Articles of the year 2009

Having won the World T20 Cup - The first of its kind, and something that assuredly will be the format for the future. It is short, exciting, and does not need endless days waiting for a drawn result. And we are the Kings. However, in Pakistan things can never run smoothly, for the incompetents that we have running the PCB, showed their uncanny ability to screw things up. Our batting collapsed from a winning position to a disastrous defeat not once but twice. In form batsmen threw their wickets, and we lost both test matches. Pakistan ended losing the series, and from world champions we were zero again.

One was afraid that the murky world of 'fixing' had spread its tentacles our way again. No, this was not the case. It seems that a 'group' had been formed to destabilise Captain Younus Khan, and remove him from the captaincy. Only a very stupid group of players would be foolish enough or naïve enough to attempt a coup against the only winning captain after Imran Khan - who has been elevated by virtue of that single achievement into that special place reserved for the heroes of Pakistan.

The players of any sports are chosen for their skill in physical prowess, thinking and mind activity is not really required. The ability to bowl at speed or with guile, or hit the ball hard, or better still out of the ground. These skills are in high demand and it would seem that we have the best eleven men in the world. Probably not a very high collective IQ either. So if the coup was being plotted the IQ factor alone would give a surety of failure. However, it is the PCB that must be taken to task for the bad management of the team as this is and the financial affairs are the responsibility of the PCB. It is in this area that Ijaz Butt has failed yet again.

Earlier this year in Lahore on that fateful morning, his allowing the Sri Lankan team to proceed to the ground when it was apparent that the required security level was not in place led to the successful attack on the visitor's bus. Compounding this error, when Chris Broad the match referee at the time was asked by the press admitted to being terrified, and to the fact that security was lacking, Butt called him a liar (amongst other choice words). For Butt to have called Chris Broad (an official of the ICC at the time) a liar in public is highly inappropriate, and that too by the chairman of the PCB. Fifteen days later the same Chris Broad sent his report to the ICC, and as they say the rest is history. Pakistan, the co-hosts are not even allowed to attend the meetings for the organising committees. Even this is being denied to us, so deeply offensive do the ICC find our PCB.

Today we have the T20 Trophy and nothing else. We are the World champions and pariahs at the same time. This is a very ridiculous position to be in, with everyone watching how eleven good men can somehow just implode. It is very simple, with idiots in charge it could be worse - we may not have had the trophy either.

Mr President it is your duty to the Nation to remove Ijaz Butt immediately. He has done enough damage.

We have such a beautiful country with a wealth of talent, but hurtling towards disaster hastened on by the likes of the Ijaz Butts of this world. Amazingly Nasim Ashraf, General Tauqeer, were installed by quirks of the then leaders. As a consequence the Game of cricket has suffered. Surely it is time that the Ijaz Butts and his cronies are cast out. I have stated before, the PCB now needs a seasoned diplomat wearing a correct tie -above all making the right noises to bring about a rapprochement between the ICC and ourselves. The PPP has many people and amongst the more outstanding would be Fakhar Imam who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the game, and the smooth delivery of a diplomat. It is someone like him that could bring Pakistan back into the ICC fold.