Ramblings of a Frustrated Pakistani Fan
So he's back!
The man who took Pakistan to World T20 glory 16 months ago is back to play cricket for Pakistan.
Why exactly he was not a part of the team, no one really knows. But what matters now is that Younis Khan is back.
So is Misbah. And now as Test captain! Will that change too now since Younis is back?
The Chief Selector, Mohsin Khan, did say that Younis was their first choice as test captain but they opted for Misbah only because Younis was not cleared by the man who has been single handedly destroying Pakistan cricket (read Ijaz Butt).
So then, what happens now?
So much has happened in Pakistan cricket over the last two years that its hard to keep track of whose in the team, whose out, and why.
Starting with Shoaib Malik, and all the way to Yousuf, Younis, Afridi, Misbah, Salman Butt, Asif, Aamer, the Akmal brothers - all have had their fair share of drama.
More drama than a year's worth of bollywood movies!
No ones really knows when all this will be set right; but I do know that things will start shaping up once Ijaz Butt leaves the scene.
With the World Cup just about 4 months away, this seems to be the best time to make the senior players gel and play as a team.
For Pakistan to even have an outside chance at the World Cup, the likes of Younis, Yousuf, Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, and other seniors will have to keep their differences aside and step up.
They need to take a leaf out of their predecessors, the 2 Ws, Saleem Malik, Saeed Anwar et al, who despite their problems off the field performed as a unit on it.
I know its a distant dream to expect the same from this bunch, but with the old stalwarts returning and Intikhab Alam taking charge as manager, it really can't get any worse.
Oh wait...
I've said the same so many times before.
The drama has never really ended and every time you feel that Pakistan cricket can't sink further, someone announces a retirement or gets caught taking some money from shady characters.
Where to from here?
Really where to?
Does no one in Pakistan cricket have their mind in the right place?
Misbah is dropped from all formats with all signals pointing to end of a career, only to return as captain!
Malik is persisted with despite all the chaos he was causing, and just when it seemed he was turning a corner, he was dumped!
Yousuf retires from cricket because the PCB does not want to select him, but then the board goes begging to get him to play cricket again!
Younis is kept out of the team because of no reason, and it takes one meeting to get him back in!
Imagine what could happen if Malik returns and Salman Butt's appeal holds and he is reinstated as an international cricketer.
Pakistan would be fielding a team with as many as 6 captains! Yousuf, Younis, Afridi, Misbah, Malik, Butt!
That's worse than the 90s!
Pakistan is in a dire need of individuals with leadership qualities - for the board and for the team. Someone with a vision, someone with a long term view, someone who can guide the team during troubled times, someone who can plan and implement.. the list goes on.
Till that happens, the bollywood drama will continue and we will have yet another disastrous world cup campaign.
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The only solution to the problem is to dropped all these players. Who make a group and did not perform because of Younis Khan captaincy.
It is really one man show, it just the mirror of all Pakistani Society.