Ijaz Butt: Meeting the challenge with a smile

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

How often do you come across someone who keeps his cool and composure even when confronted with provoking remarks and that too in the media or at a public place where you are the centre of attraction?

There are very few individuals who have the capacity to absorb unkind remarks or face undue criticism for the faults of others. One needs to have nerves of steel and strength in character to cope with the hostilities hurled by people either having vested strengths or lack of knowledge about the subject.

The chairmanship of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is indeed a hot seat and it remains under the scrutiny of the media in particular and the masses in general because cricket is the most popular sport of the country by a big distance and every other person in the society considers himself or herself an expert of the game.

Ijaz Butt has taken over the leadership of the PCB only a few months ago. Having a proven record in the field of administration and management, besides being a former Test cricketer, he was supposed to be the best man for the position that had been lying vacant with the resignation of Dr Nasim Ashraf.

The cricket community heaved a sigh of relief when Ijaz Butt was appointed as the chairman because it was being demanded for a long time to have the affairs of the Board managed by a former Test cricketer.

These are still the early days in office for Ijaz Butt and one needs to wait for a year or so to draw a conclusion if he’s doing justice to the task or not. It’s very unprofessional to seek an explanation from him for the misdeeds of his predecessors or directly hold him accountable for the wrongdoings of his associates.

Since Ijaz Butt’s intentions appear positive there is more likelihood of him succeeding than not. He has those rare qualities of handling the pressure and rising to the occasion in the testing times. 

So far Ijaz Butt has fared rather well. Obviously there were challenges for him than opportunities when he took over but he has worked his way nicely and things are looking brighter than before.

It goes to his credit to have convinced the Australians to play Pakistan at a neutral venue. His initiatives have already resulted in the resumption of Test cricket in Pakistan after more than a year.

He should be commended for doing these two accomplishments in particular. Pakistan had not played a single Test in 2008, let alone hosting a game. Things looked gloomier when the Indians cancelled their tour to Pakistan for non-cricketing reasons. 

Ijaz Butt did the cause of the game a great service by persuading the Sri Lankans to tour Pakistan during the period when the Indians were due to play. There was Test cricket at last for the Pakistanis.

The Australians appeared reluctant to be engaged in a series with Pakistan in this part of the world but he managed to negotiate a successful deal as a result of which these two teams will soon be playing in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. 

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Younis Khan excels on pitch of his own choice

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

It’s really childish to believe that the newly installed Pakistan captain, Younis Khan, had no say in the preparation of the pitch that very nearly produced a result on the final evening at the National Stadium, Karachi.

Equally bewildering was the statement of the Pakistan coach, Intikhab Alam, at the end of the second day in which he had blasted the curators for preparing a pitch where the Sri Lankans had piled up a huge total.

It’s an open secret that the curators had prepared the pitch in accordance with the guidelines from the Pakistan management that indeed included both Intikhab Alam as well as Younis Khan.

Obviously the home team desired a track that did not assist the spin bowling because Sri Lanka had a couple of great spinners in their folds. They didn’t dare putting their own batsmen to risk by ordering for a lively track with the procession that followed in the third One-day International at the Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore, still at the back of their minds.

When you don’t wish a pitch that doesn’t assist the spinners or fast bowlers then what else are you going to get other than a perfect batting strip. So why blame the ground staff if you yourself are short of confidence. It was Pakistan's first home Test in 16 months and they were not willing to take chances.

Intikhab Alam, it’s generally believed, had a go at the curators at the end of the second day because he was still unsure whether the home batsmen will be able to cope with the pressure after Sri Lanka had posted a mammoth total. 

Much to the satisfaction of the home batsmen, the pitch remained as docile on the last three days as it was on the first couple of days. Younis Khan was the major beneficiary, scoring a triple century. He was in fact eyeing Brian Lara’s record of 400 when play began on the final day.

The Pakistan skipper made the most of the favourable batting conditions before being finally dismissed after scoring 313, easily his highest Test score. The Sri Lankan bowlers faced greater embarrassment as wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal slogged them at will. He could have a gone on to score a triple century had the innings not been declared. 

Sri Lanka would not have hoped for conceding a first innings lead of 123 after having rattled 644 for 7. Pakistan declared at 765 for 6 and more drama was to follow in the afternoon. The visitors could have become the first team to lose a Test match after having 600 runs in the first innings.

Sri Lanka faced defeat after losing fifth wicket when still in the red. Pakistan were still in with a chance of pushing for a victory but the visitors played out the final overs to earn a draw. 

The lackluster captaincy of Mahela Jayawardene passed the impression that he had made a correct decision of giving up the leadership at the end of the tour. He did score a double century in the first innings but his body language in the field was not all that positive and his soft dismissal in the second outing didn’t help the cause of his team either.

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History repeats itself as India mauled at Christchurch

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The Indians have done it again. They have surrendered once more to New Zealand when they were least expected to be at the receiving end. There was hardly any comparison between the two teams but the India lived to the reputation of gifting matches to New Zealand and the hosts emerged triumphant in the first Twenty20 International at the AMI Stadium, Christchurch.

Cricket is an unpredictable game and its shortest version can produce unexpected results. Yet the manner in which the Indians were outplayed in Christchurch suggested that even Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s boys are not prepared to bring about a change for the better yet.

Yes the Indian teams have struggled in New Zealand in the past as well. But did India ever possess such a dynamic set of cricketers who could win matches on their own. Without any shadow of doubt it’s the strongest-ever Indian outfit to have arrived in New Zealand. It had looked extremely unlikely that they would also suffer similar fate as the past Indian teams.

The Indians had escaped disaster in the one-off Twenty20 International in Colombo earlier in the month when they were rescued by the Pathan brothers after a horrible middle-order collapse.

The middle-order succumbed once more after a glorious start. One couldn’t have expected a brighter start as Virender Sehwag smashed three successive sixes in the opening over of the game. He had announced his arrival in New Zealand with his trademark aggressive instincts and his teammates should have derived inspiration from him.

India have been one team that relies heavily on their openers and the top-order batsmen because they cannot trust their luck of having a go in the death overs and getting away with it. More often than not they have scored briskly in the earlier part of the innings in the limited overs games only to be restrained in the final phase.

The failure of Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh and skipper Dhoni derailed India’s progress and the Pathan brothers could not repeat their heroics of Colombo. It was left to number three Suresh Raina to anchor the innings and he did the job to the best of his abilities.

Not surprisingly once more the Indians were undone by a spinner. The New Zealand skipper, Daniel Vettori, must to hoping to more frequently to play against India to improve his own personal record. Isn’t it funny that the Indian batsmen, who grow up back home playing spinners of the highest quality, struggle against the foreign spinners in nearly every part of the world.

The Indians were always going to be tested while defending 162 at a ground having short boundaries. Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan, acclaimed as the best new-ball pair in the world, bowled with venom but they could not produce spells that could have brought their team back into the game. 

The New Zealanders, not having any big names to create pressure on the bowlers, were not overawed by the occasion went about their task in a clinical manner. The victory came without any trouble in the end.

It remains to be seen if the same pattern will follow throughout India’s tour of New Zealand or the visitors will try to do justice with their talents.

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Jayawardene skips launch of Fiasco

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

It was unfortunate but not entirely surprising to watch the Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene skipping the launching ceremony of a book that was highlighting his own accomplishments in particular and that of his team in general.

Ehsan Qureshi, whose book Fiasco: An Eyewitness Account of World Cup 2007 was launched at the Karachi Club on February 20 with great fanfare, had set the date for the ceremony with the consultation of the Sri Lankan skipper as well as their manager Brendon Kuruppu.

But neither of the two turned up at the function and needless to say no member of the Sri Lankan squad was there. The only Sri Lankan representation was that of their Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi, Sidath Kumar, and his wife.

The diplomat was requested to take up the issue of the non-attendance of their cricket captain and manager with the authorities in his home country. Jayawardene was also to be one of the speakers in the ceremony.

Jayawardene and Kuruppu had agreed in principle to be a part of the function when the author had presented a copy of his book to both the gentlemen when they were in Karachi for the ODI series against Pakistan last month.

Jayawardene, a smart guy that he is, had not only gone through the book in a flash but he also drew the attention of the author towards a printing error that only he could have found out. The reason was simple. The match report he was talking about concerned him directly and it was the game he had won for his country.

The author took the trouble of getting the copies of his book reprinted primarily to ensure that the Sri Lankan skipper was completely happy. A copy of the reprinted book was delivered to Kuruppu when Ehsan visited them upon their return from Sri Lanka for the Test series.

Jayawardene and Kuruppu had also been extended the invitation of the launching ceremony in writing well in advance in order to let them seek permission from their authorities back home, if it was needed.

Kuruppu, whom Ehsan has known for over a couple of decades, was personally handed over the invitation cards of the ceremony for each and every member of the Sri Lankan squad having arrived for the Test series. But none of them made an appearance at the function that was being held a day prior to the Test match in order to facilitate their participation.

The book launching ceremony turned out to be extremely successful even in the absence of the Sri Lankans. The presence of the Federal Sports Minister, Pir Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani and the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Ijaz Butt, besides current and former Pakistan cricketers made the occasion a memorable one.

It was very heartening to find Pakistan’s captain Younis Khan and vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq gracing the ceremony alongwith teammates Shoaib Malik, Faisal Iqbal and Danish Kaneria. Their coach, Intikhab Alam, and manager, Yawar Saeed, were also in attendance.

The 272-page book, titled Fiasco, has been published by Jumbo Publishing, who have brought out books on sports in the past as well.

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West Indies save Antigua Test with skin of their teeth

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The West Indians, under fire in the recent past for having succumbed to defeats from position of strength, have starting showing great resilience lately and a great batting performance earned them a draw in the third Test against England at the Antigua Recreation Ground in St John’s, Antigua.

If it was the sensational spell of fast bowling of Jerome Taylor that enlivened the proceedings on the fourth afternoon of the first Test at the Sabina Park, Kingston, as England crashed to 51 all out giving the West Indies an innings victory, it was the last pair of Fidel Edwards and Daren Powell who bravely resisted the England bowlers for over half an hour to secure a draw for the hosts.

Although it may still be premature to say with conviction if the present West Indian team will continue coming off consistently but their performance against England certainly augurs well for the future.

It’s not often that the West Indians have applied themselves and displayed the level of commitment that we have witnessed recently. Chris Gayle doesn’t have the resources Clive Lloyd or Vivian Richards had had at their disposal but the credit goes to the present team management for having got the best out of the boys.

By saving the game, the West Indies have inched closer to recording a rare Test series win. With two games still to be played, England are not out of it yet but they might find it very difficult to floor the home side whose fierce determination in the field must have gladdened the hearts of their supporters all over the Caribbean islands.

Andrew Strauss, having taken over the captaincy following the resignation of Kevin Pietersen in controversial circumstances, must be wondering where he went wrong in allowing the West Indies to escape with a draw in a Test match that looked in England’s grasp from the day one.

The decision of Strauss not to enforce the follow-on on the third evening looked debatable. He probably misjudged the state of the wicket or may be he was not fully satisfied with the fitness of his key bowlers. His counterpart was also guilty of misreading the pitch when he opted to field first after winning the toss. 

The odd ball was certainly keeping low from the first day but the pitch didn’t break up as much as was being anticipated on the following days. The pitch didn’t deteriorate that badly and even the West Indian tail-enders managed to hang on.

Strauss may also face criticism for having delayed the declaration on the fourth day but the fact remains that he didn’t desire giving the West Indies any chance whatsoever of getting to the target. After all it was at the same ground where the hosts had successfully chased down a world-record target of against Australia about six years ago.

But the England skipper also deserves accolades for having preferred off-spinner Graeme Swann over left-arm spinner Monty Panesar. Same was the case of Owais Shah who replaced the struggling Ian Bell. Both Swann and Shah rose to the occasion and they are likely to be part of the playing eleven in both the remaining Tests.

Strauss himself batted exceptionally well and his magnificent knock of 169 helped England post a commanding first innings total. 

Talking of batting, Ramnaresh Sarwan played a couple of fabulous knocks in the game. He narrowly missed the rare feat of scoring a century in each innings of the match. He batted fluently in both the outings.  

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Intikhab confident of giving Sri Lankans tough time in Tests

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam appeared very confident ahead of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka starting at the National Stadium, Karachi, on February 21.

In a brief chat, soon after having checked in at Hotel Pearl Continental, Karachi, on February 18, Intikhab expressed the hope that his boys would come up with improved performance in the Test series.

“Our team is in a very positive frame of mind right now and the sessions we have had at the Steel Township during the past few days have helped greatly in boosting their confidence for the upcoming battle,” Intikhab stated.

“Our boys are fully prepared mentally and physically to take on the Sri Lankans. They feel motivated and eager to play to their potential. They have realized that whatever had happened in the ODI series was history. They are looking forward to the Test series with renewed confidence and greater self-belief,” Intikhab reckoned. 

“We know the Sri Lankans are a world-class side but we are confident to give them a run for their money in the two Tests that we are going to play in the home series. Our team is very well balanced having a combination of youth of experience,” he added. 

Intikhab was particularly happy with the results of the recent stint at the Steel Township. “We had a wonderful short training camp at the Steel Township where boys had the opportunity of gelling together,” he noted.

He dispelled the impression that there were any negative thoughts involved behind having the camp at a distant location.

“It was just the desire of the newly appointed Pakistan captain, Younis Khan, to spend some time together with the boys without any external pressures,” Intikhab said.

Putting his weight behind Younis Khan, the Pakistan coach believed that the change of guard has helped and the team is appearing mentally tougher.

“Younis is a fighter to the core and whole team is right behind him. He has the quality of inspiring his colleagues to rise to the occasion,” Intikhab, who was also the coach of Pakistan’s World Cup winning squad in 1992, thought. 

The coach was satisfied with the squad chosen for the first Test stating that the selectors have picked the best available lot with several good options in batting and bowling department. 
Intikhab Alam did not mince words in stating his team was not in position to afford the luxury of entering a Test match with five specialist bowlers. 

“I don’t think that we can dare taking that kind of risk. Most probably we would be entering the first Test with three fast bowlers and a specialist leg-spinner in Danish Kaneria. The off-spin of Shoaib Malik will be a bonus,” he acknowledged.

“We have considerable depth in our batting with the experienced hands like Salman Butt, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik in the ranks. Plus we have some very talented youngsters all of whom have the capacity to score heavily,” Intikhab remarked.

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KCCA President puts his weight behind Younis Khan

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The President of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Dr Mohammad Ali Shah, reckons that the newly installed skipper Younis Khan has the temperament and the skills to come good in the hot heat.

“Having known him closely for a number of years, I firmly believe that he has the potential to rise to the occasion. Captaining the Pakistan team presents a very big challenge to anyone but Younis is one man who has the capability to deliver,” Dr Shah stated in a recent conversation.

Dr Shah, who is also the Minister of Sports in the province of Sindh besides being the President of the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA), appeared convinced that Younis will handle the demanding situation pretty well.

“I don’t think that his batting will be affected or he will feel burdened by captaincy. He knows how to handle the pressure. A truly gifted batsman, having scored heavily for the past many years, he seems to be possessing the leadership qualities to motivate the national team whose morale is on the lower side after the defeat in the recent ODI series against Sri Lanka,” Dr Shah, who is himself an iconic figure in the field of medicine and surgery, observed.

“Younis has had very time little time at his disposal because the Sri Lankans have now returned for the two-Test series. He was appointed the national skipper soon after the debacle in the ODI series. Here is an opportunity for him to lead by example and turn it around,” he believed.

“Younis is basically an enterprising cricketer. He has batted well in all parts of the world, having scored consistently against the strongest of bowling attacks. He has been rated as one of the best number three batsmen in the business. He needs to continue scoring heavily because his team would be looking forward to him. He is the senior most batsman in the side and he will need to bring all his experience into play to lead from the front,” Dr Shah stated.

The words of encouragement from Dr Shah should be a source of inspiration for Younis, who was appointed as captain of Pakistan soon after Shoaib Malik had stepped down following 234-run defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka in the third ODI at the Qaddafi Stadium.

Younis was indeed the automatic choice to take over provided he was willing to accept the job. He had been offered the national captaincy in the past as well but he had made a mess of the opportunity that came his way.

It was described as a collective decision of the PCB to appoint Younis as the skipper once Shoaib Malik was out of the way. 

Younis was playing the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match for his employers Habib Bank Limited (HBL) at the Qaddafi Stadium when he was summoned for a meeting with the PCB chairman, Ijaz Butt. According to the reports the meeting didn’t last more than 15 minutes and the middle-order batsman consented to lead the national team without having a second thought.

Probably in order to make the new skipper a little more comfortable, the PCB Chairman, had ruled out the possibility of having separate captains for Tests and One-day Internationals as Younis was installed as captain for Tests as well as ODIs for an indefinite period. 

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Mushtaq Mohammad considers Younis Khan better captain than Shoaib Malik

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Mushtaq Mohammad, acclaimed as the greatest cricket captain produced by Pakistan, has no doubts in his mind that Younis Khan, having been recently appointed the skipper of the national team, is far more suited to the job than his predecessor Shoaib Malik.

“Younis does have the leadership qualities that are so essential in getting the best out of the team. When you are the captain of the side you to inspire the members of your team, lift their spirits and back them,” Mushtaq remarked in a one-to-one chat at the Customs Cricket Academy in Karachi on February 16.

Having arrived from England only the other day, Mushtaq reckoned that the appointment of Younis as captain could help Pakistan in becoming a major force in world cricket once more.

“To be honest, Shoaib Malik never impressed me as a captain. In my book he wasn’t the right candidate to be offered the job. May be the cricket board had no other choice at that moment but this didn’t help the cause of the team,” Mushtaq believed.

“But let me add here that Shoaib Malik is an exceptionally gifted batsman who is capable of playing big knocks. He has already scored a few centuries and there seems no reason why he should not be scoring many more in future,” he asserted.

He dispelled the impression that Pakistan would be at any disadvantage in the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka for not having played Test cricket for over a year.

“I don’t think this would matter when the two teams take the field. As professionals every cricketer is expected to deliver in all sorts of situation. It’s a new series and the Pakistan team should think positively,” Mushtaq remarked.

“I do sincerely hope that our team doesn’t use this as an excuse if they are unable to perform in the two-Test series. Our boys would be advised to forget about the layoff and concentrate on the job in their hands instead,” he advised.

Mushtaq, who is remembered for having galvanized a bunch of high-profile individuals into a world beating outfit in the 1970s, remains convinced that Pakistan could give the Sri Lankans a run for their money in the Test series if they played to their potential.

Having led the team to victories in Tests in Australia and the West Indies during the 1976-77 season he regretted that Pakistan were not playing enough international cricket for the past few years.

“One can understand that the conditions in Pakistan might not have been entirely to the satisfaction of the visiting teams in the last few years but why haven’t Pakistan toured other countries more regularly than before to make up for the cancelled home engagements,” he questioned.

“I think the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) needs to be more proactive in their approach and they should look for the ways and the means to meet the challenge. Everyone knows that the situation is not ideal but you know one has to work harder for creating opportunities,” Mushtaq observed.

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