Need for better detectives

By Muhammad Asif Khan

Money and corruption go hand in hand and cricket is a game in which a lot of money is involved. So corruption cannot be ruled out. Every now and then the resurfacing of corruption scandals is indicative of the fact that the game had continuously been under the shadow of this menace even when there were no reports of fixing.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) formed the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) back in 2000 with an idea to put a lid on the malpractice, but fixing has continued ever since. It means that there is some thing wrong in the methodology which is being practiced by the ICC and it needs to be altered.

ACSU is manned by ex-police officials who must have been brilliant in their respective fields, but cricket is a different ball game altogether.

The ACSU’s officers can keep watch on players’ off-the-field movements, but detecting a dubious act by an individual on the field is next to impossible. If a batsman deliberately scores slowly then a detective cannot figure that out, but probably an ex-cricketer would smell a rat in the process. One proof of the ineffectiveness of the ACSU is the fact that the body has not so far unearthed a wrongdoing on its own.

They take action only after something wrong has been exposed by newspapers or television channels. Just recall the infamous over-step by Mohammad Amir in 2010. It remained undetected until the sting operation. Let me quote a few more examples here. In the World Cup 2011 match between Australia and Zimbabwe on February 21, 2011, Australia managed to score just 28 runs in the first 10 overs, and later went on to post a winning total of 262.

I am not saying that something must have been wrong in that match, but the question remains: can it be noticed by a detective who is not related to the field of cricket?

Another example is the World Cup match between India and Australia on February 15, 2003. India were at 26/1 in the first 6 overs and after 15 overs their score was 45/4. Wasn’t it strange? It could be pre-designed but again nothing could be said with absolute certainty. The above two examples are amongst many which might have been noticed by cricket experts.

So what should the ICC do? They have distributed literature amongst players, empowered member boards to establish their own anti-corruption units, etc. But still there is room for improvement.

Countless endeavours by the ICC are there but what they have not done so far is to encourage those who want to speak against this wide-spread menace.

Who doesn’t know former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif and his efforts against match-fixing but did the ICC take him seriously? He wrote a letter to the apex body in 2003, but was not taken aboard in putting in place a better mechanism.

There are other examples too. Former fast bowler Sarfaraz Nawaz also claimed to have briefed the ACSU officials in the past but to no avail.

Therefore, for the sake of this game and its integrity, the governing body needs to come up with an out-of-the-box solution. By only admitting the reality, the ICC is actually showing its helplessness. They are in charge of the game, so they are the ones who need to take charge. Otherwise the recurrence of unpleasant events would continue.

Umpires in fixing: It was sensational and that was it

By Muhammad Asif Khan

A few weeks back I received a text message which said “The best day to propose to a girl is April 1st. U Know Why?? Because If she accepts then it’s your luck, otherwise just shout “April Fool”. Harmful jokes apart, but generally the culprits, in such acts on the day (April 1), are not taken to task and the reason is the non-serious or fake nature of the environment. So it finally comes down to the intentions and the motive of the action.

Ok, moving out from April to reach the period between July and August this year when a TV channel from India started fooling a few people in the name of serve a genuine purpose. They exposed a few faces – in a thrilling footage - who were ready rather greedy to crush the dignity of the game of Cricket under their feet. That was indeed a good job and should be appreciated.

But, was the India TV action only falls into the category of sensationalism or actually a great service to the game and its followers? I myself am not utterly clear on this as yet. I may be naïve, therefore don’t have answers to the following silly questions. So please help me out. Let me make it clear that I am not at all trying to favour any umpire featured in the footage shown by the TV but the intention of the TV station had left enough room for suspicion, for me at least.

The environment created by the India TV, during the sting operation, was real or surreal, serious or non-serious? Since, the questions and the ‘surreal’ environment were hypothetical, then why those - on the on the other side of the Skype - were caught on their words not actions?

In the last sting operation of such nature in 2010, carried out by the News of the World in London, the players (Mohammad Amir, Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif) were not only caught pledging but later they also lived up to their promises, hence rightly penalised by the court of law and the apex body of the game of Cricket – The International Cricket Council - but in this case can a person be penalised on his intentions only?

If all the exposed officials are all set to be taken to task then the reporter should also be at least questioned because he was the one who lured in somebody to a crime. I know the under-cover reporter’s part was hypothetical but then the entire episode was surreal including an umpire on the other side of the Skype. One can’t be punished for his intentions until he transforms them it into actions?

What was India TV up to? Off course they were on a mission to cleanse the game of Cricket, ok then why did they only choose the officials at a lower tier?

Six Umpires were shown on the camera, and I am sure numerous other officials – probably includes some from the highest level which is called the elite ICC panel - were approached during the ‘cleansing service’. Question is that did they come across anyone who blatantly refused their offer or threw a few probing questioned at them? Would not it be heartening to share that tape too to prove to the world that in general this game is clean but yes there are few miscreants present in this field too.

I doubt that they (India TV) ever approached someone in the elite panel, because had they done so then two scenarios would have followed. Either, the ICC was intimated by those approached, and in this case, the ‘hidden service’ would have forcefully been wrapped up by the Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) OR the second more likely situation would be that due to the shrewdness of a top-level umpire the visionary bubble would get burst half way. The fear of getting exposed probably kept the stingers away from the elite panelists.

Before moving further, let’s check the list of Cricketers who have already banned, suspended or penalised for fixing to-date. The list - on Wikipedia - shows the name of 22 international and domestic players which includes nine Indians, six Pakistanis, three South Africans and one each from Kenya, Bangladesh, England and the West Indies.

The glaring reality mentioned in the list is that, apart from the majority of Indian cricketers, the most such incidents took place on the Indian soil too. Moreover, in the latest case of Danish Kaneria and Mervyn Westfield the bookie associated with Kaneria (Arun Bhatia) was supposed to be an Indian as well. Another interesting thing in Kaneria’s case was that he was named in the court as the man who approached Westfield with the idea of fixing or in other words he (Kaneria) was the one who actually influenced a young cricketer to commit the wrongdoing. So, if this is a crime worth a life ban to Kaneria then the ‘under-cover’ reporter of the India TV should also be charged because he lured in people to commit a crime and limited his effort to enticing only and did not wait till the pledges of the umpires would become a reality.

If they (India TV) were on a mission then they should have done something more productive, by digging into the fixing dens within their own country. Again, I am not pinpointing anything particular. This is a fact that fixing is a widespread problem and isn’t limited to India only. The point is that since the TV is from India therefore they should follow “Charity begins at home” principle. They should have probed further into the Indian Premier League – the way they did earlier -, they should have questioned Vinod Kamli, who questioned a 1996 World Cup match featuring India and so many other dubious activities.

Coming to the very end, I would reiterate that the intentions showed by the Umpires are absolutely wrong, and should be condemned but I am afraid they could not be charged on this account only. After all real-time penalties are there for real-times actions.

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Gavaskar’s lecture boosts Afghan Cricketers

By Muhammad Asif Khan

KARACHI: The Afghan Cricket Team have finally got some recognition at the big stage and the flare shown by the players, at the ongoing World Twenty20 Cup in Sri Lanka, has not only moved the spectators but one of the former greats as well. During the group match against India, the bowling of the World ODI champions (India) was badly exposed and even the minnow Afghans cashed in on it at will. While expressing the satisfaction over the team’s overall performance, the Coach Kabir Khan admitted that the pressure of a big event and strong opposition got to the boys. He (Kabir), however, is optimistic that things would start falling in place for them with the passage of time.

“We hardly play against quality oppositions therefore the crowd and camera increased the already existing pressure on to the players. Even our best fielders dropped catches, and later our batsmen succumbed to the anxiety as well. We are working on the weakness, but it will take time”, said Kabir Khan, while talking to this correspondent for News One TV.

Kabir Khan, who recently took over as Afghan Coach from former Pakistan Captain Rashid Latif, further said that after the match against India, former great Sunil Gavaskar also visited the training camp and praised the effort of the Afghan team.

“Sunil Gavaskar was kind enough to spend about 15 minutes with Afghan players and gave valuable tips to them about mental toughness. Along with other suggestions, Gavaskar emphasised over our fielding a lot. Boys are thrilled by the great gesture and hopeful of making it count on the field. The bottom line is that the more we play, the better we would get”, added Kabir Khan.

Former Test cricketer from Pakistan, Kabir Khan has been enjoying his second stint with the Afghan team as coach. He was replaced by Rashid Latif last year, however earlier this year Latif stepped down to make way for Kabir Khan again.

Kabir Khan, 38, was a left-arm seamer during his playing days, however couldn’t find a permanent slot for him in the Pakistan team. The Peshawar born Kabir represented Pakistan in 4 Tests and 10 ODIs between 1994 and 2000.

On the infrastructure in Afghanistan, the coach said that with two state-of-the-art facilities at home, the Afghan Cricket Authorities are now in a position to develop domestic structure which will benefit the national team in the future.

“Two stadiums with adequate capacity and facilities have been built in Kabul and Jalalabad. Now we mainly practice at home, however due to harsh weather in winter, important camps are still held in Dubai”, said Kabir Khan

Cricket is being played in Afghanistan since decades however the national team was formed in 2001. After a series of impressive performances in the past 3 years, the team secured qualification to the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 Cup which was their first major tournament.

“Domestic structure is being developed, and with the passage of time and the passion for the game in the youngsters, I am optimistic of bright future for the Afghan cricket”, concludes Kabir Khan.

Latif lauds Akram’s appointment as bowling coach

By Muhammad Asif Khan

KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday confirmed former fast bowler, Muhammad Akram as the bowling coach for the national team. Lauding the decision, former captain and Wicket-keeper, Rashid Latif believes that the decision would have a significant impact on the Pakistan team as a whole. “I know him (Akram) for years. He is a hard-worker and knows the art of man-management which is the key to modern coaching methodology”, said Rashid Latif, while talking to this correspondent for News One TV.

“Akram is qualified and familiar with the philosophy of modern coaching. I hope he will treat the players equally, and deal with them accordingly as well. I am sure he is capable of doing it.” added Latif.

Muhammad Akram, who is based in England, will join the Pakistan squad in the UAE for the series against Australia.

The lanky former pace-man, Akram has played nine Tests and 23 one-day international matches for Pakistan between 1995 and 2001. He has also represented Sussex, Surrey, Essex and Northamptonshire on the English county circuit.

On a question Rashid Latif was of the view that Akram’s experience should be utilised more at the academy and at the junior level. He added that the Pakistan Cricket Board should opt for a spin bowling coach as well. “Whatmore and Akram would make a good combination which will serve the team well. As far as the spin department is concerned, there is no harm in hiring a separate individual for it. In my view Saqlain Mushtaq is the fitting man for the job”, concludes Latif, who himself represented Pakistan in 37 test matches from 1992 to 2003.

Shahid Ali Khan bounces back on Akbar’s accusations

By Muhammad Asif Khan

KARACHI: Pakistan Hockey team’s performance in the recently concluded Olympics in London has broadened the already existing gap between former Hockey stars even further. In the meantime the debate on team’s selection for the mega event got stimulated yet again when the discarded Goalkeeper Salman Akbar opened a new front against former goalies – Shahid Ali Khan and Ahmed Alam. In his latest column for Dawn (http://dawn.com/2012/08/14/how-the-national-game-can-be-saved/), the veteran goal-keeper - playing club hockey in Holland - questioned the coaching techniques being used by Pakistan’s goal-keeping coaches at junior and senior levels. He wrote that they were not aware of the modern techniques so they forced keepers to adopt the old styles which were now irrelevant.

On the other hand, while dismissing Akbar’s observations, Shahid Ali Khan said that with this very technique he had produced quality Goal-keepers over the years, which includes Salman Akbar as well. On Salman Akbar’s performance in the training camp, Shahid Ali Khan minced no words in terming it below-par. He also admitted that he was not in favour of calling him (Salman) from Holland.

“In comparison with Imran Shah and Imran Butt, the performance of Salman Akbar in the training camp was ordinary. Before the mega event, performance of both Imran Shah and Imran Butt was good, and dropping one of them to accommodate Salman Akbar would have been unjust.” said Shahid Ali Khan, while talking to this correspondent.

“I was actually not in favour of calling Salman Akbar from Holland, but the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) wanted to give him (Salman) a chance to prove his metal. Also, even if I was in his favour then the selection committee wouldn’t have picked him because they were not impressed too.” added Shahid Ali Khan.

“With Imran Shah, Pakistan finished 7^th, but I feel, if Salman Akbar was there then we probably would have finished last”, said Shahid Ali Khan, who played 135 matches for Pakistan and was considered as one of the best goalkeepers in the game.

Terming the team’s performance as satisfactory during the London Olympics, he said that Pakistan played well above the expectations. “Only two games were bad, and that too were against the top ranking teams. Because of the performance we also qualified for the Champions Trophy. The overall performance was satisfactory”, concludes Shahid Ali Khan.

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