Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Order Order !!

The timeline:

2006: Mohammad Yousuf breaks Sir Viv Richards' record for the most test runs scored in a calendar year. On top he also breaks the record for the most number of centuries in a year.

Fast Forward...

July 2007: PCB conducts a 20-20 camp and several 20-20 matches between leading players of the country in preparation for the T20 World Cup. Mohammad Yousuf fails to make an impact in the practice games and is excluded from the World Cup squad on the basis of being a poor fielder and being too old for the T20 game.

August 2007: In protest over shabby treatment from the PCB, Mohammad Yousuf signs with the ICL despite PCB's claims that all ICL signatories will be banned from international and domestic cricket.

September 2007: Nasim Ashraf and PCB enter into negotiations with Mohammad Yousuf and convince him to cancel his ICL contract because Pakistan require his services. PCB is successful as Yousuf cancels his ICL contract, returns the signing amount and the PCB announce that Yousuf will play for Pakistan. Moreover, PCB aslo secure an IPL contract for Yousuf and give him a handsome renumeration for choosing Pakistan over the ICL.

October 2007: ICL file a case against Mohammad Yousuf for dishonoring the contract. PCB state that they will take care of all the legal hassles and Yousuf has nothing to worry about.

February 2008: An Indian court passes an order that Mohammad Yousuf cannot play for any league competing with the ICL till a final verdict is given. The IPL cricketers' auction Episode I takes place and 77 international cricketers are sold to Indian multinationals and bollywood stars. Noone bids for Mohammad Yousuf.

March 2008: The IPL cricketers' auction Episode II takes place and another 14 cricketers are auctioned but no Mohammad Yousuf yet again.

Today (March 19th, 2008): The Mumbai based arbitration court announces that there will be a final hearing for the case on March 29th before a verdict will be given.

March 29th, 2008: What will the verdict be? Or rather, what should it be?

Mohammad Yousuf has thus far blamed the PCB and the BCCI for not pressing on his case with the court and also for not garanteeing to the IPL franchises that he is able to play so that they bid for him.

Who should really be blamed? The PCB? BCCI? Yousuf? The ICL? or the IPL? Or maybe the lawyers fighting his case? Or the judge?

Make your pitch on this post...



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14 Pitched:

  1. Viswanathan said...
      This comment has been removed by the author.
  2. Viswanathan said...
     

    Yousuf.

  3. Q said...
     

    Yeah he was wrong in going back on his word. After all he does preach a religion, which says not go back on a promise, i.e. contract, commitment, etc.

    However, I would lay the blame on the PCB for dropping him and Razzak from the squad which resulted in them joining the ICL.

    But then its a catch 20 something situation - their replacements did well and Pakistan ended runners up...

    But STILL u can't drop a Yousuf, esp. after the year he had.

  4. David Barry said...
     

    Catch-22.

    Best novel ever written in English. :)

  5. Q said...
     

    Yep thats the catch im talking about David.. haven't read the book but just saw it amazon on the link u provided. Looks interesting and u call it the best so it must be worth it. Ordering now.

  6. Gaurav Sethi said...
     

    PCB's handling of Yousuf is akin to BCCI's of Dravid. Though on this whole tamasha, the buck stops with Yousuf. If PCB dropped Razzak for T20, they could've dropped anyone. Even Klusener!! Btw why was Razzak not included?

  7. KC said...
     

    yousuf has no right to complain ... he blindly follows the money. first - he went to ICL at the behest of Inzi, then turned his back on it for Dr. Ashraf. and both the times, his motiviation was the money. he knew the status of ICL with ICC members, he knew that he's severly compromising his chances for playing for Pakistan. (let's not go into the debate whether it was right or wrong - the point being that he willingly and knowingly chose to act selfishly.

    it's not a question of ethics - with IPL, he gets the advantage of representing his country - so he's already gotten a better deal.

    pcb didn't have a choice - he's their premier batsman - so they would do whatever it takes to keep him in the fold. but to say that they mucked up - it's foolish.

    as far as the dropping goes ... well, in both india and pakistan's case, it has been proven right. nobody has the divine right to be a part of a team. it wasnt as if he's been left out like they did with Razzak. they still need him (which is good for him). but if they think that he's not in their plans for 20-20 - then tough, live with it.

    even without this whole drama of icl-ipl, if i were a franchisee (not malya), and had the option of picking up Yousuf or Yuvraj ... it would've to be the latter - both in terms of suitability to the format, and extending the brand image.

    it's time he realise that this whole mess is his own doing.

  8. Anonymous said...
     

    Obviously Yousuf... what the hell was he thinking. He wanted to play games and get even and now he is whining.

  9. straight point said...
     

    all i can say is...he is getting back all he deserve...

    karma mate!! cant help it...

  10. Q said...
     

    KC, Scorps, SP I know u all are right.

    KC, we've had this discussion before as well when the entire issue started...but I still feel that PCBs handling of Yousuf and Inzamam during last year was outright atrocious.

    After 2006, we believed Yousuf had established himself as a world class batsman. After all this happened he lost his test form..and Pak is hardly playing any tests for the next 2 years..forget 10,000 runs I doubt he would even get to Inzi and Miandad's mark.

    Sad that yet again the PCB spoils another career.

  11. Q said...
     

    NC - Razzak was out with injury during the end of 2006 and 1st half of 2007..he returned after 5-6 months but his form was ordinary. His bowling had already deteriorated before his injury but he was out of form with the bat cos of which PCB felt that Yasir Arafat would be a better choice for the T20 WC.

    Arafat at that time had given some outstanding performances in 20-20 for his county.

  12. Jrod said...
     

    april 2008

    Mohammad Yousuf decides to leave cricket and follow his first love music. He re changes his name to Stevens Cat, learns the guitar and smokes pounds of hashish.

    may 2008

    Mohammad Yousuf is name capatin of Pakistan Cricket team, and first winner of Pakistani Idol.

    June 2008

    Takes time of cricket again to spend more time on Hashish, and in the process becomes a scientologist.

    July 2008

    Dies in tom cruise related boating accident.

  13. David Barry said...
     

    Stevens Cat
    Funny stuff there Jrod.

  14. Q said...
     

    Haha.. trust u Uncle J to come up with something like that..

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