Sacking of Shahid Afridi a Catch 22 for Pakistan Cricket
The worst of the worst has happened and just when one thought that calmness had prevailed in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ijaz-Butt-c64128, the reigning chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has startled the sane cricket world by pulling off a blinder when he finally
decided to sack a successful one-day captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482.
The sacking was a shocker since unlike in the past, the skipper had returned triumphant after winning a series 3-2 against the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 in the Caribbean. However, the main reason so as to say, behind Afridi’s sacking was the bitter relationship between
the skipper and head coach http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Waqar-Younis-Maitla-c96193 which had convinced Butt, to finally remove the all-rounder.
Apparently, Butt was not pleased by the way, Afridi had handled the situation in front of the media. Afridi was seen in violation of the code of conduct, as the PCB does not allow its officials to release statements to the media without the exclusive consent
of the mighty cricket board.
However, if this was the main cause of concern then the matter should have been resolved in a more civilized manner and perhaps the skipper should have been slapped heavy fines and a match suspension like the PCB has done in the past.
However, this time the whole scenario has taken another shape, as Butt has taken it as his insult, and is out to getting even with Afridi by barring him from playing in foreign leagues. As a player, Afridi has to earn by playing cricket outside the country
in order to earn his bread and butter. This is something, Butt seems to be oblivious off, as the PCB has revoked the required NOC without which, cricketers cannot play cricket outside the country.
The irony of this whole situation is that while other nationals are showering commemorations to their crickets, players in Pakistan are facing a witch-hunt. Afridi, who returned to Pakistan after carrying a written-off team into the semi-finals of the prestigious
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750, no one had even though the possibility of Afridi XI qualifying for the knock-out stages but the all-rounder, by defying all odds made it possible.
He was treated as a triumphant warrior by the people of Pakistan but now, it seems that Butt wants to eradicate the memories of Afridi’s success from the minds of the fans by humiliating the all-rounder when he is at the peak of his career.
Butt, in a recent interview, insisted that Afridi’s absence in the national team will not have any impact on the overall performance of the national squad. However, many beg to differ with this predicament, as everyone knows that captains carry teams and
in cricket it is the skipper who makes the rest of the squad accomplish even the impossible.
Afridi’s replacement is quite odd, as many are still at loss, on comprehending the very logic behind appointing the 37-year old middle-order batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Misbah-ul-Haq-c1972, who clearly does not have many years in international cricket left in him.
When countries are striving to appoint younger captains, the PCB is happy in letting the old horses run the show. Perhaps Ijaz Butt does not have the audacity to admit that Afridi never deserved to be sacked in the first place. Everyone knows that Misbah
is favoured by Butt, nonetheless, personal likes aside the chairman should behave like a true leader and not let his personal inclinations affect his judgment.
With the most experienced player in the Pakistan ranks ousted, Pakistan cricket is likely to face more problems than ever before and while Misbah might be able to control things for a few months, the younger players are going to pull each other’s legs to
grab the captaincy spot sooner or later.
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