Cricket Umpiring – A Synopsis

Ever since human race was created there was felt a need for mediation in disputes and decisions. For this a person of good repute, sound knowledge and shrewd decision making ability is selected. Sport is no different. Such mediator has authority to make decisions about play in many sports. There are different titles for these officials in different sports like referee, umpire, linesman or judge. According to the Laws of Cricket, an umpire (from the Old French nompere meaning not equal or impartial) is a person who controls a cricket match and makes sure it is played according to the laws of the game .He should not be confused with the referee who is a recent innovation in cricket for implementing players’ code of conduct according to International Cricket Council (ICC) guidelines.

Since 2002, the ICC has two panels of umpires: namely the Elite Panel of Umpires (two of which are, in theory, appointed to each Test Match) and the larger International Panel of Umpires. The ICC appoints a match referee from its Elite Panel of Referees to adjudicate Test matches and One Day Internationals.

Umpire in cricket has special place in the game as many vital decisions which can change the result of the match rest on his verdicts. We have seen careers ruined or made by one single decision. Matches or even series have been turned on their heads because of one umpiring error. Cricket world has seen many great umpires over the years. From Harold "Dickie" Bird to Simon Taufel and David Shepherd to Aleem Dar we have witnessed excellent examples of genuine professionalism and great human attributes. They have earned name not only for themselves but have lifted the game of cricket itself. They have set high standards for others to meet. Among others Brian Aldridge, Charlie Elliott, Steve Dunne, Steve Bucknor, Ian Robinson, Srinivas Venkataraghavan, K.T. Francis, Rudi Koertzen, Asad Rauf and Ian Gould have commanded respect from players and fans alike. We should not overlook the fact that umpires are also humans. They can make mistakes, get tired or get out of form like us. They should not be judged through one odd decision or a moment of indolence. An umpire has a career which should be evaluated like a player’s career. But one expects them to be above average as a bench mark.

Umpiring was never an easy job but it has become even tougher now with the advent of technology in the game. We can divide the modern (post-war) umpiring into two eras; Pre-technology and post-technology. In the first era umpires were not scrutinized by the public as television coverage was mediocre and cameras used to show only a few angles. Often they were let-off the attention of the public despite being wrong on the excuse that umpire was in better position in the middle to judge and give the decision. Players and captains frequently objected to the decisions and more so to the decisions made by the opposite country’s umpire. Hence we on number of occasions saw ugly confrontations on the field between players and umpires. We saw a West-Indian player kicking the umpire while in his bowling stride in New Zealand. Gavaskar almost left the field in protest when he was adjudged LBW in Australia. There were ugly scenes in Sri Lanka when Pakistan toured. Once in a match players stopped to appeal in protest. Mike Gatting was given LBW even before the bowler appealed in 1987-88 tour to Pakistan. Giving Gavaskar out in India or Miandad in Pakistan was considered a national crime. Historic series between Pakistan and West Indies in 1988 was marred by bad umpiring to the extent that bitter memories still haunt many who wanted a fair result. Such scenes were unworthy of the gentleman’s game. This situation was not acceptable to those who loved the game and wanted to safeguard the game’s integrity. Imran Khan the lion of cricket proposed the idea of neutral umpires which was immediately laughed-off by the traditionalists and conservatives. But Khan did not back down. He himself asked the BCCP (Board for Control of Cricket in Pakistan) to invite neutral umpires from India during the series with West-Indies in 1986-87. In this way he showed and proved the practicability and efficacy of the idea. As Wisden reports, “By way of experiment, neutral umpires stood in the Test series, V. K. Ramaswamy and P. D. Reporter of India officiating in the Second and Third matches. The Pakistan authorities were to be congratulated on this decision for, apart from an altercation between Marshall and umpire Reporter in Karachi, there was a welcome absence of bickering over decisions.”

Then came the technology revolution. This made the umpires become more careful and more focused to their job. Number of quality cameras, super slow-mo, hawk-eye, snickometer, pitch-map, giant screens and lately UDRS (Umpires Decision Review System) have brought a radical change in the standard of umpiring. Now the umpires are always on their toes because their decisions come immediately under the scrutiny of the spectators, referee, players and the commentators. This has resulted in sorting out good from the mediocre and has led to distinctly improved standard of umpiring. ICC has therefore introduced the Elite Panel of Umpires based on the data received from officials after each match. Currently the introduction of UDRS is generating lively debate in cricket circles. Some boards have started using it enthusiastically while others still have their doubts. Some purists like Dickie Bird are against this innovation. He says, “The only man who can give LBWs is the on-field umpire not the computer as it cannot tell the state of the pitch, how much the ball bounced, how much it seamed, how much it swung in the air.” But others like David Shepherd, Aleem Dar and Simon Taufel believe that technology is the answer to all problems and it is here to stay. The technology is in constant review and improvement and we might see a day when umpires become puppets or are replaced by robots altogether.

Like many good things Dickie Bird's arm-stretch and Yorkshire accent will never be forgotten. Similarly David Shepherd’s Nelsen dance is eternally engraved in the memories of all cricket lovers. The tranquility with which Simon Taufel gives his decisions and the invigorating smile on Aleem Dar’s face even in tough situations will continue to subsist in the logbook of cricket history for ever.

Pakistan vs South Africa – A Preview

After countless controversies both on and off the field the mercurial Pakistanis are out to prove themselves yet again. Test team is shambles, ODI unit is unsettled but the T20 outfit is complete as usual. Let’s preview the three units one by one and for a moment set aside all the ghosts of negativity possessing Pakistan Cricket complex.

T20s:
This is the format Pakistan owns. It comes very natural to their style of play. Actually very few would know that T20 cricket was invented in Pakistan. Long before the English started playing it a competition comprising of 20 overs a side was a regular feature of night club cricket in Karachi way back in early 1980s.
Pakistan the number one team in this format from the very outset is in good shape as most of the players performed well in recently concluded domestic Faysal Bank T20 tournament. It was ludicrous to name the team before the tournament but the sense prevailed as Shahzaib Hasan and Wahab Riaz were inducted on the back of brilliant showings in the said competition.
The composition of team is not a problem for the captain Shahid Afridi. He has ample talent and choices to make even in the absence of Muhammad Amir, Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt. Shahzaib and Hafeez would make a good opening partnership with Imran Farhat probably sitting out. Umar Akmal, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Misbah-ul-Haq, Fawad Alam and promising Asad Shafiq are the middle order batsmen to choose from. Bowling is shouldered by two of the best in the format in Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal. Wahab Riaz and Abdur Rehman are in form too with Shoaib Akhtar providing experience and fire. Tanvir Ahmed again may not get a chance here.
So my team would be:
1-Hafeez, 2-Shahzaib, 3-Umar Akmal, 4-Afridi, 5-Fawad, 6-Misbah, 7-Abdul Razzaq, 8-Zulqarnain, 9-Gul, 10 -Shoaib, 11- Ajmal


ODIs:

Pakistan recently lost the series in England after being 2-2. With the loss of Amir, Kamran and Butt the team looks weak but under Afridi they have shown mettle to fight and signs of unity which makes Pakistan dangerous.
With a ranking of 6 Pakistan is not a threat to mighty South Africans who are 18 ranking points above them but they are never short of a surprise specially on low slow wickets of UAE. With the absence of experienced Muhammad Yousuf, Afridi will demand some responsibility from the likes of Younis and Misbah. Umar Akmal should feel at home on these tracks so fasten your seat belts folks!
This series should be like foreplay for the all important world cup in sight. It is not a surprise for Pakistan fans that yet again we have a team ill-prepared, controversy-ridden and short of confidence going into a world cup. Pakistan has fared poorly in the last two world cups and once again we are being termed as pushovers. Afridi would love to go into the world cup with some momentum on his side.
The probable team for me should be:
1- Hafeez, 2- Shahzaib, 3- Younis, 4-Umar Akmal, 5- Fawad/Misbah, 6-Afridi, 7- Abdul Razzaq, 8- Zulqarnain, 9- Gul, 10- Shoaib, 11- Ajmal



Tests:

Pakistan is lurking at number 6 way below number 5 Australia with a difference of 27 points between them. Over-all the third best test team in the history with a WLR of 1.07 Pakistan currently is clueless in this form of the game which is the real deal and is loved by the purists. Once a team which challenged mighty West-Indians under great Imran Khan has now reduced to a shadow of its past.
Under Inzamam-ul-Haq Pakistan was still a competitive unit with Bob Woolmer as a calming influence but since then owing to controversies and shoddy selection policies of the PCB we saw one captain after another and one humiliation after the other. Younis Khan was a worthy and natural choice as a leader but was dealt with severe mental blows to the extent that he vanished from the game all together. From Yousuf to Afridi and then Salman Butt we saw captaincy changing hands till spot-fixing storm blew away all planning and hope. Younis Khan continued to be cold-shouldered mercilessly by the PCB and selection committee being a rubber-stamp entity bowed to the whims of Ijaz Butt to the extent that both coach Waqar Younis and ODI captain Shahid Afridi were ignored during the selection process. With Salman Butt banned due to spot-fixing and Younis out of favor, Misbah-ul-Haq of all people was recalled out of wilderness and made captain. He was contemplating retirement but perhaps his sixth sense knew something extraordinary was forthcoming so he had actually planned his retirement for the next year.
Test squad is as weak as it can be in the absence of Amir, Asif and Salman Butt with doubts over fitness of Muhammad Yousuf. Batting centers around the experienced Younis Khan and flimsy Umar Akmal. The return of dependable Taufiq Umar and Misbah though gives the line-up a look of solidity. Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq are promising but why Fawad Alam is being neglected for the format which suits him most is beyond me. He scored a big hundred on debut on a turner in Sri Lanka and has an average above 55 in first-class cricket. Imran Farhat is still in the squad despite his failures but perhaps this is his last chance to prove himself. Promising and enterprising Ahmad Shehzad should have been drafted in the team as a back-up opener in my opinion. He has every thing which an opener should possess. Dale Steyn will relish the opportunity against such a fragile batting and may well see off Pakistan single-handedly unless Younis, Umar Akmal and Yousuf if fit come in his way.
The bowling is the weakest in decades. Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal and Kaneria are the spinners and they will share the bulk of bowling. Muhammad Sami is back once again but his lack of ability to take wickets makes him impotent. I think Tanvir Ahmad should be given chance ahead of him as he can at least swing the ball. Umar has an opportunity to prove he has the aptitude to lead the attack in tests too.
My test combination:
1- Taufiq Umar, 2- Azhar Ali, 3- Younis Khan, 4- M Yousuf, 5- Umar Akmal, 6- Misbah, 7- Zulqarnain, 8- Umar Gul, 9- Saeed Ajmal, 10- Wahab Riaz, 11- Danish Kaneria

All in all a tough tour for Pakistan ahead of the world cup can be a make or break thing for their morale. It may be a new dawn for them or we might see another chop-and-change episode not only in the team but this time in the PCB too.

Imran as PCB chairman?

Amidst the current fiasco of Pakistan cricket under Ijaz Butt’s totally failed administration there are calls in cricket circles that Imran Khan should step in and take over to turn the things around. I do not agree. He has done his job tremendously well when he played for Pakistan and now he should not indulge in the mess that is PCB. All he can do is guide PCB as an adviser but first we need sensible people in PCB set-up. His main argument to improve cricket in Pakistan is to introduce solely regional cricket rather than departmental cricket. He says people would take interest in Lahore vs Karachi match not in a PIA vs Habib Bank match. But he has strong opposition to this idea as almost all prominent former players oppose this including Miandad and Amir Sohail on the pretext that cricketers would be deprived of salaries and hence lose interest in the game all together. In my opinion he is right as he wants a revolutionary change in the cricket set-up which others cannot fathom. He is in active politics and he should continue playing this innings now as time is ripe for him to succeed here too.
The dream of seeing Imran Khan as PCB chief will materialize only if president Asif Ali Zardari appoints him. Why would zardari do so when Imran is his number one critic? Why would Imran work under a person as corrupt and incompetent as Zardari? Even if this miracle happens then will Imran be able to run PCB on his own terms? Answer to all these questions is ‘NO. Hence rather than calling for Imran Khan to become PCB chairman we should campaign for removal of current PCB set-up and replacement with a credible one .
I can only hope that PCB constitution is somehow implemented and we get an elected chairman with all the association heads as the members of the governing body with a monetary check and balance in place. In this way we can put our cricket on track. We must get rid of Ijaz Butt and ad-hoc system ASAP.

Pakistan Cricket Selection – A Merry-Go-Sorry Tale

We all know in biology what kin selection means. Selecting Pakistan team reminds me of this concept. It has always been an interesting albeit bizarre phenomenon. I will not go back in history to prove the short-sightedness and inadequacies of our selectors. If you look back and review the selections made for the last three tours you will find enough reason to muse, fret and chuckle at the same time.
In the last year or so most of the things have gone horribly wrong as far as composition of the test team is concerned. The story brings more frustration than joy and it goes like this:
1-     Selection of Imran Farhat despite his clear limitations in test cricket is beyond one’s intellectual capacity. Only credential he has is that he is son-in-law of Muhammad Ilyas.
2-     The sudden ‘demise’ of Fawad Alam from test matches is incredible. He has been criticized because of his diminutiveness and over-shuffling technique but he always showed the determination and hunger to occupy the crease whenever he is given chances. His average in all forms of the game proves this.
3-     Ignoring Faisal Iqbal when he had actually started showing some technique and mental toughness is also beyond comprehension for me. Despite the fact that he was selected because of Miandad he looked more assured than a few others in Australia.
4-     Khurram Manzoor looks as ugly as sin while batting but when he scored a defiant 80 odd in Australia he was dumped out of the next squad and now he is totally out of favor.
5-     Shoaib Malik the famous ‘Shoania’ fame was never a serious test prodigy but he has been thrown into oblivion from all forms of the game all-together. May be it is for a ‘big-bang return’ later on. If it is for extra-cricketorial reasons then it is justified but why are then Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Yousuf and Misbah still in the team!
6-     Every sane cricket mind was calling for Taufiq Umar to be given a chance in English conditions but we were knocked-over with the return of Yasir Hameed who had long been labeled and forsaken as ‘fisher-man’ because of his incurable anomaly of flirting with the ball well outside the off stump.
7-     The curious case of Younis Khan. He is the most well-mannered, spotless and devoted player but is being treated shoddily by the PCB just because one Mr. Butt wants an apology from him. Apology for what no body knows.
8-     Kamran Akmal has been given countless chances despite his shambolic performances both in front and behind the stumps in tests for the last two years. No wicket-keeper was groomed and when Zulqarnain Haider performed on his first outing he was sent home because he had a minor injury scare. Thanks to Kamran’s appendix which got inflamed in time to give Zulqarnain another chance to prove himself. Why Sarfraz has been discarded after just one test in Australia is another matter where logic has been laid to rest.
9-     Misbah’s career was a foregone conclusion till now judging by his age and form. But it is Pakistan cricket where any thing can happen any day. He has come back as a captain. No one including Misbah is surprised in Pakistan. He was contemplating retirement just few days back but Aladdin has the magic lamp and he can call any one from heavens even!
10-  Danish Kaneria was mercilessly and unceremoniously cut from the squad after the first test against England but he is back now all forgotten.
11-  What Tanvir Ahmad and Sohail Tanvir are doing in test squads for the UAE is a question which only Mohsin Khan and his ‘mohsin’ Ijaz Butt can answer with any confidence!
12-  Wahab Riaz could have been rested till the conclusion of on-going probe into the spot-fixing allegations against Amir, Asif and Salman Butt by the ICC. Although nothing has been proved against him but it would have been better for him and Pakistan cricket to wait till the trio gets clean chit.
13-  Muhammad Sami is back again. Yasir Arafat is not.
14-  Junaid Khan, Sohail Khan, Muhammad Talha and few other up-coming fast bowlers deserved a go now but perhaps it is blessing in disguise for them that they would escape South African batsmen and UAE pitches on their debuts.
15-  Good news is that Asad Shafiq and Abdur Rehman have been given a go and Taufiq Umar is back to prove that he is a test product.
Consistency is the word our selectors are totally unfamiliar with. Further they do not watch domestic games and mostly select players in their drawing rooms on the bases of past records, hearsay or their likes and dislikes. Some of them take bribes (cf Shafqat Rana and Wahab Riaz issue) and most of them luxuriate in nepotism.
Pakistan cricket is going to die very soon if a change is not brought in the PCB. It is imperative to say good bye to Mr. Butt ASAP so that cricket in Pakistan is saved and belief and passion in the fans is restored. Amen

Laxman’s Doozie Effort

We all are familiar with famous ‘Fab Four’ of India; Sehwag, Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman. Each one of them is a living legend. While Sehwag is a nightmare for the bowlers and Tendulkar is the most prized scalp, Dravid is a constant headache for the opposition captain. Laxman on the other hand is neither destructive like Sehwag nor consistent like Dravid or Tendulkar but then what is in Laxman that makes him a marvel superhero? He is the man to go to when chips are down. He will outlive every one when a battle goes right down to the wire. At Mohali he battled back-spasm to guide India to a thrilling one-wicket win when it was almost curtains for India.
He has done it many times. But for Australia he is a thorn in throat because he has been a lurid presence on the crease for them over the years. His 2001 Kolkata innings is written in the cricket’s classic folk-lore. Then his match-winning, 300-plus partnership with Rahul Dravid at Adelaide in 2003-4 is another feast for the purists. He is the second Indian batsman after Tendulkar to score more than 2000 runs against the Australians. Recently he scored a 5^th day century in Sri Lanka to win the match and draw the series level. Now his spectacular effort against his boggy team has left Ricky Ponting inconsolable yet again as he is still winless as a Test captain in India. Laxman played almost a lone hand in India’s run chase of 216 as his experienced colleagues fell to poor shot selection and umpiring error as he guided India to one of its most memorable Test victories. He rescued India from 8-124 and added 81 runs for the ninth wicket from 131 balls and remained unbeaten on 73.
Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman is a wristy batsman in the mould of Zaheer Abbas and Azharuddin. He has the distinction to play the same ball to either side of the wicket with equal efficiency and at times can hit a boundary almost every over. His method especially when the chips are down is to keep the score moving rather than grinding out in the center like Michael Atherton or Sunil Gavaskar. In this way he out-scores others and the target is reached without asking too much from the other batsmen.
People ask who will hold the Indian batting together when the likes of Tendulkar or Dravid retire. I ask who will win the matches for India when silky Laxman bows out of the game!

A Case against Butt

Time is running out for Ijaz Butt

A lot was expected of Ijaz Butt when he was appointed chairman of the Pakistan cricket board in October 2008 as he had a vast experience of cricket management. Instead he did what he was capable of doing. That is to take Pakistan cricket to the brink of disaster. Pakistan cricket has seen many lows but under Ijaz Butt our cricket has become a laughing stock in the world. As one hopes his end is looming let us review the tawdry tales he would have left behind.
His immediate task was to create a calming atmosphere so that teams could start touring Pakistan without any security alarms. Champions Trophy was to be held in Pakistan in October 2009. But attack on Sri Lankan team bus in early 2009 made sure that Pakistan be deprived of not only the champions Trophy but international cricket for the foreseeable future.
The way Butt and co handled the security arrangements along with the then provincial government (Governor’s rule was imposed just days before) did not help either. Butt’s handling of the matters after the incident was so unprofessional that it proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back vis-à-vis international cricket in Pakistan. The 2011 world cup which was to be jointly hosted by Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh was taken away from Pakistan. Butt threatened to sue International Cricket Council. But it was not to be as it was just another of a series of U-turns that he was to take during his tenure.
Earlier soon after taking office he had asked serious questions about financial mishandling of the previous PCB management. Shafqat Naghmi, PCB Chief Operating Officer, also threatened to sue Butt over allegations that the former was stealing official documents. But Mr. Butt did not endeavor to prove anything except accusing the previous office bearers. The way he treated Geoff Lawson, then Pakistani coach was just disrespectful. After initially suggesting that he would not retain him as coach he praised him and promised to take care of all his liabilities only to sack him in disgusting manner soon after. But hats off to Lawson who still keeps a special place for Pakistan cricket in his heart. His problems with the director-general of the PCB Javed Miandad led to latter’s resignation only to be reversed on the intervention of patron of the PCB, the president.  Standing committees of Senate and National Assembly have had several spats with him but Butt was never removed from office despite repeated calls from several quarters.
Pakistan under the able captaincy of Younis Khan won the T20 world cup in England in June 2009. It was thought that a new dawn was to come for Pakistan cricket. The summer tour of Sri Lanka was marred by match-fixing allegations over which the PCB sought legal advice. The ICC eventually cleared the Pakistan players from any contact with bookmakers.
Then came the darkest period in Pakistan cricket.
Troubles started in UAE during an ODI series against the Black Caps. Six to seven players took oath on Holy Quran that they will remain united against (the then captain) Younis Khan. That eventually led to Younis Khan taking a break from the game before the all important tour down under. Mohammad Yousuf was handed over the captaincy but his handling of the team both on and off the field was miserable to say the least and Pakistan was trounced by Australia in all forms of the game. PCB retaliated strongly and took action against seven players it believed were responsible for indiscipline and team’s failure to win a single game in Australia.
The captain Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan were banned indefinitely, Shoaib Malik and Naved-ul-Hasan were banned for a year while Shahid Afridi and the Akmal brothers were fined and placed on probation for six months. Yousuf and Younis were accused of infighting and having a negative influence on the team. The leakage of video clippings of the enquiry made him a butt of all the jokes and cast serious doubts over the legality of the whole exercise. All the players appealed except Yousuf who announced his retirement from international cricket. Eventually in a magmatic U-turn bans were lifted and fines reduced. All the players except Naved and Younis have made their come-backs into the team. The PCB has ruled out the return of Younis Khan to the Pakistan team because the player and his lawyer made “inappropriate statements”. In the current browbeaten atmosphere for the Pakistani cricketers the team needs a clean and strong character like Younis to lift their morals and morale but he is being made frustrated so much so that he is contemplating to move to UK. It is clear he needs to patch-up with Mr. Butt.
Then if all this was not enough recently concluded tour of England should have been the final nail in the coffin for Butt’s tenure. The Test series against England began poorly, with defeats at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston before Pakistan kept the contest alive with a victory at The Oval. During their defeat at Lord’s, however, the series was plunged into shame when a British tabloid ran a story alleging that Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were involved in spot-fixing by bowling deliberate no-balls. The players under scrutiny were questioned by the police and provisionally suspended by the ICC before the Twenty20 series between Pakistan and England began.
Pakistan lost both Twenty20 matches, and the one-day series that followed was at 2-1 when the ICC announced that it was investigating the Oval ODI, which Pakistan had won, after receiving information from another tabloid that bookies were aware of certain scoring patterns that would take place before the match. In a fit of emotion Ijaz Butt claimed that England’s players had thrown the match as part of a wider conspiracy to “defraud Pakistan and Pakistan cricket”, plunging the tour deeper into controversy. The ECB reacted strongly and said it would seek an apology from Butt or take legal action. Butt as usual stood his ground and vowed to prove his allegations but eventually in a shameful way read out apology scripted by the English authorities. This is the lowest he has gone so far. Do we need to see more embarrassment for our cricket and our country? Is he so indispensible that a country’s pride has been rendered at stake? If he does not have self-respect where has gone the self-worth of the patron-in-chief?
Instead of showing him the door he has been asked by higher authorities to appoint new officials in the PCB or forget about getting an extension after his two-year term expires later this month. It happens only in Pakistan. Unfortunately.
Mr. Butt you are 72 years old. You have very little time left to earn some respect. Choice is yours. Have mercy on Pakistan cricket and leave.

A Speculative Bet

Cricketing world is engulfed in match fixing saga again. Whether the trio under suspension is found guilty and punished or not the drama has been turned into a Pakistan bashing exercise. Corruption in the game must never be tolerated but on the pretext of launching investigation into match and spot fixing an attack of serious proportion has also been launched on the whole Pakistan cricket team and management. Whether it is deliberate or just an illusion created by the way the situation has been handled by ICC it must immediately be addressed to and corrected.
The allegations leveled by the tabloid The Sun are baseless as these are just speculations based on hearsay; telephonic conversation between  a person based in Dubai and a bookie in Delhi.”A source informed The Sun newspaper that a certain scoring pattern would emerge during certain stages of the match and, broadly speaking, that information appeared to be correct,” Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, said. The problem is that the concerned cricket boards were not taken into confidence what so ever. This enraged PCB chairman Ijaz Butt and his outbursts resulted in outrage from the ECB and English players. Now they are demanding an apology from Butt otherwise a legal battle can not be ruled out. Butt’s remarks against ICC and ECB are certainly like beating the bush but the way ICC has handled the whole affair demands justification itself.
To predict that certain scoring patterns would emerge during a match is not difficult. The betting mafia and public alike can do that with a fairly good probability. On that basis and especially on a tip-off from a notorious tabloid how can an organization like ICC take such a drastic step? The verbal attack by Butt and then the response from ECB both are thus predictable and understandable. Since the emergence of spot-fixing allegations ICC has made a mockery of itself by continually mishandling the situation.
Take the example of recent group match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lions in Champions league played at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on 21 September. It was a do or die game for both teams as it became a decider for the semi-final spot. I was on-line with a close friend of mine and I told him that the match was fixed. I said, ” I bet it is fixed”. Lions were playing as if they are under a trance. The pitch was a belter and bowling was ordinary; even Virat Kohli bowled two economic overs. The batsmen it seemed were keeping the scoring under check so that the target could be an achievable one for RCB. You could say that McKenzie was playing suspiciously. Then the chase. Lions bowled well till late overs when all of a sudden their line and length vanished. The captain forgot to put the fielders in right positions. In the 17th over Kohli was given leg side dolleys and there were gaps left on the leg side boundary. I told my friend that the match would be over by the 19th over.. At that stage Lions required 43 off 4 overs. They went on to win as predicted. I made good bet but alas no money was involved!
Now on the basis of what a fan like me had predicted, should an investigation be launched? Certainly not. But Haroon Lorgat thinks otherwise.
I sincerely hope that sanity will prevail and sinister campaign to malign Pakistan would end soon.The suspended trio needs a speedy and fair trial. If found guilt, penalize them otherwise let them play. ICC should immediately sit together and devise a plan to get rid of corruption in the game once for all. They should yearn for a clean sport rather than money alone. ICC has become a subsidiary of BCCI. We need a truly democratic and powerful ICC otherwise gentleman’s game will fast become cheat’s game.

The Cheats’ Game!

Poor and innocent ordinary Pakistanis woke up for their sahoor to start their fasts in the holy month of Ramadan with the stunning and disgraceful news that seven of our cricketers the so-called heroes and sports ambassadors of Pakistan have been found guilty of match and spot fixing at Lords. London-based fixer Mazhar Majeed was their agent ( or the players were his agent!) who dealt with various book-makers and the match fixing mafia in India and UK. A journalist of a tabloid ( also a Pakistani) posed as a dealer and gave money to this man who revealed that Aamir and Asif would bowl three no-balls at fixed periods in the Lords test match and they did the next day. Every thing was recorded secretly and now the Scotland Yard is investigating the disgraced players. The fixer claimed among other startling things that captain Salman Butt was in his pocket and he was the ring leader of at least seven corrupt players of the current team playing in England who he said are involved in match and spot fixing. Wahab Riaz has also been grilled over the allegations. The three players Aamir, Asif and Butt have got the permission to come to home for spending Eid after giving affidavits that they would be available any time to the UK police authorities for further investigations. ICC has provisionally suspended the trio and Wahab Riaz as it seems also have been asked not be included till the completion of ICC probe. The players have answered the show-cause notice and now the ICC will form a panel to probe into it at a suitable time. They are facing life bans if found guilty by the ICC.  I do not think that any thing is left to be proven now if not in the eyes of the UK law but in the eyes and hearts of cricket lovers and those who matter in the ICC.
The attitude and approach of PCB towards the mater has been predictably disappointing and absurd. They were not sure what to do and when to do. They are bent upon protecting the players as if nothing is happening as for as corruption in the game is concerned. the players did not categorically deny the charges there and then and now defending those through their lawyer. PCB boss Ijaz Butt went into hiding and only came out in front of the media when he landed in Lahore amid chants of  various kind from a hostile crowd and a dancing shoe which evaded him successfully just like common sense has evaded him ever since he had taken charge as PCB chairman.
Now what to do. If Pakistani players are proven guilty and punished would the matter end and game become clean? Never. Every one knows where the epicenter of match fixing lies. Mumbai and Delhi. The mafia there is unregulated because betting is illegal in India. IPL has been suspected of massively dipped in corruption and according to a report as many as twenty-nine players have been suspected of spot or match-fixing by authorities. But who will bell the cat. Who has the courage and will to enrage the hand who feeds them. ICC is dependent on money and money comes from India and India has shown time and again that they always protected their players. They have gone to extremes in that regard as umpires and match referees had to be kicked out to appease India. Unless you persuade India to act as a leader it is impossible to get rid of corruption in the game. In this scenario the sting operation to trap the Pakistani trio seems to be a drama to make money and malign Pakistan. Easy targets are being aimed at and shot at. Successfully.
Many questions arise. Why King commission reached at the brink but never entered the pool? Cronje was banned and others got away with lighter punishments. Similar thing happened in India and Pakistan. Why the Qayyum report not fully implemented? Why India stopped short of cracking down on the mafia? Why Warne and Mark Waugh were not grilled further? Is giving weather information a less crime than bowling no-balls? Are they meteorologists?
We the supporters of Pakistan cricket team are left in utter disbelief, shock and shame. We do not eat, do not sleep and do not go to work at times just to watch these greedy morons play in a hope that they will bring laurels to a country which is already in shambles due to war on terror, economic melt-down, extremism, lack of social justice and floods and is in the yoke of corrupt leadership. Alas these bloody cheats are eating the flesh of their country-men. They are cheating their nation, their people and their religion. They have gone from rags to riches but their greed is unending. They make a group of cheats with the help of disgraceful PCB and selectors and then they block the way of those who deserve to be selected or those who are clean and patriotic; one example is Younis Khan.
Only solution is for Pakistani cricket fans is to see a new set-up under a credible chairman and management which is determined to clean the game no matter what cost is to be paid.
But who shall do that. Patron-in-chief. Sorry we have to wait for the change at the very top.
Aah country is ravaged by floods and millions have been displaced and sons of soil are cheating. Don’t they have conscience? Don’t they have heart?

Why Banning Facebook?

Blanket ban on an informative and interactive website is counter-productive and meaningless. Symbolic ban to record protest is a right which should be accepted. And banning a particular URL which is offensive or even whole site (even FB) if the site continues to indulge ' deliberately' in hateful activities despite polite reminders, symbolic banning and constructive debate is very much justified. As you know Facebook has a policy and we have witnessed many among us have been restricted ( by banning a group or a page) or banned by FB admin on different pretexts. Even unjustifiably at times. So when millions of Muslims request FB to ban a group which clearly offends 1.5 billion Muslims and violates their own terms they do not pay heed to it and ignore all the requests. That is hypocrisy. If they apologize and sympathize with Muslims and take care of our concerns as they do for non-Muslims we have no objection. Prejudice and injustice is what I object to. Banning YouTube and Wikipedia was uncalled-for and no one demanded that in particular. I support this ban as I think it as a means to record protest and I want every URL which is offensive to be permanently banned and for this a cell should be created in PTA for continuous vigilance as we see in West the way they keep track of every thing which happens in Muslim world. Technology should be used to combat technology. Tit for tat on equal groundings.
Pakistan should not go backwards for sure. As you know many Pakistanis have excelled in different scientific fields as well as info technology. They have set records and are serving in Microsoft. Anyhow excelling in technology and getting educated is a must and is considered a "Fardh' in Islam. Talibanism is not Islam. Those who make hue and cry are only in media. They have no public support in Pakistan and they do not win seats in assemblies.

At the same time no Muslim can and should tolerate any one trying to insult our prophet (SAWW) because this is part and parcel of our faith and a source of strength and unity for us.

Now I tell the hypocrisy of the West in just a few words.

Holocaust denial is punishable in Europe -Why? - Where is freedom of speech?
Why Aljazeera, Al-manar and Al-Rahmah were banned in West?
Why Nickie Davidson was sentenced in UK just because he created an anti-Jew group ' arian strike' on a website on Apr 30, 2010?
What about veil ban?


West is powerful so they influence our minds so that we follow what they teach what they say. No one is against education and information but information at the cost of one's integrity, honor, dignity, values and freedom is not acceptable. We should educate ourselves and should unite and be powerful so that no one can disrespect our religion and our Prophet.

Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, French, Germans, Malaysians, Cubans and a few more are prospering and they are not leaving their values. They see and read what they want and they compete via technology. Why can't we Muslims do that. Is it necessary to copy west in order to prosper? I do not think so.