http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 Cricket Manager Intikhab Alam Hopeful Players will Lift Their Game
Pakistan Cricket Manager Intikhab Alam has finally come up with a statement in the UAE saying that strict steps will surely lift Pakistan’s game. Alam, a former Test cricketer and a veteran coach, believes that strict steps recently
taken to improve discipline would indefinitely improve Pakistan cricket while not disturbing the players.
Pakistan has recently introduced a new code of conduct, with strict punishments for disciplinary breaches, mainly due to the spot-fixing tainted tour of England. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was under enormous pressure from
the International Cricket Council right after the spot-fixing incident, and it was made clear to the PCB that they had to take staunch decisions to restrict incidents like spot-fixing and match-fixing that have plagued Pakistan cricket to date.
“All the strict steps taken are for the betterment of Pakistan Cricket and all the players are feeling comfortable with these steps,” Alam said.
Alam believes that Pakistan cricket will now show signs of improvement, on and off the field. Pakistan players are under the scrutinizing eyes of the world after three of its in-form players were accused of being involved in spot-fixing,
courtesy their agent (http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mazhar-c75448 Majeed) and an astonishing expose in British tabloid
News of the World in England.
The manager was clear in stating that all the players have been instructed to take care in meeting people who they are to not acquainted with. However, Alam specifically made it clear to everyone that there were no curbs of any
sort on the players’ movement; the players have simply been asked not to go anywhere on match days and they are not allowed to bring any guests to their team hotel.
Alam said that the players were free to meet their relatives on off-days, but players have been told to refrain from meeting any strangers. The players, playing the series in the UAE against the mightiest opponents http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757,
have all signed this new code of conduct, and it is for their own good that they live within the rules of the new code of conduct.
All these efforts are being taken to redeem the tainted image of Pakistan cricket in the eyes of cricket-playing nations, and to put cricket in Pakistan back on track ahead of the One-Day International Cricket World Cup starting
next year.
Earlier this summer in England, Pakistan was marred by spot-fixing allegations, and the trio involved (Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif) stand suspended from all forms of cricket at the moment. The hearing of an appeal
against the suspension (from which Mohammad Asif has withdrawn) begins on the 30th of October.
Prohibiting meeting of players with strangers is the prime objective of this new code of conduct, as the alleged bookmaker Mazhar Majeed, who was arrested by the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Scotland-c756 Yard before being released on bail, was described as the
player’s agent and was frequently seen in team hotels on the English tour.
Since the incident, the Pakistani management has totally revamped the code of conduct protocols to protect its players from mingling with people who might be bookmakers themselves or associates of bookmakers.
Intikhab Alam told the press that only the captain, coach and manager have the permission to talk to the media, and other players of the team no longer have the authority to give any statements according to the new code of conduct.
This will help in reducing the exposure of players to anyone posing as a journalist.
Intikhab Alam coached the Pakistani squad which won the 1992 Cricket World Cup in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746. Alam has a vast experience of coaching different Pakistani squads in the past; this time, he has vowed to put an end to both on and off-the-field
scandals affecting the Pakistan team. Here’s hoping he can help change the cricketing world’s perception of Pakistan cricket.
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