Pakistan Cricket Board – A judge, jury or executioner?
It’s more like a scene from a Hollywood Western movie, than from real life. Pakistan Cricket Board, acting as a judge, jury and executioner, hangs an innocent man, former captain Younis Khan, who survives the ordeal to return and take his revenge by becoming an Outlaw and defying the people he once swore to serve. After the events of 24th May, 2010, the case of players’ bans as well as their fines has taken a new turn, with the Standing Committee of Senate ordering the PCB to reconsider the fines, and discard the in-session proceedings!
Iqbal Mohammad Ali, the minister who took charge of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Sports after the disgraced minister Jamshed Dasti’s resignation, headed the groundbreaking session where he listened to all the parties that attended the meeting. With his level headed thinking and common sense, asked the board to shed the in camera proceedings and come up with an investigation that is not only fair, but open.
The committee was shocked to learn the developments that were not shared before, and it was decided that the board should have punished all of the players, instead of just victimizing a few. If the junior players were found guilty of fighting, they should have been sent back rather than kept on tour. Similarly, it was also declared that if the bans on the players are revoked by the Appeals Committee, the board will reconsider the matter, and some of the players might be back for Pakistan, soon.
The attendees were all part of Pakistan’s disastrous tour of New Zealand and Australia and spoke their mind for the first time since the in-session video was leaked to the media. The former captain of the Pakistan cricket team, Younis Khan was there at the meeting but spoke less, since he was the one who was banned, first for life which was later reduced to an ’ indefinite period’. The PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt was there as well since he was the one who confirmed the ban. They were joined by Wasim Bari, Butt’s deputy and the Chief Operating Officer of the board who briefed all those present about the way the players behaved on the Tour Down Under and what was their conduct. Former coach Intikhab Alam, Manager Yawar Saeed, current Coach Waqar Younis, Ijaz Ahmed as well as former Chief Selector Iqbal Qasim also attended the mandatory meeting that started late due to Ejaz Butt’s late arrival from Lahore.
Pakistan’s next assignment is going to be the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka next month from where they would travel to England to face the Aussies in two Twenty20 matches in the first week of July. Pakistan will then play a total of 6 Tests and handful of ODIS during their stay till September in England, and the favourable delay in the five-day matches might provide Younis Khan a chance to get all-clear from the one-man Appellate tribunal, headed by Justice retired Irfan Qadir.
If Younis gets the clean chit, Yousuf decides to end his self-exile, Rana gets a reduced ban alongside Shoaib Malik, Pakistan might have the best squad for this year’s Test matches. But is it what the team needs? Can the young blood change the course of Pakistan cricket? It is felt that only Younis Khan is the one who should be sent to England, since he is a team man and a very shrewd cricketer. His presence may even benefit the eventual skipper.
For the rest, it is felt they deserve a rest for now and then come back later to stake their claim with their performances. Shoaib Malik is young and can sustain the ban, but Yousuf and Rana Naved need blessings of their fans as well as luck if they are to play for Pakistan, again!
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