Apr 05, 2007 01:45 PM
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I wrote a review on this topic back on 24th September 2003, when Pakistan was out of the World Cup 2003 without qualifying for the super six round. Again, Pakistan cricket team is out of the World Cup 2007 without reaching the super eight round.
Point of the matter is what we lack? Do we have enough financial resources to support the players, who are performing at the top level? The answer is, YES. The Pakistan cricket team players are being paid handsome perks, which were non-existent when legendary Imran Khan was the captain of the World Cup 1992 winning team.
In my earlier review on the subject, I pointed out various flaws in the selection of few players and unceremonial exit or retirement of some senior players like Saeed Anwar, Wasim Akram etc.
In 2003, the then cricket team was coached by legendary Javed Miandad. He was sacked by the then PCB chairman Gen. Tauqir Zia(now that is another shame on Pakistan cricket that its top functioning body i.e. PCB is run by a person, whose cricketing knowledge is questionable anywhere in the world).
After sacking of Javed Miandad, PCB chairman Tauqir Zia appointed a foreign coach, named Bob Woolmer. ’Another era is started in Pakistan cricket’, said by the then chairman Mr. Tauqir Zia. Yes, another era was indeed started but not for the good of Pakistan cricket, but for the benefit of the few high cadre officials of the PCB. Gen. Tauqir Zia appointed his close friends to the top ranks of the PCB.
Mr. Bob Woolmer may have been a better human being, but for the likes of Inzamam, M. Yousuf, Younus Khan and some other senior players, he was an outsider. Bob had the basic problem of speaking different language than players. Most of the Pakistan cricket players cannot speak in english language. I even heard that during his era as a coach, Mr. Bob even tried to learn to speak Urdu language for the sack of players, so that they can understand him better.
Imran Khan always spoke against the appointment of Bob Woolmer as a coach, as he was of the opinion that we do not need a foreign coach, but local cricketing guy as a coach of Pakistan cricket team. On numerous occasions, Imran Khan criticised Bob for failure of Pakistan cricket team in major events like we lost to Australia in Australia in 2006, got a 5-0 thrashing by South Africa in South Africa, and the Oval fiasco.
Pakistan cricket team was immensely under pressure before going to the World Cup 2007. The doping tests of the leading bowlers like Mohammed Asif and Shoaib Akhtar and they avoided another doping test by the ICC for the World Cup 2007, as this could have major blow to their careers and their careers might have ended giving them life-time bans.
Waqar Younus was the bowling coach for Pakistan cricket team before the World cup and he was robbed off his duties just a month before World Cup started. Another controversial player named Mushtaq Ahmed was appointed as bowling coach for Pakistan cricket team. Mushtaq was appointed on the insistence of Inzamam as they are close friends.
In a local TV channel, Imran Khan came to know that it was Inzamam, who was controlling Pakistan cricket team and not Bob Woolmer. Imran felt sorry for Bob Woolmer and said in a recent column in his article "Inzamam is the worst captain of the cricketing history of the world, as he lacked enough brain-power to take decision in the toughest of moments".
For the past several years(I fail to remember exact number of years), PCB is run by ad-hocism. There is no constitution in place. According to Dr. Nasim Ashraf, the current chairman of PCB, he has sent draft constitution to the President Gen. Musharraf for his approval. Its like the constitution of Pakistan which is also put on hold for the past several years(again I fail to remember exact number of years).
I believe that PCB can also be run like a professional independent organisation,
*If there is a will, there is a way.
Hope is all we have for the next WORLD CUP.
