Daily Times

There seems no end to the cricketing woes of Pakistan as the recent reshuffle was unconvincing, rather ludicrous. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is busy making blunders again and again without learning any lessons from the past. There is no indication that corrective measures are being taken. Rather, the recent selection of officials and players might prove the last nail in the coffin. Crucial appointments have been made in an unthinking manner. The four-member selection committee comprising Chief Selector Haroon Rashid and members Saleem Jaffer, Azhar Khan and Kabir Khan seems a case of old wine in old bottles. The PCB is again relying on the same old faces that have already exposed themselves during their previous stints. In the presence of better choices, the selection of Azhar Ali as the captain of the One-Day International team lacks wisdom. It is totally illogical that a player who has not been part of the playing eleven (not even in the squad of WC players) for the last two years, can be elevated to captain. The PCB management seems confused under the leadership of its Chairman Shehryar Khan. The worthy chairman must retire voluntarily to provide an opportunity to someone capable of bringing the PCB out of the existing quagmire. Since the performance graph of the Pakistan cricket team is showing a downward trajectory, a massive overhaul is needed. The PCB has failed to follow the trends of modern-day cricket. We do not need defensive players like Azhar Ali but an aggressive captain who could lead the team from the front. He must possess an attacking approach and knowledge of tactics to defeat any rival team.

The existence of dirty politics is the real bane of Pakistan’s cricket. PCB’s inconsistent policies are playing havoc with the game. Players and officials are selected and replaced in quick succession. Moin Khan was appointed chief selector in haste and then fired in equal haste for visiting a casino in Australia. However, no one probed whether he alone was responsible for this misadventure. Perhaps the time has come for Shehryar Khan to call it a day, quit the post in a dignified manner, and persuade those who owe their positions to his patronage to follow in his footsteps. The entire cricket structure and the PCB need an overall reorganisation from top to bottom to end the game of musical chairs that has paralysed the PCB. Only a dynamic and knowledgeable PCB can clean up the mess in cricket affairs due to the existence of favouritism, cronyism and violation of merit. *