LEGSLIP

Shahid Afridi contemplating from the players gallery at Lords whether to stop or go?

SHAHID AFRIDI is born with an uncanny gift and a unique talent to shock & entertain not only his fans and supporters but, the entire cricketing world. Like most of his shots are premeditated, his moves too are very predictable.  The way he accepted the test captaincy after his retirement from test cricket 4 years ago and the way he announced his retirement is just like a BOOM BOOM innings coming to an end.

Upon hearing the news that Afridi will retire after the Headingley Test, I wasn’t surprised  but, I was upset at his decision at the wrong time. And, I wrote here on the blog that Afridi may not even play the Headingley Test and it is confirmed today in the news that he is not playing test cricket with immediate effect. Obviously Salman Butt who is the vice captain of the team has been appointed as Captain for the “rest of the England tour”. But, the funny side of the story is not just the quoted words, above or, the serious consideration of Yousuf and Younus’s by Ijaz Butt, who is in London and, NOW considering of including YY in the team but, it is this:

quote:

Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, convened a meeting on Saturday (in London) involving the team management and senior players to discuss the way forward following Afridi’s decision to retire from Tests. The meeting was attended by the team manager Yawar Saeed, coach Waqar Younis, associate manager Shafqat Rana, Salman Butt, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal and Umar Gul.
unquote

According to most “deniable resources,“  it is learnt that IF, Yousaf or Younas “rough-use” to play, or the team is still losing test matches after their inclusion in the team, then they will bring back Old Misbah ul Haq as the protector of the last resort.  The news is also “vary hot” like a hot air balloon that the  serious altercation between Ijaz Butt and Shahid Afridi which happened in the Lords dressing room just before Afridi went in to bat in the second innings is going to create further complications for Afridi and the team.

Bakaoz Ijaz Butt cannot take insults lightly from his juniors, (Malcolm Speed can call him a Buffoon and Butt will kiss his rear side) but, Butt is reportedly taking it very seriously and likely to take a very severe action against Afridi by making it look like a disciplinary matter against Afridi for announcing his retirement during the “middal of the tour.”  Mark my words, Ijaz Butt won’t be allowing Afridi to captain in the ODI and T20 games to be played against England.

There is another “vary hot” news “in circulation,”  i.e., Javed Miandad has met Sadar Asaf Zardari on Monday and he is keeping the cat in his bag.  The rumour is, he has asked Asaf Zardari to uproot Ijaz’s Butt and he said, I am agree. However,  Butt’s tentacles are very deep rooted “bakaoz” of his Brother in Law “Chowdary Aimad Mukhtiar,” who is the Defense Minister of Pakastan and he has come to defend Ijaz’s Butt and asked Asaf Zardari not to listen to peepul like, Mians & Dads,  only Butt & BB’s.

Also, there is a news that Wasim Akram has written a letter to Asaf Zardari to remove “This Butt” and the President has set up a new committee comprising of 6 members to read Wasim’s letter and highlight the points and, to give him suggestions on what action is to be taken?  The Committee has been given 2 and a half years time to study the letter and give their recommendations to the President. Further time cannot be allocated bakaoz, by then, Asaf Zardari’s “Gormet” will be full term pregnant.  Like Ijaz Butt cannot be “Toppled” Zaradari cannot be Toppled as well, you can only “GuG-Gul” them.

It is very unfortunate for the Pakistanis that on every single tour there is a new story but, it is very amusing and interesting for the rest of the world and without making any effort the bet juicy stories and their Tabloids are sold like “hot cakes. Ijaz Butt is happy that he and his team are always hitting the headlines, whatever the reasons may be ‘who gives a Butt to it?”"

Now, the serious aspect of this decision or the outcome of Shahid Afridi’s announcement to retire from test cricket.  What do you think:

1.  Butt will keep him as Captain of the T20 and ODI team?

2. Why would he give him the captaincy for T20 and ODI when Salman Butt is already leading the test side?

3.  Does Pakistan believe in one captain for all the formats?

4.  What will be Afridi’s reaction if his ODI and T20 captaincy is stripped away?

5. Will Salman Butt be able to play the same role as Afridi did?

6. With Salman Butt leading with his Deputy Kamran Akmal, the second fiddle to plot conspiracies i.e., Shoaib Malik, what will be his role?

7.  Umar Gul has been included in the small committee meetings only to fill in the quota otherwise the entire decision making panel is from one region. How are they going to balance it?

These are a few questions that needs to be discussed, perhaps you may be able to add a few more and lets hear it out from you.

The media says that the Pakistan team took sweet revenge by beating Australia twice in a row at Edgbaston in the two T20 games.  Whatever one may call it, these two wins will boost Pakistan’s confidence when they move on from the three hours game to five days.  Playing test matches is a different ball game and it not only requires skills, techniques, strength in every department of the game but, it also requires patience and perseverance, which the Pakistan team is lacking without their two middle order stalwarts Yousuf and Younus.

THE BOOM BOOM MANIA IS HELPING THE PAKISTANIS

The Boom Boom mania in Birmingham was obvious from the crowd that came to cheer up their wounded and beaten up heroes and they got their monies worth when their so-called favourite team won both the matches in a very convincing manner.  There will be similar kinda support at Lords and Leeds when they play the two test matches starting July 13th, 2010.

The winning virus may soon die off if the young and inexperienced team flops and lose badly against the mighty test playing nation which dominated the world arena in test cricket for over a decade.  They may be number two, just a few points behind India but, that is temporary. Ricky Ponting is a mean captain and Michael Clarke is no less than him in test matches. And Mike Hussey is as dangerous in test as he is in any other form of the game.  Therefore, Pakistan may find themselves in really awkward position if their batsmen try to play the T20 shots and want to reduce a test match from 5 to 3 days. It is possible but, they would be the only losers if they play in haste.

No one understands the logic of keeping Yousuf and Younus out of the test squad except for Ijaz Butt.  While I am writing this thread, the DAWN newspaper reports today that Ijaz Butt is as adamant as before in granting permission to these two great batsmen.  He says, “Yousuf has announced his retirement so there is no question of him coming back.” And for Younus Khan he says: “Younis and his lawyer have given inappropriate statements. There is a players’ code of conduct in place and we will not spare anyone who violates the code.”

Can anyone ask this Adolph Buttler what is the code of conduct and where is it available for anyone’s reference?   Younus Khan who is in the UK says, he is available to play for his country and is ready to play at anytime.  But, Butt thinks that he is at war with Younus Khan, who has been raving and ranting that, “I have no fight with the PCB nor can I think of it. I am a known player because of Pakistan and the PCB.”

But, Butt has no consideration for the player or for his country, he has an inflated ego which is as big as a hot air balloon and it is obvious from his posterior end. The top is totally empty because everything drained down to the Butt.  The unfortunate thing for cricket in Pakistan is there is no one who can kick his butt and ask him to leave.  And, he is such a coward person that where he is supposed to speak and resent against the comments made by Malcolm Speed, he has fixed a silencer to that end from where he mostly speak.

To me the Pakistan test squad seems to be very weak in all departments, except for the spin bowling with Afridi, Ajmal and Kaneria. As regards fast bowling department it is only Aamer.  There is something wrong with Asif he is back in the team and did nothing during the T20 WC in the Caribbean, did nothing in the Asia Cup and bowled pathetically against the counties, hence he did not get a chance in the T20 against Australia.  If he comes back to form and bowls the way he used to bowl then the entire bowling department would appear to be balanced.  Wahab Riaz’s inclusion in the squad baffles me, he failed on many occasion, they should have included the tall Mohammed Irfan in his place and tried him in one of the county matches to test his abilities.

As regards opening batsmen there will be a tussle between Imran Farhat and Yasir Hameed, initially Farhat will get a chance because of his father in law and a lonely century he made during the NZ Australia tour a few months ago.  Yasir Hameed will be shaky and may not play his natural game in an effort to cement his place, hence there will be a negative impact, although slow batting may not effect the game in test matches as long as he contributes with his bat and score big.

The middle order with Malik, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal and Afridi is not so reliable because they are all experts of the short version game. I have no clue about Azhar Ali or Umar Amin.

The team looks very united and that is a good sign

The only good thing that I see in this team is there is a good camaraderie and Afridi has earned some respect by winning these two T20 matches by leading from the front. Although he failed with the bat but, he bowled, fielded and lead the team very well.

I will be very surprised if Pakistan wins even one test match and draw the series.  Please express your views and comments about how you feel now after Pakistan has won these two T20 games against Australia.

John Howard former Australian Prime Minister

While the PCB is playing Butt politics and trying to clear up the mess they have created after the comical and farcical banning and imposing fines on their key 7  players  who were touring Australia a couple of months ago and, now the COO of the PCB - Wasim Bari – once a very trusted man of Ijaz  Butt is placed under the microscope on the suspicion of leaking or, selling the information to the media, a local TV channel, there are a couple of series going on in the UK and across the Atlantic and neither of them are hitting the headlines.  But once again it is Butt who is gyrating his Butt at the international level as well too.

Perhaps most of us are aware of Australia’s former Prime Minister John Howard’s nomination to the ICC for the post of “president designate” which is hitting road blocks at the moment because, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and South Africa have decided to block Howard’s nomination and to do that 4 member countries are needed. Already three are determined and only one country’s boards’ decision is needed.

India is not going to vote against because, it is BCCI’s Pawar, who will take over as president in June 2010, backed the process that threw up Howard as a candidate so neither Australia nor, England or even the West Indies (because of being a common wealth country) will oppose his nomination.  So, Butt is left alone and he cannot take this important decision without the Pakistan’s government approval, if he does then Butt would be on Surgeon Asif Ali Zardari’s table for a colonoscopy.

The main issue for Pakistan or the PCB is to view this process from a higher ground and look into the consequences that will affect its future position as a member board within the ICC.  As far as Pakistan’s foreign policy is concerned, be at the official diplomatic front or, at the sports level it has been very pathetic. They take irrational, emotional and erratic decisions where people’s sentiments are always running very high and emotional. Pakistan is quick to take a stance and supports the underdogs especially those who were considered as villains by others become heroes for Pakistan, e.g., Saddam Hussain and Osama Bin Ladin.

We all know that the former Australian Prime Minister is an ardent fan, a great supporter and lover of cricket and he called, Murali a Chucker not once but twice.  For that reason Sri Lanka is opposing his nomination and the South Africans are opposing on some other political reason but, what has Pakistan to do with it? Why do they need to alienate themselves from Australia? Especially in view of the fact that, a few years ago when there was a  massive earthquake in Pakistan, John Howard visited the earthquake effected areas and met the victims.

Pakistan’s relationship with the ICC is also not so rosy especially when BUTT opened his mouth and challenged to sue the ICC not once but twice, once when the venues were taken away from Pakistan for hosting the ICC WC 2011 and also when Chris Broad the ICC official complained about the serious lapse in security in Lahore when the Sri Lankan players were attacked by gunmen and Chris Broad narrowly escaped he blamed the PCB for not providing adequate security and, Butt did not apologize to anyone instead he threatened to sue Chris Broad and the ICC.

Whether Murali is a chucker or not is another issue, from Bhishen Singh Bedi to a few hundred million others he is. Still, India is supporting Howard’s nomination. During the Oval debacle between Inzamamul Haq and Darrel Hair, BCCI’s Niranjan Sharma was quick to reply to the media that whatever happens we are with the ICC.  There was a clear message to Pakistan that we are not on your side but, we are with the ICC.  However, things changed when Geoff Boycott and others ruled out the ball tampering as baseless and Hair lost his air like a hot-air balloon and the BCCI changed their stance.

Instead of me giving my opinion here on this thread, I would like our bloggers to give their views on whether John Howards should be nominated for that post in the ICC or not? If not, why? And, how his nomination would affect the other boards in the ICC management affairs?  Whether the PCB say YES or NO, it is a question that most of us would be waiting to see whether Ijaz Butt is a diplomat or not?  A good diplomat thinks twice before saying nothing.  Ijaz Butt says twice before thinking nothing. So, what do you expect here? Yeah or Ney?