Pakistan Cricket Round Up
The Pakistan cricket team faced another defeat at the hands of a confident English side at Edgbaston when Andrew Strauss and his men defeated the visitors with nine wickets in the second test match. Though a responsible batting performance from debutant Zulqarnain Haider and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal helped Pakistan stay away from an innings defeat, the two could not help Pakistan avoid a nine wicket defeat in the end.
On a day when most of his teammates failed to deliver, Zulqarnain Haider blazed with the bat, sharing half century partnerships with teenage pacer Mohammad Aamer and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal. As a result, Pakistan finally succeeded in scoring 296 runs from its second innings. Consequently, the team set a target of 117 runs for the hosts. Earlier in the first innings, the entire team crumbled for a paltry 72 runs - its lowest test total against England till date. Only three Pakistani batsmen - Umar Akmal, Umar Amin and Mohammad Aamer - could enter the double figures while five players scored ducks.
The second humiliation against England has gained a lot of attention from the National Assembly of Pakistan. Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports Iqbal Mohammad Ali wrote a letter to the Patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board, President Asif Ali Zardari in which he requested him to get rid of the current board.
In the letter, the Chairman has revealed that the dialogue between the PCB, National Assembly and Senate’s Standing Committee failed. He said that Pakistan was once considered and respected as the World Champions. However, its current state is quite painful for cricket lovers in Pakistan.
“Sir, the chairman and his close aides have shoddily let down your confidence in them by making a mockery of management ethics at the Board,” wrote Iqbal.
The Chairman of the Standing Committee on Sports requested the President of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ijaz-Butt-c64128, but he failed to bring any positive change. Rather, the standard of Pakistan cricket has only deteriorated during his chairmanship.
“In light of above mentioned points it is suggested that the current Board may be dissolved without letting this existing regime damage the game further,” recommended Iqbal M. Ali.
Already struggling to perform, the Pakistan cricket team was further dented by Umar Gul’s injury during the second test at Edgbaston as a torn hamstring ruled the pacer out of the Test series against England. Manager of the Pakistan cricket team Yawar Saeed confirmed Gul’s ouster from the rest of the series and said that the pacer would be examined again on the 18th of August. After that, the selectors can say something about his future in the limited-overs section of the tour.
Moreover, a payment dispute between Pakistan Cricket Board and the Pakistan Hockey Federation has been reported by a PCB official on Tuesday. Sources have revealed that the PCB had given an amount of Rs 10 million to the Pakistan Hockey Federation some eight years ago. And recently, the PCB has asked the federation to refund the amount.
Former Chairman Lt. General Tauqir Zia had approved a loan worth 10 million rupees which was given to the PHF when the national hockey team was preparing to participate in the 2004 Olympic Games in Sydney. The PHF badly needed funds to finance their preparations and participation for the Olympics.
The PHF on the other hand has completely refused to talk about the loan. A PHF official claimed that the money was given as a grant for the national game so how can the board demand the federation to repay that amount.
Tags: