Thursday, October 30, 2008

Cricketers take charge in Pakistan

All of a sudden it seems that former test cricketers are finally getting together to run cricket in Pakistan.

Better them than the bureaucratic administrators who had been doing the job thus far.

While Intikhab Alam and Ijaz Ahmed will get together to watch the Pentangular Cup match (read: Shoaib Akhtar) between Punjab vs Federal Areas match in Islamabad from Friday, a host of former cricketers have been invited by law minister Farooq Naek on Saturday to join the 15-member committee that is reviewing the constitution of the PCB.

Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, Saleem Malik, and Rameez Raja have been included in the existing committee, which also includes Najamuddin Khan, who as Sports Minister had tried to nominate himself as the PCB Chairman before Ijaz Butt was nominated by Zardari.

Farooq Naek is the Chairman of the committee, while Shoaib Malik and Misbah-Ul-Haq have been its members since it was formed.

So my question - what happens to Ijaz Butt once the constitution has been reviewed? What if the committee decides that the Chairman should be elected through a democratic process involving the state associations?

If the committee is serious about improving the constitution then Ijaz Butt's appointment seems to be an interim one as further changes can be expected when the new constitution is put into place.

But then this could very well be a dragged and long drawn process - it took this constitution 8 years to get drafted!

So how long it will take the new one and how many Chairman the PCB will have during this time is something I don't even want to think about.

Though I hope that Farooq Naek and his committee are more serious than the previous men who have tried to do the same.

I've heard that this committee has been reviewing the constitutions of the cricket boards in India, Australia, and South Africa in order to gain ideas on improving the PCB's constitution.

This committee is also trying to come up with idea on how to restructure domestic cricket in Pakistan.

Hence the inclusion of Miandad, Wasim, Malik, and Rameez makes sense. But why not Imran Khan who has been talking about changing the domestic structure for the last 4 decades?

Will these men be able to change what has been there for as long as cricket has existed in Pakistan?

Including making Shoaib Akhtar perform without breaking down?

Make your pitch on this post...



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21 Pitched:

  1. Syed Khalid Mahmood said...
     

    I think its a very good move!!!
    Regards,
    www.skm-sports.com

  2. straight point said...
     

    am not sure q, whether cricketers taking over is necessarily good...

    they tends to self-indulge too much into scheme of things and that's where i think healthy mix of administrators and cricketers is good to move fwd...

  3. Anonymous said...
     

    Q

    Imran Khan himself doesn't want to engage in any cricketing activities. He just likes to offer his comments to the media.

    Butt and his cronies said they will be very strict and not compromise on discipline, yet there was news yesterday that Butt has a soft spot for both Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif. Butt is trying his best to bring these cricketers back in the team. The Chairmanship is not about making emotional decisions and having "soft spots" for particular players or officials. Anyway, this is just how I perceive the situation to be. When they perform, Akhtar and Asif are my favourite players but they have caused more harm than good to Pakistan cricket.

    The whole point of having a strict discipline strategy is so that an example is made and no one in the future tries to abuse the game. Unless PCB makes an example out of Asif and Akhtar we will keep seeing breaches of discipline.

    You can tell Pakistan cricket won't succeed under Butt's tenure because whatever we have seen from him so far is indiscipline and ego.

    First his appointment was only because he is the relative of Ahmed Mukhtar.

    Second, he got rid of Lawson in the most unprofessional and untidy way possible. That is unforgivable and not only does it tarnish the image of the country, it also proves that Butt is not a very cultured and sophisticated person. Do we want such an individual to be heading the PCB?

    Third, he removed every senior official he could and got his own yes-men. So he has not done anything different to what the other PCB Chairmen have done before him.
    I agree we all like to work with people whom we can trust and who will support us, but Butt has created a bad precedent. We saw this new government as democratic and idealistic that would revive Pakistan's fortunes, but whatever we have seen does not warrant any optimism at all.

    Especially the way they are getting desperate to get Shoaib Akhtar and Asif back. Do you really expect that these players will get rid of their habits? If Asif could get rid of his habit why we would he test positive for drugs for the second time round?

    As far as amending the PCB constitution is concerned, no meaningful amendments are likely to be made and the matter will remain in limbo.

  4. Anonymous said...
     

    I can under stand why they want Shoaib Akhtar to make it back in the team he is still the fastest in the country, but his fitness level is no where near where it should be, as regards Asif the guy is a habitual druggie and in his last few appearances he was ordinary, I agree with everyone here just for the sake of discipline alone he should not be considered again even if he somehow manages to escape any punishment from WADA.

    As regards Shoaib Akhtar the ball is in the selectors court they are observing him closely, I saw few of his matches in RBS T20 his bowling was alright but I was deeply concerned about his fitness, he was almost breathless at times and sweating but as regards speed he still is capable of bowling at a high speed.

  5. Anonymous said...
     

    I think if the cricketers were included in cricket development committee and the committee which over looks the budgetary allocations it would have been useful I don't think that cricketers know much about the law and can help in drafting the constitution of PCB in any way.
    It just seems like Ijaz Butt is trying to keep all the Ex players happy and he is over doing his effort as in the past these Ex players have been heavily criticizing the board the team and the administrators as the last two administrators completely sidelined them and their input was never taken.

  6. Damith S. said...
     

    i also feel that its better that the former cricketers are taking over.

    but of course you have to make sure these guys have the best interest of pakistan cricket at heart. otherwise its just going to end up in another big mess.

    was getting rid of lawson the wrong thing ? he dint really deliver and pakistan never really improved under him.

    akthar and asif should not be considered to set an example to the others.

    i wish you guys the very best. as we are also struggling with all this internal politics bs.

  7. Q said...
     

    I think so too Khalid..

  8. Q said...
     

    SP I disagree.. though self indulgence happens, it is only these cricketers who know how to improve the system because they themselves have been through it and know what needs to improve and how.

  9. Q said...
     

    No Wasim... It is the inclusion of these cricketers in this review committee that will lead them to be a part of the board, other committees, and budget allocations.

    The constitution is not only about the laws and regulations - it involves the structuring of the board, the processes for selection of key posts, the roles and responsibilities of key men in the managemenet and so on... this is what we need these cricketers to do.

    If they recommend a structure involving a cricket committee only then will we have a cricket committee.

    Hence I think its a good idea to have these guys there.

    I would have liked to see Inzi involved in this too but he's busy in the ICL.

    I don't think Rameez will be there on the 4th as he's in India covering the series against Australia..

  10. Q said...
     

    Damith, getting rid of Lawson was the right thing but the manner was not right in my view.

    I think people like Miandad and Wasim Akram do have the best interests for Pak cricket at heart, however at times they can be lured away into thinking abt their best interests.

  11. Q said...
     

    Khansahan and Wasim - I think I've had enough of Shoaib Akhtar and his dramas now. I have been one of his most vocal supporters but now I think its high time the board just let him go.

    As for Asif, I think he needs to be taken care of the board at this point. He should have learnt his lesson by now and he has a good 10 years to serve Pakistan.

    Khansahab, I agree with your views on Butt and how he's handled things since becoming Chairman.

    As for the constitution review. I believe this time round there will be some serious ammendments made. Everyone from the president of the country to the homeless people in Pakistan are concerned with the state of cricket in the country right now. They need to do it right and they know that they need to put the right systems in place for that.

    I think the committee will achieve something.

  12. Anonymous said...
     

    I think you being a bit harsh on Shoaib and too lenient with Asif but thats your opinion and I respect it.
    I understand the function of the constitution committee my reservation was about the ability of these cricketers, I think its a bit beyond their abilities.

  13. Anonymous said...
     

    The Constitution is beyond the abilities of the people in this committe, especially Miandad and Saleem Malik.

    You need people with some education and finesse to formulate clauses and implement ideas into policies.

  14. Q said...
     

    Wasim and Khansahab - It is not about formulating the clauses and wording them. That is the lawyers' job and they will do it. That is what Farooq Naek is there for.

    U need the cricketers to develop the ideas behind the clauses - as in what u need, what structure u need, what process for selections should be, wat the role of associations should be, how do the captains responsibilities differ from the coach's and so on...

    These cricketers need to give their views, not formulate the clauses.

    Pakistan probably never had a better cricket brain than Miandad. Nor Malik for that matter - he used it the wrong way is a different thing.

    Miandad, Wasim, Malik are 3 of the best cricketers this country has produced - their ideas would be invaluable.

  15. Q said...
     

    Wasim - the PCB has given Shoaib a million chances, so they shud atleast give Asif 1 more. Thats all I'm saying..

  16. Anonymous said...
     

    Q

    If Ijaz Butt is known to be an honest man who does not compromise on discipline, he should take everything in his command and not rely on anyone else.

    He should suggest alterations to the Constitution. He has sufficient experience to know how the selection process should be conducted, what powers a captain should have and what powers other people should have.

    I agree Miandad and Malik are excellent tacticians, but they have been involved in Pakistan cricket for decades and what have they done exactly? Absolutely nothing.

    Miandad has been in positions of authority but Malik has not.

    I know the lawyers will draft the clauses, but discussing improvements in cricket and coming up with ideas that can actually be put into policies, are different things. For instance, if they are making a rule about how the PCB Chairman should be elected, how much percentage of votes do they need? How much threshold of power would rest with boards in Punjab (with most clubs and associations) as opposed to Baluchistan (with least clubs and associations)?

    What I've said there is very basic- one can go into all sorts of detail.

    Hence you need more educated people with some organisational, bureaucratic or legal know-how to be in these types of committees. I am not saying this means cricketers should be excluded; their input is invaluable but I don't think they should play any active role in such committees.

  17. Q said...
     

    "Hence you need more educated people with some organisational, bureaucratic or legal know-how to be in these types of committees. I am not saying this means cricketers should be excluded; their input is invaluable but I don't think they should play any active role in such committees."

    Khansahab, that is exactly what is happening.

    The committee reviewing the constitution is made up of 15 members. Those 15 members include lawyers and ministers who have been involved in preparing constitutions in the past. They are headed by the Federal law minister Farooq Naek. So it is educated people who are looking over this. And the 4 cricketers have been included only in an advisory role - they are not going to actively be involved in writing up the constitution but r only there for their invaluable input.

  18. Anonymous said...
     

    Q

    OK I accept your point :)

    But I still don't think anything encouraging will materialise from this committee.

  19. Q said...
     

    Khansahab, we can only hope.

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