Asia Cup debacle — Fingers should be pointed at PCB as well

Frankly put, there is no harmony between head coach Waqar Younis, skipper Shahid Afridi and the selectors


Nabeel Hashmi March 06, 2016
PCB formed an inquiry committee to look into the Asia Cup debacle with many experts and pundits questioning the timing of such a move with the World T20 just around the corner. PHOTO: AFP

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) had given the fans a lot to cheer about. The supporters were excited to see the biggest stars in action and were all the more frenzied to see young cricketers develop into potential superstars.

However, that excitement was extremely short-lived as following the conclusion of the PSL, Shahid Afridi’s men got knocked out of the Asia Cup T20 after losing to hosts Bangladesh in Dhaka.

Shaharyar promises team will be held accountable for Asia Cup debacle

It might be argued that the umpiring, which was arguably one of the worst to be seen in recent times, and substandard pitches contributed to the Men in Green’s exit, but if we look at the team’s performance holistically, it is clear that they were not major factors — or the only factors.

Frankly put, there is no harmony between head coach Waqar Younis, skipper Shahid Afridi and the selectors, which led to various haphazard decisions in the team selection. Waqar insisted on axing Ahmed Shehzad for the Asia Cup and World T20 squads and brought in batsman Khurram Manzoor, who got exposed.

While all three stakeholders were on the same page when the team selection was finalised, Waqar’s recent statements that the selection committee did not ask for his input are unjustified.

It is rightly said that success has many fathers, while failure has none.

Following Pakistan’s dismal performance in the Asia Cup, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan formed an inquiry committee to look into the debacle, but the question that bothers fans is why only the players, the management, the selectors or the captains are held accountable? Why do they come under fire and the PCB officials, who are responsible for their appointments, walk away unscathed?

Asia Cup debacle: Wasim criticises PCB’s special committee

Forming committees hardly ever solve the problem and the PCB chairman needs to get involved in the issue as actively as his current obsession of playing a bi-lateral series against India.

The time has come for some action and the PCB officials should be held accountable in addition to the usual suspects as there are many within the PCB who are not up to the task, with team manager Intikhab Alam, U19 team manager Zakir Khan and Cricket Committee head Shakil Sheikh at the forefront.

The trio have been with the PCB for a long time and have been moved back and forth within the board, but despite them not delivering much, they never face repercussions.

Shakil has failed to improve the standard of cricket in the country, something that he was appointed to do, while Zakir allegedly forced the U19 captain and coach to bat first in the quarter-final against West Indies despite overnight rain.

The same can be said of Waqar, who has been able to keep his job despite the national team falling to unprecedented lows in ODI and T20I cricket.

Special committee formed to evaluate Asia Cup disaster: PCB

Pakistan cricket will never improve unless PCB officials keep on finding sacrificial lambs. If the players, management, selectors and captains are the only ones whose jobs come under scrutiny every time Pakistan does not perform well, then Pakistan cricket will never move forward.

It’s time the PCB should take a long, hard look at itself and do a bit of soul-searching of its own.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6th, 2016.

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COMMENTS (2)

Asad Hasan | 8 years ago | Reply On 20 August 2006, during the fourth day of the fourth Test between England and Pakistan at The Oval, Darrell Hair and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove ruled that the Pakistani team had been involved in ball tampering. Nov 8, 2010. LONDON // Zulqarnain Haider, the Pakistan wicketkeeper, has arrived in England after mysteriously disappearing hours before the fifth and final one-day international against South Africa in Dubai. London, 2010: The Pakistan cricket spot-fixing scandal of 2010 centres on certain members of Pakistan's national cricket team being convicted of taking bribes from a bookmaker, Mazhar Majeed, to under-perform deliberately at certain times in a Test match at Lord's Cricket Ground, Who was the main official in Pakistan team at all three events: Intikhab Alam........yet he claims he didn't know anything of what was going on and is still with the BCP enjoying a fat salary. The board officials/management are oblivious of these facts and dare not take any action!
mirestan | 8 years ago | Reply PCB officials , coaches and players take big salaries, they should be answerable to cricket fans. We play cricket at school level. Game of cricket has failed like field Hockey of Pakistan. Let us say farewell to sports and worry for the next world.
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