Loud Thinking

Archive for the ‘Cricket’ Category

PCB (Personal Cricket Board)?

Comments and proposals for selection of our T20I squad chosen for the series vs the cricket team of Bangladesh starting from 24 January 2020 to be played in Lahore.

Rankings:
Pakistan # 1
Bangladesh # 9

Pak 15 members T20 Squad:

1. Babar Azam (Captain) Too docile and shy personality who should in the first instance have been given the experience to lead against the Sri Lankan team to gain some mastery over the leadership job to perform better in Australia and now in Pakistan. Here, the head of the think tank (cricket committee) Mr. Wasim Khan failed pathetically to prove his mettle as visionary leader of an huge organisation of the country. CEO is not there to just hire and fire employees, but to set the objectives/goals of an organisation and “determine” how to meet it.

2. Ahsan (Ehsan) Ali (DoB 10 December 1993 26+) A very promising batsman who along with Abid Ali has the potential to serve Pakistani team in a sterling manner. I have been recommending his name (on the expert advice of a former renowned Captain of Pakistan) even for his selection for the ODI2019 World Cup team. Well done PCB selectors for a good investment for the future.

3. Amad Butt (DoB 10 May 1995 24+) Good Selection of a promising player to watch ahead.

4. Haris Rauf (DoB 7 November 1993 26+) He was an automatic selection. However, our game suffered a lot for not selecting him for the ODI World Cup 2019 and T20 series vs SL and T20 and Test Series vs Australia.

5. Iftikhar Doesn’t possess the calibre of a player who should be in the world # 1 ranked team. Following expert’s comments on score card of 3rd T20 match vs Australia of 8 November 2019 by the ESPNCRICINFO says it all:
“ He’d been struggling with the short ball for much of the innings.” As such an absolutely wrong selection keeping in view of the next T20I World Cup to be played in coming October in Australia. Here, besides the poor/biased choice of selectors the myopic vision of our gutless so called T20I captain, is also throughly exposed. Captain must remember that he was the real boss and that he was not given the captaincy of the national team as a charity and to look, act and talk like a under study of the Chief Selector. He will have to stand up and be counted. He must learn a lesson from his predecessor that (yes men) captains always fall from the grace, sooner than later. Same goes for the timid captain of our Test team. Captains must, repeat must, assert their opinions, in matters, which are under their domain.

6. Imad Wasim Looks out of form and not fully fit. He may perform (in home series) like a lion, against the 9th ranked team, but absolutely looks like a spent force against better ranked teams. He may be out of the contention for the World Cup squad.

7. Khushhdil Shah. His selection in home series against the 9th ranked team will not be a good and proper occasion to test his abilities. Moreover, why he was taken to Australia without testing him against the Sri Lankan team. This fact definitely smells rat in his selection again for the series against Bangladeshi team. Many talented players deserve selection ahead of KDS. As they say in cricket that (it was a nothing shot) this was also a nothing selection.

8. Muhammad Hafeez (DoB 17/10/80. Now he is in his 40th year) If his experience was to be utilised why he was protected against the Australian attack? Why select him against the 9th ranked team to falsely prove his batting prowess. Why not give chance against BD team to much younger players like Abid Ali, Khurram Manzoor, Zeeshan Ashraf and so many others? On the same analogy why not select Misbah ul Haq again against the weakest of the weak team. This selection is murder of merit and height of favouritism. However, the icing on the cake was that captain speaking like a stooge said that he was thankful to the selectors for accepting his choice of M Hafeez and Shoaib Malik. What a mockery? What is going on in the PCB which is Pakistan Cricket Board not PERSONAL Cricket Board? The worthy chairman PCB and it’s honourable governing board members must immediately intervene to finish this Tamasha of selecting a player who retired from Test cricket in December 2018, but are annoyed and displeased with Aamir and Wahab (and discarding both players for selection) for their apparent announcement in 2019 of refusing to play Test cricket. Why different yardsticks and separate logics for selecting and not selecting different players? Why not one consistent policy for all players?

9. Muhammad Husnain Hope he is physically fit now, because the CS informed before the advent of the Australian tour that he was not fit.

10. Muhammad Rizwan Automatic choice. However, the U19 captain Rohail Nazir may in the coming days prove to be a better choice for selection of World Cup team.

11. Musa Khan Automatic Choice. Correct selection.

12. Shadab Khan PM thought he may be a trump card before the departure of our team for the ODI World Cup 2019. However, he did his best to prove our PM wrong. Not to play him is a risk, but to play him is a bigger risk. Our selectors should have given a chance to Umar Khan (specially in this domestic series) who seems to have tremendous potential. Still the chairman PCB may intervene and induct him in place of Shadab Khan.

13. Shaheen Shah Afridi At the moment he is one of the best bowler of our team. However, his pathetic fielding provided a lot of entertainment to the Australians. If Naseem Shah has been rested, he could also have been rested for the T20I series against a very weak team.

14. Shoaib Malik (DoB 01/02/82 He will be in the 39th year starting 1st February 2020). He retired from the Test Cricket on 3 Nov 2015 and from ODI’s on 5th July 2019. Our worthy selectors (on the request of captain) selected him for the series against the 9th ranked team to perform splendidly, for ultimately making a case of a 39 years youngster, for his inclusion in the World Cup squad. However, the question arises that if at all SM was under the radar of the worthy selectors for the World Cup squad, then he must have been selected and tested during the just concluded Australian tour, where our batting was so pathetic that we (the number one ranked team in the world) lost the T20I match at Perth by 10 wickets when the Australians overhauled our score of 106/8 in just 11.5 overs without loss of any wicket. We have super talented young batsmen viz. Abid Ali, Khurram Manzoor, Zeeshan Ashraf and few others waiting in the wings to be given a chance in place of spent cartridges like Shoaib Malik, who let us down so miserable in the ODI World Cup 2019, but still PCB has not learnt any lessons from the wrong selection of Shoaib, who retired from Test cricket in 2015.
Our selectors think that their gross favouritism and nepotism in selection process can be disguised from the public by their words of “making use of experience” or forcing the timid captain to announce that he was glad these oldies nearing 40 years of age, were included on his special begging and pleadings. No Sir, enough is enough. After these strategic blunders, as explained above in detail, it is high time that if the chairman PCB and its BoG members fail to intervene, then Mr. Imran Khan, being the Chief Patron of the PCB, must use his authority to stem the rot in the PCB, before it was too late and this organisation is turned into a Personal Cricket Board.

15. Usman Qadir He is an excellent future prospect. However, Misbah ul Haq, Waqar Younis and Babar Azam owe an explanation (which PCB will never seek) why he was not given a chance in the T20I series against the Aussies when they took him there with the team? It looks that our think tank (Cricket Committee) headed by Wasim Khan and the team management persons are absolutely clueless, as far as the planning and devising strategy for the T20I World Cup 2020 is concerned. May be the PCB bosses think that it is a very easy excuse to put the blame of loss of matches, series and tournaments on the players (or the previous management as was done in the case of poor performance in the ODI World Cup 2019) and start a new stint. However, the fact is that always the generals lose the war, not their troops.

 

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

Haris Rauf has emerged as the star of the Australian Cricket League, called Big Bash, by taking 10 wickets in just (12 overs) of three T20 BBL matches.

[Earlier, Haris Rauf made an incredible return to the BBL, taking 3 for 24 in another rapid spell to help restrict the Thunder to just 7 for 142. Having missed the Stars’ last two matches due to Dale Steyn’s availability, he was allowed to play because of a minor quad injury to the Stars’ second overseas player Sandeep Lamichhane, and he tore through the Thunder line-up. Link:- https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/8044/report/1195591/sydney-thunder-vs-melbourne-stars-big-bash-league-2019-20 ]

The above explained outstanding world class performances of Pakistani speeder Haris Rauf and my timely reminders of 25 October 2019, 26 October 2019 and 7 November 2019 about the oozing potential of (150+ KMPH speed) bowler Haris Rauf, as detailed below, proves without shadow of any doubt that if, the following officials are allowed to further stay in the PCB, by Mr. Imran Khan the Patron in Chief of the PCB, Pakistan cricket will be the net loser:

Comments dated 25 October 2019 on team selected for T20I series of the Australian tour.

10. Muhammad Irfan The entire selection and cricket committee members needs to be sacked by the chairman PCB for recall of a 37 years fast bowler who also can can not properly field, as well. Young upcoming high speed extremely talented fast bowler Haris Rauf was in fact an automatic choice for selection in the squad.

Comments dated 26 October 2019 on team selected for Test series of the Australian tour:

7. Imran Khan He has been recalled after a long absence and is a shining example of the chief selectors poor judgement. PCB must repeat must intervene immediately to correct this grave selection blunder and replace him with Haris Rauf.

13. Naseem Shah He is youngest player in the squad at the age of 16+ years (DoB 15 February 2003). However, not considering for selection Haris Rauf and Junaid Khan is unpardonable act of the chief selector and CEO PCB who must be made answerable for these unexplainable selection blunders.

Tweet Dated 7 November 2019
@waqyounis99 @captainmisbahpk @AzharAli_

1/3 I would like that under your tutelage, our boys create history, by beating Australia in Australia, for which, for Test matches, please immediately induct Haris Rauf for Test matches, to fight fire with fire.1/3

2/3 This is your chance of century, which should not be wasted, just because Haris Rauf plays for LQ under Aaquib Javed. 2/3

3/3 Let under you, all politics be buried in Pakistani cricket, where you once historically said that there was more politics in the PCB than the Parliament.3/3

The above details have been reproduced to prove two points very clearly that the main decision makers of the PCB (CEO, Head Coach plus Chief Selector and the bowling Coach) are neither capable of originally taking the right decisions nor they are ready to take a U turn in the larger national interest on getting any sage advice.

However, if for any reason, our Prime Minister do not want to change these wise men of the PCB, then PM may issue a directive that before final announcement, the proposed squad for any future domestic or foreign series, it should be made public and sent to the PM seven days in advance (so that concerned general public may submit their proposals direct to the PM who is luckily himself a legendary cricketer) for the final approval of the Patron in Chief of the PCB, who currently has virtually and constitutionally, no role, in such vital decision making of the PCB.

Just for example, in my humble opinion, our team could have easily played the finals of the ODI World Cup 2019, had our biased selection committee not sent back dashing batsman Abid Ali, to ensure that Imam ul Haq plays all the 9 matches of the tournament. At this juncture the CEO and the Chairman PCB just kept mum, like powerless bystanders; and later on the Chairman PCB issued statement, typical of a failed leader that his job has started after July 19 at the end of the World Cup (as if World Cup victory or loss was the responsibility of Najam Sethi who resigned in August 2018) forgetting that he took all the credit for PSL-4, which was held way back in February 2019.

An odyssey of the new Pakistani Shining star of the cricketing world..!

16 December 2019
(Congratulations to Pakistan that Abid Ali is the only Cricketer of this planet who has scored a century in his first ODI match and then in his first Test match)

Reproduced below is an excerpt from my 8 December 2019 write up titled (Murder of merit – Accountability mantra of the PCB) about Abid Ali:

Quote:
“5. Abid Ali He has proved his mettle in the ODI version. Looks that deliberately he was not included in the T20 squad of Australia to unjustifiably push up Imam ul Haq and as a consolation, he was included in the Test squad (for NOT playing in the two Test matches vs Australia). Now, PCB has reposed confidence in his abilities for the Test matches (one of the reasons for losing so badly against Australia was not including him in the playing eleven).
It is hoped that he will come out with flying colours (if given chance by including him in the playing eleven against Sri Lankan team; as selectors favourite Imam ul Haq is miserably out of form) from the toughest test of his life, which will AUTOMATICALLY CATAPULT him to OVERNIGHT STARDOM.
Not selecting Abid Ali for the T20 matches squad was another proof of the failure of the chief selector, immaturity and lack of acumen of the new T20 captain, absolute oversight failure of the highly paid CEO PCB and total collapse of the command of the exalted office of the chairman PCB. Unquote.”

Post Script:- Abid Ali was selected for the ODI World Cup 2019 held in England few months back, but was sent back to ensure a place for Imam ul Haq, who was the most non-deserving batsmen and poor fielder, resulting in the total disaster at World Cup.

Responsible persons:

1. Inzam ul Haq + All silent/obedient selection committee members
2. Micky Arthur
3. Sarfaraz Ahmad
4. Wasim Khan
5. Ehsan Mani
6. Mr. Imran Khan Active Patron in Chief PCB who was forewarned (about the wrong selection of the players) repeatedly (much earlier) about the impending disaster at the World Cup 2019.

Then again the following were responsible for self afflicted humiliation over Pakistan when Abid Ali was excluded in the T20 squad for three T20 matches in the home series against the depleted Sri Lankan team, T20 series matches vs the Australian team and two Test matches series vs Australia in Australia:

1. Misbah-ul-Haq Niazi + the most brilliant, professional and daring team of selectors who were so outspoken on TV programmes.
2. Sarfaraz Ahmad (for excluding Abid Ali in the squad of 3 T20’s played in Lahore vs the depleted SL Team)
3. Babar Azam (for excluding Abid Ali from the squad of 3 T20’s played in Australia and instead including Imam ul Haq). Babar Azam proved that he was a utterly wrong choice for the leadership role.
4. Azhar Ali (for not including Abid Ali in the play eleven in the two Tests in Australia despite keeping him in the squad). The sooner this non-leader is shunted out of the team the better it will be for Pak cricket.
5. Wasim Khan
6. Ehsan Mani
7. Board of governors PCB
8. Ministry of IPC
All the above really really let down Pakistan on so many occasions in such an unbelievable manner when they were trusted with the task to act, intervene and speak for the dignity, prestige and honour of the motherland.

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

Murder of merit – Accountability mantra of the PCB.

The CEO PCB Mr. Wasim Khan while announcing the selection of Misbah ul Haq and Waqar Younis, as Head Coach + Chief Selector and Bowling Coach, respectively, specifically committed with the nation that these two persons will face accountability in performance of their duties, from the PCB.

However, after loss of seven consecutive home and away matches the above named two officials have faced no accountability.

Yes, players are facing accountability, as if, all faults lies with them; even if, Test players are asked to perform in the T20 matches and T20 players are expected to perform miracles, in the Test matches.

Now, again blunders have been committed in the selection of the squad for the two home Tests to be played against the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team, in December 2019.

Squad:
Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket keeper), Babar Azam, Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah, and Usman Shinwari.

What went wrong in selection? – suggestions

1. Azhar Ali He is past his prime which can be easily observed from his scores in the last 10 innings:
9, 9, 5, 39, 15, 0, 6, 2, 9, 36 = 130
Average 13 runs per innings.
It is a sure recipe for the disaster and an insult of the national team to give captainship to a player with an average of 13 runs in his last 10 innings.
It is high time PCB must invest in players like Khurram Manzoor, Ehsan Ali, Zeeshan Ashraf and Umar Amin.

2. Fawad Alam His selection is a classic case of PCB’s entire selection committee members buckling under the media pressure. Otherwise, if he was fit today to be called for selection after a full decade (a world record), why the same selection committee dropped him from the squad for the Australian tour.
Whether, Fawad Alam performs or not after ten years of discard, is another matter, but this most unprofessional lost cow type selection committee, must be disbanded, in the larger interest of the cricket in Pakistan, sooner than later.

3. Muhammad Rizwan After his decent performance in Australia, he has earned his selection and now must further prove his abilities, as a wicket keeper cum batsman in the Test arena.

4. Babar Azam He is the only cricketer in Pakistan who can get automatic selection in any team of the world.
Now, he should also have been appointed the captain of the Pakistani Test team, as well, mainly due to the reason that Azhar Ali doesn’t deserve his place in the squad.

5. Abid Ali He has proved his mettle in the ODI version. Looks that deliberately he was not included in the T20 squad of Australia to unjustifiably push up Imam ul Haq and as a consolation, he was included in the Test squad (for NOT playing in the two Test matches vs Australia). Now, PCB has reposed confidence in his abilities for the Test matches (one of the reasons for losing so badly against Australia was not including him in the playing eleven).
It is hoped that he will come out with flying colours (if given chance by including him in the playing eleven against Sri Lankan team; as selectors favourite Imam ul Haq is miserably out of form) from the toughest test of his life, which will automatically catapult him to overnight stardom.
Not selecting Abid Ali for the T20 matches squad was another proof of the failure of the chief selector, immaturity and lack of acumen of the new T20 captain, absolute oversight failure of the highly paid CEO PCB and total collapse of the command of the exalted office of the chairman PCB.

6.Asad Shafiq An automatic choice for selection in the Test squad.

7. Haris Sohail If non performance was the reason for dropping Sarfaraz Ahmad, then the inclusion of Haris Sohail (after his recent failures in T20 and Test matches) in the squad vs the SL team is not at all a prudent decision.
Here, Sarfaraz Ahmad fully deserves a second chance for selection as a batsman, in place of Haris Suhail, to prove his form in the larger format of the game.
Mind it, Haris Suhail was NOT and never a T2O material, where he was selected, without any understanding of the game, by the PCB’s selection committee wizards of cricket in Pakistan.

8. Imam ul Haq After his dismal performances in Australia, he never deserved a place in a squad of even 30 players. NOT selecting SAMI ASLAM in place of Imam ul Haq is a HUGE, unpardonable, deliberate and biased omission of PCB.
It also proves that if you are a talented cricketer in NAYA Pakistan of Imran Khan without any SIFARISH, never dream playing for Pakistan.
However, the biggest tragedy has been selecting Imam ul Haq, in the recent past T20 national squads.

9. Imran Khan He was recalled after a long absence for the Australian tour and is a shining example of the most competent chief selector’s poor judgement.
Patron in Chief of the PCB, must repeat must, intervene immediately to correct this grave selection blunder and replace him with Haris Rauf, who in the first place deserved selection for the Australian tour.
Actually, it’s a proven case of bias and conflict of interest for the reason that Aaqib Javed (Head Coach of the Lahore Qalandars who discovered this most talented 150 KMPH speedster) openly spoke over TV against giving two positions to Misbah ul Haq.
Now, the chief selector is not selecting the most talented fast bowler of Pakistan, who has offers to settle in South Africa and Australia and about whom Indian skipper Virat Kohli has spoken high words of praise, as if, this is not a national team, but his personal club team.
This deliberate selection omission needs orders of inquest from the highest level, to correct the wrong doing of the highest magnitude.

10. Kashif Bhatti There was hardly any justification for including an uncapped player who is in his 34th year. This imprudent investment or faulty selection is absolutely unjustified, considering that highly talented M. Nawaz and Omar Khan have been ignored.

11. Muhammad Abbas After his failure in Australia mainly due to his inability to bowl at an speed of 135 to 140 KMPH (mostly bowls at just ladies speed of 120 KMPH) there remains no justification for including him in the squad.
Now, this is again a very biased decision to include M Abbas at the expense of brilliant and most experienced Junaid Khan, who deserves to be immediately inducted in the squad, even if the whole selection committee needs to be fired.

12. Naseem Shah He is the youngest player in the squad at the age of 16+ years (DoB 15 February 2003) and including him in squad for the Australian series proved a wrong decision.
Now, again the mistake has been repeated by including him in the squad for the series against the Sri Lankan team, as Musa Khan, must be given further chances.
Strategically, a very wrong decision.

13. Shaheen Shah Afridi He proved in the Australian series that he was fast coming of age.
Right selection of a very deserving player.
He must work on improving his fielding, rather than providing entertainment, like a joker in the field.

14. Shan Masood He is also learning fast and working very hard on improving his game. Plus he is an asset as a fielder, as well.
Correct selection.

15. Yasir Shah Automatic choice as the ace spinner of Pakistan. Moreover, his century in a Test match must have given him tons of confidence to give strength of batting in the lower order.

16. Usman Shinwari He is a talented bowler and needs nurturing in a professional manner.
However, not selecting Tabish Khan is extremely unfair and murder of merit. His following First matches bowling stats are a big slap on the face of all those officials, who always claim selections in PCB are done on merit:

Matches 128. Wickets. 568
Best 8/32. Average. 23.94
Economy. 3.15. 4 Wickets. 28
5 Wickets 37. 10 Wickets. 7

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

Suggested eleven for the Adelaide Test in Batting Order:

1. Shan Masood 

2. Abid Ali

3. Babar Azam

4. Asad Shafiq

5. Rizwan 

6. Azhar Ali (since he is out of form he must bat lower down the order to have any justification to remain in the team)

7.   Yaser Shah

8.   Shaheen Shah Afridi

9.   Muhammad Abbas

10. Naseem Shah

11.  Musa Khan

This series is being played under Test matches championship arrangement and the latest standing of Test teams on points is as below:

1. India                    360 (Rest of the team’s combined points total is 292)

2. Australia               116

3. NZ                          60

4. SL                           60

5. England                  56

6. Pakistan                   0

7. West Indies              0

8. BD                            0

9. SA                            0

Under the circumstances Pakistani team is in a do or die situation, as it must win the Adelaide Test to draw the series to get 60 points.

As such, we should break the tradition of playing with six regular batsmen and a wicker keeper and four regular bowlers.

We must play the Adelaide Test in a changed/aggressive/positive frame of mind, with five regular bowlers in the team, to attack in an all out manner,  to get 20 Australian wickets in the match. Otherwise, also with six regular batsmen and an accomplished keeper batsman, we lost the Brisbane Test with a huge margin of an innings and five runs. So, this time, why not put an extra emphasis on twice getting out the Australians in the second Test, with five regular bowlers in our team. 

As far as batting is concerned, if six recognised batsmen can’t put up a decent score, playing seventh batsmen is no guarantee/recipe for putting up a winning total. As an Army plans in war, any offensive needs extra troops to boost chances of overwhelming the enemy.

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

03219402157

Lahore.

Pakistani Test squad selected for the Australian series starting from 21 November 2019 – Comments and proposals

Test Squad:
Test squad-Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed , Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah

1. Azhar Ali He is the first Pakistani batsman to hit a double-hundreds in Test in Australia and he is the first visiting opener who made a double-hundred at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. We pray and hope that Azhar Ali will lead the team with even better examples of his performances in the four Test match innings. In any team game there is no better tonic for its members than outstanding performance of its leader.

2. Abid Ali He has proved his mettle in the ODI version. Now PCB has reposed confidence in his abilities for the Test matches. It is hoped that he will come out with flying colours from the toughest test of his life which will automatically catapult him to overnight stardom. Not selecting Abid Ali for the T20 matches squad is another proof of the failure of the chief selector, immaturity and lack of acumen of the new T20 captain, absolute oversight failure of the highly paid CEO PCB and total collapse of command of the exalted office of the chairman PCB.

3. Asad Shafiq An automatic choice for selection in the Test squad.

4. Babar Azam He is the only cricketer in Pakistan who can get automatic selection in any team of the world.

5. Haris Sohail In recent times he has successfully worked hard to improve his game and has earned permanent selection in the Test team. Mind it he is NOT T2O material where he has been selected without any understanding of the game by the PCB stalwarts.

6. Imam ul Haq Either Fawad Alam or Sami Aslam should have selected in place of Imam ul Haq who also needs a lot of improvement in his fielding abilities. But the biggest tragedy has been his selection in the T20 squad.

7. Imran Khan He has been recalled after a long absence and is a shining example of the chief selectors poor judgement. PCB must repeat must intervene immediately to correct this grave selection blunder and replace him with Haris Rauf.

8. Iftikhar Ahmad Absolutely wrong choice of the chief selector keeping in view of the availability of better options viz. Muhammad Nawaz and Omar Khan.

9. Kashif Bhatti There was hardly any justification for including an uncapped player who is in his 34th year. This investment is highly unjustified considering that 29 years accomplished player Junaid Khan has been ignored.

10. Muhammad Abbas Fit selection, however, our bowling coach should teach him to increase his speed to at least 135 KMPH and batting coach should work with him to improve his below average batting abilities.

11. Muhammad Rizwan He has earned his selection and now must prove his abilities as wicket keeper cum batsman in the Test arena.

12. Musa Khan Correct selection and now onus is on the bowling coach to fine tune his skills to destroy the batting line up of the Australian team with his speed and in the air movement specially in the day night pink ball Test match.

13. Naseem Shah He is youngest player in the squad at the age of 16+ years (DoB 15 February 2003). However, not considering for selection Haris Rauf and Junaid Khan is unpardonable act of the chief selector and CEO PCB who must be made answerable for these unexplainable selection blunders.

14. Shaheen Shah Afridi Right selection of a very deserving player.

15. Shan Masood Either of three batsmen viz. Umar Amin/Ehsan Ali/Khurram Manzoor should have been preferred over selection of Shan Masood.

16. Yasir Shah Automatic choice of the ace spinner of Pakistan.
Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

Comments and proposals for selection of our T20 squad selected for the Australian series starting from 3 November 2019

T20 Squad:

1. Babar Azam (Captain) Too docile and shy personality who should have been given the experience to lead against the Sri Lankan team to gain some mastery over the leadership job to perform better in Australia. Here, the head of think tank (cricket committee) Mr. Waseem Khan failed pathetically to prove his mettle as visionary leader of an huge organisation of the country. CEO is not there to just hire and fire people but to set the objectives/goals of an organisation and determine how to meet it.

2. Fakhar Zaman A product of expired shelf life. Abid Ali, Awais Zia, Umar Amin or Imran Farhat are still much better choice than risking to open the innings with FZ.

3. Haris Suhail A fit player for Test team and not a T20 material at world stage.

4. Iftikhar Doesn’t possess the calibre of a player who should be in the world # 1 ranked team.

5. Imad Wasim Looks out of form and not fully fit.

6. Imam ul Haq He is not at all the batsman for T20 format plus a below standard fielder. His selection is the biggest blunder of the selection committee. He may be a huge liability for our team in Australia.

7. Khushdil Shah Before selecting him for the Australian tour he should have been tested against the Sri Lankan team, which proves haphazard and unplanned way of PCB’s working style.

8. Muhammad Amir He has finished his shelf life for performing at world level and bowling as if he has been forced to do his job.

9. Muhammad Husnain When the chief selector says he is physically unfit nothing more needs to be said about this talented future prospect. But then why he was allowed to burn further in the CPL for which the entire cricket committee must provide satisfactory answer.

10. Muhammad Irfan The entire selection and cricket committee members needs to be sacked by the chairman PCB for recall of a 37 years fast bowler who also can can not properly field, as well. Young upcoming high speed extremely talented fast bowler Haris Rauf was in fact an automatic choice for selection in the squad.

11. Muhammad Rizwan He was an automatic choice for selection.

12. Musa Khan Again an automatic choice for selection and should have been played in the T20 series vs the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.

13. Shadab Khan Not to play him is a risk but to play him is a bigger risk.

14. Usman Qadir Young Omar Khan was a better future prospect.

15. Wahab Riaz Fresh legs of Shaheen Shah Afridi/Usman Shinwari are 100 times better to include them in the squad vs a bowler who was discarded from scheme of things for the last two years before the CWC 2019 and passed his prime after 2015 World Cup memorable performance vs the Australian team.

16. Asif Ali Ehsan Ali/Umar Amin/ Zeeshan Ashraf are 100 times better material for selection into the squad for the T20 series to be played in Australia.
Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

5 February 2019
5 February 2019
5 February 2019
Subject:- Albert Einstein said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over without any change and expecting different results.

Dear Mr. Imran Khan Sahab.

AoA.

Sir,

Without urgent changes in our team’s coaches & captain, we should forget about winning the ODI WC 2019.

Out of last 10 ODI matches our team won only 2 matches (20%) & Sarfaraz Ahmad scored 292 runs of 17 innings in 13 months of (2018-19) averaging 24+ with 5 not outs.

In this regard, during the recently held Asian Cup tournament played in the UAE in September 2018, our team got unforgettable thrashing from the Indian B team (Virat Kohli was not playing) which defeated our hapless team in a manner, margin and style which may be very difficult to forget, detailed as below:

On 19 September 2018 India defeated Pakistan with 8 wickets by bowling out our team for 162 runs in just 43.1 overs and achieved the target in ONLY 29 overs.
(Please read detailed analysis dated 20 September 2018 of this match given below as Annex-A and a write up dated 22 September 2018 titled “Why our lions have become lambs” as Annex-B.)

In the second match played on 23 September 2018 Pakistan scored 237/7 in 50 overs which was over hauled by the Indians in 39.3 overs by just losing one wicket and won the match with 63 balls to spare, as if, it was not a Pakistani winner of Champions Trophy team, but a team from Afghanistan or Hong Kong.
My short comments dated 23 September 2018 after losing the above mentioned match vs India, are reproduced below for your kind perusal please.

Quote:
High time for head coach and captain to quit for turning Pakistani lions into lambs..!

Today the main reason for a low/disappointing score of our team was that we played 175 dot balls (29.1 overs) out of 300 balls (50 overs).

In first 10 overs of our innings when only 2 fielders are allowed outside the 30 yards circle, we scored only 28 runs against Indian score of 53 runs.

Test match strategy, planning and mindset can never work in an ODI game, where name of the game is attack, innovation, positive approach in team selection, batting, bowling, fielding and staying one step ahead of the opponent’s game plan and strategy.”
Unquote.

Respected Imran Khan Sahab, although, being the Prime Minister it is too much to request you to indulge in the nitty gritty of cricket affairs, but the next ODI World Cup is too serious an affair to be left with the PCB management, which may be very much sincere with its job, but it looks reclaiming World Cup for Pakistan is too big a job for them, for which they have somehow been in an inertia, since September last; and very clearly it is visible that BADLY afraid of media in making bold and corrective decisions, in the larger interest of Pakistani cricket. Moreover, the current management of the PCB can’t even say that now it was too late to make changes in the team, because given below are written proofs (Annex- A & B) that they were duly warned, way back in September 2018. It looks that the PCB’s management had decided to maintain status quo, as their cardinal policy, but the problem with this status quo policy is, that you end pleasing none and are responsible for ultimate failure of the task, originally given to you.

In view of the foregoing, you are once again (for the last time) requested to the takeover the reigns of the PCB in your own hands and urgently intervene for a vital course correction, so that Imad Wasim (Captain) or any person you think is a captain material & Amir Suhail (Head Coach) may be considered for these positions with a cut out task to bring the World Cup back, under your leadership, otherwise forget about even reaching the semi finals stage.

Best Regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad
03219402157
Lahore.

Annex-A
[Analysis of India vs Pakistan match played on 20 September 2018]

Disaster at Dubai..!

The total capitulation of Pakistan’s cricket team in the match played on 19 September 2018 at Dubai cricket stadium versus the Indian team must be taken positively for immediate corrective action before the start of the ICC ODI World Cup just after eight months time.

Victories and defeats are part of the game, but abject surrender is not acceptable, for which responsibility must be fixed and heads should roll.

In today’s India vs Pakistan match played at Dubai our entire team just scored 162 runs (which is not even a decent T20 match score) in 43.1 overs, which was easily overtaken by the Indian team in 29 overs for the loss of only two wickets.

The story of most shameful performance by our team is also very aptly reflected by the following statistics of dot balls played by our team:

Total balls of the Pakistani innings = 259 balls or 43.1 overs.
Total dot balls played by our team = 159 balls.

When a team plays almost 62% dot balls then DOUBTS about their capabilities, abilities and INTENTIONS are always raised.

Above all, this pathetic situation also demands ruthless accountability of all concerned who are associated with our team, particularly the captain and the team of coaches.

It is earnestly hoped that the new management of the PCB headed by Mr. Ehsan Mani also knows that the head coach of our team has never played a Test match in his cricketing career.

With this team management and the captain, it will be extremely difficult for our team to even move to the second round in the ODI World Cup schedule to start in May 2019 in England.

It is a timely wake up call for everyone concerned in the PCB, who were living in a false sense of comfort, after defeating Zimbabwe 5-0 in the ODI series, not realising that it was not even their C level team, due to the absence of six main players from the Zimbabwean Team.

This head coach and captain may not be the best choice for being retained till the next ODI World Cup. Especially, the captain who has unfortunately very badly failed to lead the team by example and from the front.

Mr. Aamir Suhail, considering that he is the best person available in the country, who possesses exceptional qualities of observing and correcting technical flaws of our players regarding batting, bowling, fielding, leadership and strategy matters; should be immediately appointed as head coach (and for any reason if it is not possible) then he should be appointed as team director, who should be the boss of the entire contingent of players, head coach, manager and all touring support staff.

If Mr. Aamir Suhail is appointed as the Team Director, may be there will be no need to replace the captain of the team; as under his mentorship, Sarfaraz Ahmad most probably will overcome his batting and leadership deficiencies, as well. Thus, leaving no need to find alternate player, as captain of the team.

Annex-B

22 September 2018
Why our lions have become lambs..!

The best way for the new management of the PCB, to not to win the ICC ODI World Cup 2019 is to remain in inertia; and carry on with the present set up, without any change..

However, then a question will be asked that if everything of the past management was satisfactory, then why its chairman was removed?

Nevertheless, the pathetic performance ( being displayed during the ongoing Asia Cup matches) of the product of the previous management of the PCB (players and coaching staff) leaves much to be desired from the new management of the PCB.

Entire coaching staff of our team has miserably failed in delivering (despite very high salaries) along-with captain and the players, who seems to have totally lost their flair of the game and passion for victory: which was clearly visible with the Afghan players, many of whom were seen crying, after losing a nail biting match against our team.

Keeping in view that the ODI world cup is almost around the corner, Shoaib Malik should be immediately appointed captain of the Pakistani cricket team for all the three formats; and a power hitter wicket keeper batsman inducted in place of Sarfaraz Ahmad, who unfortunately, seems to have passed his shelf life; and because of his non-performance, the team has also lost its balance.

The difficulty, with which our team won the match against Afghan team, is not at all a good omen. Even otherwise also, Sarfaraz was originally appointed captain by Mr. Shahryar Khan, by default.

It is again reiterated that our head coach and bowling, batting and fielding coaches must be immediately replaced, because they have turned our players from lions to lambs.

Just look at the hugely declining performances of our fast bowlers including Muhammad Aamir and batsmen including Fakhar and Sarfaraz.

About the declining standards of our fielding, it’s low level during our yesterday’s match against the Afghan team, said it all.

As such, the new management of the PCB is advised that they must not wait for the corrective actions, till after the World Cup.

Pakistan has to win the 2019 ODI world cup in England, which at the moment, with the current lot of coaches and players, looks like a distant possibility.

After the recent change over in the PCB, it looks the new management is acting on a go slow and wait and watch policy.

PCB has to be proactive and must take immediate remedial steps.

Our team badly needs a leader who can inspire, motivate and lead players from his own performances.

Our team also needs immediate induction of power hitters (like Suhail Akhtar) and an accomplished all rounder.

We also need a new coaching staff which can also study the weak points of opponent players and guide our players to modify bowling and batting strategy according to the weak and strong points of the opponent players.

In view of the foregoing, the new set up of the PCB should come into action immediately, postponing the honeymoon period, till after the World Cup is won by our team.

Good luck for Mr. Ehsan Mani in re-vamping the PCB.

Sent from my iPhone 7

Dear Mr. Imran Khan Sahab.

AoA.

Sir,

Kindly issue necessary orders for a specific, urgent and Special Audit of the PCB by the office of the Auditor General of Pakistan to save this organisation from an imminent anticipated loss of about Rs.34 Crore or approximately $ 2.141 million, as per details provided below.

May be as Patron-in-Chief of the PCB this fact was in your knowledge that a whopping amount of about $2.141 million (almost equal to PKR 30 Crores) was paid or about to be paid by the PCB (in your tenure) on account of total legal expenses of PCB plus payments of expenses of the ICC and the BCCI after PCB lost the case lodged with the Dispute Resolution Committee of the ICC, against the BCCI.

Surprisingly and astonishingly Mr. Najam Sethi is earlier on record of saying that [as reported by the daily The Express Tribune dated 30 June 2014] there would be NO COMPENSATION IF INDIA DOES NOT PLAY DUE TO NON-CLEARANCE FROM NEW DELHI QUOTED AS BELOW:

“But Sethi said there would be no compensation if India does not play due to non-clearance from New Delhi.”
“There was no compensation before, there is none now. This is not the norm in mutual series when government does not give permission.”
Link:- https://tribune.com.pk/story/729174/big-four-pakistan-to-earn-450-million-in-cricket-cycle/

AS SUCH THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION IS WHY MR. NAJAM SETHI GOT AN APPROVAL FROM THE BoG OF THE PCB FOR AN EXPENDITURE OF ONE MILLION POUNDS IN CONNECTION WITH THE EXPENSES OF FILING THE COMPENSATION CLAIM WITH THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION COMMITTEE OF THE ICC THAT TOO FOR A MEAGRE AMOUNT OF ONLY $70 MILLION INSTEAD OF the $300 MILLION WHICH (according to Mr. Najam Sethi) WAS TO BE EARNED BY PCB FROM THE MATCHES OF MOU AGREED SERIES WITH THE INDIAN TEAM.

WILL ANYONE FROM THE GOVERNMENT ASK THE FORMER CHAIRMAN PCB TO PAY BACK TO THE PCB THE ENTIRE UNCALLED-FOR AND AVOIDABLE EXPENDITURE/DELIBERATE LOSS OF ABOUT 2.141 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS WHICH [as per the above mentioned link of news item published by the daily “The Express Tribune”] WAS as far back as on 30 June 2014 very much in the knowledge of Mr. Najam Sethi and he was convinced that NO AMOUNT WAS CLAIMABLE FROM THE BCCI IN CASE OF NON HONOURING OF BCCI’s COMMITMENT MADE IN THE MOU.

An urgent action from your side will certainly protect the PCB from a huge loss of about PKR 30 Crore or $ 2.141 million.

Best Regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

Sent from my iPhone 7

It really pains to write that Sarfaraz Ahmad’s leadership during 2019 tour of England (14 ODI matches & one T20 match) was neither, inspirational nor, motivational. He utterly failed to lead by example and with his own performance. In fact, leaving aside being a captain, his recent stats reflects that he can not be included in the national team, even on his batting abilities.

In the historical list of Pakistani cricket captains, he will be in a strong competition for the lowest position. Even his batting in the champions trophy final & other matches was at the mercy of opponent team’s fielders, dropping dolly catches offered by Sarfaraz.

Sarfaraz Ahmad looks perfect manifestation of the idiom “every person rises to his level of incompetence”, but then so do many others, in our national cricket set up.

Neither, the abandoned match vs the Sri Lankan team, nor, any other factor, except the timid, fearful, lost minded and negative approach leadership style of Sarfaraz Ahmad, was the singular reason; today our team is out of the CWC19 semifinals.

The other major factor of the failure in the CWC19 was the uncalled for presence and wrong influence of the Chief Selector, who was allowed by the Chairman & the MD PCB to sit over the head of the captain. Nowhere in the world, chief Selector is imposed over the team management like PCB did with Inzamam ul Haq.

This proves that the Chairman and the MD PCB were not professionally fit for their responsibilities, as head of the national cricket board, where they themselves looked to be totally overwhelmed by the chief selector.

The moment Inzamam was detached from the players, Pakistani team won all their remaining matches against the teams of South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

As such, the Chairman & the MD PCB must take the ultimate responsibility for the failures of our team, which also badly shattered the World Cup dream of the nation; thus both these honourable gentlemen should immediately submit their resignations, failing which, the remaining members of the Board of Governors of the PCB, may move a motion of no confidence, against both the Chairman and the MD of the PCB.

However, if no one moves from the BoG of the PCB then the Patron in Chief of the PCB Mr. Imran Khan is earnestly requested to order a high level Judicial Inquiry to be conducted by a Honourable Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, to minutely investigate the causes of the national disgrace, caused by our cricket team, by way of the lower than pathetic performances [specially against matches with the West Indian {105 all out in 21.4 overs which was overhauled in 13.4 overs}, Australian and Indian teams] in the CWC19 to fix the responsibility over the concerned individuals, for further necessary and punitive actions, by the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

This proposed high powered judicial commission may also inquire about the overseas and Pakistani assets and wealth in banks of A to Z employees (including contractual/honorary employees) and cricket players affiliated with (directly or indirectly) or contracted by the PCB and serving during the period of 1st January 2008 to 5th July 2019. It is also requested that if formed by the PM, this proposed high powered judicial commission may minutely look into the total expenses of ALL PCB officials who toured between Pakistan and England during the period, our team visited there, from April 2019 till the end of the World Cup in July 2019; and compare it with the expenses of the total number of players who went to England.

Moreover, the proposed judicial commission may also demand answers from the concerned persons of the following questions:

1. Who was responsible to drop Sarfraz Ahmad (when he desperately wanted to play and consequently his leadership role was undermined and confidence shattered just before the World Cup) from the team which lost 0-5 in series against the Australian team played in the UAE during March 2019.

2. Why Inzamam covered up and side tracked the team’s pathetic performance of losing by 0-5 in the series vs Australia by putting up absurd, irrelevant and non professional reason that our team’s performance was not that bad as reflected by the 0-5 result, because Pak team scored (in the five matches) a total of 1328 runs in comparison with the Australian cumulative score of 1436 runs which was just 108 runs short in the series. This argument was put up to deliberately mislead the nation from the fact that as happened in the first match our team batted first and scored 280/5 which was over hauled by the Australians by scoring 281/2. Obviously it was not a competition of scoring total runs in 50 overs and other team was not required to bat after achieving the target of 281 provided by the Pakistanis.

The above example proves the ill intentions of the Chief Selector and the team management to hood wink the nation from their own incompetencies and failures.

3. When the Prime Minister Mr. Imran Khan issued direct and open advice to Sarfaraz Ahmad, well in time, before the match against India, to bat first after winning the toss (except if the PITCH was wet) who forced Sarfaraz Ahmad to ignore the prudent and 24-Karat advice of the PM? Latest data of the 41 CWC19 first round matches out of 45 matches (4 washed out) proves the advice of Mr. Imran Khan was very prudent and on Dot, wherein, 27 out of 14 teams batting first did win their matches, which comes to 65.85% success rate.

4. When PCB is incurring huge expenses (in foreign currency) on the appointment of professional coaches for the every aspect of the game i.e., batting, bowling and fielding, plus a head coach for devising planning and strategy of our team (who also possessed the unprecedented powers of being the chairman of the tour selection committee by side lining the team manager) why and who allowed from the PCB, for the Chief Selector to be with the team on every foreign visit to let down and interfere with the authority of the coaches; and the captain (proposed judicial commission may also verify how many crores of amount was paid to the chief selector during his entire tenure, on account of his salary, perks, TA/DA and all other related expenses).

5. The proposed judicial commission may also investigate the ill motives of not selecting Muhammad Rizwan, who scored two centuries in two matches against the Australians in March 2019 and passed the fitness test with the highest marks; and the questionable intentions in sending back Abid Ali from England, who was also selected as a second wicket keeper?

6. The proposed judicial commission may also verify the medical records/documents of Shadab Khan and Muhammed Amir, who were declared by the PCB suffering from Hepatitis and Chicken Pox respectively.

7. All the documents and records may also be verified for the reasons of allowing Shoaib Malik to take a break of 10 days from the tour of England, to visit back Pakistan. Moreover, why and on which basis, he was selected to play ODI World Cup after a gap of 12 years, when his batting average in England in 23 innings of all previous tours was just 13.6 runs and who is responsible for his failure in the World Cup2019, with batting average of 2.66 runs?

8.Who decided to drop Haris Suhail from few early matches of the World Cup?

9. On which basis and performance Asif Ali (not considered vs SA series in January 2019 and Australian series in March 19) was selected and Ehsan Ali, Musa Khan, M Nawaz and Omar Khan were not considered at all?

10. When Wahab Riaz was not considered for even a single ODI match [for about two years] after June 2017 final match of the Champions Trophy, under which mysterious circumstances he was suddenly selected, specially when the Head Coach had earlier Twitted stating clearly that Wahab was not included in his planning for future matches?

The best and easiest way for the Pakistani team to win the next ODI World Cup 2023, T20 World Cup 2020 and Test matches championship, which will include all Test matches to be played between July 2019 till 2023, is to immediately initiate an inquest and ruthless accountability by a high powered judicial commission [which can take help from any institution or department or individual] and simultaneous special audit by the auditors of the AGP of the PCB, for all its administrative and financial decisions taken during the period 1st January 2008 to July 5 2019.

However, if no ruthless across the board accountability is initiated for the PCB, business as usual, will continue.