Loud Thinking

Archive for April, 2015

PCB must invest in future dated 7 January, 2013 repeat 2013.

It is absolutely the right time to fully appreciate PCB and Pakistani cricket team for basically two achievements. Firstly, for winning the ODI series against India 2-1 and secondly, for completing a very sensitive tour, absolutely incident free.

Now, this is also very appropriate time for the PCB, to finalise its short and long term future plans, with regard to the policy of categorising players for the teams for Test’s, ODI’s and T20’s. This is necessary, because Pakistan will be competing for Test Championship, Champion’s Trophy, T20 World Cup and the ODI World Cup, all within next 36 months.

So, with an eye on the future, the PCB planning should focus on such potential players, who have the capacity or who can be groomed to have the capacity, to deliver for Pakistan, in the days to come. We should not waste time, energy and money on such players, who are past their prime and per se wants to continue playing, just for selfish reasons; but they are practically blocking the future of up coming and young players, for an indefinite period.
In this connection, PCB recently, took a difficult, bold and wise decision of dropping Shahid Afridi from the ODI version of the game.

While, not taking anything from the past contributions of Shahid Afridi, PCB’s decision was very progressive and forward looking, but in my opinion, was still a bit late. National interests must not be compromised for personal wishes.

Now, again the time has come to select the players for the different versions of the game, on the basis of talent and capacity of the players, with prime objective of INVESTING in future.

PCB should adopt a policy of bearing with the failures of the fresh lot with patience, rather than pursuing with old horses, who have even lost the strength, to easily hit sixes or even boundaries to reasonably good bowlers, or take three or four runs without being exhausted, on a slightly bigger grounds.

According to my observations, PCB must think about the future of the following players in a very rational manner.

1. Misbah ul Haq. He is not at all capable to play till the 2015 ODI World Cup. Even now, he is over age and not capable of steering the team out of a crisis situations, in front of WORLD CLASS bowling, particularly against out of sub-continent teams. So, why not to groom a fresh batsman instead of MUH and on the other hand, give the captaincy to Muhammad Hafeez, for gaining the experience for the coming Champions Trophy and the ensuing ODI World Cup?

2. Younis Khan. Our selectors took a retrogressive action in recalling him from the ODI retirement. Even his presence in the team today in the 3rd ODI, couldn’t save Pakistan from a mere 10 runs defeat against India. His selection for the Indian tour has cost us heavily, in not giving experience to a youngster. He should be decently thanked for his services and let him not block the future of any budding batsman. PCB should not be so callous with the new generation of batsmen, that retired batsmen be made to come in their way. If PCB had recalled Muhammad Yousaf or even Inzamam ul Haq, may be, they would have scored runs more than the newcomers, but then we can’t and must not live in the past, under any circumstances. For that matter, if India lost the ODI series against Pakistan, no heavens have fallen. Similarly, if we had lost to India with fresh legs, it would have been a gain of experience, rather than winning with recall, of retired persons.

3. Kamran Akmal. Just like Shahid Afridi (who can still be selected for few more weeks and months for his bowling abilities) Kamran Akmal is a spent cartridge; and to continue with him is in fact, deceiving ourselves. He may still give some performances against mediocre bowling, but against world class bowlers, his batting is absolutely UN-DEPENDABALE. As far as his wicket keeping is concerned, it is OK. However, there is no shortage of young generation of agile wicket keepers and hence, further continuation with Kamran Akmal, is like living in a fools paradise.

4. Shoaib Malik. There is no doubt that he was past his prime many months ago. He has reached a stage, where its impossible for him to perform against quality bowling, particularly in ODI and T20 versions of the game. If we argue that he performed well in domestic level, then the selectors should be told that domestic level performances are for the new players. International players are judged on their performances against foreign teams. These are two separate criterions for the different levels of players. If the selectors still wants to retain some old horses, for Test matches for some time, then PCB management shall be the better judge. However, these old players must not be used in a way to stop the career of the budding players.

5. Umar Akmal. He was touted in the past to be a player with immense talent. However, he has proved wrong all his fans and well wishers. In fact, he is the most UN-DEPENDABLE batsman in the team. Not to play him is a risk. However, to play him is a bigger risk. While batting, he is a very risky person for the batsman at the other end. Moreover, mostly his shot selections are very poor. He never puts a price on his wicket. Also it looks that in his failures, there is a big hand of his head coach. Somehow, this man looks a fit case for sending him to a psychologist, for making him a person with some sense of responsibilities and strong mental power, who should be able to focus on teams goal achievement. Till such time he is transformed into a mature person, Umar Akmal seems to be an utterly misfit player in the national squad.

Zarb-e-Azb on PCB

Link:-http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/blogs/22-Apr-2015/fix-our-pcb-mr-prime-minister

If AHMAD Shahzad gets out it will be a loss for the BD team.

Poor SHAHZAD is all at sea.
It seems he has forgotten how to face bowling..!

Mr. Chairman, this refers to your statement in media that there was no need to panic.

In this regard, we know very well that NO one in Pakistan can even come near to your superlative acumen in diplomacy.

But Sir, when national pride and prestige has been gravely damaged, the policy of cover ups, is absolutely unacceptable.

Sir, you know yourself that NO ACCOUNTABILITY of PCB’s failures was done, since your takeover in August 2014, detailed as below:

1. Lost ODI and Test series vs Sri Lanka…MITTI PAOO.

2. Lost ODI series vs Australia in 3-0 white wash…MITTI PAOO.

3. Lost ODI series 3-2 vs New Zealand…MITTI PAOO.

4. Lost ODI series vs B team of New Zealand in a white wash of 2-0…MITTI PAOO.

5. Lost ODI series vs New Zealand 2-0 white wash…MITTI PAOO.

6. Lost in the World Cup 2015 in an ignominious manner to India, West Indies and Australia with most huge possible margins and created shameful world record of scoring 12 runs in 1st power play 10 overs…MITTI PAOO.

7. Lost again vs a B team of Bangladesh…MITTI PAOO.

8. Finally again sent to the cleaners by the world’s No. 9 ranked ODI team of Bangladesh in clean sweep and with huge margins of runs and wickets 3-0 but again no need of panic…just MITTI PAOO.

Sir, you can make fool all the people for some time, but you can not make fool, all the people for all the time.

Hence, please remember this time the nation wants TOTAL ACCOUNTABILITY and NOT the reviews of your own hand picked committee, consisting of Shahryar Khan, Najam Sethi, Subhan Ahmad, Iqbal Qasim and lonely outsider Wasim Bari.

Sir, with your permission let me request Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Sahab, the H’able Patron in Chief of the PCB to order an independent Audit of the PCB, SPECIALLY of the media rights auction, which involves billion of Rupees, by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, consisting of the MNA’s and the Senators [assisted by the NAB, FBR, AG office, ISI, MI, IB and the FIA], for the tenures of Ejaz Butt, Zaka Ashraf, Najam Sethi and Shahryar Khan, along with an INQUEST of the cricket World Cup 2015 debacle, including the fact finding of the extremely SERIOUS and GRAVE match fixing charges in the World Cup 2015, levelled by Mr. Ejaz Butt, during a live TV program.

Mr. Chairman after hitting the rock bottom what is left there for panic? No need to panic just yet: Shahryar Khan http://www.dawn.com/news/1177746