Archive for the ‘Sports’ Category

If Imam-ul-Haq and Haris Sohail can be included in the ODI squad (as mentioned below) announced for the three match ODI series vs New Zealand, why not include Fawad Alam, Asad Shafiq, and Shan Masood, as well? Particularly, Shan Masood who is the best fielder on the boundary lines.

Squad:

Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Asif Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Shinwari, Shaheen Afridi, Junaid Khan

Our tour team management and entire selection committee is not focussing on the weakest link of the game of our ODI team; and also keeping its eyes shut from the just around the corner ODI World Cup, which is now a matter of weeks rather than months, to be played in England starting from 30 May 2019.

Although, our team’s (101) current ODI ranking is fifth, where England (126) is at the top followed by India (121), New Zealand (112) and South Africa (110); yet, our team’s performances in first 10 power play overs is the worst, the responsibility for which, squarely lies on team’s Head and Batting coaches, Captain and the Selection Committee, who collectively failed to select, groom and prepare our opening and top order batsmen, to provide solid launching pad of a score above 90+ runs in the 1st power play overs (when only two fielders are allowed out side the 30 meters circle) which then allows the middle and lower order batsmen to target a score of 375+ runs.

Nowadays, ODI game is heavily tilted in favour of batsmen, where top teams are constantly scoring above 300 runs and even 350 score is not considered a winning total.

In view of the foregoing, the big wigs of the PCB are requested to immediately consider out of box solutions, to go all out for a kill in ODI World Cup 2019, to win the first World Cup for Pakistan in the 21st century.

In this regard, the following immediate, drastic and surgical steps are suggested, so that our new combinations of players and management gets ample practice during the LAST 18 ODI matches (3 vs NZ, 5 vs SA, 5 Aus and 5 vs Eng) to be played before the start of the WC 2019.

1. Replace the current Head Coach with Aaqib Javed.

2. Replace the current Batting Coach with Javed Miandad or Amir Suhail or Muhammad Yousaf.

3. Replace the current Bowling Coach with Sarfraz Nawaz or Waqar Younis or Shoaib Akhtar.

4. Replace the current captain (who doesn’t look an automatic choice in the ODI team) with Shoaib Malik or Muhammad Hafeez or Junaid Khan or Imad Wasim.

5. The following highly talented players with sky high potential must be included in the preparatory squad for the World Cup and given chances to show their potential against the 18 matches four ODI series to be played against New Zealand, South African, Australian and English teams.

i) Haris Rauf:- He is the only fast bowler capable of bowling at a speed above 150 KMPH. After recognising his talent, Australia has offered him citizenship and he has also received offers to stay and play in South Africa.

ii) Muhammad Abbas:- Talent of this player has been acknowledged by many foreign current and retired players, but our management and selection committee, having a myopic view has restricted him into playing only Test cricket, where he recently single handedly demolished the Australian batting line up, in the series played in the UAE.

iii) Sajjad Ali Hashmi:- He is currently the most hard hitting batsman in the domestic circuit in front of whom even Fakhar Zaman, looks an ordinary folk and possesses ability to single handedly destroy any type of bowling.

iv) Sohail Akhtar:- Extremely talented and hard hitting accomplished batsman, whose abundant talent can be gauged by the fact that recently playing in the UAE for the Lahore Qalanders, he scored a century in a T20 match, against a team of Yorkshire.

v) A new Selection Committee to be headed by former world renowned Test player Mr. Abdul Qadir should replace the current Selection Committee; which will go down in our history to be the most expensively paid Selection Committee of the PCB.

Mr. Ehsan Mani Chairman PCB must be appreciated for removing any doubts (created after the PCB’s press conference of 26 October 2018) about the status of the Justice Qayyum report on match fixing by clarifying in a press release of 30 October 2018 that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) strongly rejects the speculation over the Board’s perceived ‘rejection’ of the Justice Qayyum report on match-fixing, which further stated that the work of Justice Qayyum is acknowledged and appreciated by PCB and there is no truth in the perception created by a few media publications that the report has been dismissed by the PCB.

However, the controversy about involving “SULLIED” players in the PCB set up has erupted again after PCB’s above mentioned press release which stated that the Qayyum Commission report did not bar Mr. Wasim Akram from working for the betterment of cricket and for the PCB.

As such, it is imperative to quote below the statements of persons who appeared before the Justice Qayyum Inquiry Commission on Match Fixing (some of whom are still working in the PCB) and comments, recommendations and conclusion of Justice Qayyum in his report about Mr. Wasim Akram:

Quote.

Observations of Justice Qayyum:

“However, once this commission looks at the allegations in their totality, this commission feels that all is not well here and that Wasim Akram is not above board. He has not co-operated with this Commission. It is only by giving Wasim Akram the benefit of the doubt after Ata-ur-Rehman changed his testimony in suspicious circumstances that he has not been found guilty of match-fixing. He cannot be said to be above suspicion. It is, therefore, recommended that he be censured and be kept under strict vigilance and further probe be made either by the Government of Pakistan or by the Cricket Board into his assets acquired during his cricketing tenure and a comparison be made with his income. Furthermore, he should be fined Rs. 3 lac.

More importantly, it is further recommended that Wasim Akram be removed from captaincy of the national team. The captain of the national team should have a spot-less character and be above suspicion. Wasim Akram seems to be too sullied to hold that office.

Statements of 5 Players:

1. Imran Khan: Mr. Imran Khan, former Captain, also appeared before this Commission of Inquiry. He felt that match-fixing had taken place in Pakistani cricket but apart from what Ata-ur-Rehman had told him he had no information regarding match-fixing. Mr. Imran Khan maintained that the involvement of the Captain is imperative if match-fixing is to take place because guaranteeing the results of the match cannot be without the knowledge or consent of the Captain. Mr. Imran Khan also maintained that Intikhab Alam was a decent person and should be believed. He suggested that any one found guilty of match-fixing, should be banned for life and fines should be imposed on them.

2. Mr. Burki stated that when he was leaving the Board to the new set up, he had recommended that Salim Malik should never play for Pakistan again and that Ijaz Ahmad and Wasim Akram should be warned. He said he was sure that match-fixing and betting was going on in the Pakistani cricket team.

3. Majid Khan: Next to appear was the former Pakistani Captain and the recent Chief Executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mr. Majid Khan. Mr. Majid Khan had been instrumental in the appointment of this Commission of Inquiry. Mr. Majid Khan deposed that after the disappointing performance of the Pakistani team in the Independence Cup Quadrangular matches, he confronted Haroon Rasheed. Mr. Haroon Rasheed maintained that if the Captain Wasim Akram was not interested in winning the matches, he, Haroon, should not be blamed. Mr. Majid Khan, produced exhibits which showed that Mr. Wasim Akram was promoting himself in the batting order, which was resulting in breaking the momentum and the slowing of the run rate. When Wasim Akram was confronted by Majid Khan, Wasim Akram replied that he was not aware of the in form batsman and the out of form batsman and that he would rectify the mistake. During the matches in Sharjah, the same mistake was repeated by Wasim Akram. He would promote himself in the batting order instead of Azhar Mahmood and Moin Khan. Mr. Majid Khan maintained that the exemplary punishment should be given to all those who were involved in match fixing so that an example could be set for others. He also suggested that investigating agencies should investigate the assets of the Players.

4. Mr. Haroon Rasheed felt that the main culprits were Wasim Akram, Ijaz Ahmad and Salim Malik.

5. Aaqib Javed: Aaqib Javed was next to appear before this Commission of Inquiry. He affirmed the assertions that he had received a telephone call from an unknown person in Sri Lanka asking him to contact Saleem Pervez who was allegedly a bookie and receive a sum of Rs. 15 Lacs and a vehicle. He also maintained that he saw one Hanif Cadbury freely mixing with players during the South African tour. He also affirmed that he had received a message indirectly from Wasim Akram that as he was not part of the game, he would never play cricket till Wasim Akram was captain. Aaqib Javed maintained that one of his friends Naeem Gulzar c/o Lahore Gymkhana had some information regarding match-fixing. He also affirmed that an oath was taken on the Holy Quran at the insistence of Mr. Intikhab Alam.
He accused Wasim Akram and Salim Malik of being the main culprits.

Recommendations of Justice Qayyum:

RECOMMENDATIONS
In order to prevent match-fixing in the future it is recommended�

That the Captain of Pakistan Cricket team should be a person of impeccable character and not someone anyone can point a finger at. From the evidence recorded, it can be seen that the Captain is the key player to be bought to fix a match. Hence, this strong recommendation.

That similarly, the manager should be a person of impeccable character. A manager should realize that there are people on this earth who would lie even on oath. A manager needs to keep a stern hand with the players.

That all foreign tours should take along an independent third party, an ombudsman of sorts to deal with players complaints and indiscipline. Such a person could be the chairman of the PCB or his impartial nominee.

That a new code of conduct should be introduced for the players. The ICC code of conduct needs to be tightened and more provisions need to be introduced, targeting specifically the threat of match-fixing. To this end, under the code, players should be stopped from associating with known bookies or people who are convicted of match-fixing and similar offences. Such terms should be made a pre-condition to employment by the PCB and should be incorporated into the players’ contracts.

That a permanent Review Committee should be formed to look into inter alia allegations of the match-fixing in the future. It should consist of people independent of the Board. The members of the review committee should have a good knowledge of cricket and have clean records. The Committee may also have a member being a former judge of the High Court or the Supreme Court of Pakistan. At the end of tours such a committee should look into the performance of the team and allegations of irregularities if any. Whenever there are any allegations, whether of match-fixing, ball-tampering or any other misconduct, the match should be reviewed by the Committee and its report should be submitted to the board. Such a committee should be prompt in its disposal of the matters raised, as lingering over the matter only makes matters worse.

That, inter alia, in order to facilitate the review committee, it should be made mandatory on the Board to collect video recordings of all the matches that have been played by the team and stored in its library. Such video recordings should be free of advertisements as it is when these ads are being shown i.e. at fall of wickets and change of ends that suspicious interchanges are likely to occur. This latter point is particularly raised as the moment in the Christchurch one-dayer where Salim Malik allegedly is said to have been angry with Rashid Latif for taking a catch is cut out by an advertisements break.

That the Review Committee adopt the two sub-offences approach to match-fixing as used by this Commission. This would allow it to sideline or warn players well before they can damage to the good name of the team.

That the PCB should adopt a zero tolerance approach in this matter.

That Pakistani cricketers should declare their assets at the time they start their career and annually submit their asset forms to the Pakistan Cricket Board. This would ensure that their assets can be compared with their earnings and spendings. Such information may be kept confidential by the PCB. The Board should also compare these figures against figures obtained through independent inquiries from the players’ employers (Counties, Leagues, Banks, etc.)

That players be forbidden to speak to the press unless authorized though a clause in their contract like the one contained in the ACB contract. Only after all PCB avenues of recourse have been exhausted can a player be excused from going to the press. This restriction may be limited to controversial matters only if the Board is so minded.

That in conjunction to the ban on speaking to the press, the PCB should actively take to defending its players, present and past, and not allow anyone to defame them. The players are the PCB’s true capital and it should recognize that.

That generally Pakistani Law needs a summary procedure for damages for defamation. Such a procedure would be a deterrent to baseless allegation and would provide satisfaction to the innocents accused.

That the ban on cellular phones and outside communication generally during matches should be strictly applied. Phones, if necessary, can be routed through the manager. Any breach of this regulation should be strictly taken note of.

That generally discipline of the team be strictly monitored and maintained. Allowing minor breaches to go unpunished leads to players taking liberties and bigger breaches follow.

That players be prepared for the possibility that they can be blackmailed. Gamblers try to lure them in with all sorts of offers. Offers of cars, women, etc. can all lead to blackmail if accepted. We have seen it happen to others. Pakistani players should not be left na�ve and it should be the duty of the board to educate these players when they come into the team as to the dangers and temptations are to that are faced by them.

That the Pakistan Cricket Board should consider not sending Pakistan to venues which are reputed to be dens of bookies.

That this report should be released to the public. To give it wide publication this may also be released on the internet too. To this end a copy of the report is submitted on disk too (Microsoft Word format).

That the PCB increase the pay of its Cricketers and develop for them more avenues of income (some are suggested below). It has been noticed that the Cricket Board is no longer a body which is running on grants by either the Federal government or by Federal Government institutions. The Board has of late become self-reliant and it is believed that the coffers of the Board are full. The Board after all generates money through the players and in all fairness the players deserve to receive more than they are presently receiving. An ACB cricketer earns in the region of US$250,000 to US$400,000 plus almost as much in endorsements on the side. Currently the PCB pays Pakistani cricketers around US$70,000 a year. Pakistani players for all their talent are not as well-paid as their counterparts abroad. As long as they are underpaid the tendency to be bribed remains. However, it should also be stated that such increases should not be to as high a level as some other countries because the cost of living in Pakistan as regards to the other countries is much lower. An increase with an eye on the standard of living in Pakistan is the order of the day.

That there are other avenues for funds that can be tapped by cricketers or the PCB on their behalf. Memoirs, biographies, tour diaries, sale of autographs and memorabilia can provide cricketers with adequate secondary remuneration. Moreover, with chances of playing cricket abroad (County, League, etc.) and employment available locally for cricketers (banks, etc.), this Commission finds it very painful to see that a cricketer would accept a bribe for instant money than avail any of the above noted opportunities for clean money.

That winning should be made more lucrative to players. To this end, further and more substantial win bonuses should be introduced. If players receive larger sums for playing well and winning tournaments, it would be an incentive to stay straight. No one is born corrupt or a match-fixer. This is especially so in the case of sportsmen. We have all heard of sportsman spirit and it is this spirit that needs to be inculcated into every child while he is developing his skills in the game. It is in this rationale and background that it is suggested that if players were to receive major sums of money for playing well in the form of win bonuses, the very temptation for an innocent sportsman of getting corrupt would in all probability be eliminated. This would, of course, be a scenario after all corrupt elements have been weeded out and punished.

That the pay structure of the PCB to its players be revised. Instead of being only based on seniority, when paying players, their performances, past and recent, should be worked into the pay-structure too. A player who fixes a match by getting a low score will feel the affects in his pay packet. That might be another incentive to stay straight. The pay structure now is strange in that if Salim Malik came back to the team he would get more than say Shoaib Akhtar. This leads to dissatisfaction among the younger stars and raises the possibility of corruption.

That, witnesses should be reimbursed for all the expenses they have incurred in following up this matter.

That Rashid Latif be given immunity for the offence of tapping phones as long as such an offence was committed so as to assist this commission of inquiry and the tapes were produced before this commission in an unedited and authentic form. For the purpose of this immunity, there be a presumption that the tapes are authentic unless proven otherwise: the burden to prove them fakes lies on the parties alleging they are fake. Thereafter, fakes may well be acted upon.

That the Pakistan Government should investigate gambling in Pakistan. Gambling is against Islamic law, yet the extent to which it is carried out in Pakistan and tolerated was a revelation. The people named in the Ehtesaab Report and the ones captured during this inquiry need to be investigated and prosecuted.

That, the following avenues if the patron be so minded be investigated. Inter alia, for lack of time, these were not pursued.

A more thorough investigation into allegation of match-fixing in domestic matches.

Verification of all the Rashid Latif tapes, inter alia by confronting players with them. (Saeed Anwar, Javed Burki, Arif Abbassi, etc.)

That, it needs to be said to the general public, this matter now needs to be put to rest. When they react to losses, the Public should be more tolerant in its criticism and remember that cricket is still a game of chance and the players are indeed human still. The other team is there to play too and the Pakistan team is not that invincible, at least not all of the time, that if they lose or fail to come from behind there must be something amiss. Even some of the Pakistan team coaches need to take note of that. (Haroon Rasheed’s allegation against Saqlain was ludicrous.)

That, to those disappointed with their fallen heroes, it be suggested that humans are fallible. Cricketers are only cricketers. Please maintain a sense of perspective when you react and criticise.

Conclusion of Report by Justice Qayyum :

CONCLUSION
The allegation that the Pakistan team is as a whole is involved in match-fixing is just based on allegation, conjectures and surmises without there being positive proof. As a whole, the players of the Pakistan Cricket team are innocent.

However, there is clear evidence of match-fixing against Mr. Salim Malik. He should be banned for life from Cricket. Further an inquiry should be conducted into his assets and charges brought against him in a criminal court of law.

The evidence against Wasim Akram has not come up to the requisite level, primarily because of Ata-ur-Rehman’s perjuring himself. This Commission is willing to give him the benefit of doubt. However, there has been some evidence to cast doubt on his integrity. As such, this Commission recommends that he be removed from the captaincy of the Pakistan Cricket Team and a person of impeccable character be appointed. Moreover, he should be censured, kept under watch and his finances should be investigated.

Ata-ur-Rehman is being proceeded against for perjury. Further, it is recommended that he be banned from international cricket.

This commission recommends that PCB should enforce declaration of assets by all its players and, if necessary, initiate a probe into their accounts.

In addition to recommendation of other punishments, fines are recommended against the following players as follows (as explained esrlier):

Salim Malik Rs. 10 lac
Wasim Akram Rs. 3 lac
Mushtaq Ahmad Rs. 3 lac
Ata-ur-Rehman Rs. 4 lac
Waqar Younis Rs. 1 lac
Inzamam-ul-Haq Rs. 1 lac
Akram Raza Rs. 1 lac
Saeed Anwar Rs. 1 lac

It may be recommended inter alia that a watch-dog Review Committee be formed to deal with future allegations if any. Further that all Pakistani cricket players should declare their assets at the time they start their career at the national level and annually submit their asset forms to the Pakistan Cricket Board. A zero tolerance approach be taken against match-fixing in the future and strict discipline generally be maintained.

(Sd/- Justice Malik Muhammad Qayyum)

The facts stated above, at least confirms; that the debate about what the commission stated, recommended and concluded and also renowned cricketers have said about Mr. Wasim Akram. So, now if the PCB can not survive without the services of Mr. Wasim Akram (even after considering the above stated views of Mr. Imran Khan and other legendary cricketers) he may be included in the PCB set up.

Moreover, as yet again the PCB stated in its press release of 30 October 2018 that the PCB maintains a zero-tolerance policy on corruption and would continue to stay vigilant through its Anti-Corruption Department at all levels of the game, both with players and officials, it is need of the hour for the top management of the PCB, to understand, that the mother of corruption is the CONFLICT OF INTEREST, about which the PCB management seems least concerned particularly with interactions of its officials and players with the PSL franchises; which is also evident from the fact that even after involvement of so many players of a PSL franchise in spot fixing scandal, not only no action has been taken by the PCB against its captain and other officials, but the PCB showing 100% tolerance of conflict of interest; made two of its senior management personnel, as members of the cricket committee.

In view of the foregoing, it is suggested that the cricket committee of the PCB may be broadly re-constituted by considering legend players with no conflict of interest like Wasim Bari, Javed Miandad, Iqbal Qasim, Sikander Bakht, Amir Suhail, Muhammad Yousaf, Abdul Qadir, Shoaib Akhtar and Shoaib Muhammad.

Last but not the least, the PCB (which has reiterated that it has not rejected the Justice Qayyum Match Fixing Inquiry Report) should also inform the Public about any action taken about the player, mentioned in the report, whose assets were found beyond means by the Ehtesaab Commission, which reported the matter to Justice Qayyum during the inquiry proceedings.

Dear Mr. Imran Khan Sahab.

AoA.

Sir,

I hope it will not be a news for you that in Pakistan there is no law for punishing match/spot fixings in sports.

In this connection, very frequently we Pakistanis are put to shame by media reports about our cricketers involvement in match/spot fixings.

In this regard, it will not be out of place to share below the opinion of legendary Sir Viv Richards about your integrity and patriotism and his thoughts about punishing the match fixing sportspersons:

An excerpt (pages 173-4) from the book “Sir Vivian The Definitive Autobiography” by VIV RICHARDS with Bob Harris.

Quote.
“The gentleman (Imran Khan) who was to become a renowned name in the world of cricket and a serious politician did not like what he saw that day. Fortunately, like many of these incidents, it was soon forgotten and since then I have come to know him. I respect his views and I went to a party at his house while on tour in Pakistan. Whenever we are around we try to get together, as we did during the recent World Cup in England. We definitely didn’t like one another at first, but gradually as we matured and got to know each other better we realised the world is a lot bigger than anything we have to offer and we started to respect each other. He was one of the fiercest competitor and, no matter how well you were batting, he would always have a delivery which could come and destroy you. I respect him and his cricketing views; and if the Pakistan side had a leader they looked up to and respected like they did him, they would be a much better and more consistent team than they are now. He always managed to squeeze the best out of his team. He (Imran Khan) and Miandad are two of the most patriotic individuals I have met, and I can identify with that. I am quite certain you wouldn’t be hearing stories about match fixing and other bad things if they were at the helm. BOTH WOULD DIE FOR THEIR COUNTRY.” Unquote.
Sir Vivian Richards, writing at page 219 in his book titled “Sir Vivian The Definitive Autobiography” states:
Quote.
“The problem (match-fixing) needs to be taken more seriously and be throughly investigated. Anyone caught and proved beyond doubt to be involved in match-fixing should be given the maximum punishment, both within the game and under the laws of the country in which it happens. In my view, it is a kind of treason, selling your country out. At one time that would have meant being put in front of a firing squad! How can anyone sell out his or her country for a few bucks? It is beyond my comprehension.” Unquote.

As such, in order to minimise match/spot fixings in our sports, it is highly imperative to immediately promulgate a law in Pakistan, which should make such acts by the sportspersons or any other person, of selling motherland for money, as a serious criminal offence punishable with heavy fines, confiscation of property and a long jail term.
Submitted for your urgent consideration please.

Best Regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

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.

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.

Today’s sensational media reports of illegal and unconstitutional act of the chairman PCB, to tap the telephones of its employees, demands an immediate highest level inquiry; and if found correct then there was an urgent need of a shake up of the PCB’s administration and registration of criminal cases against the blatant violators of the relevant constitutional and legal provisions, guaranteeing fundamental rights of the citizens (read employees of the PCB) of Pakistan.

As far the Pakistani cricketers are concerned they always bear the burden of representing the image and the hopes of millions of their fans.

Their on and off field behaviours, have a social and political significance, that goes well beyond the field and enters into the homes of all the citizens, as well as, into the most powerful institutions.

The victory in a world cup ODI or a T20 contest, can move nearly all sections of the Pakistani nation, in an incomparable manner.

Thus, for the ordinary Pakistani cricket fan, PCB is not just an organisation; rather, it is a mini Pakistan (and its chairman a mini Prime Minister) and looked upon like the institution of the Pakistani armed forces, where they can’t imagine, any compromise shall be made, on the image and reputation of the country; and where, rather than allowing the lowering of the national flag and pride, our sons sacrifice their lives.

Hence, the PCB and not the players…. needs a turn around..!

We should not be so naive to expect production of a Mercedes car from the manufacturing plant of a motorcycle.

Moreover, as Albert Einstein defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again, without any change, and expecting a different result.”

As such, we must not expect miracles by sending players to army institutions, for some rigorous training. If that was the case, why armed forces sports teams world over and in Pakistan, are NOT the number one teams, in all the sports they participate?

Nowadays, like the management, sports is a science and the role of the amateur handlers is over.

Only QUALIFIED professionals can train sportsmen, for producing world beaters.

Until and unless, PCB itself is turned upside down, our cricketing standards, particularly our domestic cricket will keep on sliding into the abyss.

The culture of taking work from the qualified professionals can NOT be handed over to the existing SENIOR staff of the PCB, who can’t even develop a multi-media presentation.

Everyone knows how many managers and above, in the PCB, can truly handle the computers, beyond  emails the reading?

It is suggested that PCB must be totally revamped (with a vision statement of BETTER THAN THE BEST) from the top to the bottom, to make it function, like a top class world level organisation, with zero tolerance for old amateurish and bureaucratic style of working, which breeds intellectual, moral and financial corruption, nepotism and favouritism, in each and every sphere of its operations.

Right now, PCB has become the last and final resting place of the great nincompoops of Pakistan.

However, the greatest harm the PCB is doing to the nation is that it is being run on a system, which is doing double damage; in the shape of production of mediocre run of the mill players; and at the same time, talented players are facing hurdles, in coming into the lime light.

If the PCB wants to survive in the fast changing world of competition, it must change its old habits and rebuild itself, inside out.

PCB must know that a professional organisation is “of and for professional people”.

For the inside out rebuilding, the PCB must come out in a crystal clear manner that “how it want to be thought of” and then consider every thing that the PCB “say and do.”

Every PCB department must also be converted into a “cost center” responsible for its revenues and expenses.

Side by side, the PCB must also shun its CULTURE of politics and self serving policies.

This is absolutely necessary, because culture of an organisation is the environment, under which, all it’s employes perform their duties.

What is needed by the PCB is to create a culture of team work, which stimulates and permeates in the entire organisation. And where the employees are recognised and duly rewarded for working with absolute honesty and professionalism.

While currently chaos, politics and leg pulling is rampant in the rank and file employees of the PCB, how it can be expected to produce players, who will not be equally, if not more, afflicted by these malaise?

As they say in the IT jargon, garbage in garbage out, or output can not be more than the input.

However, the top notches of the government and the PCB, must know very clearly that the PCB can not be turned out into a first class world level organisation, by just transfers, postings, change of designations, hiring or firing of employees.

In fact, such steps breeds even more discontent and ill will, among the employees and the general masses.

To achieve the desired results, PCB needs a total and complete overhaul, disregarding any political or other pressures for serving any vested interest(s), examples of which (running the organisation on an absolutely 100% merit basis) can be seen in many Pakistani organisations like LUMS, SKMCH & RC, IBA, NUST and the GIK etc.

Till such time, the PCB itself is turned into a center of excellence, it can’t produce a bunch of players, who can be the world beaters, on a consistent level.

In any team game, a team do not need champions like Don Bradman or David Beckham to be the world beaters. But, greats like Don Bradman and David Beckham in any team, can not excel, without the cooperation of other team members.

For our players to consistently excel at the international arena, PCB coaches need to repeatedly hammer into the minds of the players, the following famous quote of Aristotle.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”

Now, world over competitive sports is not considered just a past time hobby or entertainment and fitness activity.

Rather, sports activities are considered and handled as a specialised faculty of sports science.

As such, the PCB must shun business as usual, decades old approach.

There is an imminent need to totally wind up the entire current set up of the PCB, which has been turned into a center of excellence for politics, corruption, nepotism and cronyism; which was very aptly expressed by the legendary cricketer Mr. Waqar Younis, when he stated that there was more politics in PCB than the parliament.

The person to be appointed as the new head of the PCB should be a VISIONARY person, who is ready to accept the challenge of turning (in one year) the PCB into a world class organisation.

This goal can be easily achieved by splitting the Pakistan Cricket Board in two units,  as following:

~Cricketing Affairs (headed by a DG who must be a legendary Cricketer with spotless integrity and possessing corporate management acumen)

~Administrative Affairs (headed by a DG who should be a business & management professional)

The new head of the PCB must only be appointed, when you are personally satisfied about his capabilities, after his one on one, interview with you.

Moreover, the PCB think tank must “PLAN FOR SUCCESS” with clear and measurable objectives.

The PCB must also not forget that the world’s best and most expensive coaches are NOT the recipe for the success. If this notion was true, rich countries like the USA and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, would have been the world champions, in many sports like football etc.

The recipe for success mostly lies in the smooth working of a well defined system, lead for which must come from none other than the PCB chairman.

Gone are the old decadent ways of assembling players for a camp, just before the tour to show their fitness and playing abilities.

It must be the specified duty of the think tank and the selectors to devise a plan to monitor 24/7 the health, eating habits, general behaviour and performance of the CONTRACTED players, in a scientific manner. These contracted players must not be allowed to have a free reign, even during the off days, as they are almost like paid employees of the PCB.

Moreover, the FINE TUNING and grooming of the marked pool of all the talented and upcoming players (non-contracted) should be the SPECIFIC responsibility of the NCA staff, who must constantly produce, highest calibre five players, for each position of the game, both for the men and the ladies teams.

As such, rather than hiring a foreign coach for the national team, we need to hire an experienced and QUALIFIED foreign expert, who has the experience of running the sports academy on professional lines, may be from Australia. This expert should be assigned the task to turn all the NCA’s into centres of excellence, second to none in the world.

It will not be out of place to conclude, by mentioning the quotes of the three famous sports coaches, for the motivation of our players, who are under tremendous pressure to perform on a consistent level.

“Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later the man who wins, is the man who thinks he can.”
– Vince Lombardi

“When you’re playing against a stacked deck, compete even harder. Show the world how much you’ll fight for the winners circle. If you do, someday the cellophane will crackle off a fresh pack, one that belongs to you, and the cards will be stacked in your favor.”
– Pat Riley

I’ve never played for a draw in my life.

Alex Ferguson

In England, it’s a rare thing to see a player smoking but, all in all, I prefer that to an alcoholic. The relationship with alcohol is a real problem in English football and, in the short term, it’s much more harmful to a sportsman. It weakens the body, which becomes more susceptible to injury.

Alex Ferguson

I’m going to tell you the story about the geese which fly 5,000 miles from Canada to France. They fly in V-formation but the second ones don’t fly. They’re the subs for the first ones. And then the second ones take over – so it’s teamwork.

Alex Ferguson

The work of a team should always embrace a great player but the great player must always work.

Alex Ferguson

Wishing you Godspeed in your endeavours to make Pakistan, the best of the best in the world.

Best Regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

Respected Justice (Retd) Nasir-ul-Mulk

Caretaker Prime Minister and Patron of the PCB

اسلام و علیکم
Sir,

I take this opportunity to invite your kind attention towards the state of affairs of the PCB and the role of its Board of Governors, considering that another reported meeting of the BoG of the PCB is scheduled on 17 July 2018.

The current BoG members list is given as below:

Mr. Najam Aziz Sethi Chairman
Mr. Arif Ejaz
Lt. Gen (R) Muzamil Hussain- WAPDA
Dr. Najeeb Samie- HBL
Mr. Miftah Ismail- SSGC
Mr. Mansoor Masood Khan- United Bank Limited
Mr. Murad Ismail- Quetta
Mr. Shahrez Abdullah Khan – Lahore
Mr. Kabir Ahmed Khan – FATA
Federal Secretary, Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination, Government of Pakistan or any other officer nominated by him shall be an ex officio member and shall have the right to attend and speak at all meetings and otherwise take part in the proceedings of the Board of Governors, but shall not be entitled to vote.

It is requested that appropriate government agency may be deputed to investigate (afresh) and conduct a forensic/management audit specifically with regard to the minutes of the concerned BoG meetings, about why all the honourable BoG members of the PCB (which includes the then federal secretary of MO IPC and its minister Mr. Riaz Peerzada who were duly and separately informed) remained mum, over crores repeat crores of Rupees unlawful (and not allowed as per any clause of Franchise agreement) payments in the PSL-1 tournament, to the PSL Franchises, repeatedly brought to their notice in writing.

Our concerned agencies should also investigate all the honourable BoG members of the PCB, for why they did not raise their voice in any BoG meeting, even when the above matter of unlawful payments was already in their full knowledge and that the granting of BoG’s approval, legally held all of them collectively responsible, of all such grave financial irregularities, which were conveyed to them and was also in their knowledge, specially to the BoG member and the chairman audit committee, Mr. Mansoor Masood Khan, who is himself, a very senior banker, as well.

The agencies must investigate about Media confessions of Mr. Najam Sethi that he had prior [concrete] informations of the players intentions and plans of spot fixings in PSL-2, but he allowed the crime to be committed, he allowed Pakistan to be disgraced, but he STRONGLY opposed and managed to STOP the FIA probe from investigating the spot fixing scandal.

FIA should also investigate all the BoG members of the PCB about why they did not raise their voice in any BoG meeting, even when the above matter was already in their full knowledge?

Further, the relevant agency should question inaction and no inquest and reasons of hiding it under the carpet, on the part of the PCB/PSL management and all the BoG members of the PCB, on the following reported [ https://tribune.com.pk/story/1746622/7-franchise-used-bait-betting-scam-psl2/ ] betting scam about PSL-2, as reported by the media, despite propagation of zero tolerance policy on match fixings:

Quote.
“An alleged betting scam involving former Pakistan cricketers and officials that took place during the second edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has surfaced.
According to a report published in the Daily Express, a couple of former Pakistan cricketers colluded with a regional officer to form a betting company, using the name of a particular PSL franchise as bait. They lured possible betting clients by giving them confidence that they had people inside the franchise —including a coach and a team official — assisting them.” Unquote.

It was also mentioned in the news item that the company claimed that it had dispatched expensive cars and watches to the players as a part of their fool-proof plan. The people who placed bets were assured that the team would lose its first couple of matches, a claim that gained more credence when the team lost its first match — resulting in more bets.

Here the question arises why it was in the interest of the PCB/PSL management to hush up the report and not go deep into the reasons of creation of a company to form a betting company, using the name of a particular PSL franchise as bait?

This is a very serious matter and the silence of the entire BoG of the PCB is really deafening.

Moreover, in an another recently reported scandal, {which deserves deep inquiry from an appropriate federal agency} It is very difficult to believe that PCB and ICC will be so naive to have been startled

[as reported by the daily Dawn in its report dated 25 June 2018 link..https://www.dawn.com/news/1416015 ] by the remarks of Pakistani batsmen Umar Akmal that he was approached by bookmakers during the 2015 World Cup to leave two balls for $200,000 for the One Day match (50 overs match) of ICC World Cup 2015 played at Adelaide, Australia on 15 February 2015.

This was the same match about which former Pakistani Test Cricketer Mr. Sarfaraz Nawaz has been pointing out, about a news item, published in a newspaper, reporting about a top Pakistani official of PCB visiting Delhi and staying at the residence of a famous India Bookie (cricket match fixer) who paid Rs.40 crores and Rs.6 crores for Pakistani cricket team to lose two World Cup 2015 matches against India and West Indies, respectively.

Pakistani team did lose both the matches against India and West Indies in a most miserable manner.

In this regard, the then PM and Patron in Chief of PCB was duly requested for holding an inquiry, but of no avail.

Before dilating over that particular Indo-Pak WC2015 match, it will not be out of context to mention that recently PCB heavily punished Sharjeel Khan for playing two, repeat only two DOT balls in a PSL match, played in February 2017 at UAE.

Some self explanatory statistics of that famous Rs.40 crore Indo-Pak ODI WC2015 match, are provided below for your kind Information.

1. Pakistan lost the match against India by 76 runs (in 47 overs) by not even completing quota of 50 overs. (please remember that there was a reported advance payment of Rs.40 Crore for losing the match against India by an Indian bookie, at his Delhi residence, to a top PCB official. Now the genuineness of this report can easily be verified by checking the travel documents of all top PCB officials, to confirm, if anyone of them did visit Delhi, prior to Indo-Pak 15th February 2015 match and what was the purpose of their visit to India).

2. Now coming to the reported offer to Umar Akmal of USD 2,00,000 for two DOT balls, it will be not be a surprise to note that our team played 168 DOT balls in their innings, which is equal to 28 overs of complete DOT balls. Please remember (as informed above) that Sharjeel Khan was severely punished for playing only two DOT balls in a PSL match.

3. Pakistani team’s playing of full 28 DOT balls in an innings of just 47 overs, means that our team scored on only 114 balls or 19 overs in a match of 50 overs.

4. Umar Akmal himself scored zero and played four DOT balls in that World Cup match against India, while Umar Akmal told Samaa TV that he was approached by bookmakers during the 2015 World Cup to leave two balls for $200,000.

5. In this regard, Media has also reported very alarmingly that after PCB issued a show cause notice to Umar Akmal, he was called at the PCB headquarters in Lahore and subsequently PCB allowed Umar Akmal to play a league tournament in Canada. If this news was correct, it clearly implies that PCB has decided to not take any further action against Umar Akmal and the startling scandal was shelved by the PCB without taking it to its logical conclusion.
In this connection, some further main points for your consideration of an investigation against PCB and PSL management and financial irregularities are detailed below for your convenience and consideration please.

1. Why Mr. Najam Sethi sent (after refusing the permission initially but when the League agreed to pay few lac dollars to the PCB the consent was accorded) our 27 players in the lap of the Indians infested T10 League in the UAE and why no member of the BoG of the PCB ever questioned this matter in the board meeting?

2(a). Complete and abject surrender of PCB before the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) in the ICC.

PCB under Mr. Najam Sethi voted in December 2017 for India (BCCI) to be made Big-1 after voting to make India Big-3 in 2014.

No international cricket during IPL from 2019 [Update Post #97]
Link:- http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/showthread.php?267451-No-international-cricket-during-IPL-from-2019-Update-Post-97

Link:-https://www.google.com.pk/amp/s/m.timesofindia.com/sports/cricket/ipl/top-stories/virtually-no-international-cricket-during-ipl-from-2019-bcci-ceo-johri/amp_articleshow/62544323.cms

2(b). Why Mr. Najam Sethi did not raise any objections in the last meeting of the ICC held in Singapore on 7-8 December 2017 over the Indian plan of making BCCI as Big-1, and agreed unconditionally, with the Indian plan which stipulates that from 2019 onwards, no cricket series will be played in the world under the ICC’s auspicious, during the days/time when IPL will be underway in the months of April and May? Strangely, the England’s Cricket Board (ECB) objected to this proposal of the BCCI, but Mr. Najam Sethi representing PCB, unconditionally supported the Indian Plan and raised no objection. And, despite such a huge and highly anti-Pakistan’s interest, favours granted to the Indians by Mr. Najam Sethi, what we we got from the Indians was that they refused to send to Pakistan, their blind cricketers team to play the World Cup matches during January 2018 in Pakistan; and on top of that Mr. Najam Sethi allowed our blind cricketers team to play against Indian team, the World Cup match, in the UAE, wherein, when the Indians refused to play in Pakistan, their match should have been forfeited and points awarded to Pakistani team: which when went out of home ground, to play in UAE, lost to the Indian team and Indian Blind team ultimately won the World Cup also.

Pakistan cannot allow Mr. Najam Sethi to make the PCB subservient of the Indian cricket board (BCCI) for reasons best known to Mr. Najam Sethi.

2(c). Mr. Najam Sethi is constantly humiliating Pakistan, by supporting out of the way [also remember Mr. NajamSethi’s all out and full support to the Indians in 2014 for the Big-3 plan in the year 2014, when, even Indian notables were raising their voices, against this Indian hegemonist plan in the ICC].

2(d). 450 million dollars question?

Reproduced below are some of the excerpts of the daily “The Express Tribune” news published on 30 June 2014 which proves that PCB’s income was to have been $450 million as a reward of supporting Indian Cricket Board’s plan of Big-3 in the ICC, which was originally (rightly) opposed by Mr. Zaka Ashraf, the then Chairman PCB, before Mr. Najam Sethi became Chairman PCB, as Zaka Ashraf point blank told the Indian Cricket Board Officials that any offer of tour of Indian Cricket team to Pakistan must be assured by a bank guarantee to PCB, so that in the event of any back out from the Indians, PCB will not suffer any financial loss and PCB’s support to the BCCI’s plan of Big-3 will not go down the drain, without any consequences for the BCCI.

Excepts of the news published by the daily “The Express Tribune” dated 30 June, 2014 are reproduced below.

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board chief Najam Sethi claimed on Monday that his country will earn $450 million from the next eight-year cycle, mainly from four series with arch-rivals India.

India and Pakistan signed an agreement to play six series, four of which Pakistan will host in the next eight years, on the sidelines of an International Cricket Council (ICC) annual conference in Melbourne last week.
The windfall for Pakistan was made possible after they conditionally agreed to approve an ICC revamp that gives major powers to cricket’s “Big Three”, India, Australia and England.

“We get the most revenues when we play with India and if all goes well we are set to earn $300 million from the four series we host against India,” he said.

That, Sethi claimed, will get Pakistan the most funds after the Big Three.

“We will get revenues on fourth number, and I can say with confidence that in the next eight year cycle we will get $150 million dollars from the ICC,” he said, bringing the total takings to $450 million.

This compares to Pakistan receiving $10 million from the ICC per year in the last seven-year cycle, Sethi added.

3. Be Fooling the Nation:

3(a). Why the nation is being be fooled by Mr. Najam Sethi Chairman PCB by lodging a meagre $70 million compensation claim vs BCCI (against expected revenue of $450 million according to his own words reproduced above) with the Dispute Resolution Committee of the ICC [The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is seeking $70 million in compensation, as reported by the daily The Express Tribune dated 11 April 2018 excerpts and its link reproduced as below:

Excerpt:
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is seeking $70 million in compensation. It initiated dispute resolution proceedings against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at the ICC in November last year.
link:- https://tribune.com.pk/story/1683067/7-icc-forms-panel-resolve-pakistan-india-dispute/ ]

According to the own statement of Mr. Najam Sethi reproduced as below and also quoted above there would be NO COMPENSATION IF INDIA DOES NOT PLAY DUE TO NON-CLEARANCE FROM 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 DOLLAR/POUNDS IN CONNECTION WITH THE EXPENSES OF FILING THE COMPENSATION CLAIM [THAT TOO FOR A MEAGRE AMOUNT OF ONLY $70 MILLION DOLLARS INSTEAD OF $450 MILLION] WITH THE ICC AND WILL ANYONE FROM THE GOVERNMENT ASK THE CHAIRMAN PCB TO PAY BACK TO PCB ONE MILLION DOLLARS?

4. There was a huge question mark on the non-transparent auction of media rights by the PCB for EIGHT years (2015-2023) instead of FIVE years; and that too for a lesser value from the previous five years media rights auction (2008-2013).

Before dwelling in the details of the PCB’s media rights auction, the following questions needs satisfactory answers:

a).  PCB invited Mr. Andrew Wild Blood an international expert on media rights,  to ascertain the value of PCB’s media rights, apprised the PCB directors and senior management that its value was around $300 million to $400 million, then why the rights were sold at much less amount for EIGHT years instead of FIVE years, which was allowed by the members of  the Media Rights Bid Tender Committee.

b). Why 12 foreign companies who paid $10,000 (each) to PCB for purchasing the tender documents for participation in the PCB’s media rights auction, were not allowed to participate in the bidding; and only two companies namely, GeoSuper TV and Ten Sports TV were allowed to bid for the tender.

C). Although, the Media Rights auction comes under the PCB’s Marketing Department, why the Director and General Manager of the Marketing Department were NOT allowed to sit in the tender opening of the auction.

First of all kindly peruse below the Indian Cricket Board’s (BCCI) comparative performance of earnings of huge income from the auction of its media rights for the next five years (not eight years) over the previous auction of media rights:

5(a). Rupert Murdoch’s Star paid 38.5 billion Indian rupees ($592 million) for the rights to broadcast India’s home matches from 2012-2018.

5(b). Broadcasting giant Star India on Thursday completed its virtual monopoly over Indian cricket by bagging the media rights of the national team’s home series as well as domestic cricket for the next five years by shelling out a staggering Indian Rs 6138.1 crore ($944 million approx).

5(c). The exact increase of next five years earnings of BCCI of media rights over previous seven years (2012-2018) comes to:$944 million – $592 million = $352 million

5(d). Percentage increase comes to 62.71

5(e). On yearly basis the increase is detailed as below:

$592 million divided by 7 years (2012-2018) = $84.57 million year

$944 million divided by 5 years (2019-2023) = $188.8 million

Yearly increase comes to 123.24%

6. PCB’s comparative analysis of media rights income from auction:

6(a). According to the media reports (PCB rarely officially/transparently provides its figures like the BCCI) the PCB on 27 March 2015, auctioned its media rights for the next eight years {2105-2023} (including the 4 proposed Indian team’s visits for the home series to be played in Pakistan or outside Pakistani soil) for less than $150million (as per AB TAK TV channel report the bid amount for the auction was just a peanut of $125 million, with further deductions of production costs and UDRS expenses which may be over $10-15 millions, reducing the net earnings to a meagre amount of around $110-115 million), compared with the PCB’s 2008-2013 five years media rights auction amount of $144 million.

6(b). The exact DECREASE of next eight years (2015-2023) earnings of PCB’s media rights over previous five years (2008-2013) comes to:

$115 million – $144 million = NEGATIVE $29 million

6(c). Percentage decrease comes to Minus 20.13%

6(d). On yearly basis the DECREASE is detailed as detailed below:

$144 million divided by 5 years (2008-2013) = $28.8 million per year

$115 million divided by 8 years (2015-2023) = $14.38 million per year

Yearly DECREASE comes to 49.93%

7. Besides the matters pointed out above the Chairman PCB and all its BoG members must be asked to provide plausible and satisfactory answers of the following unlawful payments and mismanagement in the affairs of PCB and PSL:

7(a). PCB must provide the following documents:

i). Complete with all annexures, Internal and external audit reports of PCB for years 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017.

ii). Complete Internal and external audit reports with annexures of PSL-1 and PSL-2.

iii). Complete and all documents demanded by the Special Audit Team of the AGP which conducted the Special Audit of the PCB in 2017 and such documents were not produced before the Special Audit Team.

8. Why a huge amount Rs.22 Crore was paid by the PCB to its five franchises from the profit of PSL-1 when:

8(a). No such payment clause was mentioned in the agreements with any franchise party?

8(b). No prior audit of PSL-1 was conducted.

8(c). No Prior audit of any franchise company was conducted before payment/release of this huge amount of Rs. 22 Crore to the five franchises.

9. Why an amount of about Rs.40 crore was paid to the five franchises on account of a one-sided and strange clause in the franchise agreement, which stated that franchises will be paid out of the income from Pool Money, a minimum of 80% income amount?

9(a). Nowhere, in any agreement, minimum limit of payment is mentioned. And the upper or maximum limit of payment was deliberately not mentioned in the franchise agreement, which caused huge, straight and strange loss to the PCB.

9(b). Accordingly, this clause resulted in unprecedentedly reduced payment to the PCB, on account of pool money income, notwithstanding the fact that initially and still now, the PSL gets all the time, resources and money (PCB paid huge amount of seed money to start PSL) from the PCB. It is reported that initially, PCB gave seed money of Rs.50 Crore for PSL venture.

9(c). Why this huge payment allowed of pool money (minimum 80% MAXIMUM NO LIMIT) to the five franchises which was also highly disproportionate to the seed money’s big share of the PCB, which it contributed at the time of establishment of PSL secretariat?

10. Why beyond agreement and unlawful Payment of Rs.5 crore was allowed to the five franchises on frivolous account of Support fund, which was highly objectionable way of dishing money unlawfully, from the income of PSL-1?

11. Why PSL-1 budgeted expenditure which was about Rs.77 crore, but actual expenditure went to almost Rs.90 crore? Again no vouchers verified, no tangible and cogent reasons were provided with documentary proof of basis of originally budgeting the expenditure and verifiable documentary evidence, of reasons of excess actual expenditure of about Rs.12 crore of Rupees.

12. Why Mr. Najam Sethi did NOT allow the auditors of the Special Audit team of the AGP office in 2017 to SEPARATELY audit the PSL-1 and PSL-2 accounts, despite Mr. Najam Sethi telling the nation on media many times that PSL-1 accounts have been audited and PSL-2 accounts were under audit? What actually happened when Special Audit team of AGP office went in 2017 to conduct Special Audit of PCB/PSL that only PCB’s accounts (without all marketing department’s documents) were allowed by Mr. Najam Sethi to be audited, but he continued to mislead the nation by telling over media that PSL-1 accounts have been audited and approved by the board and the audit of PSL-2 accounts will be completed by early January 2018. (link:- https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZIHYxUoDIE ). Here in this video of 22 November 2017 he categorically told that PSL-1 Audit was completed and APPROVED and about the stage of audit of PSL-2 all questions of the external auditors have been replied by the PCB and provided to the external auditors, who (External Auditors) will finalise & submit their report by 1st or 2nd week of Jan.2018.

13.When reportedly PCB loaned Rs.50 Crore as seed money to start PSL and a separate secretariat was established (with Mr. Najam Sethi appointed as Chairman of PSL) and even near about Rs.4 Crore was unlawfully paid to 33 PCB senior/junior employees as PSL allowance, why now PCB did not allow audit of PSL with the Special Audit Team of the AGP office?

14. Further, there is another extremely important point that if PSL accounts were not maintained separately then false profit was declared and distributed to the five franchises, by absorbing PSL expenses into the overheads of the PCB. This act if it has happened is nothing but a deliberate financial crime and gross unlawful act for which not only Mr. Najam Sethi, but the entire members of the Board of Governors, the Audit Committee (of which Mr. Najam Sethi was also a member) and the CFO (who was also paid an hefty amount as PSL allowance) are responsible, collectively and individually.

15. Why separately and unlawfully very high amounts of about Rs.4 crore were paid to 33 employees of the PCB, who were looking after the PSL’s work as Pakistan Super League Allowance without approving Eligibility Policy? Now, who will pay back these unlawful salary disbursements to the PCB, Mr. Najam Sethi the then chairman PSL, CFO, all the members of the audit committee or all the members of the BOG, who raised no questions on these unlawful payments while approving the accounts of PSL-1?

16. Why Mr. Najam Sethi violated the ethics and norms of the corporate good governance practices by keeping himself as a member of the Audit committee of the PCB, which resulted in the audit committee of the PCB not raising any objections for not conducting a separate audit of the PCB and on other huge unlawful payments.

17. A question must be asked that why the Draft for players for PSL-2 was not held in Pakistan but held at Dubai (causing huge avoidable expenditure) when it was earlier held in Pakistan for PSL-1?

18.The approving authority of this holding of Draft for players for PSL-2 in Dubai, should be asked to refund this extra expenditure from his/her own pocket.

In the meantime, it is requested that till all these inquiries of severe financial and administrative irregularities in the PCB/PSL are finalised, the Honourable Prime Minister and the Patron of the PCB Respected Justice (Retd) Nasir-ul-Mulk Sahab is requested to immediately remove the chairman PCB and dissolve the PCB’s BOG with an ad hoc body, which should be headed by a spotless, competent and non-partisan personality, with sufficient experience of business/management/administration and enough knowledge of the game of international and local cricket.

27 May 2018

Ten million jobs..!

Dear Mr. Asad Umar,

AoA.

Sir,

Please accept my wholehearted appreciation on your excellent article titled “Ten million jobs” published today on 27 May 2018 by the daily “The News”.

In this regard, as stated in your today’s article that Pakistanis should guide you on how best to provide an honourable livelihood to all our citizens and put the country on the path to sustainable prosperity; I give below my humble suggestions for engaging millions of our youth, in productive activities, through a well coordinated program, as per the details reproduced and also link given below:

Link:- https://www.snayyar.com/how-to-transform-pakistan-the-most-heroin-addicted-country.html#sthash.UXuhBx7d.dpbs

Best Regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

What’s app +92 321 9402157

Cell:               +61 490098320

Sydney

The following email message from the VP USA, reveals how much importance the US government is attaching to combat the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic ripping apart families and communities in America.

Email of VP USA Joe Biden, reproduced below, as an eye opener:

From: “Vice President Joe Biden”
Date: 13 December 2016 at 9:37:24 PM GMT+5
To: <nayyar51@hotmail.com>
Subject: God willing, this bill will save lives:
The White House, Washington
Last Monday night, forty-four years after the people of Delaware first sent me to the United States Senate, I presided over a Senate vote for one of the last times.

As Vice President of the United States and president of the Senate, I served as the presiding officer as the Senate moved forward on the 21st Century Cures Act, a bill that will harness America’s best minds in science, medicine, and technology to tackle the biggest health challenges of our time.

This bill will help us combat the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic ripping apart families and communities. It invests in programs to improve mental health treatment and suicide prevention. It will provide resources for President Obama’s BRAIN and Precision Medicine initiatives, so that our world-class researchers can figure out how to better prevent, treat, and eventually cure Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injuries.

And this is the part that’s personal for me and for millions of Americans: The 21st Century Cures Act invests $1.8 billion to help us end cancer as we know it. For over a year, I’ve been leading our National Cancer Moonshot to fundamentally change the culture of our fight against cancer and inject a sense of urgency into it. This bill goes a long way to help us — investing in promising new therapies, enhancing prevention and detection efforts in every community regardless of zip code, and bringing us closer to the day when there are vaccines for all kinds of cancer, just as we have them for measles or mumps.

God willing, this bill will save lives.

While I was presiding in the Senate, my colleagues from both sides of the aisle renamed the section of this bill on cancer research for my son, Beau, who lost his battle with brain cancer, but like countless Americans who lost their own battles, inspires us to do everything we can for the loved ones we can save. My thanks goes out to the bipartisan leadership — Democrats and Republicans in the House and the Senate — who ensured that this important bill became law. Without this true bipartisan support, this piece of legislation, which will help millions of Americans, would not have been possible.

Today, President Obama will sign the 21st Century Cures Act into law. One last time in our Administration, I will stand right by him at a signing ceremony — proud of our country, and proud of the work we’ve done to give people hope.

I hope you’ll join me.

Thanks,

Joe
We wish our federal and provincial governments in Pakistan were also aware about the drug related damage, being caused by this menace which is more damaging than terrorism, to our future generations.

In this regard, the recent deaths of a student of LUMS in Lahore and a lady in the Chamba House Lahore, reportedly due to the drugs overuse, is just the tip of the iceberg.

If anyone wants to know the stark reality of the gravity of drug menace in Pakistan, the following two paragraphs of an article’s link given below, will suffice as an eye opener:

Quote:
“Pakistan, a country already tormented by regional insurgencies, is fighting a losing battle against a different kind of foe: drug addiction. In the country’s northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), an estimated 11 percent of residents use illicit substances – primarily heroin. Peshwar, the provincial capital of KPK, is a city rife with homeless addicts and dirty needles.”

“Pakistan’s illegal drug trade is believed to generate $2 billion a year [making] Pakistan the most heroin-addicted country, per capita, in the world.” Unquote.

Link:- http://thediplomat.com/2014/03/pakistan-the-most-heroin-addicted-country-in-the-world/

In this connection, it is earnestly and urgently requested that the Prime Minister of Pakistan and all opposition parties, particularly having representation in the parliament (because they are ruling in all the four provinces of the country), to accord top priority to protect our future generations, from the most deadly menace of increasing drugs use trend, in our kids and youth on streets and educational institutions, by joining hands in planning and execution of legislation and action plans, on war like emergency basis.

In this regard, we should not only concentrate to fight the drug menace from just one angle, but our plan should be multi pronged, encompassing every conceivable activity in society, to provide healthy atmosphere to our youth.

First of all we must include the dangers of drugs use in the curriculum of the junior classes to educate and brain wash our youth in their early ages.

Sports is another activity in which, fortunately, our youth loves to indulge in.

Revival of sports in country will also provide jobs to many jobless youth in our country.

In this regard, a presentation on how to revive sports in Pakistan was given to the PMO on 6 September, 2016 wherein, it was also suggested to build few modern sports cities (as a part of CPEC program) to channelise the energy of our youth from drugs, crime and terrorism towards healthy sports activities, along with automatic provision of jobs, from the newly created sports industry.

Somehow, it seems that like all previous governments, this PMLN government does not even consider sports, as one of its last priorities.

If anyone wants to know the importance of sports in transforming a society, kindly peruse the following statement of late Nelson Mandela, slightly modified to be applicable on current Pakistani state of affairs of the society.

Quote:
“Sports has the power to change Pakistan…it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite Pakistani people in a way that little else does. It speaks to the Pakistani youth in a language they understand. Sports can create hope for the entire Pakistani nation, where once there was only despair, lawlessness, hunger, unemployment, poverty, drugs, suicide bombings and alarming increase of suicides due to the economic hardships. It is more powerful than government in breaking down the menace of drugs and terrorism which has blown the country to the smithereens.”
Unquote.

Best Regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

An advice/plan previously given on 26 June 2016 to PMLN’s government titled “How to improve economy with sports?” which fell on deaf ears of those who were never bothered about the welfare of the teeming millions of Pakistan.

How to improve national economy and reduce expenses on health budget with investment in sports..?

26 June 2016

Respected Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Sahab,

اسلام و علیکم

Sir,

The subject mentioned article is submitted for your personal kind perusal and is based on an old maxim quoted as below:

“The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton”.
(i) The British were given to believe the real reason which tipped the balance in their favour in wars was the superior character of its young men built in boarding schools while playing games like cricket.

(ii) Eton was one of the famous English boarding schools that trained English boys for careers in the military, civil service and the church. (DAANISH Schools of the Punjab Government are a great example of a visionary project to turn around the fortunes of the future generations of Pakistan).

(iii) Famous public schools saw team sports like cricket not just as outdoor play, but as an organised way of teaching English boys, the discipline, the importance of hierarchy, the skills, the codes of honour and the leadership qualities that helped them build and run the British Empire.

(iv) Through the game of cricket-the ideal that cricket was played not for victory or profit but for its own sake, in the spirit of fair play, the British imperialists sought to justify their conquests and glorify the self image of English elite as “unselfish acts”.

(v) Though it suited the English ruling class to believe that it was the superior character of its young men built on playing fields that tipped the balance, the Napoleanic wars were won due to the economic resources of England. It was progress in trade and industry which made England, the world’s greatest power.

As such, a humble effort is made with the subject mentioned article reproduced below, to raise this nation’s full economic potential in trade and industry, through a physically super-fit Pakistani population, which must collectively believe in the saying “healthy body healthy mind’.

Last but not the least, we have to consider the 200 million population of Pakistan, as a huge manpower asset of this planet, which needs to channelise its positive energy into specific future goals, set by the nation’s visionary leadership. The national leadership must also determine, how to achieve these goals.

ARTICLE.

It is no secret that how politics coupled with corruption, has spoiled the sports in the country, which has earned the DUBIOUS distinction of the worlds BIGGEST nation, NOT to have earned a single medal in the Olympics, since the year 1994. While, much smaller and poorer countries like Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Kenya, have proved that winning medals at international level is just a matter of commitment, dedication and simple hard work, sans politics.

In the past, luckily our cricket, hockey, squash and some other sporting teams and players have been bringing laurels for Pakistan; with very little money, extremely small size governing boards and minimal politics.

Gradually, the foundations of key sports in Pakistan were eaten up by the greed of money, rampant corruption, nepotism, politics and incompetencies of the successive governments, sports managers and the players combined.

If, we have to put the sports in Pakistan back on the right track, two basic things are necessary.

Firstly, a vision and secondly, visionary and totally focused sports leadership, to put Pakistan back on top, at the worlds’ sports map.

As far as, the vision is concerned, nothing ever said about sports can match the following quote of Mr. Nelson Mandela, “Sport has the power to change the world…it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.”

Now, taking a cue from the above mentioned statement of Mr. Nelson Mandela, it is suggested that Pakistani government should slightly re-phrase it and declare the following as its VISION statement:

“Sports has the power to change Pakistan…it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite Pakistani people in a way that little else does. It speaks to the Pakistani youth in a language they understand. Sports can create hope for the entire Pakistani nation, where once there was only despair, lawlessness, hunger, unemployment, poverty, drugs, suicide bombings and alarming increase of suicides due to the economic hardships. It is more powerful than government in breaking down the menace of terrorism which has blown the country to the smithereens.”

Moreover, sports raised in the country on modern and scientific lines can be one of the biggest economic sector; providing employment, reducing poverty and drastically improving public health and fitness levels.

Under an sports advisor to the Prime Minister, we need to have a Pakistan Sports Commission (PSC) responsible for central planning under the banner میرا پاکستان sports system.

Under the this system, Pakistan will root out talented young children and put them in special academies from as young as four years old. If they are able to progress, athletes who make the cut should be put into a relentless training programme, filled with targets they must regularly hit, and paid by the government a monthly wage of Rs.60,000/-

Each year, the best athletes should then be sent to national training centres to be established at all the provincial capitals, where they will compete to enter Pakistan’s national team.

If they will succeed, they will move with their families into these training centres and live there all year round. These centres will train the sportspersons having the following mission statement:

“There will be no breakthrough without the hardest hardship. You cannot be a champion without going through the ultimate pressure”.

For as long as they will be successful, the national team members will benefit from perks including air tickets for their parents to watch them compete and, in some cases, sponsorship deals.

Sportspersons who will win medals in international competitions, or with national titles, can attend university after their career ends, with the tuition fee paid for, by the government.

The Pakistan Sports Commission (PSC) should have three units under the Advisor on Sports to the PM, namely the administrative departments, sport competition management centres, and other support and services institutions.

The PSC will be closely tied with All Sports Federations of Pakistan and the Pakistan Olympic Committee (POA). Besides forming strategies for sport development, overseeing their implementation, and developing mid- and long-range sport development plans, the PSC will be responsible for 9 number of functions as detailed below:

1. Creating a national sport framework

2. Promoting physical activity and exercise participation in schools and local and regional communities

3. Organising national sporting events

4. Organising international sport events in Pakistan.

5. Enforcing antidrug and anticompetitive measures.

6. Supporting research into the development of sports.

7. Implementing regulations governing the sport industry, sport market, and sport-related business activities.

8. Implementing national physical training standards and supervising public health in coordination with the Ministry of Health.

9. Overseeing sport activities with foreign associations and teams, and sport-related cooperation and communication with foreign countries.

To fulfill the nation’s Olympic strategies and ambition, the PSC and sport authorities at the provincial level will play a key role in promoting sport development in Pakistan.

One of the strategies should be the sponsorship of the Pakistan National Games (PNG), modelled after the modern Olympic Games; the PNG will be the largest and most important sport extravaganza in Pakistan. Each province-level administrative unit should send a team to compete in the PNG. The preparation for and competition at the PNG will allow the government to cultivate elite Pakistani athletes for major world competitions.

The essence of Pakistani Olympic strategies and ambition will be a unique system of selecting and training elite athletes.

Pakistan will become one of the few countries in the world that dedicate and use spare-time sport schools extensively to train and prepare future elite athletes. A spare-time sport school will be a boarding school specialized in sport and established to train Olympic hopefuls. Students will be selected for their athletic talent. They will take academic classes in the morning and engage in rigorous sport training sessions in the afternoon. These sport schools will serve as a reserve pool for elite sport teams at the provincial and national levels.

The Sports Law of Pakistan should became effective within six months of the formation of the PSC, becoming the first fundamental legal document for sport.

The Sports Law will establish the main tasks and key principles in managing the sport industry, confirming the importance of mass sport, and identifying the duties and responsibilities of sport-related organizations.

Essentially, the law will set the framework for the development of modern sport in Pakistan. The enactment of the law will signify that the sport industry in Pakistan has entered a new era under the protection of the country’s legal system.

Based on the Sports Law, local governments at provincial and city levels will have the right and authority to make their own rules for managing sport within their jurisdictions.

The Plan for Olympic Glories should also be released by the PSC within six months of its formation. The plan should outline three goals:

(a) restructuring the system in elite sport training and management.

(b) enhancing the elite athlete delivery pipeline and system (including sport schools).

(c) endeavours to maintain the nation’s leading position in world sport competitions.

The PSC should also promulgate the guidelines for a national fitness program. The guidelines should be drafted with the aim of improving the health and the overall physical condition of the general population.

The guidelines will encourage everyone, especially children and adolescence, to engage in at least one sporting activity every day, learn at least two ways of keeping fit, and have a health examination every year.

The aim will be that by 2020 about 40 percent of Pakistan’s population would be regularly participating in physical activity and that clear improvement would take place in the physical fitness level of Pakistani citizens.

In this modern era sports needs professionalisation which will lead to commercialisation; this means that sports associations become profit-making entities and that there will be a club system and professional sports leagues will also be formed. Sports clubs operations will cover ticket sales, advertising, club transfers, commercial matches, and television broadcasting.

This will open for world wide sports playing and related job opportunities for Pakistani sportspersons.

Best Regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

Players selected for a national team are beyond the ordinary, or should be beyond the ordinary.

If there is no change in the attitude of the players, however; if there is no change in the selection process; if there is no change in the personality and quality of coaches to get the players to listen to them and to try and follow their instructions; and if there is no change in the quality of players coming out of the domestic competitions, the result will be the same – probably even worse.
In the modern day game of cricket the captain, coach and the chief selector are the three main pillars, absolutely responsible for the performance of the team.
Now, we are also seeing the evolution of the fourth pillar i.e., the mentor of the team, generally called as the Team Director.
These four pillars must not select the team before they have chalked out the strategy of the matches to be played with their players.
All planning must have a clear objective and should be obviously based on the playing conditions to be faced by the team.
After the strategy the selection process should be based on the following principles:
– Select horses for courses.
– Be ruthless in team selection with emotions getting no place in the realm of the national prestige.
– Remove any iota of likes/dislikes and strictly adhere to the merit policy, not entertaining any undeserving recommendations, from any level.
– No physically unfit player should be selected at any cost.
– No player should be selected if he is not fitting in the mould of the earlier formulated strategy.
Having explained above the philosophy and criteria for the selection of national team, the following players are recommended to be considered for the Pakistani Squad of T20 series of three matches, to be played against the West Indian in Karachi, during the first week of April, 2018.
1. Sarfraz Ahmad (Captain and Wicket Keeper.)
2. Fakhar Zaman (Established opening batsman.)
3. Sahibzada Farhan (Possesses all the potential and promise of an opening batsman.)
4. Agha Salman (Potentially a world class batsman in the making.)
5. Baber Azam (Has already cemented his position in the team for all the three formats.)
6. Asif Ali (He should have been in the national team just after PSL-2.)
7. Hussain Talat (A good find of the PSL-3.)
8. Faheem Ashraf (This player has all the ingredients to become best all rounder of the world.)
9. Muhammad Nawaz (A classy Spinner and an asset for any team.)
10. Shadab Khan (Undisputedly world class priceless asset for any team. Top gun.)
11. Shaheen Shah Afridi (Fast bowling talent is oozing out of this player.)
12. Irfan Junior (An extremely promising fast bowling prospect for Pakistan.)
13. Hasan Ali (Already a established world class cricketer. However, recently it has been observed that he has started behaving rudely in the field, as if he thinks he was above the game and not ready to accept the decisions of his captain. May be he should be told and rested to teach that no player was indispensable.)
14. Aamir Yaamin (A very deserving all rounder and much better fielder than Rahat Ali who let Pakistan down during the ODI World Cup in Australia. These days no poor fielder has any place in national team.)
15. Usman Khan Shinwari (Muhammad Aamir needs some rest and UKS must be granted an opportunity considering his superb fast bowling abilities).
It is high time that thinking strategically, Shoaib Malik, Ahmad Shahzad, Rahat Ali, Muhammad Hafeez, Umer Akmal and Kamran Akmal need not block, our highly talented world class youngsters, to serve Pakistani cricket at the world arena in the next five to eight years.

Chairman PCB and his selectors must not be afraid to repose trust in the young generation players named above.