goalkeeper Salman Akbar is equally dejected over the dismal performance by the National hockey team in the recently concluded 21^st edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey tournament. Salman Akbar, who is residing in Holland to represent a local club, minced no words in putting the entire blame on the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for the below-par performance in Malaysia.

“Unwarranted changes in coaching staff and the team combination only a few months before the Olympics cost us badly, however the PHF doesn’t seem to accept responsibility and putting the blame on the players instead. Planning of the federation and the performance of the coaching staff should be questioned”, said Salman Akbar while talking to this correspondent for News One TV.

“Even the lowest ranking team in the Olympics wouldn’t have altered the setup with so little time remaining for the mega event”, added Salman Akbar.

Salman Akbar is in Holland these days where, apart from representing a local club, he has also engaged himself in grooming young goalkeepers for the club.

On Pakistan’s goalkeepers, Salman Akbar was off the view that the game had changed considerably over the past few years. He added that the existing goalkeeping coaches of Pakistan were greats in their respective eras however, according to him (Salman Akbar), they were not at par with the modern coaching methodology. “Shahid Ali Khan and Ahmed Alam were excellent, even I also looked up to them, but the game has changed now and the coaches should also be aware of the latest techniques to train youngsters on modern lines”, said Salman Akbar.

“In the younger lot, I am very impressed with Mazhar Abbass, I think he can make a name for himself if treated fairly”, added Salman Akbar

On a question, the lanky goalkeeper also turned down the impression of grouping in the team. “All the players are known to me and I can’t buy this impression at all. It is probably a bid to divert the attention from the recent performance.” maintained Salman Akbar

Salman Akbar, who has played 220 international matches for Pakistan, urged the PHF to make way for the return of Shakeel Abbasi, Rehan Butt, Zeeshan Ashraf and Muhammad Imran for the Olympics, adding that he was also ready to represent the national team if the PHF would provide him with an opportunity.