What Younis Khan did was dumb, dumb, dumb.

We have an ex-Asian Bradman and ex-team manager (Zaheer Abbas) blaming Inzamam for the Oval fiasco when I know the PCB hierarchy present did at the very least tacitly support the protest.

And we have a great county cricketer and one-time great international cricketer (Mushtaq Ahmed) dumped from being assistant coach because he is a pal of Inzamam's. The excuse that Mushy wasn't entirely cleared by Justice Qayyum is a red herring: Mushy's done the job before and if Qayyum didn't want him involved in Pakistan cricket he should have banned him like he did Salim Malik.

I can understand Mushy's anger. You don't hire somebody and then fire him before he's had a chance to show his worth. Is everyone that Inzy likes out, and everyone that Younis likes in? That's the kind of nonsense Pakistan cricket needs to get away from. This dramatic decision-making leads me to worry about Nasim Ashraf. I hope I'm wrong.

Younis Khan's ill-judged resignation leads me to worry about him too. And that's where I definitely hope I'm wrong—I've always thought he'd make a great captain. But all that he has achieved so far is put the heat on his captaincy in the Champions Trophy.

The question is will he fly or fry?

I was deeply affected by Younis Khan resignation just before ICC champions trophy which was not more than a coward cry. A proud Pakistani had exhibited what a sadistic, and highly unprofessional ghoulish attitude. I wonder these proud Pakistanies say their Prayers MashALLAH in the ground and on the back they have so much controversies and conflicts. It seems to me every one has lack of courage that they cant face challanges.
Perhaps may be there are more bad apples that it seems to public. I Prefer to refresh cricinfo after every five minutes that we might see yet another change in captaincy.

History of Pakistan reflects that we always disgrace infact rebuke our Heroes, and i wont be surprise if it happend with big man inzi, may be yet another person to join Dr Abdul Qadir 's club.

I agree with your comments that what Younis Khan did was dumb, dumb, dumb. He was right in refusing the "Dummy Crown". Zaheer had once refused captaincy when Imran was injured saying "I don't want to be a captain on daily basis". However going public in this manner was a clear ridicule of discipline and had set a bad example. The board's action had not only encouraged indiscipline, it has also played bad for the morales of good guys like Yousuf.

However I don't agree with your comments on Mushtaq. I don't see why Mushtaq should get away when despite dodging the corrupting inquiry while young Ataurrehman is still suffering while cooperating with Inquiry. It is also said Wasim Akram lost his chances for knighthood because of the scandal. Why should Mushtaq be an exception.

I always thought Younis was very calm aand collected but he has shown he is also hot headed and self centered. He has lost my future support for him

These problems are rooted in ego issues. The same ego of the Pakistani captain that prompted him to "defend national honor" by forfeiting a test match that his team could've won. That same ego manifests itself here in Younis Khan who was defending his own honor by refusing to be a "dummy captain." Seems like in Pakistani cricket, defending their own made up version of "honor" comes first. Defending totals or chasing targets is secondary. Bottom line is that in both instances, the Honorable Inzamam and Younis Khan both looked incredibly foolish.

just imagine how mahammad yousuf woul've felt?
Totally insignificant, we're sure.

I have always liked Younis Khan but I have always hated the dirty politics that has haunted Pakistan Cricket in the past. I am shocked to see that the management woould be changed before the World Cup.
Inzi has done so much for Pakistan cricket. So what if he made a mistake by not going back after tea at the Oval test. Everyone should know who Nasim Ashraf is and how he became the chairman for PCB. Does he have any experience related to Cricket or is he like Tauqir Zia, who just likes to watch cricket and hence made him eligible for the position (laughable!).
I am very doubtful that Pakistan will get into the Final of Champions Trophy and if somehow they pull it off, it would only because of the talent we have in the team. PCB & Younis have actually worked against the team just before an important Tournament.
Kamran: I would recommend following this issue closely and write a daily blog through the Champions Trophy.

I was shocked the way Mr. Y khan announced his resign from captaincy. It reminded me the captain of the village team who cannot controll his emotion. whatsoever the situation be he should be honoured/proud to be captain of the pakistan team and all the differences aside can be delt with accordingly. I am still gobsmacked after the SYkhan's announcement that no disciplenary action be taken against Y Khan. is he superior to all the codes and law. this very wrong policy of the PCB that players are above the codes and laws.
i feel ashamed to be pakistani now after this whole fiasco. we as family now decided not to watch pakistan's matches at all. till proper action are taken to rtify the things.
slam

Dear Mr. Abbasi. Finally there is a blog up with a Pakistani point of view. Great to see you here.

I don't know if we can come to any conclusions about last week's events. What Younis Khan did might have been 'dumb' but judging by his past record, he was definitely out of character. I think he was driven to act so irrationally.

I really like the guy...It's about time that he started playing well in ODI's. Before this season, I did not think he deserved to be on the ODI team. However his credentials for captaincy are stellar. I am usually always angry at the PCB. Sure heads are rolling right now, but I am sure the dust will settle. Shaharyar Khan was given an extended run. I think he should have resigned right after the Oval incident.

Your worries are not unfounded however. I hope Nasim Ashraf does a good job and there is transarency in his dealings.

By the way, how do you know all these people who are hired are the President's friends?

There was no need for an assistant bowling coach. What does that even mean? I'd rather have a professional athelete, or some professional trainer give bowling advice. Mushy is a great cricketer and he probably deserves to be on the team, rather than as a coach. Sometimes the best coach isn't exactly the best former player.

So from what I have read in the news so far, and from your conclusions, there is a slow but sure cleansing of Inzamam and his friend's and alliances from the squad.....?

Why?

Thanks and great to see you here again.

Omar
http://omarlovescricket.blogspot.com

I agree, fine analysis of a torrid of zany events.

As an Indian supporter, we like to face strong united opponents as it raises the level of the game, so hope this blows over.

Younis in a steady state would have found the heat at this level quite intense, now as rightly said, he has just increased the temperature himself and added extra pressure. In lab conditions that when your colleagues tend to distance themselves from the source of pressure!

One thing going for Younis is his genuine enthusiasm on the field, and his cheerleading abilities. He is also very affable with umpires, players, opposing captains and players and yet fights hard. As Younis has said 'past is past', there are advantages of short memory and an uncluttered mind!

I think it is all political stunts that are being played at public and gov expense. Everybody wants a control but nobody is everable to implement the kind of rules and regulations that are needed. Talent is wasted and people who don't know how to even hold a bat are included in the team. But i guess them having the money, to pay their way into the team, justifies their inclusion in the team.
I believe that people who are not compitent shouldn't be allowed to run the cricket board. Especially when you can't control your players, like younis khan. I have seen him go from nobody to a star player over the years. Definitly don't want to take anything away from him, he worked hard to be where he is. But to resign the way he did implicated that he is a selfish player and doesn't care about the team.

This is what always happens with Pakistan Cricket,once the chairman changes the whole board changes.Favoritism and dirty politics is part of our cricket,as for Younis Khan,he is a man who performs when it matters the most.Remember in India when he was on a pair during the tests and under severe criticism he shut his critics up by two back to back centuries.
I think he would be knowing exactly what the aim is and would realize his responsibility in Inzi's absence,but thats not the point.Its the team's attitude that has to change towards Younis,one thing that Inzamam did was earn the respect of the players,Afridi Razzaq and the Im-so-superior Shoaib has to get over their superiority complex and work under YK not forgetting that he is the current captain,that is the only way Pakistan can win this trophy.

PCB may be participating at international level but they have neither class nor manners to be amongst the elite. Pak players reaction to many things is like some gali cricket team. The education level is poor, communication skills are bad and most of the times it is a one man team anyway. Give them all captaincy on rotational basis if they are all craving for it so much. If Mushy has any sense he will not walk into the Pak setup ever again, he is very successful at Sussex and it would be pointless wasting his last few years with Pakistan. One thing we have to get our heads around is that once the players become something they think of themselves to be untouchables so arrogance and rudeness reigns. That is why I always say "may the best team win" and deep down I know full well Pak isn't one of them.

I for one, am sick and tired of the way our cricket is run. After the Oval fiasco--and fiasco it was, Pakistan got what they wanted in the Madugalle hearing. They were on high ground so to speak, as high as it could get anyway in the circumstances. And there we go again, Pakistan cricket shoots itself in the foot. It is obvious to me that the reasons for Younis Khan's head explosion will forever remain shrouded in mystery. Which is the way they should remain because I am sure if they ever come out, we will find they were not really that big a deal. Someone please make Bob Woolmer sign a confidentiality agreement!! If not, a few years down the line he will write a book and Pakistan's name will be dragged in the mud again. I for one, am sick and tired of the way our cricket is run!

I couldn't agree more, but would first like to express delight at the introduction of a blog about Pakistani cricket. Its been a long time coming with the spotlight seemingly always on either Australia, India or England.

When I first heard about Younis' decision to step down from the captaincy I was shocked and dumbfounded that an apparently astute man had made such a blunder. He has been for two seasons the vice captain and widely tipped to be Inzamam's natural successor. His comments about being a dummy captain perplexed me as I dont know if there is any such thing in cricket. Once you are out there on the field the only person calling the shots is the captain. This is perhaps why Inzy takes so many breaks, either he's strategising with Woolmer or is addicted to lassi. Cause lets face it, brilliant batsmen and lovable guy that he is, Inzy is no master tactician, and his success as captain is due more to his ability to unite the team rather than strokes of genius with regards to field placements and bowling changes.

Was Younis incensed about merely being a temporary replacement? If so his decision remains hasty and fool hardy. Inzamam is nearing a natural end and post World Cup 2007, Younis was definitely the choice candidate for the captaincy. Why he would rock a steady ship and his own blossoming career is beyond me.

If Younis felt he was getting the raw end of the stick then he should have clearly aired his grievances rather than cryptically stating that he would reveal his reasons for resigning afterward. Maybe he was getting no say in selectorial decisions. Firstly that should be a matter for the selectors (with the captain acting as consultant), and secondly after Inzy's retirement I wouldnt have doubted Younis' ability to finagle from the board the team he wanted. As acting captain it is not only his responsibility to lead his men, but to ensure that his actions do not cause further controversy and upset the balance of a mercurial team.

The past few days have seen whole sale changes, with the chairman resigning and Mustaq Ahmed being sacked. Its typical Pakistani politics; when a new government comes in they scrap the previous leader's programs good or bad, and initiate their own policy however misguided it may be. If it had been up to me, I would have considered dropping Younis khan (blasphemy to many Im sure) and sent the message that no player is bigger than the team. It seems that the Pakistani players have learned nothing from the Oval fiasco, if there is a problem proceed through the proper official channels and avoid sulking in the dressing room. Once you lay the background of proper and legal action you make your case that much stronger when subjected to trial by the ICC, the PCB or the media. Player power had been a problem in the 90s with them exerting too much influence over the administration and selection, are we reverting back to those chaotic days? The mantra had until recently been "the good of the team" and the retirement of super star players like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis signalled the beginning of a more stable but less fantastic Pakistan team.

I wonder how Mohd. Yousuf feels, captain one day and out in the cold the next. The effect on the team can only have harmed our chances of winning the Champions trophy. I know that Younis khan will make a good captain, but if he wants the backing of his team he will have to start thinking more as a leader and rise above the muck that is the internal politics of the PCB.

Good luck to him and our team.

I think that, once Younis Khan said he didn't want to be the captain, he shouldn't have been allowed to take it back. Mohammad Yousuf used to be the vice-captain, so he's capable and Pakistan had Abdul Razzaq as his deputy. Inzamam, Younis and Yousuf are all batsman. Razzaq would have been much better tp be the vice-captain. He could tell from the bowler's view.

The latest news I read about Pak cricket is that Inzy will captain the team for the series against WI. If ousting Mushy was an attempt to marginalise Inzy, then its hard to understand this latest move. Unless this is a step to pacify Inzy and then ask him to resign or something. I know this sounds like a weird conspiracy theory, but after having seen what happened the last few days, I wouldn't be suprised if this turns out to be true.

Call me naive but I just can't believe that anyone would turn against Inzi, after all that he is achieved, and the form he is in currently - and that too 6 months before his last worldcup. Its a shame.

I'm hugely dissappointed in Younis and that is put mildly. Whatever his reasons maybe, right or wrong, he should have consulted the board and then make his decision. What he did is DUMB. What effect will it have on the whole as a pakistan cricket team? Only time will tell.....

What Inzi did at the Oval and Younis Khan's method od resignation is inexcuseable under any circumstances. Living in the USA, I am a great follower of Pakistan cricket and travel all over the world to watch them. I am now convinced that it is embarrassing for me to even be on the same ground where Pakistani cricketers are present. When will the PCB take action on these two players to prevent future captains and players from doing the same thing and bringing shame to Pakistan and cricket?

Watching Younis for the years he's been playing, his enthusiasm on the field and his ever smiling nature came across as much as his competitive nature. I too, thought he'd make a great captain but in this wjole episode he let himself down - he can still be a great captain, but he has failed himself as a high profile person- his utterences at the press conference too is borderline puerile. Hope he can recover from this.

There is no doubt Younis Khan is a better captain tactically and in terms of injecting a bit more energy in the team. I personally like his way of doing things.

This is why it makes it even more dissapointing to the way he he resigned then accepted the captaincy once Sharayar Khan went.

I don't care who you are and what your reasons are, but you do not relinquish the captaincy of Pakistan in the manner he did. If he had issues he should have discussed and made his feeling clear through the many various channels if the PCB or the coach or even Inzamam.

To announce it in a press conference was stupid and disrespectful not only to the PCB but to his fellow team members.

It should be an honour to lead the Pakistan team not a divine right as some seem to think nowadays. SO whether you are leading the team for 1 day or for the rest of your career it should be shown respect.

Inzamam's captaincy has been criticised in the passed for not having a plan B when things are not going well, but his calming influence has ensured that for the last 2 years or so there have been no divisions. This also has proved to be a succesful time for Pakistani cricket in terms of results barring the last tour.

He is only missing 4 matches and we are already witnessing the infamous Pakistani divisions.

If I have a batting avg of 32 something in ODI and scored only two centuries, one against Eng and the first one against a very tough opponent...Hong Kong and if Chairman of the Board asked me to wait 4 hours before I could see him. Still I would gladly wait for him, wash his car and also clean his shoes in the meantime.

Because thats what exactly is my worth.

Lets just face it when it comes to ODI he is no Tendulkar. When it comes to captaincy he is no Brearly or Imran Khan.

I see in April 2007 the same kind of house cleaning which I saw in first quarter of 2003.

Hugely disappointed with Younis Khan. He proved us all wrong who had faith in him becoming a good captain. While, Nasim Ashraf committed a strategic blunder and seems to be an opprtunist who would everything to get a name even at the expense of a bad name for Pak cricket.

if we analyse this situation by thinking few questions answers, we will be in a better position to look into this whole scenario.

first 1#which batmans has the highest average in carribean(including home side west india)?

2#who is the most pressure absorbing players in this pakistan line up(including ban player)

3.# what happen, when inzamum did not play first test in the last tour ,pakistan loose even by very week oponent in carribean?

4.# why younis & muhd yousaf scored in recent past?

all these questions answers b/z pressure absorbing player in pakistan team is inzamam, two players scored freely b/z they know that there is left behind to handle the situation.

i know politics in lahore block, karachi-peshawar block,, causing damage to pakistan cricket

finally, pakistan i think ,hardly wins any match in champion trophy.

Kamran thats a good article, well written. I agree with everything you've said. Actually, Im disappointed that Younis got the captaincy. He obviously doesn't realise what an honour it is to lead your country!

Though hoping that somehow we manage to win the cup (like a desperate patriot), am extremely disappointed at younis khan's behaviour. Whatever reasons (legitimate or misplaced) he had, this post is a high profile one, and comes with its' own reponsibilities. He had to be more mature about the whole situation.

I agree with bob woolmer that we do not have the attitude to be consistently world class, like australia. Also lack the professionalism at the cricket board level.

nevertheless, hoping against hope that somehow we muster up six individual brilliant performances and take the cup.

Was thinking that we will definitely fly under younis's captaincy, but the last week have put serious doubts in my mind.

we always fry whenever there is division in the team and this is what i see at this moment in time.. hope i am wrong !!

I am a huge YK fan, and I must confess that I was also taken a back by his stupid "jazbati" display last week. A rare glimpse of his ego was ugly to watch, I just hope his apology was sincere enough and it is all behind us. As far as Nasim Ashraf (and I will also drop the Dr.) is concerned, lets see what he does. One positive indicator, and perhaps not from him but from the Ad Hoc committee is that he let the current selection commmittee stay till the WC. We need as much consistency in our organization as possible. May God save our cricket!

Dear Mr Abbassi, as someone who has worked with the BMJ I think you must have forgotten that the doctor himself chooses if he will be using his title and is in his full rights to use his title. Secondly, what Younis Khan did was not dumb in the very least. You cannot ask a man to lead a side which is full of egoistic personalities when they refuse to be lead by him. Death before dishonour and Younus did not want to fight a battle he had already lost. Also, Mushys appointment was completely pointless and all it did was give Inzamam even more power. Is it any surprise that as soon as Mushy officialy comes in, trouble starts brewing and players who are very close to Mushtaq such as Yousuf refuse to play under Younus, when they have not had a problem with him before-I certainly think NOT. As soon as Dr Ashraf took over, he said "There is no room for politics in cricket" , perhaps thats why Mushtaq has been removed. Younis Khan did the right thing to resign the captaincy, and do it publicly so he is not humiliated like he was when he turned down the vice captaincy in australia, and sacking mushtaq, great cricketer that he might be, is another good decision. Dr Ashraf may be a silly man and one that is in his position due to his friends and not the contents of his CV, but these are two very good decisions under high pressure. I completely disagree with you.

I agree with you that Younis messed it up big time by publically resigning from captaincy a few days before champions trophy. But I sympathize with younis if the rumours about being made to wait for an hour or so in order to get to meet Mr. Shaheryar Khan as well as selection of Faisal Iqbal with out consulting Younis Khan are correct. Captain is the one who has to lead the side and make crucial decisions during the game and is the one whose actions and decisions come under scrutiny if the team performs badly in our part of the world. Therefore he should be a member of the selection committee in my opinion.
I am not sure what value would Mushtaq Ahmad bring to the team if his appointment as assistant coach went through. What was his job description anyway apart from thowing balls to batsman in nets during practice. A new chairman can not be held responsible for appointments made by his predecessor and is justified in implementing his vision through changes in the personnel.

Younis has dropped the axe in his future as possible captain for Pakistan. He behaved unprofessionally to say the least, and his reinstatement as captain bears proof of the havoc the Pakistani heirarchy is in.

Whether he flies or he fries the damage has been done, we should take a look at humble Mr Yousuf as a replacement for the long term. Only if Younis could be a bit more like him, proactive, humble, professional and a bloody great cricketer both on and off the field. We want a captain Mr Y Khan not a circus fool!

This episode has taken pakistan cricket back to its good old bad times. When anyone could be removed with an hour. Younis Khan has not done him or his country any favour by dealing with the matter the way he did.

But then again it is history to Pakistan cricket to reward cronies. Just look at the new appointment of Chairman of Pakistan cricket board. Who will be rewraded next?

I fully agree with your statement, "What Younis Khan did was dumb, dumb, dumb".

Sorry to see a cry baby like Younis Khan to be captain of the national team.

I feel sorry for Pakistan national team. I great talent like Mushtaq Ahmed and Pakistan refuses to use him.

Younis Khan doesn't deserve to be a Captain. Infact, he doesn't even deserve to be in the playing eleven due to the way he behaved in last few days. He is one big loser whose big scores come on dead wickets.

Younus Khan will not prove to be a good captain nor a good batsman for long if he continues to behave immaturely. Discipline is the key to success and discipline helps continuity and combining both with trust ensures success. Both players & the board to act wisely otherwise Pak cricket will be like in line with Zimbabweans now a days.

Let me ask you some simple questions. What was the need of Mushtaq Ahmad as an "Assistant Coach" anyways? was he hired solely for for the purpose of leading prayers in practice sessions or because he was a "pal" of Inzi? Agreed that what Younis did was incorrect but we also have to look at circumstances that led a sensible person like him act this way. I am pretty sure that whole truth has not been out yet and will never be out. But no matter how valitle the past week has been for pakistan cricket, the decision to bring back Younis Khan was a good one.

I still don’t know what happened. Can somebody please write an article that tells us what happened?

i think its not right.if younis dont want to play then there is no need to ask him.inzi is best for this and after inzi yousaf is best.there is no place 4 younis.

I must admit that I'm very disappointed in Younis Khan. After being such a good team player for all these years, many in the public and perhaps even the PCB have lost respect in his decision making due to the childish antics of the past week.

I think this game of captancy is not new to Pakistani cricket. Remember Imran-Miandad-Imran-Miandad times. We, as pakistani fans, are all used to it now. As suggested, Younis Khan can be as great a captain as Imran Khan if he can use his emotion and qualities properly,more like Imran and unlike Afridi.

well what Younis khan did would have been a reaction of somthing which is not brought in media yet... which is hiden behind somthing very lil incedent...Younis is very calm and cool person he cud not react to such stupid things that are being shown in media...he is perfect material for captianing pakistan ... like great imran khan...

i don't care who the captain is as long as Pakistan wins and to be honest inzy is an asset to Pak team if they don't ignore him like few others, there are good players in Pak team but they still haven't grown so if he flies good if he doesn't then Pakistan will fry him.

Well, i think what Younis did? wasn't wrong at all because you should have repect for yourself, and the position he is in as Pakistan captian he want to be consulted before any decioun being made. I think he is like Imran Khan stick with what he believes is right which is very good, and don't care about media. And for God sake DO NOT change the bating order, as this is not the time for expariment. You can do when torrnament is over. Deffinetiely Not Afridi as Opener and Always Younis at No.3 what so ever. IF YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT CRICKET AND BELIEVE IN SENCE NOT BELIEFE. Lets grow up and make some sencible deciouns forget the past. Thanks (i think i have not wasted my time and don't make think as well) SOME ACTION PLEASE

What younis Khan did was undoubdtedly dumb( for lack of better word). It looked like for the last two years that he was the only player in the team that looked set to take over once Inzamam had retired. He was being groomed for the role and had his fans in Imran Khan and Naser Husain.

After the recent fiasco of capitaincy musical chair, he has lost whatever respect he might have in lot of people's eyes. To be fair, his personal record in ODI is nothing to speak of, so his place in team might hang on to how good a leader he turns out to be. With the attitude like the one he showed recently, I dont see it coming.

Pakistan team is in a crisi of leadership, that is visible time and again on and off the field. From stupid selection decisions, ridiculous onfield management and not the least, off the field handling of issues. Its one big mess.

Frankly, I dont see Pakistan as favourites in ICC Champions trophy or the WorldCup and it has nothing to do with individual talent or collective ability of the squad.

All we need is a captain with half of the charisma and skill of either Imran Khan, Steve Waugh or even Damien Flemming.

He will fly ofcourse, we pakistanis never fry..

I wonder how players become so BIG when 18 months back they weren't even considered good enough to play for Pakistan. When it comes to fame and recognition, being humble doesn't cost much!

The heat is definately ON Younis Khan and He himself is to be blamed for it. I am a big YK fan but this was immature behaviour. Now he REALLY need to prove himself as a Captain. Throw in that statement about Yorkshire Captaincy and we have a bag full of immature statements right before one of the greatest events for YK personally .. Pak Captaincy for a full series. ICC Championship will now decide whether he Fries or Flies.
It is also very obvious that Inzyz influence is to be reduced in the team especially from the religious perspective ... soemthing that Mr. Mushraff would REALLY like to do.
Too early to say how thing unfold but YK is definately on the HOT SEAT.

I agree, whatever Younis Khan did was dumb, dumb dumb and whatever the board did afterwards was even dumber. Everyone knew and expected Younis khan to be the next captain, why he had to behave childish like that even if something bad had happend to him(like someone said he had to wait to 15 min to meet Shahriyar Khan!! is that something that you will get angy and resign like that??). But i still hope our team gets over the last week's events and perform well in the tournaments

Kamran Sahab,
You are speculating to the hilt. Sharyar's exit was the best thing to have happened to Pakistan cricket in a long time. Inzi is over the hill and his captaincy was a huge question mark to begin with. Younis was and is the only clear successor to Inzi by a long way and for his to finally get the postion, albeit with a bit of haggle is not too bad at all. Let just call it transition pangs...

its all pakistanis history and back grouund based upon, whenever there is a big fish found people donont miss any chance to bring it under there authority i hope this time the history doesnot repeat

it depends entirely on the players and their performances,that only will show the acceptibility of younus's captaincy among the team mates and i guess his future depends on that.Now accepting captaincy with the reason of country's interest where was the country's interest when refused in media surely that was more embarrising than anything else.
it seems like a conpiracy theory tactfully played jointly by Nasim Ashraf and Younus to achieve the desired outcome by getting rid off the top guns.
How can younus be talking or accepting the captaincy in the name of country and greater interest of cricket team, which he has demoralized just when the team was picking the momentum and getting close to the worldcup.

In my opinion Imran Khan should manage the board and if he succesfully run's the board and improve's pakistan cricket in a year or two it would not only be good for pakistan cricket but for his political career as well to proof that he is a good administrator too which Pakistan need in corrupt politicians.

I think that Younis Khan has delibrately gone into a mess, which wont be cleaned until he wins the Champ trophy for Pakistan. That win looks unlikely, and the blame of the loss will be on Younis.

His apparent level of insecurity does not bode well long term, I fear for his future as captain. It is easy to be a stand in captain during a match or for one game, but this is a tournament & the public will expect them to win it. Thats real pressure

well i agree the way younis khan act is realy
a dump action but unfortunetley this is not only
as a player all our politician ,i mean in each
field we do or act same as he did it because they
know nobody can touch them.

The current scenerio of Pakistan Cricket has once again left everyone mocking the entire nation and once again emphasized the point that the cricket in our land is run by politicians who know nothing about the game and the player power is too much for them to handle.Younis Khan's resignation has once again brought shame and embarassment to the whole nation and the time where every single Australian time and time again, taking patriotism to new heights, our cricketers, once again prove that for them personal gains are more important. The legacy left by the likes of Waseem Akram, Salim Malik and others, once again come to haunt Pakistan cricket.The sooner PCB gets rid of Akram's proteges, the better it would be for the future of Pakistan Cricket.Although the only bright hope for Pakistan Cricket is that Inzamam Ul Haq is the last of these self centered cricketers,obviously led in the past by the great Waseem Akram,does not have too many years left in him. Let him play the world cup and then remove him from team for good and then pray that great game is played the way it should be.

Asalam-o-Alakam!
Dear Sir.
Obviously being Pakistani, I aam following the cricket and team for long time as I am nearly 48 years old now. Unfortunately after Imran Khan Pakistan cricket team could never get good cricketing brain who is honest, disciplined, hard working and sincere with cricket and Pakistan. Everybody pretends such whiler they are not in my opinion I am affraid. PCB is run by opportunist and incapable people most of the time who just want to take thier turn of ride. This reflects what happened happened at Oval in thr presence of chairman PCB. So nfar I could not understand that silly code of conduct; a way to prevent people speaking truth publically. Every new administrater talks a lot probably to justify his appointment and even will not hesitate to sack few insignifecent people in the board.
If Mr. Nasim Ashraf is that patriot and honest, he must bring previous administrtion's things public which I am sure he wont as everybody belongs to same boat,
Being Pakistani I can only pray. I do not know why the selection of the team cannot happen by marit.
Thanks.
Qamar

Totally agree that what Younis did was DUMB DUMB DUMB ! Now he is back as captain for a few matches.. before Inzy gets it back.

Right Younis, you didnt want to be a dummy captain.. well now you are a DUMBY captain !

Hope you prove me wrong !

Go on Pakistan !

1) I believe the stand taken by Inzamam was correct. Ex-Bradman's come and go like wall-flies, but honor is above all else even in a gae like cricket. No one, not even Hair and the whol length and breadth of the ICC should have been allowed to get away with calling Pakistan team cheaters without evidence. What happened is unfortunate, but it's absoluteley correct what Inzy said and did (or didn't do).
2) ICC and others involved missed a clear point. The game of cricket is for entertainment (a spectator sort), not for exercising indiscriminately the laws which are "gray". In the end the losers were the spectators and milons watching over the media - deprived of a tremendous sporting event.
3) Pakistan will probably not do well in the Champions' Trophy, in fact, it is doubtful that with the pressure they have put on themselves (courtesy Mr Ashraf and Mr Younis Khan); they will even get past the first stage - which is sad because for one this looked to be something of a professional outfit - not prone to the inconsistency of yesteryears.

there is nothing batter than inz

I think he(Younis khan) should've accepted the captaincy without any hesitance. IF a captain is put on a ban, its obvious that the vice-captain should now play a substitute for his captain and serve his country in a respectful manner. I also think younis khan is a really good cricketer and also a really good person. He wasnt probably thinking right, that's why he has all his experienced mentors to support him and lead him to the right path. Im hoping he understands the position he's in, and he should be given another chance.

(Nasim Ashraf—I'm humble enough to drop the title Dr, why isn't he?)

I think that was an unnecessary remark. We come to expect far better writings from (Dr) Kamran Abbasi who is related to British Medical Journal (perhaps editor).

Sir we value your thoughts but are you having a bad day today :)

coming from a doc myself.

How can one allow such hot headed decision making to be ok? Not just allow it but reward it by recrowning Younis to be captain. Does anyone in PCB know what it means to be professionals? It will behove PCB to have training programs for these largley illeterate cricketers to become accustom to being professionals and more systematic in their approach towards life, work and sports. It really hurts to see talented people act like bufoons and make the country look like a banana republic.

BTW, please quit calling the Oval episode a fiasco. Sometime one has to take a stand and for all the allegations on Pakistan for years and years now, it had to be done regardless of the price. I fully support the extreme measure taken by Inzamam. That doesnt minimize the need for the team to be more professional.

Salam Kamran,

Spot on as usual. Younis' act was really unprofessional and irresponsible. Whatever problem he had with Shaharyar Khan he shouldnt have just said one stupid sentence and walk away. Come on it is the country you are representing. He has really lost his respect among several of his fans who always thought him as a team man. Once again player power has won against the board. Unless and untill we have a proper board these issues/acts will be repeated again and again. The unity which Inzi and Bob have stilled in this team were shattered in 2 minutes by Mr. Younis next captain.

Fly like an eagle for sure. As you said, nothing can be predicted with Pakistan and the events of the last week and a half are not going to affect the Champions trophy in any way no matter what the latest psychologist or physiotherapist the PCB has hired says.

great idea, this blog. Looking to reading more in the future!

I beleive, need for assistant coach was not there thats why Mushtaq Ahmed was fired. Waqar Younus is capable enough to train bowlers and Bob Woolmer should not be needing an assitant after an army of assitants. I think the supporting staff should be kept to minimum so that every body knows there role and just dont sit back and relax on an indian tour. Naseem Ashraf must be having other ideas than Shaharyar Khan. I beleive Inzi should captain the team till he retires and ofcourse senior players need to accept younus as his successor .Seniority does not entitles one for captaincy spot automatically otherwise Grame Smith would not have had the chance to captain SA before Kallis and Boucher.
I hope Younus and Inzi can sit together after Champions trophy and plan future stratgey for on the field and off the field affairs to put and keep pak cricket on its right track.

Younis Khan is a great leader.A leader by example.He proves his words by his own actions.Above all a great role model for everyone who want to stay away from cheap politics and lobbying.I wish Pakistan victory under his captaincy.He will fly new heights for sure.

This was the silliest decision by Younis Khan and by doing this he not only let down himself but also lost his pride and respect which people have it for him. He also let down the whole nation. I dont know why captaincy is like a political chair that every one wants to sit on that. When this thing will finish?. No one knows.

Will he fly or fry? Its a very difficult question to answer. But my instincts tell me to go with fry. And reasoning also suggests somewhat similiar. Younis Khan will soon find out that its very different to be captain for one match than for a whole series. Captaincy, in Pakistan is all about handling the pressures off-field.
The resurgence of Pakistan cricket team, after the shambolic performance of 2003 world cup, can be attributed to the trio of Aamir Sohail, Rashid Latif and Inzimam. Later Rashid Latif was dumped for some unknown reason. Inzamam was made the captain and Bob Woolmer joined in for good.
When all started to settle in and Pakistan team looked like a good knitted unit, it all started to happen. Local Media and ex-cricketers started to criticize Inzamam and Bob Woolmer and that too quite unjustly. Imran Khan created a hype surrounding Younis khan's captaincy and Mohammad Sami's inclusion in the team. Imran's word seems to be the final verdict in Pakistan cricket and Younis Khan emerges as a new hero.
In my opinion, this is all getting to him. When Inzamam was captaining, he was in the sidelines waiting for his turn. Now, he wants to be forthright. He is too pumped up to show his potential. This may be affecting his sense of judgement. Inzamam is the only binding force in the team right now. And if you take him out than probably we will be left with bunch of losers fighting out with each other.

It is to Pakistan's credit that they fire the most when things are not going their way. Their adminsitraion may be in shambles, team disunited off the ground, but when it comes to playing cricket, they are as united as ever.

But after the era of Inzamam who. He was a quiet man and a great binding force with lot of charisma and respected by the players. But will Younis Khan command the same respect from the Afridi's and the Razzaq's ?

PS: Kamran, is Nasim Ashraf a doctor or has a doctorate in some subject

I agree that Younis Khan behaved in a manner that shocked us all. But, I think something was up with the PCB management that forced Younis to do what he did. A captain should command certain level of respect and leverage in various aspects of team prep and selection prior to an important tour. And we can clearly smell something fishy was going on that led to this fiasco.

The PCB management looked like a bunch of highschool vandals at the Oval if you ask anyone who witnessed and could read lips during the Oval debacle.

Coming back to why Younis reacted this way: Remember that Imran Khan set a precedent which Younis is only following albeit in a more blunt manner. The message is clear - Don't push ideas out of your non-cricketing brains down a cricket captain's throat. PCB will be better served if they learn this important rule of thumb.

Indians should know this fairly well. The saga that played out with Ganguly is fresh on everyone's mind. And Dravid and Chappell came out pretty good with the boys rallying behind them once they got the ignorant board officials off their backs.

Thanks,

Rahil Khan
Santa Clara, CA, USA

as professional player its sad to see player like younis, act like kid, wish he had thought of his country first

Shahryar Khan did wonderfully well with the team as well as with the affairs of his board. Specially after the mess that was left by the former chairpersons of PCB; also hand picked by the Patron himself.
It's sad that every new chairman starts making whimsical changes on the first day of job. It shows lack of respect towards the rules and hard-work carried out by the former administration.
Let's hope he doesn't suggest a change in the logo of Pakistan Cricket.

Fly of course - the joys of Pakistan cricket - team unity must be at an all time high. Who cares about the machinations and politics of the board - it does not matter, with Woolmer in charge, Inzi at the helm, players of the calibre of Yousuf, Younis, Afridi, Akmal, Shoaib - Malik & Akhtar, Asif and Kaneria - we should be winning consistently in both forms of the game. We need 2 good openers, a robust succession plan for Inzi's retirement, robust development plans for our fast bowlers and more depth in our batting. All of these are cricketing issues that Woolmer needs to influence - the board are useless in this matter, so let them play their games, and if occassionaly a player deems it necessarry to join in, as Younis did on this occassion, as long as it does not detract from the cricket, so what?

I AGREE 200% with Mr Kamran Abbasi, Whatever Younis has Done, is truly, Dumb, Dumb, DUMB, And Pakistan needs to get away from Such Nonsense for Sure.

Good Job Mr Abbasi
Keep Writing.

I tend to agree with the writer. We have had three board chairman in Musharaf's era. All of them were handpicked by him. They all promised to do a lot. We have seen two who lost the initial zeal along the way and third has just started on a high note. Seeing the grand entry, i am not too optimistic about his performance and i am also not sure if he will be a getting a grand exit.
Sacking Mushtaq seems to be more political than administrative. The captaincy saga may be captivating but irrational. Fighting it out in the media is not the solution.
The camping issue in Pakistan Cricket is not new. It is not a secret that Younis Khan is very close to Rashid Latif. And the three guys, allegedly, he wanted to include in the team are all from the Rashid Latif camp although talented. So all is not right at the moment.
I am also not too optimistic about his captaincy. He may be quite positive on the field but his off the field antics do not portray him very well. Still, for the sake of Pakistan cricket let's hope he flies and let's hope he doesn't enjoy flying alone.

He is already fried !! To all who saw a great captain in him , my advice would be to have a closure look. Positive bodylanguage and a cheerleaders attitude is good in short term but captaincy and leadership is more than that !!
I can not define it but know that Inzmam, Imran, Saurav and waugh had it while Rahul , Younis , waqar did not !!

It was very un-professional and selfish for Yousin Khan to dump the captaincy couple of days before the start of ICC champions trophy. Highly irresponsible. This man didn't think about the effect his selfishness will have on the team. It was wrong timing for him to step down. He shouldn't have been made captain again..I dont he has earned any admiration from the Pakistan squad with his antics.

Hi Mr Abbasi, i read ur articles very often.. im a true fan of Pakistan Cricket, i live in Australia, have been for years but heart is still with Pakistan cricket no matter how many blunders they do.. its just funny how the whole PCB is getting away with wht they do. The management is totally crazy.. I dont know how they will progress further with this sorta management.. if the management is not set how will the players be.. look at the opening pair.. its still not solved.. they have to be patient and trust there judgment. they handle each and every player very badly.. look at salman butt!! he came and he's gone. yasir hameed, came and gone.. they just dont kno how to stick with players and show faith in them.. u gotta build young players confidence up dont shatter it! i reckon my local club here handles me better than those players have been anywayz now lets get to Younis khans behaviour, it was very childish just quitting like tht.. but then again it could be a very strong reason for him to do that.. one more thing about younis, when the Paki team came to AUs.. there was a function organised by a mosque here in melbourne, and most of the team came, xcept for younis,razzak, afridi and shoaib i think. so yeh.. them being the senior players didnt come to the dinner organised by UMMAH, which was dissapointign so many kids were looking forward just to see just SHoaib. anyway i just dont know how the run this organisation.. Pakistan is a very proud cricket nation, and recent problems just are worrying and the problems dont seem to go away they just keep building up. but in the end after a good win or two everyone seems to forget everythign and start talking how good the team is.. but i guess tht was the supporters want to see, their team winning and thts wht the players r paid to do do so as loong as they win their matches no one cares wht goes on behind the scenes.

Mr. Kamran Abbasi your comments are based more on politics rather purely on cricket. You would not have called Musharraf as "Mushy". That is sarcastic and low. Again, Zaheer Abbas is our national hero and he does not needs to be compared or associated with any one and not even Bradman. Does the west compare or associate their greats with Imran Khan, Jahangir Khan or Samiullah and so on? Abbasi grow up.

How many coaches are needed in a team? How many coaches we had when we won the World Cup? Getting rid of Mushtaq Ahmed was the right decision.

i partially agree with kamran that what younis khan did was dumb. i say partially because he did it just hours before the team was heading for what is considered as a mini world cup. However, with the resignation of Shehryar khan and reinstatement of younis khan it sort of confirmed the speculations that there is something wrong in the heirarchy. There shouldnt be any place of politics or dictatorship in cricket. the captain should get complete authority like imran khan had . What younis did was pretty much inevitable but then again i think it was not the right time.

I might be wrong but it seems like Pakistan team is on its decline before they reached the top... efforts of past couple of years seem to be wasted. Team cannot be great until board is thoroughly cleaned who seems to have no discipline and of course constitution.

I dont say anything b coz younis khan is really dumb, dumb, dumb.
What Younis Khan did was dumb, dumb, dumb.
I think we don’t need any moor politics in cricket we want only cricket not Politics in cricket sounds like paki political cricket yes I know younis is good player but he is not good for paki team I named him silent poison keep him away from captaincy his position is in paki team should be just as a batsman not as a captain this is good for paki future otherwise iam afraid he is going to make his blog in team we should surch for new captain after very warm good bye from us to inzi after world cup and somebody told Mr.inzi that plz don’t smile when u lose any match and don’t say any thing rubbish well well I know he cant speak English but plz don’t hide ur week point with to give smile at lest just understand the situation Allah help our paki cricket nearly World cup is going to start and we are still going through paki political cricket Good help us .

Once again a weak leadership at the top has shown how our cricketers can behave.Younis Khan should never be allowed to captain Pakistan, an honour which most people cherish yet he washed it away in disdain. Some one please please convince Imran Khan to take in charge and bring some order at PCB.

Hi
Well being one of same title as u mentioned i feel it is better to use ones name then title but thats not even a tertiary issue while considering what just happened in last couple of week. Younis not being a dummy cap, Musshy being out and cheif being changed. In my humble assessment something might have happened in this sequence.
Younis once being nominated might have been sugested that he would be better off if he listens to indressing room "advise"...Mushy might have been more pivitol in those matters since he is regarded as a shrewd mind in cricket...and no doubt he has proved it at county. Now the young man could have been explained this is a more blunt manner that he could handle which led him to an unrational act of not waiting for the cheif to come out of a meeting and meet him promptly and his anger got hold of sences...result a sudden on liner that shocked millions.
What follows was a diplomats saying enuf is enuf...while saying this i do praise the way Mr. Shehrayar has run the affairs. The oval fiasco was managed in less then agreeable manner but i totally agree with Inzi stance, One mere TEST has no value in my eyes then one Country Honor...maybe people who say he should have continued playing have heard less of HONOR and the label CHEAT...hail inzi who did the right choice, the fiasco would have left S.Khan more then just fatigued and with ECB coming on with compensation plea he might have had different ideas for problems to be.

My concern now is not the present or immediate future of Pak cricket but a long time one. Inzi in my view is automatic captain the moment he serves his "dumy" ban (he deserved none in my humble view as he never did any tempering-the primary charge), but once the great Legend of all times will say good bye to cricket we need a sound figure to come in.

Younis is a person whose body language suggest a bubbly character much more deep in his thoughts and visions then his jumping and smiling on feild-his eyes gives out a lot while he smiles and jumps around. Within him is an area which hardly takes denial or self critic and all this is sugar coated with ability to perform when matters. It is imperative that he cautrise his ego bit a lill more to put one more layer of wisdom under ego stress as his ability and he has a short time to do so.

Suggestion: Once PCB gives some one a central contract it shows they r thinking of that particular individual on a long term basis and as a valued asset. It time to do Value addition. There should be series of training in Off Season and during season itself when at home to groam probable leaders in that group. Sugested trainings are leadership skills, communication skills, controlled diplomacy, body language, counter psychic pressure, anxiety control, group talk management skills, distribution and sharing of authority skills...all this is available as trainings locally in Pak also from top universities in Lahore and many groups doing same services for many multinationals and youth groups...so why not use it for this group and assess how they assimilate the information when they play for Pak and domestic league. Its high time to nurture the next 10 yr future of Pak cricket hierchy in a scietific manner. This will reduce chances of such irrational and unprofessional actions as the resignation once which could have been effectively handled if they had proper training.

Regrads

Ali Akram

There is no need to worry about Pakistan Cricket and Pakistan cricketing talent. We have a well balanced team that is giving consistent performance.

Here is my prediction, that I made when Zaheer Abbas and Waqar Younis were added to team management/couch:

"Inzamam and Woolmer will both leave Pakistan Cricket before World Cup 2007".

In the absence of Zaheer and Waqar, Inzamam gave the team a fighting spirit, confidence, self-respect, motivation and the sting. As soon as Zaheer and Waqar were appointed I could see the return of nasty politics and departure of self-respect. Individually, Zaheer and Waqar were greats but in the present scenario as non-playing members of Pakistan team they are very harmful.

Zaheer Abbas for one behaves and wants to be treated like an 'Asian-Bradman'. Even Don Bradman himself never behaved like 'Bradman The Great' such was his humbleness. Zaheer's conduct during the Oval fiasco showed everyone that this job is not for him; he should be left in the showcase and celebrated like a prized possession.

Waqar Younis on the other hand is from the era of Wasim Akram's group politics. Inzamam got rid of this cancer (group politics within the team) as soon as he became incharge. Waqar will only help create frustration in the team and should be sent off as soon as possible.

As far as current entertainment provided by Younis Khan is concerned. There is nothing to be concerned about, when professional cricketer are treated in an unprofessional manner then there is no choice but to put everyone in there right place. That is exactly what Younis Khan did. Younis is the right replacement for Inzamam and he will prove it when the time comes.

Kind regards,

Wamiq Ansari
Leeds, UK

i think i won't be surpirise if we see inzi's resignation in couple of days or right after champions trophy. since every one is out from inzi's team do u think inzi is out also.

looks like to me that dressing room is going to change again and every one will praying ( if all do) seprately and play separtely too.

Inzi's effort of bringing them together is wasted and no doubt they were trying to win his attention not ALLAH's

Pakistan is all about politics and cricket is no different

Why on earth are we surprised at the recent events in Pakistan Cricket arena? EVERYTHING about Pakistan is ADHOC, UNPREDICTABLE, SELFISH, UNDISCIPLINED .... need i continue? just look at the way our country is governed and the example set by our rulers. S... flies top down not bottom up. Unless we have good selfless professional leadership bank on these fiascos repeating with regularity.

i dont think pakistan may feel over this since they are a great one day side capable of winning the world cup.

What Inzamamam did was great for south asian cricket. Cricket like all sports is marred by racism. Umpires like Darryl Hair are hailed and included in the elite panel despite their poor judgement and tendency to run into controversey. Shane warne is an all time great and muralitharan is a cheat!!! Mcgrath is the greatest fast bowler of modern era and Wasim Akram is a ball tempering guru. This is the message of the ICC. I say hurrah for Inzamamam and anybody who has what it takes to stand up to racism.

Hi, The whole thing which we need to learn after the Ban on Inzimam is that how much critical Inzimam is to unit the team. Not for the first time for his batting but most importantly for his Captaincy!
I have a feeling now that the condition of Pakistan team after Inzi will be just like the condition of Team which was in 1992 World Cup. Many Star Players but no Team SPirit.
The glimpses of this unrest were given by Pakistan Team in 2004 tour West Indeas tour when Inzi was banned for the first test and everything went wrong in the first test when Younis was captain. You got to accpet that no senior player will give respect to Younis since everybody will feel that he is more desevant for the captaincy.
When everybody was asking that dump Inzi for Test or ODI and make him captain then they had not realized that how critical Inzi is for Pakistan. No matter his captaincy lacks many things. No matter he looks laizy in field. But thing is that he has build a team for u in last 3 years which everybody failed to do so from Miandad to Salim Malik to Wasim to Moin to Waqar. So it is really important to persue Inzimam atleast till Worldcup since If Pakistan has any chance of winning that cup will b Only under Inzimam otherwise people are waiting for another Worldcup 2003 replay!

I totally agree with you. I have my own perception on this though.

In my opinion, yes the Oval fiasco wasn't handled perfectly by any one.And out of all people Zaheer Abbass comes out to blame Inzi is very low of him because we all saw what he was busy doing on TV. Inzi was the only one to take A STANCE that day. It sounds like Mr.Abbaas is fancying his chances of getting the job back.
Younis Khan's utter dumbness hasn't helped the matters either. It has totally over shadowed the work Inzi and Woolmer have put into the development of this team in the last two years. As for the new Chairman I beleive he is a reasonable man and sacking of Mushtaq could have other reasons than him being Inzi's friend alone. One more on Mr.Musharraf's mind could be the over and absolute over-use of religous terms and practices within the team which totally goes against the message he stands for and I agree with him. Instead of promoting education people like Inzi and Mushtaq are if in one way creating team unity are also taking the team 10 steps back in evolution. We need to give them something they don't have, not something they were given the moment they were born(religion).
We need to understand that the balance of using religion in daily matters sits on a very thin line and that line is controlled by people like Inzamam in this instance, but Inzi will not always be there, hence, if the team is not united under the captain a big decline in personalities of the cricketers could take place. We need the Pakistani team to be educated so they could take their jobs like professionals do. Only then we will not see the dirty laundary out in the public.

Younis Khan is getting over-confident with his recent successive batting perfomance. Why didnt Mohammad Yousuf asked any question when he was stripped off of his vice-captaincy without any good reason? He was appointed captain for one night and next day Younis Khan took his place again. This is totally wrong. Younis Khan should have been punished for his actions.
It clearly shows there is no discipline of rules and anyone with a backup can challange the authority.

I am a Cardiologist working in the US.
It was apthetic to see a doctor running the affairs of Cricket.
Dr Asharaf whom I have heard about is one of the biggest oppurtunist known. He was seen on TV actively (probably undermining Mr. Khan's job)running around during the Oval Fiasco.
Another step towards modern enlightment ? Favouritism

You are on the dot. PCB have bunch of dumb and nonsense people. people there have no regard for anybody except their own likening or ego. as long as this is there pakistan cricket never folrish.
For Younis Khan i have this : he acts like a stupid Kid " i have very serious doubts in his captaincy.( just remember the fight between afridi and him on west indies tour recently ) This is the start of end of a very brief calm period in pak cricket.( because of inzamam).

Once Again the wounded tiger have same old age problem in their out field...and this will result a poor shpw down from one of the best team n in the present senario !!!!! wounded lol

The current situation is the silliest of all that Pakistan Cricket has had in decades. Younis Khan's recent actions are unprofessional and not suitable, for a person who leads the team. Younis' re-appointment to captain's position is, likely, one of the first shocks. And the way things are going, many more should be expected. Unfortunately.

Younis has always shown glimpses of leadership skills whenever given the opportunity to do so. However, I couldn't help but agree with your view that what he has done this time around is purely DUMB ! PCB has set a bad example by reinstating him as captain of the team for the ICC Champions Trophy. This is likely to create 'further' divisions in the Pakistani Cricket Team. I hope he will fly and not fry!

My opinion is that PBC is making fuss with cricket game because of money-game. Let the cricket-players to be built by chacter & discipline not playing with media. Captain like Kardar, bowler like Fazal Mehmood, batsman like Hanif Mohammad, Imtiaz,& Zaheer Abbas.
They should follow pre-partition C.K.Nayedu,s descipline & fairness.

By going to the press and spurning the captaincy instead of presenting his point of view to the PCB Younus Khan behaved irresponsibly and immaturely, two attributes that a leader can ill-afford.Primarily, to set an example for would- be aspirants Younus should have been told authoritatively to pack up and go home.Such temporizing undermines institutions for which Pakistan cricket will pay a heavy price.

I think there is alot of politics in PCB which is why we are not taking advantage of the talent Mushtaq Ahmed has. Mushtaq Ahmed gets 100 wickets almost every county season and Danish Kaneria gets beating of his life from batsmen around the world, not to say that Danish is not a good bowler but he can learn something from Mushy who I think deserves a place in the side for a very long time. It is amazing that we can put up with Mohmmad Sami's wierd bowling displays but we cannot give chance to Mushtaq Ahmed.

I think all that happening in the previous fortnght starting from the ban, the resignation, the resignation, a new chairman, the reinstatement, the sacking are all becuase of involvement of politics in cricket in Pakistan. I sincerely hopes that all these are left behind and the team plays to its potential and wins the trophy and makes proud all the nation.

Its like everyone is throwing their own trantrums. Spur of the moment decisionsand comments are the way to go, be it Inzamam ( the decision at Oval (although i think his stand was justified but not for that long a period of time) then Zaheer Abbas who had been quiet for so long since he was shown the door came out and said no one was happy with inzamam, then the decisions of Younis Khan ( i know he is a pathan and his pride matters a lot but what about the pride of his country and nation, pretty selfish from my point of view), then the decision to put him back in when there were rumors that he might not captain again, its like a game of chance you have the dice you roll then do what you want. The comments are pretty monotonous too to tell you the truth, its pretty predictable, if they are a part of the PCB everything is going great, if they get thrown out they make it seem like everything is going to collapse. One level headed person is all it takes, maybe not for Pakistan i bet we need quite a few, but the tantrums ought to stop. Hopefully we can concentrate our energies to wining games in the coming months rather than throwing these childish tantrums (the board and players alike).

I think Younis Khan will get the job done. Personally, he is a hard worker who strive for excellence always and gives 100% to the team.

If anything, the situation will motivate him and we will see him at his best.

He is also a team player and will certainly put away all the differences once his is in charge on the field.

His behaviour might even motivate Shid Afridi, who I think will have a big impact in this tournament (Champions Trophy).

Yeah , I certainly have to agree with you . I said certainly because I do like the Pak team but younis is simple nonsense . Instead , PCB itself is . Just around the tour of India last time , he was made the vice-captain even he was not a permanent member of the team . This is politics , pure politics . Then he was made to bat at no.3 position , though everybody know that yousuf has played very well there & is a sure shot better batsmen . Now , eventually he is doing justice to his position , but yousuf's performance has declined in ODI's since then ( in actual terms & not in stats ) . And now , when he refused to lead the side , the honour to captain the national side , yousuf was given the reins . But as soon as he obligued , captaincy was snatched from yousuf . This is insult to yousuf , a big insult . How can one show such kind of dirrespect towards anybody , & more importantly towards the player who is one of the best batsmen Pakistan has ever produced . I don't know how yousuf still doesn't have any problem with PCB or younis , he have to be a simple gentlemen to do so .

Thank god for Pakistan's volatility! If we had every cricket board and team chugging along as efficiently as Australia, cricket would have been duller.

The one dayers are already very dull. This statement is testified by the fact that a ball tampering row hogs the headlines for a couple of months and other non-cricketing issues are the best thing sports columnists can talk about.

The only series left worth watching are the Ashes or an India-Pak series. The solution lies in concentrating on the quality and not the quantity of cricket.

And yes, a volatile Pakistan team is just what the game needs in these drowsy times.

Yeah , I certainly have to agree with you . I said certainly because I do like the Pak team but younis is simple nonsense . Instead , PCB itself is . Just around the tour of India last time , he was made the vice-captain even he was not a permanent member of the team . This is politics , pure politics . Then he was made to bat at no.3 position , though everybody know that yousuf has played very well there & is a sure shot better batsmen . Now , eventually he is doing justice to his position , but yousuf's performance has declined in ODI's since then ( in actual terms & not in stats ) . And now , when he refused to lead the side , the honour to captain the national side , yousuf was given the reins . But as soon as he obligued , captaincy was snatched from yousuf . This is insult to yousuf , a big insult . How can one show such kind of dirrespect towards anybody , & more importantly towards the player who is one of the best batsmen Pakistan has ever produced . I don't know how yousuf still doesn't have any problem with PCB or younis , he have to be a simple gentlemen to do so .

mr. abbasi, i think you are absolutely right. i had already posted my comments to cricinfo that just like any other paki politician, our new pcb cheap in the rhythm of showing some muscles made the following wrong decision hours into getting his position:
1) wrong to remove yousuf from captaincy
2) he was long officiating as vc before stupid younus khan became inzi's deputy
3) can ashraf expect 100% from yousuf
4) wrong to remove abdal razzaq from vc
5) can ashraf expect 100% from abdal razzak
6) wrong to remove mushi from his position either
7) can ashraf expect 100% from inzi during wi tour of pakistan, if his friend mushi was removed just because he was his pal
8) wrong to give captaincy to younus khan when he had already rejected the offer
9) is new pcb cheap trying to tell the fellow that in the whole pakistan there is only one captain available for the championship on hand.
10) fueling the fire of complancy level of the fellow
11) will shahid afridi give his 100% to younus khan after what they had gone through in the last wi tour
12) daryll hair's jinx on pakistan will continue to exist right from the oval ground to indian grouds, to pakistan grounds (wi), to south african grounds right up to the world championship culminating on the pakistan team ranking replacing th