What Ijaz Butt should learn from Steve Jobs

Butt should definitely follow Steve Jobs' footsteps and resign in hopes for creating a better PCB.

When I first told my friend that Ijaz Butt should learn from Steve Jobs, he told me I had totally lost it; comparing a legend with Ijaz Butt. I also felt a little stupid for saying that, but then I realized that it actually was true.

A few nights ago all over the internet, the biggest news was that Steve Jobs had quit from his post as CEO of Apple Inc. He left the company with a short letter, an excerpt of which is:

“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.”

At first, I was shocked; I could not comprehend as to why Jobs would do that, after singlehandedly revolutionizing the computer and telecommunication industry of the world. However, then I came to know that Steve Jobs had quit Apple because he had been battling cancer since the start of the year. He felt that he was holding the company back, even though no one claimed that he was.

Now here we’re talking about one of the biggest companies and innovators of the world, with stockholders throughout the planet. Being a CEO of this company would be a dream for many a person, but it belonged to Steve Jobs only till this Thursday that is. But what did he do when he saw himself unfit to run the company, he gave it into safer, better and younger hands, so that the company would not be thrown in to harm’s way due to his shortcomings.

Now that was Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Inc, and one of the greatest innovators of the world of computing and a man respected by most of the world. He chose to quit the company. On the other hand, on our side of the border, we have one of the most important bodies in the country, responsible for keeping just about 180 million people in the country happy. People would kill for what this company has to give. Yes, this company is the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), run by the one and only Ijaz Butt.

Now as I mentioned, Apple Inc was one of the biggest companies in the world responsible for the happiness of billions of people all around. PCB, on the other hand just concerns itself with the happiness of Pakistan. However, Ijaz, quite clearly fails to do even that much. Not only is he hated, but he also fails to recognize anyone else’s concerns.

Ijaz Butt has never been too far from controversies with players and coaches alike. In 1985, Steve Jobs quit Apple but was inevitably called back in 1998.

[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BHPtoTctDY]]

During the period when he was not present, Apple failed to innovate, whereas following his reinstatement to the company, Apple provided the customers with countless innovations. However, during all of Ijaz Butt’s reign in the PCB, all we have seen is retirements, suspensions and quitting by the only assets of the board - the players. The PCB has gone from a force to be reckoned with to a condition where it has fewer and fewer matches every year, and three of its finest players banned by the ICC.

Steve Jobs was simply a legend, and genius. When he contracted cancer, he sought to fight it, but he felt that it was affecting the company, and felt it better to leave it to healthier employees. Ijaz Butt, is not a legend, in any sense or degree of the word, and has failed to add anything good to the PCB. In fact, he has taken it to an all new low. Moreover, he seems to be mentally sick as well, yet he refuses to believe that he is as bad a cricket administrator as can be, and even under immense public pressure and possible threats to life, has continue to work as head of the PCB.

[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxGPZ0rw4wM]]

What I essentially mean to say is that Butt should learn from Jobs. He should learn how to perform his job with integrity and humility. Moreover, he should take a leaf out of Jobs’s book and encourage innovation. He has quite clearly failed to do the first two but, he should have the guts to leave when he knows he isn’t doing the right thing for anyone. However, I feel that either he doesn’t know that he’s doing a bad job, or he doesn’t care. We really can’t help the latter, but given recent events and Steve Jobs’s resignation, Butt should definitely follow his footsteps and resign in hopes for creating a better PCB.