PCB hands over lead-tainted equipment to the Chinese*

*I'm just kidding about the equipment being lead-tainted. Just letting my readers know that I'm up with the times, and I read other stuff too.

So this is nuts. Not only do the Chinese have over a billion people. But now they have over a million Rupees of Pakistani cricket equipment. I wonder what they sent?

Cricket equipments to the tune of Rs 1.2 million were formally handed over by Pakistan Cricket Board to Chinese Cricket Association (CCA) in Beijing recently.

As per an APP report, the equipments were sent by PCB as a symbol of good will gesture and for the promotion of cricket in China.

The APP mentioned that while presenting the equipments, General Secretary of Multi ball game Administration Liu Rong Yao, Director External Affairs Terry, Director Cricket Development Committee, Z Y Jiang and national coach of CCA Rashid Khan were also present.

APP reported that a senior official of the Chinese Cricket Association (CCA) has lauded the Pakistan Cricket Board for sending these equipments which will enhance Sino-Pak relations in the field of sports and also help harness the skill of the young Chinese cricketers.

So the official of the 'Multi ball game Administration' was present as well. Hmm. I wonder what that's all about

Constant struggle between cricketing boards and players

Save for Australia, it seems that almost every national cricket board tussles with its players continuously.

The PCB is constantly fining Shoaib Akhtar, while someone or the other is bitching about the PCB leadership. Most recently Razzaq cussed out the board on some television show and will probably be censured. One wonder who the hell selected the board? Obviously there must be something wrong with the leadership, otherwise everyone wouldn't be pissed off. In Pakistan, the embattled president chooses one of his cronies to head the cricket board; Mr. Ashraf being the crony. But do these chaps have anything to do with cricket? Mr. Ashraf is a doctor by profession, his predecessor was a soldier. In India, the board presidents have included politicians and lawyers.

Shouldn't cricketing boards be run by ex-cricketers for the cricketers? Don't they have a right to vote and select the new board. Things need to change! The West Indian team, it seems has been fighting with their board for so long, I pretty much ignore the news coming out of their camp. Players in general, it is no secret, do not like their respective boards. However, the fans aren't big enthusiasts either. I pretty much slam the PCB on every page of my blog.

Rather than representing the rights of the players and improving the game, their agenda is self serving and financially motivated. It's a sad state of affairs when no one respects the decisions of the governing bodies of our cherished sport.

Pakistan Cricket Board refuses Richard Branson's Virgin Airlines sponsorship

Billionaire Virgin Business Group boss, Richard Branson has offered to sponsor the Pakistan cricket team, currently reeling after a string of tournament defeats....

However, the embattled Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has politely refused the generous multi-million-pound offer by the cricket-mad magnate. As one harassed Board official snapped: "We can't have VIRGIN written on our shirts, when we're getting fucked in every match!"

Shoaib, Asif to get complete transfusion from Razzaq's blood

In order to remove all traces of Nandrolone from their urine in record time, the PCB has launched an incredible and impressive secret campaign. Adbul Razzaq, an important, yet replaceable member of the squad, conveniently fractured his knee just minutes before leaving for the Caribbean. In an interview, he appeared completely befuddled as to how it happened. Chloroform, anyone?

Meanwhile, the rest of the squad, including the reserves, and even a few spectators, have already pissed in cups and been cleared by some drug testing authority in Malaysia. Wasn't the movie "Entrapment", starring Sean Connery, filmed in Malaysia? Didn't Connery play Bond for a while? Wasn't "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" the worst film ever made? Exactly. That's shady too.

Doctors in England will be making the world's first (maybe 100th – who knows. First sounds better.) complete blood transfusion and muscle sieving procedure to remove the controversial nandrolone from Asif and Shoaib's body. Then they will use Abdul Razzaq's blood to fill them up again. It's dramatic, it's crazy, but it just might work. As long as they don't somehow infuse the two with Razzaq's somewhat insipid bowling ability, it sounds completely foolproof.

Of course, questions abound. Is the procedure safe? In particular, will Razzaq survive after donating every ounce of his blood? The answer is: who gives? We've got Azhar, haven't we? They're practically the same person.

If all goes well, Shoaib and Asif will be nandrolone-free and ready to roll when Pakistan take on the Windies in a couple of weeks. In fact, they might as well pop a few more doses while they're at it…

Co-authored by Billu.net
Cross-posted at Billu.net and Cricket Bloggers of Pakistan

Can you be the next Pakistani opener?

Position Available: Opener for the Pakistan cricket team (National Squad) - temporary position

Position Requirements

No experience required.

Age - Must be young. Under 25, with minimum domestic or international exposure.

Preference for candidates from "warring tribal areas."

Required to score 100 on debut
...and 50 every 20th game thereafter.

Cover drives must be spectacular
...no other shots required
...the worse your pull shot, the better your chances
...proper technique is severely frowned upon

Must flash aggressively at every 3rd delivery well outside the off stump
...contact with delivery optional

Must get out on every 5th such aggressive flash
...contact with delivery not optional

Bandana wearers encouraged to apply.

Must have the diving agility of a cheetah
...but the catching ability of a snail

Must be able to bowl legspin or off break
...however, not required to take wickets (please see note)

Note: In the event that a wicket is taken, or if said player does in fact have wicket taking abilities, the PCB and team management cannot be held responsible for the consequences. The ICC will suspend said player for one of the following reasons:

a) Throwing
b) Match-fixing
c) Match-fixing and throwing
d) Bringing the game into disrepute
e) Bringing yourself into disrepute
f) Bringing iguanas into disrepute
g) Bringing koala bears into disrepute
h) Bringing antique furniture into disrepute
i) Not bringing anything to repute whatsoever
j) All of the above

Complicated numerical nomenclature will be supplied for every law created/cited in the process of having said player banned for just enough games till he/she is completely demoralized and out of form.

Terms and conditions

Short term contract only, 1-1.5 tours
Must be willing to travel extensively, across continents, on a moment's notice

co-authored by billu.net
cross-posted at billu.net and cricket.bloggers.pk

Kaneria's selection a bunch of balls

Why the fuck has Danish Kaneria been selected into the World Cup squad over Abdur Rehman? Agreed, a spinner probably wouldn't have played anyway, but his selection has come out of the blue.

Rehman played just 1 ODI in 2007. He was up and coming and was very impressive against the West Indies. Yes, he gave 27 runs in 2 overs against the South Africans, but every one of our bowlers got bumjacked in that game. There was NO reason to drop him.

This is just stupid. Why are we taking players who we think may be good but have hardly played the format. Kaneria has not even been a part of our ODI squad in this South African series...or the West Indies...Or part of the maybe 10 series before that!

He played 1 ODI in 2006 (0 wickets), and 5 ODI's in 2005 (3 wickets). I think we've all established that we need an attacking or a restrictive spinner in ODI's. Kaneria is nowhere near that requirement. The reason he is our sole test spinner is because he has become a stock bowler. He needs at least 30 overs to take his 5 wickets plus he always gives away about a 100+ runs. Read my blogging colleagues post on Kaneria for older, yet still quite apt opinion on Kaneria.

One would assume that players who have fucking played the ODI format in the last 6 months at least should be in the running, right?. Kaneria has played 16 ODI's in his life with an average of 49.17. So he gets a wicket every 50 runs. Okay....A lot better than Rana Naveed these days, but still! I am not discounting the fact that he may not be a great ODI spinner. 16 ODI's, though its plenty of matches, it wasn't a consistent enough run. What irks me is how suddenly everyone who has played an ODI can suddenly come into the picture. The PCB is evidently panicking now. I would wait a couple of days before Wasim Akram gets a recall. Hell, I wouldn't mind since I am sure he's better than Iftikhar Rao and Rana Naveed at the moment. Anyway I'm digressing...

Rehman's average in his early days is a shade under 20 (which is brilliant), including an amazing series against the Windies back home. I saw him play and I am really disappointed for him.

We have no choice when it comes to our pacemen, but if anything, go for consistency in squad selection for the spinners. We used to have a brilliant spin attack in ODI's and were really successfully then. On many occasions, both Saqlain and Mushtaq would play the same ODI's. Saqlain was, in fact, one of the fastest bowlers to ever get to a 100 ODI wickets. Those were great days! Why is Pakistan so fucking scared to play specialist spinners? Now that our fast bowlers are losing their limbs and muscles left right and center, the PCB should been bold and the team management should have had a change of strategy. Instead of playing shitty fast bowlers who are not in form, play a couple of spinners, who ARE in form. Rehman should have been in this ODI squad. This is bullshit. The PCB better have some reasons for this, but I am sure the don't. Choots...

Cross-posted at Cricket.Bloggers.Pk

England matching Pakistani injury lists knee for knee, hamstring for hamstring

Vaughan has flown back home to England. Shabbir Ahmed played a single twenty20 and Shoaib Akhtar just played for a couple of sessions of a test and both went home. Is anyone else a bit shocked by the spate of injuries that have befallen the English and Pakistani sides? I'm no doctor, but its safe to assume the amount of cricket being played today is reducing the shelf life of our cricketers. I remember supporting Gavaskar just last year when he ridiculed the complaints of modern players on being burnt-out.

"These players are turning out for their countries. It's an honour to represent your country. I would be willing to sweat 365 days in a year for India. Those who can't stand the heat should stay out."

At the time I thought it was silly for highly paid players to complain while they had the best health care possible provided to them. Mike Selvey's response to Gavaskar last year was apt and equally valid today. Some excerpts...

What Gavaskar fails or is unwilling to grasp is the idea that it is not the volume of cricket but rather the sheer intensity of it that creates the problems.

But this does not mean we should not listen to the rest of the world on this issue. When Brett Lee confesses that the petrol has run out and he is "bowling on fumes", it really does mean something. The home boards have a duty of care to state this in the strongest terms to the ICC.

The cricketing boards are really packing in the tours for commercial purposes, and the cricketers are feeling the adverse effects. I feel that the rift between team management and their respective boards with regards to player burnout is increasing. The management have no choice but to rest key players, and adopt rotation policies. New Zealand have implemented a rotation policy for a quite a while now. However, w hen you rest key players, the competition gets reduced, and the quality of match play goes down.

Woolmer, amongst others, recently spoke up against this hectic South Africa tour, and these collective voices against overburdening the cricketers are getting louder. No matter how good medical staffs are, it seems to me that they can't catch up to the pace of international cricket. Or maybe its just Pakistan that seems to be suffering a lot. Shoaib Akhtar, Shabbir Ahmed, Umar Gul, Razzak and Malik are all on the path to recovery from some ailment or the other. England also have Anderson, KP (though he was just unlucky), and Vaughan, who keeps finding new ways to injure his fragile body. The PCB has recently launched an inquiry into how these players are getting injured to often, and England, I'm sure, will soon follow and is also concerned.

We are concerned with the number of injuries we have had on this tour and we don`t want a repeat of this in future events," a senior PCB official said.

"The chairman PCB Dr Naseem Ashraf himself is going to look into this issue and we will have our medical panel examine all the players before the World Cup squad is finalized," said director, cricket operations, Saleem Altaf.

I never thought it would come to this for me, but there really is too much nonsensical cricket being played. The commercial aspects seem to have become the primary objective, and though the fans are getting what they pay for, injuries to players is undoubtedly the biggest side effect. It is also arguable whether the quality of cricket being played is deteriorating. Tim de Lisle's column in Cricinfo touches upon how this is changing the game we all love.

I love watching cricket so my suggestion is to have separate teams for separate forms of the game, thus each squad can focus on their specialty. Naturally some players are well-accustomed to several forms of the game, and they can be rotated. If twenty20 is the next big thing, then countries should develop pure twenty20 players. If the various boards develop a strong bench of players from which to choose from, not only will players develop their game since a lot more are seeing international cricket, but the fans are getting what they want. More cricket...

In a sense this is already being implement by most boards, and it is bound to become a staple for the cricketing nations in because in my opinion there is no way, the ICC will hold back on the amount of cricket being played. Its just not going to happen. Though I'm happy with our sport's success, I am worried about the people in charge and their obsession with Benjamins.

Hair (white chap) is suing claiming racial discrimination

White people suing citing racial discrimination isn't unheard of, yet it's still laughable. What stands out for me is that he's actually pulled Doctrove, the other umpire (A West Indian, hence black) into this mess. His argument is really childish. He's been punished, and now his way of hitting back at the ICC and PCB is: "You punished me, but what about Doctrove? It was half his fault too! You guys are racist!"

No, you fat &^%$, it wasn't Doctrove's fault. It was completely your own doing. I don't feel like writing anymore about Hair, so I will just quote my blogging colleagues who are a lot more eloquent than me at expressing frustration...
Billu writes...

Darrell Hair is like a big, fat, ugly boomerang - no matter how far you think you've thrown him, he keeps coming back. The latest installment in this ongoing saga involves him trying to sue the PCB for racial discrimination.I can think of two possibilities:
1. Because the PCB suggested that he is a racist...
2. Because he was removed from the "elite panel" and Billy Doctrove wasn't...

King writes...

Darrell Hair was made a scapegoat because he's an abrasive buffoon, lacking in people skills and several Test nations have no confidence in him. That's enough to ensure his demotion from Tests in itself.

Teeth writes...

With Hair filing the suit it puts PCB on a defensive back foot as it now has to defend its position contrary to what could have been had if PCB filed the suit according to its own stance on the issue. To prove racial discrimination is a tough task which generally is taken if a number of witnesses testify convincingly that there was a strong discrimination. As far as Hair is concerned he started the entire mess which consequentially lead him down this path, ICC in its hearing did not find credible evidence to support his ball tampering claim so hence he was definitely wrong to even suggest a side to have cheated.

The PCB reeks of double standards

Its interesting how Pakistan will play Mohammad Yousuf without a seconds thought but Shoaib Akhtar was sidelined from the first test match for 'fitness' reasons and lack of match practice. MoYo has not played any cricket since December. One could argue that he needs to play a couple of first class games prior to this. Mohammad Asif played exactly the same amount as Shoaib, yet he played the first test match too.

My argument is simple. Why these double standards? Its plain to see that there is something about Shoaib that management does not like. And they keep making excuses to sideline him. I agree that match fitness is crucial, then why don't those exact rules apply to other players? Inzi is far from fit, and was short of form, yet they persisted with him.

Shoaib is a proven match winner. The term match winner is thrown about a lot, so I'll explain what I mean. Shoaib has the ability to change the course of a game in a single spell. He has the ability to take 10 wickets. Of course he may not take any and might have an ordinary game, but when you have someone like him on the squad, who you know will cause problems for the opposition, why play around with his career, and the outcome of the game. Support the guy and give him the same treatment you give everyone else.

It was a stupid mistake to keep Shoaib Akhtar back in Pakistan playing with Rawalpindi. That cost us the first test match. The difference between the South African side and ours was that only 1 of our bowlers was decent enough to get a wicket. Umar Gul's injury or not, by flying Akhtar over on the first flight to South Africa, the selectors looked like complete idiots.

Once again, the PCB and the selectors have shown themselves to be a bunch of clowns, who don't have the best interests of the national team in their minds when they make their decisions. They claim the higher moral ground and speak against the arrogance of players and officials. Their dealings with Waqar, Mushtaq, Younis Khan, the ECB, all come to mind. Yet they are the biggest culprits of all. Their pompousness is ridiculous. They are there to advance the sport, serve the players and serve the nation. I feel like they're completely submerged in this gossipy world of 'he said, she said' type accusations and age old grudges against people who talk back against them. I agree that Shoaib think he's a real something something, but this comes with the territory. He IS a big shot. That's how he is supposed to act. He's our star bowler. I may not want to hang out with the guy and have tea with him, but I certainly want him to be wearing my country's colors and getting wickets.

People get fired, or get criticised, all the time around the world. Its not always acrimonious. Its not always mudslinging for days afterwards. The desi emotion driven bureaucracy at the helm of the PCB must be replaced by a professionals, who have a board in charge, so its not a dictatorship, some smart administrators with clear goals in mind.

Shoaib returns to the fold - PCB proves itself to be incompetent

Shoaib Akhtar is now back in the scheme of things. He is being sent as a cover for Umar Gul. From what I have heard, Gul's injury is not that serious. At worst, he will miss the first test match. Sami, Rana and Nazir seem fit, and will probably play the first test. I doubt Shoaib will play in the first game. Firstly he probably just arrived from the flight, and secondly he is being sent as a cover, so the selectors probably feel Sami, Rana and Nazir are better than Shoaib at this point in time.

What's amusing is the PCB's sudden change of opinion. Previously they claimed...

Iqbal Qasim, a member of the selection committee, told Cricinfo, "Shoaib has been left out because we felt his full match fitness hasn't yet returned after the break he has had from the game."

Less than a week later, according to PCB.com.pk...

"Akhtar has proved his fitness in the first class match and on the team management demand for a replacement, Akhtar and Shabbir Ahmed's names were considered and Akhtar was a more suitable choice," Bari said.

What a joke! If all it took was 1 practice match to regain 'fitness', why couldn't Shoaib have played the rest of South Africa team in their first tour match? Its not like Sami or Rana actually did anything useful in that game. As a matter of fact, we threw everything but the kitchen sink at them. 7 of our bowlers bowled and we barely got a 100 run lead against a 2nd string South African batting lineup.

And while we are on the subject, just what in the world encompasses a fitness test?

Just like the KingCricket blog has its Top 10, I need to implement my bottom 10. The confused clowns at the helm of the PCB would highlight my list.

Waqar resigns: Mudslinging continues

A new year begins, but Pakistani cricket is back to its old ways. Seems like the PCB and their staff didn't make a resolution to try and get along better and avoid meaningless tiffs through the media.

Pakistan is starting this year with the acrimonious departure of their bowling coach, Waqar Younis. He resigned after learning that his coaching assignment for the South African tour was limited to only the test matches. Just as I had predicted, he wasn't too ecstatic with the board's decision and subsequently resigned. He explained his position through the media. From SkySports.com...

"I am disappointed that they wanted me for only the Test series on the South Africa tour, which is mistreatment," Waqar told AFP. "Respect is something that the PCB needs to learn. I am a bowling coach and not a clerk. The improvement in Pakistan bowlers is there to be seen. I took time out from my family commitments to help youngsters, but it is better to quit when you don't get the respect," Younis added.

The PCB media release in retort is even more interesting. Who would have ever thought that a professional organization would feel the need to explain its moral position on arrogant players? From PCB.com.pk...

Pakistan Cricket Board, on Sunday evening issued a rejoinder on the resignation of Waqar Younis, through its Director Cricket Operations Salim Altaf. The statement said, "PCB’s bowling coach Waqar Younis reached Lahore on Saturday evening after an un-authorized absence of 12 days and thought that his presence with the team should have been ensured during the ODI series in South Africa and not just the Test matches. Whereas it is the prerogative of the board in consultation with the team management that which official has to be with the team and for how long. This decision is taken purely in the larger interest of Pakistan Cricket and team's requirement. The management feels that Waqar has very little contribution in the past as far as the shorter version of the game is concerned."

It was also stated that "PCB treats all its contractual staff/consultants as professionals but regrets to mention that Waqar has failed to behave in a professional manner and has clearly violated the discipline and breached the contract which evidently documents management's discretion to send him or not on a foreign tour with the team."

Waqar intimated the board on Saturday evening about his decision to quit in a burst of anger and the board only respected his decision by accepting the same although it had full commitment to honor the contract till it expired after the end of World Cup in April 2007.

Reiterating in the end, the statement said that PCB respects all its employees, players and consultants but would not tolerate indiscipline and arrogance.

Waqar's outburst doesn't seem unwarranted under the circumstances. The PCB should have done more to communicate with him and explain their position. This is just another instance of their terrible personnel management skills, and at the end of the day, whether its about respect or arrogance, it is Pakistan cricket that suffers.

Mushtaq back as 'Assistant Coach'

From TheNews.com.pk...

Less than three months after sacking him, Dr Nasim Ashraf, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has reappointed Mushtaq Ahmed, the former Pakistan leg-spinner, as assistant coach for the tour to South Africa, set to begin from Tuesday (tomorrow).

Mushtaq had been removed from the post hours before the Pakistan team left for the Champions Trophy in October, one of Ashraf’s first moves upon taking over the chairmanship of the board.

At the time, he was deemed as “irrelevant staff” by Ashraf, though speculation centred around a combination of his close friendship with Inzamam-ul-Haq and his implication in Justice Qayyum’s report on match-fixing.

But at a press conference in Lahore, Ashraf said Mushtaq was capable of serving the team. “Mushtaq has impressed me a lot with his cricketing knowledge and I think he can be a better choice for the South African tour,” he said.

Mushtaq is expected to remain with the team through the whole tour, while Waqar Younis, the bowling coach, will return home after the Tests.

Nothing exceptionally newsworthy about this announcement except for the fact that it shows how disorganised and fickle the PCB really is. Mushtaq was fired from his position a few months ago, and now he's back again! What happened to him being hurt and angry? I don't know if the board has any real long term plans and strategies. It all seems a bit idiotic.

And what is the point of having a bowling coach for just the tests? According to reports, the PCB has made arrangements for Waqar to return after the test series is complete. What's the point? Are they getting cheaper airfares by having him take an earlier flight? The ODI format may be shorter, but I'm sure his presence can only help our squad. It can't possibly harm them can it? I doubt Waqar is not going to be too happy about this. Judging by how Pakistan usually operates, this is probably just a scheme to irk Waqar and remove him from the coaching staff. Naeem Ashraf, so far, is quite the instigator.

Personnel management at the PCB has always been atrocious. Cronies make their way to the top, and these guys pull up their nearest and dearest. It's about time that Pakistan had professionals in charge of their cricketing infrastructure rather than ex-cricketers, generals and Musharraf's poker buddies.

Doping Scandal continues: WADA files appeal

As everyone expected, save the PCB who assumed they were now in the clear, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has officially filed an appeal in the Court of Sports Arbitration. They want the ban on Shoaib and Asif to be instated. From IHT...

WADA appealed that decision on Thursday to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, based in Lausanne, Switzerland. "WADA believes that the decision to overturn the sports sanctions is not in conformity with the World Anti-Doping Code," WADA spokesman Frederic Donze said in a statement Friday. "WADA has determined that it has the right — and the duty — to appeal in the circumstances in the interest of doping-free sport."

Can the players compete while this appeals process is occurring?

Now the PCB are really screwed. I doubt they ever thought it would come to this. The world is watching the PCB again. How will they respond...

WADA aims to challenge Shoaib, Asif doping reprieve

I doubted the ICC and WADA would let Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif off as easily. I am guessing a long and arduous legal battle will probably ensue. I don't know why the PCB are being so naive and stubborn about this. The matter is NOT closed, which is what the PCB are claiming. This whole process has made Pakistan look bad according to international eyes. Whether or not the players are innocent is not even the question anymore. The legality, transparency and appeals process that was applied is in question. The ICC and WADA are joining hands and probably have the authority to put their foot down and order re-testing, or perhaps place the ban again on the players. From the IHT...

ICC chief executive officer Malcolm Speed said his organization will offer WADA its full support.

"Our lawyers have examined the finding of the (Pakistan appeals panel) and do not believe the ICC has a right of appeal, but we will cooperate with WADA and provide it with any assistance it requires," Speed said Monday.

The World Anti-Doping Agency will argue to the Court of Arbitration of Sport that Pakistan is a full member of the ICC, which signed up to its code in July.

Seems like the PCB is preparing to defend its decision to the hilt. I just hope this happens well before the World Cup.

As expected, everyone and their mother begins slamming lifting of doping ban

“If I'm walking into a shit storm I want to know which way the wind's blowing”...wise words from Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) in Spy Games. After I wasted 8$ on that movie, this line was probably the only thing that I cared to remember from that crappy film. Somehow or the other, while I was reading all the posts, blogs, and opinion commentaries this morning....the quote came to me and I felt it was quite appropriate for the current situation.

The PCB, which has really bungled one thing after another this year, must have expected this storm...don't know if they knew the direction of the wind though! They can't be that naive, can they?. But they are getting slammed left, right, and center, and rightly so. Their credibility is tarnished and the entire process is nothing but a joke now. My thoughts on this verdict are presented below and were published yesterday...

The Australian boasts a sports headline entitled "Pakistan plays by own rules"...

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appears to have played the cricket world off a break after an appeals board reversed the drug bans of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif.

As unjust and embarrassing as this decision appears, the PCB can, not for the first time, continue to thumb its nose at the game with impunity because of cricket's shambolic structure.

The article argues that..

At the very least the cricketers should have been forced to prove how the banned substance entered their bodies. This is a prerequisite for a reduction of the sanction under the "exceptional circumstances" rule.

If the bans against Shoaib and Asif are not reinstated then, a little more than a month after the ICC sacked umpire Darrell Hair in disgraceful circumstances and agreed to re-admit pariah Zimbabwe into the Test arena next year, the cricket world will be left without credibility. Yet again.

Well, that parting shot about Hairgate is understandable from an Australian paper. Though the public may differ, Pakistan's daily's weren't too ecstatic. As reported by the IndiaTimes...

"Regardless of a split decision among the three-member review panel that heard their appeals, both Shoaib and Asif have in fact been proved to have taken a banned substance. No review panel in the world can change that fact," an editorial in 'The Post' said.

In the hard-hitting editorial, titled "A strange let-off", it said if the decision of the tribunal was driven by subjective reasons rather than hard evidence, why did they not assign any weight to the pride of Pakistan cricket that would be damaged by fielding two established dope cheaters.

"A nation's pride is much more valuable than the pride of any individual. If by some miracle, Pakistan can win the World Cup utilizing two druggies, will it add to the pride of our nation," it wondered. In a special article, 'The Nation' ridiculed Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Dr. Naseem Ashraf for singing different tunes.

"In what is tantamount to a most stunning total reversal, the tribunal reviewing the appeals of Pakistan's pace spearheads in its verdict has acquitted the duo, overturning the one and two year bans respectively imposed by a PCB tribunal only 34 days ago," it said.

The decision may come as a huge relief for the Pakistan cricket team but the risks of "disgrace" by bringing the two back could be great, it said.

The most important and influential player in this process might probably be WADA, the World Anti Doping Agency. From Reuters...

WADA official Frederic Donze told a Pakistani newspaper that the appeals commission's decision appeared to be unreasonable and a violation of the international anti-doping code.

"We have decided to take up the matter with the ICC. My personal view is that the decision taken by the Pakistan Cricket Board panel is unreasonable," Donze was quoted as saying in The News on Wednesday. Donze said WADA would first look into the decision of the tribunal before making further comments.

On the other end of the spectrum, Brian Lara, who is currently in Pakistan urged people to not jump to conclusions...

West Indies captain Brian Lara urged respect on Wednesday for a decision by the Pakistan Cricket Board to clear bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif of doping and said he hoped there would not be a negative reaction. "We must respect the decision of the Pakistan board. They are people of integrity in there," Lara told a news conference before the second one-day international on Thursday. "I just hope that the negativity surrounding this case does not spiral into anything else," he said.

As far as the ICC goes, Percy Sonn said...

"..the judgment of an appellate tribunal to revoke the bans imposed hardly a month ago showed that there were "inconsistencies" in Pakistan's anti-doping process.

"The judgment highlights inconsistencies in the Pakistan Cricket Board's anti-doping processes and regulations," Sonn said in a statement.

"Cricket has taken significant strides forward in addressing the important issue of drug use in our sport. However, this judgment emphasizes that much more work needs to be done to educate players and to synchronize our Members' efforts to attain a totally drug-free sport," he said.

The under-fire PCB chairman Nasib Ashraf was firmly standing by the appeals process, with WADA chief Dick Pound disagreeing....

Nasib Ashraf, PCB chairman, said after the appeal panel's decision that neither the ICC nor WADA could overturn the Akhtar and Asif verdict. "The ICC or WADA cannot intervene because the doping tests were conducted out of competition by the PCB, and the chapter is now closed," Ashraf said.

WADA head Dick Pound disagreed with the appeal panel's assertion that the players should have been warned. "No, it's quite clear that if you are an international athlete, you've got to be aware of the risks," Pound said. "You don't get any points for saying someone forgot to warn me."

Well...the next step seems to be fresh doping tests for both these players...Lets see where we go from there.

What a farce! Ban for Shoaib and Asif overturned

Is this a joke? Barely a month after the PCB slaps bans on Shoaib and Asif, their appeals tribunal overturns them. This is ridiculous. The entire cricketing world is laughing at us. These is no way that they will be willing to accept this verdict, especially since the PCB paraded them as guilty and left them out to dry. This whole process stinks of incompetence, with the powers-that-be, possibly protecting the star players of the national team. There is no doubt in my mind that the initial verdict was hasty. As my colleague in the blogging world points out, there seemed to be a rush to decision making by the PCB.

They rushed to judgment, and now the country looks like a bunch of bumbling idiots. They should have played it safer earlier. They should have either: (1) stuck to their time-honored traditions of secrecy and dealt with the matter behind closed doors; or (2) opened it to the world and had a proper trial - not one where the sentence was, as it appears, pre-determined, but a real and proper and final one.

What has happened is neither here nor there. And it is shameful. And it makes us look shady.

I'd like to point out that initially, though I felt it was all happening to fast and it might be hasty, I welcomed the ban as the correct and fair decision. This is because I never imagined a complete acquittal being the eventual scenario, plus I assumed a fair and thorough trial.

The PCB were so hell-bent on protecting their own skin. They made the test results public as soon as possible, removed Asif and Akhtar from the Champions squad, thus saving themselves from the embarrassment of a rumored ICC doping test. The PCB, which usually keeps its inner workings and secrets tighter than the KGB, suddenly became the most righteous cricketing authority in the world, handing down 'justice' and verdicts like no other. They banned their rising phenomenon, Mohammed Asif and their tried and tested match winner, Shoaib Akhtar. What a show!

Will the ICC recognize this new verdict? Does the World Doping Agency have a say in this matter? I'm sure they will. Osman Samiuddin's piece in cricinfo hints towards their possible involvement.

The ICC did not have any immediate reaction. "Malcolm Speed is currently in Uganda and we can't comment on the issue unless we have all the details," said Brian Murgatroyd, the ICC spokesman. "We need to go through the judgment and also get the PCB's version before making any comment."

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), in charge of monitoring drugs in sport, said they needed to discuss the matter with the ICC. Frederic Donze, their media relations officer, told Cricinfo: "We will now review the reasons for the decision, liaise with the ICC and consider whether to exercise its right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport."

Amidst all this turmoil, the players themselves are awaiting a comeback, and are obviously being brought up for selection. This may not be so simple. From BBC...

Pakistan have resisted the temptation to recall key pacemen Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif for Thursday's second one-day international with West Indies. Neither has played since September and chief selector Wasim Bari said: "I will have to talk to the other selectors before deciding when to consider them."

Let's just wait and see what happens, but I don't think they should play till the ICC and WADA have come to their conclusions. Since 'exceptional circumstances' as being defined differently by the PCB, ICC or WADA came up as the crux of their defense, I suspect some more tests are in order. The ICC which happily accepted the tribunals initial verdict may not be so accommodating to this one.

This process has been embarrassing, taxing and waste of time. I have a feeling Pakistanis are probably overjoyed by this decision. Other cricket fans won't be too happy about this and that's not because two incredible bowlers may return; but that this process of banning and overturning the ban a month later has lacked transparency and looks crooked as hell. I have no explanation...

As far as the players go, if they do join the squad for the SA tour, I can only begin to imagine how the crowd will deal with them. The PCB has not treated them well, which is what we know for sure, and they have gotten true justice. Who knows? The process should have been thorough in the beginning, when they were assumed guilty before the hearings even began. That makes it highly unlikely for anyone to believe and trust them.

I don't know if they are guilty of doping or not, and I suppose no one knows. From what I have read about Nandrolone, it is quite possible that it can be produced endogenously. The Pakistani public will accept this reasoning and give them the benefit of doubt. I'd like to see some more testing and some independent scientific analysis of the results. For all we know, the Shoaib and Asif really could be clean as a whistle, and their dietary supplements may be the cause of the illegal substances.

This trial, retrial and so on has raised more questions than it has has answered, and I think this will continue for a while...

Reprieve for Akhtar and Asif likely outcome

From what I am reading, it seems like the verdict for tomorrows appeal process is likely to be in favor of the banned Pakistani bowlers, Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif. Most of the media reports and rumors seem to be pointing towards a reduction of the ban. I am genuinely surprised about this and I posted an article from the rumor mill a few days ago. From cricketzone.com...

...one of the members of the appeal committee Haseeb Ahsan said he was impressed with the way the bowlers presented their argument which gave the panel a new perspective in the case.

Whatever perspective the lawyers presented must have been pretty strong and pretty unique. Though these reports say that the ban might be reduced, according to their sources, the ban will not be lifted. From thenews.com.pk...

The committee which also includes doping expert Dr Danish Zaheer has taken a longer time to decide the case than expected but Haseeb said that such important issues cannot be dealt with in a hurry. “It is a matter of national importance and we wanted to give the players a fair chance to defend themselves,” he said.

Haseeb said that “personally he has reached the conclusion that the players did not get such a fair chance” during the proceedings of the inquiry tribunal last month.

“The lawyers of the two players especially Abid Minto who is representing Shoaib Akhtar have really fought the case well and several new points were raised during the proceedings of this committee which are quite important,” said Haseeb without revealing anything more.

There is no doubt that if this ban were to be reduced, it would aid Pakistan greatly. However, I think a reduction makes the entire process a complete mockery. Why did these players not hire hotshot lawyers in the first place? Was there not enough time? If the players were not adequately represented, then who's fault is that?

The evidence and the bottom line, as far as the public understands it, is that these two players doped up. They took a banned substance, which is illegal. The ban was harsh, yet fair and it was accepted by most. Though the players have a right to an appeal, I am not sure what could be so different now that it lets them off with a lighter punishment.

If Shoaib and Asif do get a lighter sentence, then the PCB and the appeals committee better have some really good reasons for it. If we let our star bowlers off the hook on this one, the international cricketing community is not going to let this one go easily. Will they accept this second verdict? This reprieve? They will have a hard time swallowing the fact that the PCB has succumbed to public pressure and reinstated the offending players. In fact, the ICC might even have a say in this matter and conduct their own dope tests. Nothing has been set in stone yet and I am just thinking out aloud, but I just hope the people in charge are considering all options thoroughly.

Thoughtful gestures by the PCB

I've been following the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) website for a while now, and I've noticed that the Board puts out a condolence media release when a former player or even a member of the players family passes away. I think its a very thoughful gesture and it might just be our culture or environment. I am not sure if I have seen any other cricket board's follow this practice though the subcontinental boards might.

Other than that, its quite impressive how organized the PCB is regarding its media releases. This month of November is not even over yet, and there are some 40 releases listed here.

PCB apparently failed to comply with WADA guidelines

That's an interesting revelation by someone who is actually sitting on the appeals committee, which is going to be hearing Shoaib and Asif's ban. I knew this process would be cumbersome in Pakistan. I think its a bit of silly argument. Whether or not the PCB was supposed to conduct the tests is irrelevant. The fact of the matter remains that the players were doping and that should be the bottom line. Seems like Hasib Ahsan is leaning towards lifting the ban...

If so, this is not going to look pretty through the eyes of the international community

From Dawn...

Former Test cricketer Hasib Ahsan, a member of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appeals committee to review doping charges on fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, said on Saturday that it was not mandatory for PCB to carry out such tests in the first place and the board had not fulfilled the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) regulations during the testing procedures.

“There are many pre-requisites in WADA regulations and those have not been fulfilled by the PCB,” said Hasib in an exclusive interview with Voice of America (VOA) on Saturday. “If the defense counsels of Shoaib and Asif effectively point out the loopholes in dope tests, the appeal committee will have to consider and accept their pleadings.”

Hasib, a former chief selector, also made a startling disclosure when he said that since PCB was not a signatory to International Cricket Council or WADA’s doping code, it was under no binding or obligation to conduct such tests.

Sources close to PCB, while endorsing Hasib’s views, said the board was, apparently, in hot soup since the appeals committee had found out gross violations of WADA and ICC Doping Code during the dope tests conducted on Pakistani cricketers which eventually led to banning of pacers Shoaib and Asif by the PCB Anti-doping Tribunal.

According to the sources, PCB’s Dr Sohail Salim had not conducted the dope tests as per WADA or ICC Doping Code, thus violating the fundamental ‘Doping Code Protocols’ that may render the whole testing procedures invalid.

The study of the procedure reveals that the dope tests should be conducted within one hour of issuing the suspect athlete a written notification to present himself at the venue of inquiry. Dr Sohail only informed Shoaib and Asif of their notice on telephone after which it took Shoaib a good five days to appear for the test while Asif managed to appear for his test after five hours of the Sohail’s phone call.

The PCB’s blunders continued when both players’ names were released to the media in complete violation of the ICC and PCB Anti Doping Code.

41 players reported for 'chucking' in domestic cricket

That's a lot of bowlers! I am surprised there are so many of them. From Dawn.com...

Among the 41 reported for the offence, some are those who were marked during the previous national Under-19 tournament while quite a few of them have been representing their respective departments in the ongoing Patron's Trophy.

Mudassar Nazar, Director National Cricket Academy and head of the PCB bowling review committee, confirmed to Dawn that some players, indeed, have been reported but their fate would be decided later.

According to reports, the PCB is likely to impose a four-week ban on the suspected ‘chuckers’ in order to take them off domestic scene and to work on their actions.