Zaheer Abbas blames cricket administrators for defeat
Pakistan cricket is full of great cricketers who have served their country with distinction. Former captain Zaheer Abbas is one such player who feels that in losing without putting up enought of a fight against England, the cricketers have disgraced the nation and the game.
Known as ‘Asian Bradman’ for his run scoring feats, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zaheer-Abbas-c98435 said he feared for the future of the game in Pakistan, which has been rocked by bad administration. He was critical of the working of the board. “How far this can go?”, he asked. “Cricket is a passion in Pakistan and people are getting disheartened by the poor administration of the game.”
His reaction is one of many that have come out after Pakistan’s second consecutive defeat at the hands of the English cricket team. They lost the match by 9 wickets at Birmingham after being humiliated by 354-run at Nottingham earlier in the series. The twin wins gave England an unassailable 2-0 lead over the visitors in the four-Test series. Talking to various TV channels after watching Pakistan second surrender of the series, Zaheer said, “Winning or losing is part of the game, but not like the way it is happening in Pakistan.
The manner in which important matters such as the transformation of the team have been handled, show the non serious attitude of the management. It is the result of their decisions that we are heading towards a disaster," Abbas added. None of the Pakistan front line batsmen have managed to score a century on the on-going tour of England so far.
Zaheer feels that the recall of retired batsman Mohammad Yousuf is a shocking decision by the management, and if the board wants to avoid a whitewash at the hands of the English side, they should recall Younis Khan for the next test, starting August 18. "Yousuf announced his retirement after being banned by the board, but is now suddenly in the team for the next match. How come Yousuf is in the team and Younis Khan is not selected? The board has a different set of rules for two players, and they are responsible for the fiasco," he said.
Zaheer Abbas said that the board should have recalled Younis who was in England playing county cricket. "Younis is a team player and his presence would have guided this young team. The current players might be talented, but I am sorry to say, they are not doing a good job!" said Abbas. He also said that "knee-jerk" reactions by the board, like the recall of Mohammad Yousuf, the inclusion of Kamran Akmal, have been bothering fans, players as well as experts. “The main culprit, the one that should be blamed for this fiasco, is the administration which should be changed immediately," said Abbas, who was the manager during Pakistan’s last tour of England in 2006.
A veteran of 78 Tests for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 and the only player from the subcontinent to score 100 first class hundreds, Zaheer criticised Yousuf and the senior members for taking an oath on the Holy Quran when on tour last year. “Where was the team management and the administration when most of the players took oath on the holy Quran, and revolted against Younis Khan, their skipper," asked Abbas. Pakistan cricket team has been rocked by decision that have been taken in a haste, Zaheer believes.
He might be right because after being accused of created disharmony amongst the players, the board has included Shoaib Malik in the side, who, insiders believe is a good friend of the son of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani. Similarly, PCB Chairman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ijaz-Butt-c64128 is close to the President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, and it is said that until and unless there is a change in the government, he will not be removed from his post.
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