Mohammad Hafeez is the Professor
A word of praise for Zaka Ashraf
It has not even been a year since Zaka Ashraf took over the reigns of the PCB from Ijaz Butt, and yet he has achieved more than his predecessor did in 3 years.
The way Zaka Ashraf's term has been so far, he is among the most successful PCB Chairmans yet. Not many former Chairmen of the PCB can claim to have accomplished what Zaka Ashraf has managed to in his short time at the top job.
The best part about the role Zaka Ashraf has played thus far is that he has remained in the background. There has not been the Nasim Ashraf type jumping around at cricket grounds, nor has there been the Ijaz Butt type nonsensical statements or claims in front of the media.
He has quietly gone about his job off the field and let the selectors, team management, and players do theirs without any interference.
Here's a list of accomplishments for Pakistan on and off the field during the 9 months that Zaka Ashraf has been PCB Chairman:
1. 3-0 clean sweep of the world's number 1 test team, England.
2. Won the Asia Cup after 12 years.
3. Reached number 4 in the test rankings.
4. Negotiated a tour to India, which is planned for December. If it goes ahead it will be the first bilateral series between the two teams in 5 years.
5. Planned the Pakistan Premier League, which is expected to launch before the end of this year.
6. Increased player salaries.
7. Pakistan became the first country to get a sponsorship for DRS during the series against Sri Lanka in the UAE.
Besides all this, the one thing that really got me startled and made me wonder how good the regime under Zaka Ashraf is, was the early announcement of the Pakistan squad for the World T20. Early being an understatement.
The World T20 does not get underway till mid September. The ICC deadline for submitting the 15-man squads is 18th August, while the deadline for submitting the list of 30 probables was 18th July.
The PCB, working in fast forward mode, released the list of 30 probables a week before the 18th July deadline, and then announced the 15-man squad a whole month before the deadline.
This has never happened before in the history of Pakistan cricket. Not in my lifetime at least.
The PCB has always announced the squads on the deadline, and at times even requested extensions to the deadlines.
So this announcement of the squad for the World T20 really came as a pleasant surprise.
For some people it was such a shock that there was a discussion over whether the PCB had misunderstood the deadlines and thought the 15-man squad was to be submitted by 18th July! Such has been the incompetence of the PCB in the past.
But this announcement is really a master stroke.
It is a no brainer that the squads for the T20 series against Australia and the World T20 had to be the same considering the series against Australia is sandwiched between the 18th August deadline and the World T20.
So that is not the reason for announcing the squad so early. Announcing it on 18th August, like in the past, would have accomplished the same objective of having the same squads. Moreover, the ODI series against Australia precedes the T20s and the squad for that has not been announced.
I believe that what this really does is leave no room for any speculation whatsoever. Stories of Afridi wanting the captaincy are always doing the rounds. The Pakistan media always cook up some captaincy controversy whether it is between Misbah and Hafeez or Afridi and Misbah.
With the captaincy sealed and the squad announced the media can't really speculate about anything and the team can be left to focus on the task of winning the World T20.
It can only be good.
I would like to believe that was the reason. I would like to believe that the PCB wanted to give the 15 men part of the World T20 squad a good 2 months to get mentally and physically prepared for the event without any uncertainty. I would like to believe that the PCB wanted to ensure that all focus is on the 15 men who have been entrusted with the task to bring T20 glory back to Pakistan.
If all these were in fact the reasons behind the early announcement then kudos to Zaka Ashraf and his team for taking a turn for the good. The PCB has suddenly started to look like a professional organization.
A professional board set up, a stable set of players, a team on the rise in the test rankings, no captaincy squabbles - beware world, a Pakistan team with no off-field issues can be the most dangerous opponent on this planet.
The way Zaka Ashraf's term has been so far, he is among the most successful PCB Chairmans yet. Not many former Chairmen of the PCB can claim to have accomplished what Zaka Ashraf has managed to in his short time at the top job.
The best part about the role Zaka Ashraf has played thus far is that he has remained in the background. There has not been the Nasim Ashraf type jumping around at cricket grounds, nor has there been the Ijaz Butt type nonsensical statements or claims in front of the media.
He has quietly gone about his job off the field and let the selectors, team management, and players do theirs without any interference.
Here's a list of accomplishments for Pakistan on and off the field during the 9 months that Zaka Ashraf has been PCB Chairman:
1. 3-0 clean sweep of the world's number 1 test team, England.
2. Won the Asia Cup after 12 years.
3. Reached number 4 in the test rankings.
4. Negotiated a tour to India, which is planned for December. If it goes ahead it will be the first bilateral series between the two teams in 5 years.
5. Planned the Pakistan Premier League, which is expected to launch before the end of this year.
6. Increased player salaries.
7. Pakistan became the first country to get a sponsorship for DRS during the series against Sri Lanka in the UAE.
Besides all this, the one thing that really got me startled and made me wonder how good the regime under Zaka Ashraf is, was the early announcement of the Pakistan squad for the World T20. Early being an understatement.
The World T20 does not get underway till mid September. The ICC deadline for submitting the 15-man squads is 18th August, while the deadline for submitting the list of 30 probables was 18th July.
The PCB, working in fast forward mode, released the list of 30 probables a week before the 18th July deadline, and then announced the 15-man squad a whole month before the deadline.
This has never happened before in the history of Pakistan cricket. Not in my lifetime at least.
The PCB has always announced the squads on the deadline, and at times even requested extensions to the deadlines.
So this announcement of the squad for the World T20 really came as a pleasant surprise.
For some people it was such a shock that there was a discussion over whether the PCB had misunderstood the deadlines and thought the 15-man squad was to be submitted by 18th July! Such has been the incompetence of the PCB in the past.
But this announcement is really a master stroke.
It is a no brainer that the squads for the T20 series against Australia and the World T20 had to be the same considering the series against Australia is sandwiched between the 18th August deadline and the World T20.
So that is not the reason for announcing the squad so early. Announcing it on 18th August, like in the past, would have accomplished the same objective of having the same squads. Moreover, the ODI series against Australia precedes the T20s and the squad for that has not been announced.
I believe that what this really does is leave no room for any speculation whatsoever. Stories of Afridi wanting the captaincy are always doing the rounds. The Pakistan media always cook up some captaincy controversy whether it is between Misbah and Hafeez or Afridi and Misbah.
With the captaincy sealed and the squad announced the media can't really speculate about anything and the team can be left to focus on the task of winning the World T20.
It can only be good.
I would like to believe that was the reason. I would like to believe that the PCB wanted to give the 15 men part of the World T20 squad a good 2 months to get mentally and physically prepared for the event without any uncertainty. I would like to believe that the PCB wanted to ensure that all focus is on the 15 men who have been entrusted with the task to bring T20 glory back to Pakistan.
If all these were in fact the reasons behind the early announcement then kudos to Zaka Ashraf and his team for taking a turn for the good. The PCB has suddenly started to look like a professional organization.
A professional board set up, a stable set of players, a team on the rise in the test rankings, no captaincy squabbles - beware world, a Pakistan team with no off-field issues can be the most dangerous opponent on this planet.
Pakistan's Rise to the Top 4 in Tests
When the ICC made the annual adjustments to its test team rankings to reflect recent form a couple of days ago, the Pakistani fans were in for a pleasant surprise. Pakistan was ranked at number 4, which is the highest ranking it has achieved in 5 years.
There was a time when Pakistan was ranked third in test matches. It was not that far back; till the first half 2007 Pakistan was ranked third, behind Australia and England.
When the annual revision came around in 2007, the new rankings showed Pakistan at 6 - its lowest ranking ever in the history of the game - with a substantial gap of 27 rating points with Sri Lanka, the team at 5.
Since then, Pakistan has remained at 6 in the ICC test rankings with the exception of a few months at 5.
The 3-year period between July 2007 (right after the drop to 6) and July 2010 (right before the tour to England) was probably the worst period ever in the history of test cricket for Pakistan. They played 16 test matches during that time, winning only 1 of them; they did not win a single test series during this period, both at home and away; their solitary win came in New Zealand in a series that was drawn 1-1.
The lead up to the tour to England in the summer of 2010 where Pakistan was to play Australia in a 2-test series and England in a 4-test series could not have been any worse.
Besides coming off a torrid 3 years of test cricket, Pakistan cricket was in shambles with then Chairman Ijaz Butt placing bans on half the team due to allegations of misconduct on a tour to Australia (2009-10). Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik and several others found themselves out of the team and at loggerheads with the cricket board. Amidst all this turmoil, Shahid Afridi, who had not played test cricket for 4 years, was appointed captain of the test team.
If this turmoil was torrid, even worse times were to come.
That summer of 2010 will probably be remembered as the darkest period in the history of Pakistan cricket. The senior cricketers were banned by the board, the newly appointed captain resigned after just 1 test match in charge, and the captain that stepped in was banned for 10 years after the tour for spot fixing. And the two most talented pacers to play for Pakistan since the two Ws also faced bans for spot fixing.
Within a period of 12 months, Pakistan had witnessed Younis Khan resign from the captaincy, Mohammad Yousuf stripped of the captaincy and banned by the PCB, Shahid Afridi resign from the captaincy, and Salman Butt banned by the ICC, effectively losing his captaincy.
Darkest period is an understatement.
Yet in some strangely ironic way that summer of 2010 was also the beginning of the rise of Pakistan in test cricket.
Despite Afridi resigning after losing the first test to Australia, Pakistan managed to win the second test of the series at Leeds. That win was the first time that Pakistan had beaten Australia in a test match in 15 years! It was also the first time in 7 test series against Australia that Pakistan had managed to avoid a series defeat.
Pakistan repeated the winning performance against England at the Oval during the same summer despite losing the test series 3-1. A series loss that was to remain as the only one in the last 24 months till the just concluded series against Sri Lanka.
The spot fixing scandal that rocked Pakistan cricket at the end of that series against England might be looked back at and thought of as the time when Pakistan cricket pulled up its socks and said enough is enough!
Misbah Ul Haq, who had been out of the team for about a year, was called back to captain a side that was in turmoil. The decision turned out to be a master stroke. Misbah was controversy free, a calm character, a senior cricketer who was well respected in the domestic circuit and among the junior cricketers who were looking to establish themselves in the international arena.
In Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah found a trustworthy lieutenant who had been by Misbah's side for over a decade in the domestic circles, and now found himself playing the same role at international level. Along with Shahid Afridi, who was at the helm of the ODI and T20 teams, and the coach Waqar Younis, Pakistan cricket slowly started to pick itself up from the disgrace that it had faced in England.
It quietly went about its business, series after series; and before anyone realized it Pakistan was topping a streak of 6 test series without a loss with a 3-0 whitewash of the world's number 1 test team.
In 18 months of test cricket since that tour to England in 2010, Pakistan had played 7 test series without losing any of them. There were draws against South Africa and the West Indies, and wins against England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe.
That run of 7 test series without a loss was recently broken by Sri Lanka, but the two years of hard work that began (dare I say) at the top of that summer of 2010 paid off when the latest ICC test rankings were released with Pakistan ranked at 4 - the highest it has ever been at since July 2007.
During the last 24 months, between July 2010 and July 2012, Pakistan has played 10 test series - winning 5, drawing 3, and losing 2. The two series that it lost were against England and Sri Lanka, opponents who Pakistan beat in test series as well during this same period.
Moreover, Pakistan has the second best W/L ratio in test cricket during this period, behind only the number 1 test team, England.
If England manage to beat South Africa 2-0 in the most awaited test series that is about to start, then Pakistan will find itself at number 3 (at the expense of the Proteas), behind England and Australia, which is where they were right before the ICC rankings revision in 2007. Come on England!
Pakistan's rise over the past two years has been nothing short of dramatic. After all there is no Pakistan cricket without some drama. This sort of stability and continuity in terms of captaincy and playing XI was last witnessed in the mid to late 90s, arguably the best era of Pakistan cricket.
It has not been an easy ride, and it will only get tougher going forward. This team still has to conquer England, Australia, and South Africa on their turf. Undoubtedly tougher challenges await Pakistan, but this team has shown that it might not have the flair of the team of the 90s, but it definitely has the will to fight and rise to the occasion.
For the first time in our lives, we can say to hell with ODI and T20 cricket, it is test cricket that matters!
The barrier into the top 4, which has been dominated by Australia, England, South Africa, and India over the past 5 years has been broken, and the potential shown by this team indicates that it can do more. So much more.
If Pakistan continue to rise, it will make an even better story. But for now, we can relish the fact that we are among the top 4 test teams and have claimed a stake at the World Test Championship, if it ever goes ahead.
The Rock Known as Azhar Ali
Pakistan has been the most successful test team over the past 18 months - they have won more matches than any other team, they have not lost any of their last 7 test series, and they command the best win:loss ratio among all test teams during this period.
I believe that Azhar Ali has played an extremely important role in this success story.
Misbah's leadership, Saeed Ajmal, Waqar Younis, Mohsin Khan, and several other factors have been mentioned as factors behind Pakistan's recent success. True that it has been a team effort, but given Azhar's performance during this period, it is time for the world to take notice of a batsman who has the potential to become one of the best over the next decade.
STOOD OUT IN A TOUGH DEBUT
Two years ago in a test match against Australia at Lord's, a 25 year old batsman from Lahore made his debut for Pakistan.
A debut against Australia (even though they were not the top test team in 2010) is never easy. It gets even more difficult when it is in foreign conditions. It makes it tougher when the debutant is asked to take responsibility at the crucial number 3 position. And to top it all, it was a debut at the home of cricket - Lord's.
I don't think we can even begin to imagine what would have gone through the mind of Azhar Ali when he walked out to face his first delivery in a test match. Pressure, nerves, jitters were all bound to be there.
What we all witnessed was a composed batsman, who in only his second test innings was involved in a century partnership for the second wicket. Azhar's debut test yielded 16 and 42, with the latter being a part of a 102 run stand with Salman Butt.
Back then, not many would have thought that Pakistan had unearthed a batsman who will be Pakistan's best for the next two years.
ALWAYS THERE & THE BEST UNDER MISBAH
Pakistan has played 23 tests (including the current second test against Sri Lanka) since that Lord's test against Australia and Azhar Ali has featured in all 23 of those tests. He is the only player who has played all 23 tests for Pakistan in this period, and naturally he is also the leading run scorer in those 23 tests.
Consistency in selection has been the key driver of Pakistan's success in test matches under Misbah. The selectors and team management have stuck to a combination for a prolonged period and it has worked wonders.
Mohammad Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar recently became the first opening pair for Pakistan to play in 15 consecutive test matches. What makes this even better is that in the 16 test matches that Misbah has captained Pakistan, the team has had the same top order - Hafeez, Taufeeq, and Azhar - who are also the only three players who have featured in all the 16 tests with Misbah in charge.
No prizes for guessing the batsman who has been the leading run scorer for Pakistan in the 16 tests captained by Misbah.
Remember that Azhar Ali made his debut in a test captained by Shahid Afridi and played another 5 under Salman Butt before he played one under Misbah. It is never easy for a new player to settle into a team with so much inconsistency, however, Azhar Ali has managed to not only survive but prosper at a time when Pakistan cricket was coming out of its worst phase ever.
INVOLVEMENT IN BIG PARTNERSHIPS
Azhar Ali was not an instant hit with the fans and there has been a lot of criticism surrounding him. He bats too slow, he is too boring to watch, he doesn't convert his starts were (and are) some of the common phrases used when a discussion involving Azhar Ali takes place.
His strike rate in tests is 39.5, which has got to be one of the lowest, if not the lowest, for any test batsman with over 1,500 runs. He had 10 half centuries to his credit, including two scores in the 90s and two in the 70s, before he scored his first test century. Considering this, the critics have not been unfair. He is too slow.
However, at the end of the day, it worked (and works) for Pakistan. Azhar's resistance at the crease, time spent at the wicket, patience, and perseverance translated into partnerships for Pakistan and always ensured that one end remained safe.
You could call it Misbah's "tuk tuk" approach, but fact of the matter is that it is Azhar Ali who has truly mastered this approach, which has resulted in him being involved in as many as 9 century partnerships and 19 fifty partnerships in his 42 test innings. And we all know how crucial partnerships are for building good totals.
With respect to not being able to convert starts, it is something that Azhar has been able to overcome with time. Where he scored 10 half centuries in his first 14 tests, he has scored 3 centuries and 3 fifties in his next 9 tests, which also include two 150 plus knocks.
SCORES AGAINST EVERYONE
Azhar has not only scored in Asian conditions, but in all conditions that he has played in including England and New Zealand. He has not only scored against Asian teams but against all the opposition that he has come up against including Australia and England. Azhar averages above 33 and has at least one fifty plus score against all teams that he has come up against.
EVEN A GOOD ODI BATSMAN
Considering the dogged approach that Azhar plays with, there were obvious doubts about his capability as an ODI player. But even in this space, Azhar has proved all his doubters wrong. He has had a remarkable start to his ODI career and averages almost 44 in the 9 ODIs that he has played. He has notched up scores of 58, 96, and 81* as an opener in ODIs and looks set to flourish in the limited overs format as well.
POTENTIAL TO BECOME ONE OF THE BEST
There is no doubt in my mind that Azhar Ali is the best batsman to come out of Pakistan in the last decade. Younis Khan made his test debut in 2000 and no batsman since then has made the kind of impact Azhar has made for Pakistan. There is also no doubt in my mind that Azhar is here to stay and will go on to become the main stay of Pakistan's batting line up over the next decade.
He has displayed the potential to become one of the Pakistan greats and be known along side the likes of Javed Miandad, Inzamam Ul Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, and Younis Khan.
Yes it is early days just yet and there is a long road ahead, but the kind of composure that Azhar has demonstrated over the past two years is a good indication of what he can achieve in the years to come.
He has made the number 3 position in tests his very own, he has played during the biggest scandal to hit Pakistan cricket and come out of it, and he has quickly learnt how to make it count when he gets a good start.
Azhar Ali is the rock that keeps Pakistan's batting together and he has the ability to shine in this role for a long time to come.
I believe that Azhar Ali has played an extremely important role in this success story.
Misbah's leadership, Saeed Ajmal, Waqar Younis, Mohsin Khan, and several other factors have been mentioned as factors behind Pakistan's recent success. True that it has been a team effort, but given Azhar's performance during this period, it is time for the world to take notice of a batsman who has the potential to become one of the best over the next decade.
STOOD OUT IN A TOUGH DEBUT
Two years ago in a test match against Australia at Lord's, a 25 year old batsman from Lahore made his debut for Pakistan.
A debut against Australia (even though they were not the top test team in 2010) is never easy. It gets even more difficult when it is in foreign conditions. It makes it tougher when the debutant is asked to take responsibility at the crucial number 3 position. And to top it all, it was a debut at the home of cricket - Lord's.
I don't think we can even begin to imagine what would have gone through the mind of Azhar Ali when he walked out to face his first delivery in a test match. Pressure, nerves, jitters were all bound to be there.
What we all witnessed was a composed batsman, who in only his second test innings was involved in a century partnership for the second wicket. Azhar's debut test yielded 16 and 42, with the latter being a part of a 102 run stand with Salman Butt.
Back then, not many would have thought that Pakistan had unearthed a batsman who will be Pakistan's best for the next two years.
ALWAYS THERE & THE BEST UNDER MISBAH
Pakistan has played 23 tests (including the current second test against Sri Lanka) since that Lord's test against Australia and Azhar Ali has featured in all 23 of those tests. He is the only player who has played all 23 tests for Pakistan in this period, and naturally he is also the leading run scorer in those 23 tests.
Consistency in selection has been the key driver of Pakistan's success in test matches under Misbah. The selectors and team management have stuck to a combination for a prolonged period and it has worked wonders.
Mohammad Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar recently became the first opening pair for Pakistan to play in 15 consecutive test matches. What makes this even better is that in the 16 test matches that Misbah has captained Pakistan, the team has had the same top order - Hafeez, Taufeeq, and Azhar - who are also the only three players who have featured in all the 16 tests with Misbah in charge.
No prizes for guessing the batsman who has been the leading run scorer for Pakistan in the 16 tests captained by Misbah.
Remember that Azhar Ali made his debut in a test captained by Shahid Afridi and played another 5 under Salman Butt before he played one under Misbah. It is never easy for a new player to settle into a team with so much inconsistency, however, Azhar Ali has managed to not only survive but prosper at a time when Pakistan cricket was coming out of its worst phase ever.
INVOLVEMENT IN BIG PARTNERSHIPS
Azhar Ali was not an instant hit with the fans and there has been a lot of criticism surrounding him. He bats too slow, he is too boring to watch, he doesn't convert his starts were (and are) some of the common phrases used when a discussion involving Azhar Ali takes place.
His strike rate in tests is 39.5, which has got to be one of the lowest, if not the lowest, for any test batsman with over 1,500 runs. He had 10 half centuries to his credit, including two scores in the 90s and two in the 70s, before he scored his first test century. Considering this, the critics have not been unfair. He is too slow.
However, at the end of the day, it worked (and works) for Pakistan. Azhar's resistance at the crease, time spent at the wicket, patience, and perseverance translated into partnerships for Pakistan and always ensured that one end remained safe.
You could call it Misbah's "tuk tuk" approach, but fact of the matter is that it is Azhar Ali who has truly mastered this approach, which has resulted in him being involved in as many as 9 century partnerships and 19 fifty partnerships in his 42 test innings. And we all know how crucial partnerships are for building good totals.
With respect to not being able to convert starts, it is something that Azhar has been able to overcome with time. Where he scored 10 half centuries in his first 14 tests, he has scored 3 centuries and 3 fifties in his next 9 tests, which also include two 150 plus knocks.
SCORES AGAINST EVERYONE
Azhar has not only scored in Asian conditions, but in all conditions that he has played in including England and New Zealand. He has not only scored against Asian teams but against all the opposition that he has come up against including Australia and England. Azhar averages above 33 and has at least one fifty plus score against all teams that he has come up against.
EVEN A GOOD ODI BATSMAN
Considering the dogged approach that Azhar plays with, there were obvious doubts about his capability as an ODI player. But even in this space, Azhar has proved all his doubters wrong. He has had a remarkable start to his ODI career and averages almost 44 in the 9 ODIs that he has played. He has notched up scores of 58, 96, and 81* as an opener in ODIs and looks set to flourish in the limited overs format as well.
POTENTIAL TO BECOME ONE OF THE BEST
There is no doubt in my mind that Azhar Ali is the best batsman to come out of Pakistan in the last decade. Younis Khan made his test debut in 2000 and no batsman since then has made the kind of impact Azhar has made for Pakistan. There is also no doubt in my mind that Azhar is here to stay and will go on to become the main stay of Pakistan's batting line up over the next decade.
He has displayed the potential to become one of the Pakistan greats and be known along side the likes of Javed Miandad, Inzamam Ul Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, and Younis Khan.
Yes it is early days just yet and there is a long road ahead, but the kind of composure that Azhar has demonstrated over the past two years is a good indication of what he can achieve in the years to come.
He has made the number 3 position in tests his very own, he has played during the biggest scandal to hit Pakistan cricket and come out of it, and he has quickly learnt how to make it count when he gets a good start.
Azhar Ali is the rock that keeps Pakistan's batting together and he has the ability to shine in this role for a long time to come.
Stay at Home Butt!
I have thought and thought and have failed to understand what Salman Butt hoped to achieve through his interview on Express News on Thursday and his press conference on Friday.
"I am innocent", "it was Mazhar and Aamir", "I did not get justice", "I want the supreme court to look into this".
Cut the bullshit Butt!
Seriously.
I can't believe that he is still trying to fool the Pakistan fans. Our seniors might have gotten away with screaming the same phrases, which they do so today as well, but lets face it man - the evidence that is in front of the entire nation paints Salman Butt as the main culprit in this whole spotfixing drama and there is no way that he can change the perception of the public, the team management, the cricket board, or the ICC.
Impossible.
Zaka Ashraf has already stated that whatever Salman Butt said were his personal views and the PCB has nothing to do with it.
Majority of the media in Pakistan is not buy his claims of innocence.
And neither is the public with 90% of the fans refusing to believe him in this poll conducted by the Express Tribune.
Who is he trying to fool anyway?
We are not going to forget his face that hung with shame and guilt during the first press conference held in England on the day the spot-fixing news was made public. Yawar Saeed had to step in and answer as Butt could barely speak.
We are not going to forget Butt walking up to Aamir just before the delivery to Trott and then looking on with intent at the line that Aamir was supposed to overstep (and did) instead of concentrating on the batsman.
We are not going to forget the pictures of Butt and Mazhar Majeed roaming around the UK in a convertible.
We are not going to forget about the money that was found in Butt's room, nor your statement where you first said that it was your own money for your sister's wedding, and then said some of it came from the opening of an ice-cream parlor and the rest from adidas.
We are not going to forget the lies and deceit Salman Butt. We are not.
I can't believe that he is actually blaming the whole thing on Mazhar Majeed and Mohammad Aamir. He is carrying around a document that shows text message between Mazhar and Aamir - but what about all those phone conversations and text messages between Mazhar and Salman Butt?
Butt might have forgotten but the ICC tribunal that banned the trio from the game actually made their report and findings public. So he needs to realize that his lies about not exchanging calls or messages with Mazhar and not brokering a deal to bowl the no balls are not going to fly with us.
The best thing Salman Butt could have done after returning from the UK was to sit at home and not speak to or meet with anyone.
I reckon he should still do that and just disappear.
He really should not harbor any hopes of playing cricket ever again.
Aamir might even return to international cricket with all the support he is getting from the ICC and the PCB. While Asif might even end up playing some domestic / club cricket once his ban is over.
But Salman Butt; all he deserves is to sit at home and never face the public ever again!
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