Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Clowns, Jokers, Puppets and the PCB.

Shoaib Akhtar makes himself available for ODI series against Zimbabwe. Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul dropped from ODI squad to face Zimbabwe. Shoaib Akhtar asked to prove fitness by Cheif Selector. Shoaib says his aim is wickets and not bollywood. Nasim Ashraf asks Shoaib to choose between cricket and movies.

These are the headlines that have been doing the rounds in the Paki dailies for the past few days. Either the Paki media has been taking "Sensationalizing News 101" from their Indian neighbors or the PCB has been doing what they do best - acting as clowns.

Shoaib Akhtar seems to be the centre of controversy as always and despite Ottayan thinking that I'm jumping to his defense again, I'll just say that I'm telling it as it is. Both Ottayan and Soulberry and other bloggers know that I have been claiming for well over a month now that a 2nd string Pakistan team is going to play the ODIs against the Zimbos. This is what the PCB insiders had been talking about since the Zimbabwe series was announced early December. Shoaib, Gul, Asif, Akmal, Yousuf, Younis were all going to be rested / rotated.

In my view Shoaib and Gul were not going to feature in the series whether they were fit or not. Thus all the news reports claiming that the 2 have been dropped are just ridiculous. I also think that it was plain stupid of Shoaib Akhtar to come out and say that he was available for the series when he should have known better that the selectors were going to try out some new bowlers. Did the PCB not tell you that Shoaib? I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't. Or are you just trying to stay in the headlines? Again I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case.

My other problem is with the the Chief Selector, Sallu Saahib. For months he has been claiming that he will be trying out Pakistan's bench against the Zimbos and the moment he announces the squad he says that Shoaib and Gul have been dropped cause they have not proved their fitness. Stick to your statements Sallu Jee. You always knew that you were never going to pick Shoaib; so why are you creating controversies by asking him to play domestic cricket to prove his fitness? Especially when the next set of domestic matches start only after the ODIs against the Zimbos are over! How do you expect Shoaib to prove his fitness?

Moreover, if you are saying that he has been dropped cause he hasn't proven that he is fit then why is the other Shoaib, the skipper, in the squad? Didn't he miss the tests against India cause of an ankle injury? He hasn't played any domestic cricket since the India tour, so how did he prove his fitness to you? Same goes for Mohammad Yousuf - he has not played since the India tour so how do you know that he is fit? Shoaib Akhtar played the last test against India as did Yousuf. Shoaib was busy trying to build his future in Bollywood while Yousuf was away preaching religion. One finds himself in the squad and the other out of it - what is your criteria?

The latest in the acts of stupidity by the PCB is the comment made by their boss, Nasim Ashraf. What is the point of you, Mr. Ashraf, asking Shoaib to choose between Bollywood and Cricket? It is obvious to me that cricket is his current priority, while bollywood his future. Shoaib has not signed any movie, he rejected one 2 years ago so that he could concentrate on his cricket career, and he has even made himself available for Pakistan duty. So how can you ask him to choose when his choice is clear?

It should not be a problem to anyone if Shoaib meets some producers to discuss his future. He hasn't even signed a movie that will keep him away from cricket. So what exactly is your problem with him Mr. Ashraf? Shouldn't you be asking him to choose between his night life and cricket cause that is what effects his performance and not a meeting with a Bollywood producer? Will you ask Mohammad Yousuf to choose between preaching and playing cricket?

Atapattu made a comment about the Lankan selectors being puppets headed by a joker or something to that effect. I believe the PCB falls in the same category. Or rather a bunch of old clowns, headed by a retired circus joker, and overseen by the president's puppet.

Make your pitch on this post...



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3 Pitched:

  1. Anonymous said...
     

    BCCI,PCB the names change but the puppets or is it muppets are in charge.

  2. Q said...
     

    Well Said Ottayan.

  3. straight point said...
     

    be it PCB, BCCI, ICC they all want to look doing things than actually doing it...

    the best symptom of any organization going wrong is when they embrace populism...

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