Booting out the Butt

Rising tempers, idiotic mess, chaos, madness, directionless people zigzagging around with no end in sight. No, we are not talking about the state of Pakistan – even though it is much the same. Welcome to Pakistan cricket and all that it entails. Former skipper Shahid Afridi led a debilitated team in the World Cup 2011 and managed to reach the semi-finals despite the odds against us. In spite of this achievement, and a 3-2 ODI win against the West Indies, Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ijaz Butt unceremoniously removed Afridi from the captaincy. This was probably the last nail in the coffin as far as Afridi was concerned, who suddenly announced his retirement from international cricket. “There is nothing bigger than a man’s respect. I cannot play under a board that does not respect its players. Because of this, under protest, this is a conditional retirement,” said Afridi. This was one of the biggest blows to Pakistani cricket fans who are no strangers to controversy. What ensued was a cat and mouse drama between Afridi and Butt. The PCB revoked Afridi’s No Objection Certificate (NOC) so he was unable to play for Hampshire in the English Twenty20 season. Afridi filed a petition against the PCB, which he later withdrew and appeared before a PCB disciplinary committee. Afridi was fined Rs 4.5 million and got his NOC but is still adamant that he will not take a U-turn and will stick to his decision on international cricket. On the other hand, an irresponsible player like Zulqarnain Haider was only fined a token Rs 500,000 for his shenanigans.

Last year’s spot-fixing scandal left cricket fans all across Pakistan in a state of shock, anger and embarrassment. Pakistan’s stellar performance in the World Cup revived their faith in our cricket team. A demoralised and depressed team blossomed under Afridi’s inspirational leadership. Not seeing Afridi in the Pakistani squad in the future will be painful and a gross injustice. The PCB and particularly Ijaz Butt have ruined our cricket team. It is amazing that in this day and age, the patron of PCB is still the president when all other countries choose their chairmen in a democratic manner. This has to change. Ijaz Butt has to go if we want our cricket team to get back on track. Had Mr Butt had a quiet word with Afridi about his anti-Waqar statement and allowed him to continue as captain, some younger player could in the meantime have been groomed to take over in the future. Now, we are left with a lacklustre 37-year old Misbah-ul-Haq as the team captain and no successor in sight.

Planning is the most significant ingredient missing from Pakistan cricket and the responsibility lies with the PCB chairman. It seems as if Ijaz Butt is suffering from some trauma. In the third Test between West Indies and Pakistan back in 1959, West Indian fast bowler Wesley Hall struck Ijaz Butt’s nose with a rising scorcher. Butt never seemed the same man since. Let’s just blame our present PCB woes on Hall.

(my editorial in Daily Times)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Persecution without reason

Universities all over the world tend to hire people with a sound academic background as they want the best for their students. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan did the same when they hired Dr Ghazala Anwar as Deputy Dean of Usul-ud-Din (Islamic jurisprudence) at the women’s campus of International Islamic University (IIU) in Islamabad. Dr Ghazala earned her PhD in philosophy and religious studies from the Temple University (USA) in 1993, with teaching and research interests in Islamic jurisprudence, gender issues, Sufism and sexuality. She was appointed at the IIU under the Foreign Faculty Hiring Programme after her application was reviewed by a Peer Review Committee of scholars. Dr Ghazala Anwar has been part of a movement that has been trying to fight for the just treatment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Intersex and Questioning (LGBTIQ) Muslims. The movement does not preach to others to become homosexuals, but asks Muslims to be tolerant of these “sexual m
Read more

Protesters demand Imran Khan resign

Islamist party leader Maulana Rehman leads thousands to capital, gives PM two-day ultimatum Tens of thousands of protesters, led by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, took out a march in Islamabad on Friday, demanding the resignation of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. “You have two days, we cannot show more patience,” Mr. Rehman warned the Premier. If Mr. Khan doesn’t resign in two days, “he will not be able to stop people from entering the Prime Minister’s House”, he said. “Nawaz Sharif had heard this, so had Asif Zardari. Now, they [establishment] should also hear what we are saying,” said Mr. Rehman in a pointed message to the establishment. ‘Stay here’ “Only the people of Pakistan have the right to rule over Pakistan; no institution has the right to impose itself over us,” said Mr. Rehman. “Stay here my friends, do not move... they have to resign in two days, you the people will decide what your decision is. It was your vote that was snatched from yo
Read more

We will shut down entire Pakistan, says Maulana

Maulana Fazlur Rehman says the protests will continue and that Imran Khan’s government should go. As the two-day ultimatum he issued to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan expired on Sunday night, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said the protesters will continue the sit-in until their goals are met. “We have decided that we will not go to any tribunal or Election Commission or any court. The PTI’s (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) foreign funding case is still lying around with the Election Commission after five years. This ‘illegitimate’ ruler’s foreign funding case has not been decided, how will this Election Commission settle rigging cases?,” he said while addressing ‘Azadi March’ in the capital on Sunday. “This is a movement. After this march, we will not stop our journey… Today, we have shut down Islamabad. Tomorrow we will shut down the entire country. Today, we have a huge rally here; tomorrow we will make the entire Pakistan a rally-ground,” he said.
Read more