Cricinfo - Blogs - Pak Spin - Would Bob really say that?

No matter whether you are for or against Bob as a coach, it is very hard to believe he said something like that specially when he has dealt with so many other Pakistani and Black South African players in the past. Kamran, as for the article on Dawn, it might be a reputed newspaper but if Shoaib or someone close to him told them about a conversation that only Shoaib and Woolmer know about, the newspaper can't do much more research on it. All they can do is trust the fact that they got it straight from Shoaib. However, I doubt their credibility since they did not question the accused before publishing it. Common sense journalism mandates that a chance be given to the accused to explain before they make any conclusions.

On the other hand, Shoaib is known for his childish behavior and given the bad performance of the team on the recent trip, it seems like Shoaib is trying to hit the iron when its hot i.e. hit Inzi and Woolmer when people might be unhappy with them for the on-field performance. Shoaib is a match-winner when he has the right attitude but that kind of Shoaib has rarely showed up for Pakistan on the field. Time has come for us to swallow the pill and kick him out once and for all. Yes, we will loose a potential match winner but what good is the potential when it does not show up 90% of the time. Yes, Shoaib set us up in the second test in SA but it was the same Shoaib that forced Asif and Kaneria to bowl insane spells in the second inning because he kept insisting he was match fit. Look at Asif, this poor chap played the last one day with injections because his captain asked him to. If it was Shoaib in his place, we would have been hearing all about how good he was and he did not want to waste himself before the World Cup. From Asif, we did not hear a word, we just saw commitment.

We are better off losing matches with committed players rather than winning 1 match out of 10 with these self-centered show pieces.

lolz!! my point exactly!! "BLACKY"?!!! hahaha, couldnt they come up with a better story? the word blacky is soooo sub-continental that the word itself renders the story baseless...
I was thinkin it could've easily been Shoaib Akhtar venting his frustration to a friend or two who took his word for it and sold it to the press....i mean, not Shoaibs fault..in frustration everybody makes up some story...i hope Shoaib Akhtar clarifies and Dawn apologizes!
i think what i'm sayin might be true..especially lookin at how shoaib akhtar's "friends" have posted private videos of him singing,etc on youtube!

I don't know if Bob Woolmer called Shoaib a "blackie" or not, but i know that someone, i mean a third person, was there to act as a catalyst in this situation.
It surprises me that inzimam, who is supposed to be a leader, guardian of the flock, would be unable to put his grudge aside for his country.
I believe the whole incident has a background to it, with lots of twists and tales. I certainly don't think that Bob Woolmer would be stupid enough to make any recist remark.
Pakistan cricket hasa rich history of captains destroying careers of talented players, just because of personal grudges. So why not one more!!!
On the surface, it seems like Woolmer and Shoaib had an argument, but i have every reason to believe that there were other sources involved, atleast one.
It is a shame to see Inzi keep such grudges and afloat an air of tension amongst the cmap when the WC is right around the corner.
I wish Pakistan best of luck, but at the same time, i think that we need a failure, a kick at our rears, just to wake us all up, and start over again:).
So maybe, a failure in this world cup might not be that bad of a thing in the long run.
Thanks,
Raja Shehzad Zaman (USA)

Except for Mohammed Asif, Danish Kaeria, Younus Khan and M. Yousuf, the whole lot should be fired. Saw Saleem ALtaf on Geo TV recently with Waqar Younus. What a disgrace for Pakistan cricket. Nothing but a babu beauracrat. As for Naseem Ashraf - the less said the better. He will eventually turn out to be one of the biggest embarrassments and scandals of Mushraff's term in office.

Kamran, head rolling might be a little premature right now. All of them will pretty much roll after the world cup. You just watch sir, and let us know when it happens.

WOOO! First comment... Bob woolmer seems to posh to be racist.

I was truly surprised to read this article in dawn too and I am sure that Bob wouldn't do such a thing ... I sense someone else trying to make some bucks out of this news.

What a shambles. well no surprises there then. lets say for one minute that bob did actually say this did it have to be aired publicly?? did everybody have to know could it not have been done internally?? its amateurish at best. as for the board well none of them know nothing about cricket. doctors??? medically good cricketwise useless. face facts its just all over the place as is the squad. why hafeez?? hes opened 60 odd times and averages 18 with the bat??? afridi averages more and he is consudered wreckless so what is hafeez???? and the one quality player we did have in salman butt gets treated so badly its untrue. in order for our cricket to change our board has to. weneed explayers who know what they are doing eg imran, waqar wasim.

Oh, I forgot to mention in my earlier post. Dr. Nasim Ashraf has been the worst ever in this post. It is time someone should realize this (MR. President, are you listening?) and get him out before Pakistan cricket is totally destroyed. We made so much progress in the three years after the last World Cup and then totally lost it in the last year. It seems like we are back to square one. Also, for all you Imran Khan supporters: If he wants to criticize the team and the captain and the coach, maybe he should take some responsibility and offer to be the PCB chairman to Musharraf. That way he can force changes through authority and actually be accountable. Oh, I forgot, that is the same Musharraf Imran likes to criticize whether there is a reason or not. But if Imran does not want to do anything in an official capacity for Pakistan cricket, he should just shut up and focus on his mulla-style politics that he is running. I can't believe the only people he socializes with is the MMA, just tells you a lot about how shallow he is.

I can't believe Bob Woolmer can make such a stupid remark. I do not read sports pages of Dawn regularly now, but from my previous experience, I know a whole bunch of idiots used to report and write on those pages. Of course Kamran won't say anything against sports editor of Dawn because he himself is a contributor to these pages. Dawn is no more the newspaper it used to be. They better come up with any evidence they have got or face the consequences.

Pakistan cricket has become shambolic- perhaps your column would be more suited to a womens soap opera magazine as calling the PCB a sports organisation is an insult to the game. There is mass corruption, from the top- Mr Ashraf, Saleem Altaf to the core of the side- Inzamam. I highly doubt that Woolmer made such a comment but he must have said something to cause such upset to Shoaib. I believe this has been incited by Inzamam, who holds a grudge with Shoaib . I think that -for the second time under Inzys captaincy- Shoaib has been falsely accused of faking an injury, and this allegation- in front of the rest of the team is much more than just a slap on the face. How would you like it if you were very ill and did not go to work and your workplace accused you of lying to them. I would consider this a blow to my commitment and integrity and , as Shoaib has suffered this for the second time in his career, I feel that Shoaib should take measures by either refusing to play under Inzamam or taking him to court. I feel that Bob Woolmer has his own frustrations , and has been persuaded to feel this way under the influence of Inzamam. This is a team who will be playing in the world cup, something that they were tipped to be favourites for 2 years ago after thrashing England, in just 3 weeks. I think the real question is not if Shoaib was called a blacky or not, but

Can this team really play at the world cup and do their talent justic with this much infighting ?
Can they work on their cricket when every person that matters in Pakistan cricket is thinking about a prospective lawsuit?
Can the president - his highness Mr Musharraf really expect Pakistan cricket to win when he keeps on appointing family members in important positions?
Why is money being thrown away on physios and trainers that have done absoloutely nothing to prevent the injuries-and were probably responsible for the drug use?
What has been the role of mushtaq ahmed? Is he just another person helping Inzamam to more power?
Can you expect to win the world cup with 3 proper solid batsmen in your entire squad? Where are Yasir Hameed and Salman Butt/ Bazid Khan
Does Wasim Bari- a poor excuse of a selector- if you can call him that - actually watch domestic cricket or look at players- or does he just scribble names down from the scorecards published in the newspapers? i think the latter
Where is Imran Khan? The one person who has always talked sense in the calamity that is Pak cricket.
Does this team actually deserve a world cup? Does Inzamam deserve to go down in the list of names such as Imran Khan., Steve Waugh and Jayasuriya.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and I feel that Inzamam and Bob should both be disciplined,Mushtaq Ahmed should be sacked and Inzamam must be told in no uncertain ways that he is very much dispensable. Its about time that Saleem Altaf offered his resignation and the team MUST be chosen by a panel including the manager, Inzamam, YK and Woolmer as well as proper selectors- not BARI and Iqbal- as currently Pakistan XI is more of a Inzamams tableeghi friends cricket team.

I keep on hearing the optimism of Pakistanis and other fans- we all know Pakistan does best when they are under extreme pressure and things arent going well for the team- but even this sixteen year old realises that Pakistan cricket needs a major overhaul - irrespective of what happens at the World Cup

If the Pakistani law of defamation is anything like that in other Commonwealth jurisdictions then Dawn are about to finally be reprimanded for their incessanr incompetence. Unless, that is, they can prove that the statement published by them, and the inuendo therein, is in fact true! It would be almost impossible to prove that Bob Woolmer is racist and so the bloodbath begins! Kamran Abbasi is obviously privy to information which we are not but, objectively speaking, I must side with Bob on this one. And, by the way, yeh, there is a World Cup just around he corner and yeh Shoaib wont be playing and yeh Pakistan havent a hope of winning...

I am fed up with "the mysterious world of pakistan cricket." What the pakistani media has done is very upsetting and shameful. ACCUSING BOB OF BEING A RACIST?!? I wouldn’t be suprised if he left after the world cup. This is the same guy who helped pakistan win the india series in india. This is the same guy who didn’t quit after the oval fiasco. This is the same guy who was slapped by shoaib! Pakistan owes him. I’m sure he had enough of coaching pakistan. and shoaib.

and I hope and pray that woolmer doesn’t apologize to shoaib.

Okay so here is how i think it will play....please note that there is still a month for the WC...and as always people need entertainment so therefore the drama.

This debate will be the talk of the town for atleast two weeks (some may say 10 days max).
Reputations will supposedly be tarnished with a few extra words added courtesy the thesaurus. A court case will begin with an expected starting date of August 30, 2025; this could be pushed back due to a backlog of cases. In the mean time,
The PCB will look in the second drawer of their cabinet to find a template of a speech prepared for a day like this and then deal with the situation by making dim witted statements; the kind of rant Bush usually goes through.

In the end Shoaib will be held accountable since this obviously orginates from him and this whole drama of pulling out of the squad with a decision on a serious knee injury still pending displays among other things the ability to improvise.

Though I am not a Woomerite or Inzimamite at all, I really believe without any reservation whatsoever that Woolmer never ever said that. This Shoaib lobby has been gearing up on their own to do whatever they could. I mean what kind of performer is Shoaib? He is a fast bowler but not a sportsman at all. He has never been fit. How much cricket he plays in a year? And Mr. Kamran, you appear to be a very genuine guy with a very pragmatic approach but you know journalists in Pakistan are also chips of certain lobbies either directly or indirectly, no matter how pious they are. Giving credibility to Shoaib Akhtar is like pulling a hamstring of the whole team!!! Alas to Pakistan cricket! What a mess!

Well, I have to not only agree with you Mr. Abbasi but go a little further. I think every one in this world is a little racist. As for us, we call the white guys "goras" or Chinese "chapta" or Africans "kaala" or "kalla" or Banladeshi's "bangali". Even refering to a person as "Mohajir" or "Sindhi" or "Pathan" or "Panjabi" does imply a little bit of racism as we tend to use these terms to stereotype the whole race. Are we being racist or is this just a manner of identifying the person we are speaking of? I think its a little of both and we all do it.

This guy shoaib Akhtar is not a hero, he is a disgrace for pakistan and its cricket, he is just avoiding to take a dope test and trying to outst himself from the world cup. He loves to create controvercies. He is abusive and disrespectful to everybody whether its team member or official. I am afraid he could end up in prison.

If Bob has really said what appeared on the media then it’s a very serious issue and should be condemned. As you rightly said Kamran, the onus is on the Dawn’s editor to back it up with some solid evidence! The bottom line is whatever happens, whether the Dawn’s editor apologies (which he wouldn’t even if proved wrong – typical Pakistani mentality which regards asking for an apology, if proved wrong, is like de-grading themselves! ) or Bob gets a sack if he’s proved guilty (which I’m sure he’s not), it’s another laughing stock for the rest of the world. World Cup is just around the corner; all the teams apart from us are in the process of developing strategies on how to win it and look at us, we don’t even know anything about our final squad forget the final eleven and still seemingly busy in this idiotic stuff!!! Having said all this, I wouldn’t be surprised if Pakistan wins the world cup after all of these mind boggling issues which have happened to them in the last 6 months or so, strange things and miracles have happened in the past! Let’s hope for another one!

Shoaib Akhtar and Bob woolmer are both fame-crazy. In reality, they concentrate less on game more on ways to gain fame. This is another episode of the same nature. I wonder some people suggesting shoaib to be captain. Yes, he can become captain if he ever becomes fit and can stay in ground for 10 overs maximum.

Its boring to even state that pak cricket management is rediculous. I doubt any foreign coach would want to join such a setup from here onwards.

There are clearly problems. Its on the video how shoaib akhtar pushed Woolmer and he looked quite threatening.

Only pak cricket can sweep so many controversies under the carpet. One wonders why can't they just be transparent. is there a mafia that doesn't allow any administration to work transparently?

Dr Ashraf, would never takea responsiblity of 'any thing going on in Pak creckit becasue he is a good friend to the President of Pak, Dr Ashraf's job is secured for long time so he (Ashraf) donesn't care too much about the team.

Hello, I am not really the kind who would respond to newspaper articles but this issue of racism has pushed me to express my thoughts. I think this is peace of rubbish what Dawn is feeding to general audience. How could someone claim something that could have such a big impact without any proof. What a timing! Quite honestly, we know how good Shoib is for our team and for our world cup chances. But brutely honestly, i seriously wish him not to be in our team. He is just a pain in the butt. How come other players don't go out push and shove like him? How can he ever forget he is dealing with a choach and an old man. I dont care what Woolmer said to him. If he was that upset, he should claimed a law suite or rough up PCB heirarchy. But to make a mockery of Pakistan cricket and its image, infront of millions is just plain arrogant and disrespectfull. It was disrespectful to every cricket fan in the country. Now on racism, can any one really prove that? No, may be not. But their got to be some history. Did Woolmer ever use foul language before? If yes, fire him on the spot but if not than i bet you know what i am thinking. Grab by the neck and show the door. We survived with Wasim, Waqar, Saeed, Ijaz, Malik and Saqlain. We will survive without whoever started this. Shoib is not indespensible. He is professional cricketer who is getting paid for his survices. In professional cricket, you have to be strong enough to handle pressure and criticism--- and Skepticism.

With all due respect to everyone involved, the problem might be the source. if I understand it correctly from osman samiuddin's article at cricinfo (http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/rsavpak/content/current/story/280586.html), our potential source is Shoaib Akhtar. If that is the case, it is neither Dawn sports editor nor Bob, Shoaib might become the key. if matters are taken to court, that would be worst possible outcome. may be shoaib misunderstood in the heat of the "well-publicised-moments". I hope that it is not one of those give-me-attention tricks from shoaib. His timing is interesting as well. he discloses info about the abuse from inzimam and bob (if he indeed did) after emergence of his recent injury news and possibility of non-participation in worldcup. if shoaib indeed has done it, this is mother of all the "news" we have hearing about him for past many years.

hello everybody

just when we thought it couldnt get any worse, it keeps happening. pakistan cricket has begun to look like a deso soap opera, or some kind of reality tv show, where one after another events keep taking place, and the whole thing is just going down in a downwards spiral.

Well as for our newest twist in the story, from what we've seen of Bob Woolmer, over the past half decade or so, i highly doubt that the man is a racist. This "blackie" comment, seems more like media propaganda, rather than a relevant locker room occurence. If it was true, and Shoiab Akhter was the victim of racism and other verbal abbuse performed by Bob, and Inzy, then i am sure that he would have been the first one to come out and spread the wor himself, rather than wait for weeks and let other local sources, come to the rescue.

All in all, i would like to say that why dont we screw the page 3, news bulletins, and concentrate on how to improve our beloved pakistani cricket. The few weeks to come are going to be crucial for the men in green, and it is int this span of time that our side can fight like cornered tigers and make history, or they can just play like disable pussy cats, and become history.

Anyways wish the men in green all te best of luck, and hope to see inzy lift the silver trophy.

PAKIS RULE!

It's sorta true that south asians are more racist then other people, but nobody notices it when they say 'kalea'. To them 'kalia' are so inferior that even 'kalea' boys and their parents themselves are often looking around the whole country to find a 'gori bribe'.So before we start accusing other people of racism we should look at our own society and realize how low we'v sunk. I bet inzamam from time to time wud say "in kalia ko jaldi out kirro..mujha bhuk lug rahi hai" (refering to the west indian players)

Absolute rubbish! The racist card is always used by desperados.

I personally think that Bob Woolmer being the coach and the elder of the two needed to behave more maturely. Shoaib is a young asset to the team and he needs to be handled with care. He needs to be treated differently. Reason being that he can single handedly win a match for Pakistan. No other player in the present team can do that. Hence doesnt matter if Shoaib fights with anyone or who's fault it is. He just needs to be in the team. One thing to note is that Shoaib has a temper just like Imran had. He is a fast bowler just like Imran was. He has good communication skills just like Imran had. He can lead from the front just like Imran. He has a personality which scares the opposition and sends out the positive signals. All of these qualities is what Imran had as well.
If anyone from the PCB is reading this.Please sack bob woolmer and Inzamam. Make Shoaib Captain. You will see the results. Even if he plays one in 5 matches he is still better then any other player there right now.

I think the point that 'blacky' is not a derogative term commonly used by Westerners is good and I'm glad you've made it, as it was the first thing that occurred to me upon reading this story. Of course, having spent some time with Pakistan Bob Woolmer is bound to have picked up some slang terms, but as you say it would appear out of character for him to employ that kind of language. I hope this story turns out to be untrue, Bob Woolmer has always seemed to me to conduct himself very well in often very difficult circumstances in possibly one of the most difficult jobs in world cricket.

Lets give Bob the benefit of the doubt - I cant imagine him being racist either - but in my opinion the fact that he wrongfully accused our best bowler of feigning an injury is good enough to fine or even sack him. Shoaib gets fined for being injured while both Bob and Inzi get away with their childish behavior.

I am 99% sure that Bob would not have said these words. I think its a self made story of the news. Its also possible that Shoaib would have said these words to somebody to save his NOSE and then it become a scandel. But shoaib has to realize in that case that how much careful he should be saying anything. I think Bob Woolmer should not be treated this way, i think he is the Ambassador of two countries, and its not all about cricket. I would offer an appology being a Pakistani if it would help him.

Bob Woolmer would never say such a thing. Its typical of DAWN and their crappy reporting. Did you notice, how everything in that article was "sources said this" and "sources said that". For a long time, DAWN has gotten away with gutter reporting. Well - they`re not going to be that lucky this time. Bob Woolmer has said he will take them to court - and Woolmer isent a Pakistani who DAWN can make a deal with. They will pay and pay dearly in court, as they should. I hope Woolmer takes them to the cleaners.

Who the hell cares if Bob called shoaib a blackie. why are us pakis so concerned about stuff like this.

bob would call shoaib blackie, he wont call him reddy, bluey or pinky. the guy has very dark skin!!!!!!

when u play "mohalla" cricket in the street, you end up calling each other all sorts of vulgar things which cant be mentioned on this blog. Why doesnt the Dawn write about those sort of things ??

Mr Abbassi! Temper temper! You seem like a very angry man! At least now we know the depth of the Woolmer/ Akhtar spat. If the allegations are true then why did the 15 or so players remained silent? If the allegations are false then why did Shoaib not raise the issue when he was fined?

This whole episode seems like a media fabrication. I think Shoaib will come on public and claim these are false accusations and there is no love lost between him and Woolmer.

Let forget about it and concentrate on the world cup. And for you Mr Abbasi..... please just relax... and enjoy a month where we will be unbeaten! That's a first for a very long time.

Why don't you come over to sunny Scotland for a weekend to get away from it all! No newspapers, no cricinfo.. Just the remedy!

I can't believe he would say something like this but if he does that would mean Bob is mentally retired. But this incident confirms one thing Bob & Inzamam cannot tolerate Shoib for one reason or other. It's easy to leave best bowler(s) out for some excuse (injury / drug) and then blame losses for those reasons. However it does not make Shoib innocent as he is well known for his arrogance and stupidity. After this revelation, we can expect more rifts in Pak squad... One can only pray now!!!!!!!

Kamran abbasi it seems that you are trying to destroy pakistan cricket with your comments. you are always against woolmer and pcb. i think your a rubbish writer and from now on will never read your blogs but watch paint dry which would be more entertaining than 1 of your articles.

A Letter to Bob

Dear Bob,

I hope you and your family are all doing wonderfully well. I have been an avid reader of ur views and an ardent admirer of ur courage and ethics. Never before deemed necessary to write to u, but in regards to the recent ignominy we've suffered, I feel the need and the urge to write, and i sincerely do hope for a response.

Firstly, can you please explicate the logic of not playing yasir hameed as a regular opener?? the guy has an average of almost 40, almost 10 runs better than any other opener we have tried, he does have a temperament problem and throw away his wicket quite regularly, but others can't even get on and score some, hafeez averages 19, nazir in 20s, ditto farhat; it has always been obvious that hafeez and farhat don't possess the required technique and skill to succeed at international level particularly against class bowling line ups on bouncy pitches. salman butt has a test hundred in australia and taufeeq umer in south africa, in fact umer has 4 test hundreds, he definitely has class and composure, he is not a odi player but more than suitable for test matches. im aware of ur view that they've lost confidence, but considering the scarcity of dependable openers in pakistan, don' t u think it would have been more feasible to give these 3 tested openers - hameed, umer, butt - a regular chance to settle in, gain confidence, and prove themself??

Bob, if you've followed pakistan cricket in past few decades, u would realise pakitan's success in odis has always heavily depended on a successful opening stand or impact bowlers; every other team in odi has sucessfully employed one of their heavy weight middle order batsmen as an opener: tendulkar, lara, chanderpaul, sehwag, ganguli, gilchrist, mark waugh, and many others; and a class batsman will be successful at any position. i know u believe in players raising their hands up and accepting responsibilities, but sadly altruism has been a rare commodity in Pakistan cricket, and as a coach by now im sure u know that the buck will always stop at u, and a failure in world cup will result in some hideous vindiction against u, inzi will retire, but most other players will continue in the same vein. in almost all other countries coaches and captains apprise their players to play at different positions, as u have done with afridi and malik; and i believe its time u do the same in odis with younus and yousuf, one of these 2 has to open with hameed/nazir; malik at 3 or 4, and then the rest.

and why this obsession with multi-skilled players?? i agree they are more than useful; but atleast if they are international class in any one of their multi-faceted skills; players like symonds, jayasuria, gayle, kallis, tendulkar, yuvraj are primarily fantastic batsmen and then useful bowlers; flintoff, vetorri, pollock, vaas, are wonderful bowlers in their own right; pakistan's quadra of allrounders afridi, malik, razzaq, hafeez; can hardly hold their own in any of their skills, apart from malik who has been utterly wasted recently at number 6 or 7; and razzaq has become a huge liability in fielding along with his pedestrian bowling. in the world cup we can only afford 2 of these, and on current form malik and afridi should get the nod.

pakistan's bowling line up has to be: asif, akhter, gul, kaneria; i know that is a long tail but any one of these bowlers can win pakistan a match on their own; sure enough it all depends on their availability - fitness/drugs/attitude - but even at times when they all have been available for odis, u've only played 3 or 2 of them, ignored gull, and completely disregarded kaneria, which is a real pity. Pakistan's batting line up has always been fickle, and by making it deeper with a few allrounders will not help much, trust me on that, in fact u have experienced this disaster perennially during ur tenure, recent failures in south africa - with our batting line-up running up till 10 - are prime examples, but pakistani bowlers are a completely different breed, all through 80s and 90s pakistan were able to defend meagre totals of even less than 150 due to the class of imran, qadir, wasim, waqar, mushtaq, saqlain. we still have bowlers of such class but they "have" to be used collectively and judiciously, no more plethora of all-rounders please.

an odi team line-up in respective batting order of: yousuf, hameed/nazir, younus, inzimam, malik, afridi, akmal, shoaib, kaneria, asif, gul; looks positive, shows intent, aggression, is abundant with real class, and is capable of beating any in the world, "consistently".

Good luck in the world cup, u have served pakistan with utmost dignity, and we can never thank you enough. we welcomed u with great hope, at last an unbiased coach with no political agenda and tetchy bickerings, morally upright, positive, and strong in technical and mental aspects of the game; but lately the feeling of deja-vu has invaded pakistani fans along with the hopeless suspicion that u have become more like us: mentally defeated, maintaining personal preferences, and laying down on a low level of comfort.

P.S: no matter what anyone claims i don't believe ur a racist; and im sure soon we'll be reading retractions from shoaib himself. u've lasted longer than most of our kingpin coaches, ignored our egomaniac shoaib, and ignored lucrative offers from other nations, im sure now u'ld want to leave a lasting legacy of success and a gratified pakistani nation, good luck.

I am sorry but I don’t believe this story a bit. Woolmer is a great coach and it is unfortunate that people are accusing him of being a racist. I am a huge Pakistan Cricket Team fan and I was happy that we got a high caliber coach. Only if we can get professional players instead of someone like Shoaib Akhtar.

Well Kamran dear uncle Bob may have many flaws but he is not racist.

AS for the Editor of The Dawn having integrity, I am sorry since when has any media institution in Pakistan shown integrity. THe journalists in Pakistan are just behind the Politicians and the Police force in terms of being corrupt.

This is just another case of a Newspaper besmirching the name of somebody to increase sales and distribution.

Why would Bob have chosen to become the Pakistan coach if he indeed is a racist. It makes no common sense. This allegation makes no sense, It is just another public lynching off a public figure being carried out in the name off journalism.

AS for your remarks about vile and vulgar language being used by sub-continentals.I would fully agree with that. One only needs to look at the Posters on your previous blogs. What I found even more shocking was the vile anti-Islamic rhetoric being projected by people claiming to be Muslim. It seems that people are so keen to be seen as Westernised that they feel ashamed about there own Islamic heritage.The majority of these muslim Islamaphobes seem to be posting from the U.S.A and Canada. I all i can say to them is get over your inferiority complex.

Not also forgetting the regular racist remarks about GHoras (white People) being made by many posters.

AS for Shoaib Akhtar Allegedly thinking off sueing Woolmer and Inzi and also considering pulling out of the squad.Well Akhtar needs to be sued for consistently disgracing his country and being involved in one controversy after another. Only thing that surprises is that people are still willing to support him despite his many misdemeanours.

it's time for Akhtar to go. as a Pak fan, I've had enough of his shenanigans. he should take his wannabe gangsta act to Bollywood which is perhaps his true calling. once a drama queen, always a drama queen.

in the meanwhile, I hope that Woolmer sues Akhtar and the Dawn. for Akhtar's sake, I hope he dissociates himself from this story. otherwise he will have some serious consequences to face.

It's a useless thing to get into this whole who-said-what debate. And to nitpick whether it was racist or not would be digressing even further from the real deal.

The fact of the matter is that one lowly character, Shoaib Akhtar, slithered into the team for one day and poisoned everything. Now that his blackmailing arsonist mind tells him that he doesn't stand much of a chance to play in the World Cup he pulls the dirtiest of his ghastly tricks to light a new fire and watch it burn. "hum tu doobay hain, tum ko bhi lay doobain gay sanam."

It's pretty evident that Shoaib has Imran Khan's "asheerbad" in all of this. Imran has many a score to settle with his ex-susraal. It seems to me that he wants some inner satisfaction out of making Woolmer pay for Jemima's escapades. But Woolmer is one smart cookie too. It makes sense to withstand the whirlwind now, because it makes for so much more masala for his memoirs. If it wasn't for the lost laptop where he had everything so neatly recorded, he'd be getting a hefty advance from his publisher. The laptop you fools, where is it?

Everything aside, the reality is that the team is in a shambles. While all of this is good news for the tabloids, it speaks highly of the ineptness of the management of which Inzi and Woolmer are a part. If the folks at PCB weren't so concerned with winning the next match and were instead focused on building a memorable team, they wouldn't let the dark shadow of a man like Akhtar fall within miles of the team.

Pakistan Cricket team has and in the past been had players that has racist attitude .. For recent look at the way players from Karachi gets treated. Lets for example take Sami's inclusion in this matter.. Does he really deserved to be out of the team and both Rana and Rao are that good really ?

Thank you for writing this, Kamran. I am ashamed and angered in equal part to be one who sympathizes with Cricket Pakistan whose actors are shameless in behavior and suicidal in actions. My take on this issue is in three parts: fact, assupmtion and conjecture.

Fact: It is established beyond doubt that the spat between Akhtar and Bob did take place; cameras caught it "red-handed". It is also well known that the ill will between Akhar and his coach and captain is long-lasting, albiet puntuated with a middle period of rapproachment of some kind.

Assumption: Dawn did have a basis for its story; the reporter neither dreamed it up nor concocted it deliberately. Since concurrently Akhtar has also demanded a public appology from Bob and Inzi, I assume that he is also the one who has fed the story to Dawn.

Conjecture: Both Inzi and bob come across as reasonable persons, and that includes some amount of pragmatism, even if they are committed to their own styles of managing the potentially most lethal bowling resource called Shoaib Akhtar. The one who is uncompromising, rude, insolent and callous about requirements of law and discipline is Akhtar. But, as I remarked on an earlier occasion, he comes in as a package--take it or leave it.

People who pay and/or pray for Pakistan cricket deserve to be told the whole truth, unadultrated, whatever it may be. Keep the issue alive, Kamran, until we know the truth.

One final thought: there will be plenty of people demanding that heads must roll. But the problem is, as Kamran points out, that the heads that must roll first are those of the PCB bosses. It would be meaningless to find scapegoats in Bob, Inzi and Akhtar if the Big-Wigs go unpunished. But who will punish them, and who will fire the Patron-in-Chief, who is ultimately responsible for having PCB run unconstitutionally and autocratically? So, to me, the situation is as hopeless as it can be! In this poisonous environment, only a fool would expect the team to make it to the last four in the World Cup. I am not willing to be that fool but it will not stop me from wishing the team well and praying for a miracle.

no way kamran sir. i can't believe it. its a usual newspaper stunt. Bob can never say so.NOT AT ALL. HE is a real gentleman. ITS NOT TRUE.

People should be allowed to swear and curse at each other when angry. And such outbursts, could on occasion contain a racially charged word. The use of the word “Blackie” even if it was used, does not make Bob a racist. Now, whether he has been a good coach is another question.
As for the rolling of heads, the biggest and the fattest head that should roll first is that of Wasim Bari who over the years has populated the team with mediocre players and really presided over a major decline in Pakistan Cricket.
But may be we should just wait until after the World Cup for a massive purge—like the one after 2003.
At this point, I should mention that Aamir Sohail when he was selector was just as bad. For example, the premature forcing out of Saeed Anwar and Waqar Younis created massive problems that linger to this day.

I doubt bob will stay after his contract expires. Do you really think that a white coach who has given his 100% to coach a non-white team would be racist? Our team is horrible, not because of the coach, but partly because of players like Shoaib who bring the morale of the our team down. We don't need player who plays for 1-2 matches and then sit out injured, and who fail drug tests to taint our national image.

This means that either Shoaib or Bob is going to the WC.It's highly unlikely that both of them will be representing the same team. Either way, this will be a shattering blow to Pkaistan!

I like many others have just about had enough of this.
I don't think it's Bob Woolmer, it's the newspaper that is making these pathetic stories to obviously sell it's rubbish paper.
we know our cricket team is in shambles at the moment and thought the worse was over, but this, i mean these are damaging allegation being made at Bob. No question about it Mr Woolmer will go anyway after the world cup, he's probably thinking these pakistani's are never gonna learn anything, and how right he is.
Bottom line - i don't think Bob is racist, he's a very honest decent man and has done a good job for our cricket team since taking over and i would love it if he stays after the world cup, but it ain't gonna happen. get rid of Shoaib, and we got rid of the root to the problem.

end of

I think these reports would not be true. This is just what the media tries to do. Ceate sensationalism about nothing. If Shoiab was abused and that too in front of the whole team managment, we would have seen some reaction a long time ago. Shoiab is not the kind of character that would sit low and bide his time. Also he is fit enough kick Bob's behind anytime he likes. Bob would have to be insanely brave to try to slap Shoiab. All this pack of lies just to sell some newspapers.

Man. Like I said in one of my previous posts, I wish none of these people were affiliated with 'Pakistan'. I can't deal with all this hogwash! I hope and I pray people like Shoaib strip 'Pakistan' off their shirts and then continue to do whatever the hell they want to. As for Bob and his alleged racist remarks, I doubt if he would do that. And even if he did say something along those lines, I’m pretty sure Shoaib must have thrown some repulsive provocative stuff at him. Bob might be defensive and definitely not our knight in shining armor but he certainly isn't a racist. Also, with regards to the reports, claiming that Shoaib is threatening to sue both Inzi and Woolmer, that is just downright ludicrous. Inzi is apathetic and lethargic. He is uninspiring and listless. But through all these years, Inzi has fought his heart out and given his best for Pakistan. Shoaib meanwhile, has voiced derogatory and condescending remarks against two champion bowlers, been accused of rape when on tour in Australia, led down Pakistan in crucial moments by getting injured, been found guilty of ball tampering, been accused of feigning injury and my favorite, set a brilliant precedent for all the players knocking on the fringes of national selection by taking performance enhancing drugs. In retrospect, Shoaib has only proven to be extremely deleterious to Pakistan’s image and cause, in almost every capacity he has been involved with. So I say, screw Shoaib and all these players who think they are above the country. The point is Shoaib needs to look at himself hard in the mirror before even contemplating throwing bricks at a person of Inzi’s stature and record. Finally, knowing the capricious and dodgy nature of Pakistan cricket, this issue won’t just explode in our face but thanks to people like Nasim Ashraf, will only exacerbate our reputation and our never ending problems. And I thought our performance in the last couple of ODIs in South Africa was the low point.

Pakistani Cricket is like indian soap-opera " Kyunke Saas bhi kabhi bahou thi..." ..everyday there is a new climax

P.S Kamran bhai this couldnt have worked out worse for you. Knowing both parties: i guess one has to be diplomatic

It all started when Javed Miandad was sacked as coach, and was replaced by Bob Woolmer.

My first reaction...
THe idiots have done it again.

But, my reaction was proved wrong once the team started performing. Our 2005 season was just amazing, and it was all due to Bob.

2006 was mediocre, and yes the boys didn't seem like giving a fight in the last 2 ODIs in SA, but they did play their hearts out in the Test matches.

What I am trying to say is that us Pakistan Cricket fanatics need to give Bob a lot more credit than what he is receiving.

And I do not believe one bit that he spoke that racial slur.

Here is the piece of news that everyone is talkign about >> http://www.dawn.com/2007/02/16/spt3.htm

From a personal view, I usually don't read DAWNs sports coverage anymore since its typical masala news. If anyone go through the whole news item at DAWNs site, "a source close to Shoaib" fed all the info. I wonder if that source understands the consequences of "Shoaib planning to pull out of the worldcup squad" at this time. As it stands, Shoaib probably wont make it to the World Cup. He is also expecting an apology from Inzi and Bob ? I think he owe an apology to the whole nation about regularly bragging about his fitness and then breaking down !

I highly doubt the "source" claiming all this understands the consequences of feeding this info to dawn now. It is indeed a BIG allegation against a star coach.

After being a Pak Coach for many years, Bob suddenly is being labelled "probable racist". C'mon guys, give me a break. DAWN is the same newspaper who aggressively criticized Bob all these years. Unfortunately, Shoaib hasn't done much good to himself all these years and his own credibility has a big question mark !

For me its time to "move on". There are more important things to worry about with the WorldCup just a few weeks away.

perhaps bob didnt know what bhangi or charsi means and just stopped short by saying blakie!!!!!
even if he did shoaib has ruined his image in the world of cricket too along with other walks of life

I am not sure BOB would utter such words BUT perhaps he "Could Have said !" some thing like this " Come On Shoaib do not act like a balck sheep for the team !!" , there is a hell of difference between " Blackie " and a a "black sheep" , while the forst one is quite racist remark , the later one fits 100% to describe Shoaib or his behaviour , I have read that , he is even comtemplating to pull himself out of the world cup if there is no appology forth comming from BOB & Inzi . Now I think it is high time that this primadoona is put to his rightfull place and destined to the dust bin for ever . If Pakistan could win 1992 without a Bowler of Waqar's calibre , if the team could sweet out the SA in the test series without the services of such primadonna , it is worth and time to get this spoiled child of Gen TZ and company , out for once and for all . He does not bring any value to the team but to himself a real black sheep of the team . Enough is Enough , he should be given what is now due to him ,,,, show him the gate and let him face the WADA tribunal court and thats is .

If such blogs are to ascertain the sway of fan's expressions over this new development, then HELL YES.. i'm being forced to throw my views here too.

Looking back all those years, when Shoaib came and performed so well firstly against the SA in 97 taking a five-for and then steam rolling the then happless indians.. WE all thought perhaps the next Imran Khan of our part of the world has just been given an entry and a token to perform..
The turning point to me seems the WC 99 where he went berserk vid his speed and style and won over alot of hearts predominantly female.
This is where he lost it.
A spoiled brat who craves for attention and coverage, this guy has never had any smooth relationship with any of the captains to follow.
not least vid Inzi, who is even though a pious man but cant take a joy ride over the whims n shennanigans of this playmaker , so called should i say.

He had enormous talent but he's been wasting it like hell...
and this recent racial episode is pretty much another indication of the level of craziness he can attain while trying to hurt somebody who didnt cave in to his star status.

There is no way in the world, BOB would hve said that...
IRRESPECTIVE of the result charts, PAKISTAN has since Woolmer took over,
it goes without saying that he's a thorough professional ad a gentleman who has been unnecessarily dragged into the dirty mud i.e Pakistan Cricket..

and at the epicenter of this mud is a cricet board whose employees are given a thumbs up by the Presidents house.. how ironic...!!

This is what makes it painful and laughable at the same time....
Accountability .. we miss it... though never had it...
Who's responsible for letting Mr salim altaf know that he's not wanted anymore with his tactical blunders and heavy headed attitude ...

As for Shoaib... I've lost all possible acclaimation i ever had for this guy....
He's just a poor showman who thought he was the next big thing in Pakistan cricket...
Sorry Shoaib But U never that material...
our cricket is much better without U..
So take a hike.

On another note, Australia have now lost three games in a row. Should Australians be embarassed on their team? I don't think any Australian would say that unlike hundredes of guys who were after Pakistan lost the ODI series against SA.

Bob is not racist but he had no right to challenge Shoaib's injury. It was the second time when shoaib was called a faker, against india in 2004 being the first time. Both times he proved to have had injuries. Weak leadership and personal grudges from Inzamam and no management from PCB has caused this another disaster in pakistan cricket. It is time for Imran Khan to take a break for politics and take over coaching job for WorldCup. i know it is crazy and so is the moment.

I wont be surprised if it turns out true. There has been some history between Shoaib and Woolmer and no matter how much they try to nullify the impression that something's wrong, cricket followers know that its not true. Maybe Indirectly but leg-pulling has been a part of their relationship since forever...

I don't know Bob personally so I cannot say with confidence he did or did not use these remarks. I don't read Dawn on regular basis so I don't know how credable they are.

I know for sure that Pak cricket is currently a mess. Fire all of them "IMMEDIATELY" from PCB chairman down to the least involved guy in the team except a handfull of the players from the current squad who are hard working, proud to play for their country and are willing to win. Fill the gaps with all fresh faces.

Forget about the WC, we got bigger issues to worry about in the team.

The whole Pakistan cricket has become big "joke" in front of the rest of the world. Shoib-Woolmer-Inzamam chapters have gone beyond any normality and hence, doesn't even deserve to be debated.

hell no!no way woolmer cud say tht!i mean hes south african and stuff u knw give me a break! i feel sry for the coach.and ur right no ones gonna take the blame..i dont thnk i like this guy naseeem ashraf

I find it very hard to swallow the presumption that Bob Woolmer is a racist. This man has been associated with (excuse my verbiage) a “brown” team for the last few years. His behavior, as seen in the video footage during games, practice sessions and press conferences is very decent and warm towards his (excuse my verbiage again) “brown” team. He has been a part of a cricket set up that is most volatile, unreliable and temperamental. Nevertheless, he has stuck to his job and over the years, has managed to understand and absorb the complexities of the Pakistan team. He appears to have actually become almost like family to the team.

On the other hand, we have Shoaib. No doubt in my mind I think he is a great cricketer and absolutely vital to the success of the team. Even so, he has maintained his reputation as being volatile, impulsive and moody. So much so that even his genuine injuries (which have become more and more frequent) are now being translated into disobedience and are thus a destructive influence on the team’s chemistry. For his sake, all I can hope is that this reputation that has been built around him changes by a collective effort. Otherwise, I fear that he will be dispensed with,

Lastly, Dawn, our most reliable newspaper. I don’t reside in Pakistan anymore but I still browse through Dawn.com every morning. I can only hope that the sports editor revalidate his source and actually play the role of a mediator and calm the situation. A complete and united Pakistan team (inclusive of Shoaib and Woolmer) is more important than any source, allegation or for that matter, an unnecessary out burst.

My brain agrees with you Kamran, “heads will roll”, but my heart wants this Pakistan outfit to put aside these ridiculous obstacles and focus on the big picture. Bring the Cup Home !!!

now thats risible or laudable...or i dono wat to call it...it came at the time when pakistan team needed support from the country's media, instead the leading newspaper has turned into a paparazzi tabloid & is publishing rigmarole stories just to earn some coppers or perhaps the lost loyalty of its readers.

if shoaib really seeks apology NOW (after a month this whole drama) then it means just one thing...he doesnt want to participate in the world cup & wants out of it in any way...perhaps hes afraid of the drug test that will be done in a couple of days....or perhaps like always he wants to live in the news not becuz of his performance on the field but for his controversies off the field....after all according to Eric Bishoff "controversy creates cash".

i have always been shoaib's fan but watever has come to pass lately...im just getting sick & tired of all this specially when inzi is there to frustrate the whole nation with his antics & lack of wisdom.

timing of this episode of PCB ever-going controversies is very damaging for the already down-crested pakistan team. if dawn cant improve the quality of its news anymore then they shud atleast try not to become a sub-standard paparazzi tabloid.

Shoaib Akhtar is at it again. A person known for his excess indiscretions in the past is just trying to conjure up sympathy amongst the very few supporters he has left. If Bob Woolmer had racist tendencies he would not have accepted the Pakistan coaching job - coaching a troubled team from a troubled nation - that has always been over rated but under achieved. Bob Woolmer did Pakistan a favour and this the payback he receives from Shoaib Akhtar? Woolmer is an excellent coach but unfortunately his advice has fallen on a bunch of characters who either do not understand plain English, or too stupid to listen and learn. Maybe the PCB should have also recruited an English to Punjabi translator so that Woolmer's message got across loud and clear. I am willing to bet Woolmer must now be counting the days for his coaching contract with Pakistan to come to an end.

This current team under Inzamam's captaincy is going nowhere. It may even be wise to stay at home and donate the cost of going to the World Cup in the Caribbean to the Kashmir Earthquake Relief Fund - where it will perhaps receive more value for money.

This team is a disgrace to the traditions of Pakistan cricket, which at one time was held in high esteem throughout the World. The current team of scruffy looking characters (Afridi, Mo Yo, Shabbir) led by the Caliph Inzi has disgraced Pakistan by the way they played first in England, the Champions Trophy in India (Inzi did not play) and in South Africa. Inzi's regular rants during post match conferences have become the butt of jokes throughout the cricketing world. The current one circulating is " Bismillah Rahman - e - Rahim, thanks to Allah we do NOT know how to play cricket". Why has this idiot brought religion into cricket? Is he trying to portray that ONLY Pakistan cricketers follow God and Islam. If that is the case, then even God seems to be pissed off with this bunch of losers as well? The Wahabism that has crept into the team is very evident by the way they carry themselves, their uncouth demeanour and above all trying to seek divine blessing for their inadequate performances. Rana Naveed as a bowler is a joke and yet he is picked for the World Cup? How do Hafeez, Razzak and Imran Nazir justify selection for this all-important tournament? Something is wrong and I sure would like to know what is?

Other teams have progressed, but Pakistan has progressively regressed. There seems to be no accountability or responsibility for bad performance except the word " Inshalla, by the Grace of Allah we will perform better next time”. Inzi got Mustaq Ahmed another Taliban type - the bowling coach job and the results are fairly evident for all to see. When will Pakistan ever learn? The field placing is so bad that they leak singles and boundaries with regular repetition match after match. It is time to boot Inzi out, get the team to shave, play and act like cricketers who go all out to win and do Pakistan proud. This Allah, namaz, Hajj, doa, roza and the rest will NOT do - but playing with a straight bat, intelligent bowling, proper team selection and smart field placing will.

It is very frustrating to all who support Pakistan to watch its cricket team in total disarray. I firmly believe it is still NOT too late to get the boys motivated and surprise a lot of people who have written Pakistan off. If no action is taken immediately then the matches with Ireland and Zimbabwe will be interesting to watch.

Furhad Yaqubian
Toronto, Canada.

I may not be a big fan of some of the decisions Woolmer (apparently) makes, but that guy is no racist. If he really was, he would have never lasted for so long.

This whole mess is created by Inzi. Since he became the captain he has been against Shoaib. One thing Inzi is unaware of is that without shoaib we can't win against Australia, England, SAF and Kiwis. Inzi is really poor at man management skills. If I was the captain I would try and accomodate shoib in whatever way possible for national interest. Lets hope someone sits down with all 3 of them and sorts it out. We dont want any anamosity in the WC. We have enough problems as it is.
PAKISTAN ZINDABAD !

I believe that Bob would never say such a thing. Also I would never ever Trust Shoaib. This guy needs to learn some manners and then talk. Let the poor guy do his Job.

Even though i do not really think Bob should be Pakistan's coach, but i dont beleive that he said this. He is not that sort of a person and the accuser should have really thought before accusing him. I think Bob has every right to go to the court. What example are we setting as Pakistanis? I think the newspaper should apologize for that. Secondly if the player has a problem with the management, he should contact the board not the newspapers. Because at the end of the day, it is the country's image which is tarnished. If the players dont feel comfortable with the current board setup, then there is a problem with in the board. As said in my previous comment history is repeating itself. I can bet they wont find any other coach after the world cup than Javed Miandad, Intikhab Alam, Mushtaq Mohammad or Haroon Rashid. I will be surprised if they find someone else. And i wont be surpised either if they recall Moin Khan after the world cup and make him the captain to "rebuild the team". Like all other things in our country, cricket is the same. Everything goes around the circle and back to square one!!!!

i think it is really pathetic. why would he wana say that any way and hope shoib plays world cup his is a match winner we need him but i dont thin pak will win but they have got a chance and what is going wrong with the aussies

I would like to think that this is just someone trying to stir up, yet another contraversy.

Obviously, I don't know the two people involved personally as Kamran Sahab does, however, I would like to point out that in that dressing room, besides the coach (woolmer) and maybe the fitness trainer, everyone else was mostly a Pakistani. And if Woolmer made such a comment it would hurt not just Akhter but every other Pakistani in there.

Anyway, to make a long point short, I highly doubt WOOLMER made that statement. And if he was a racist then he wouldn't coach Pakistan. And for those who think that he is there because of money, well I highly doubt that as well, cause he could have got a job anywhere else, and next year is line for coaching the England team.

A serious accusation in deed, but baseless, for god sakes the guy tries to learn Urdu so he can better coach the players.

As far as the author is concerned from Dawn, well he may be a good guy but I guess he doesn't have a sound judgment of reliable sources.

I will agree with you KAMRAN, that the whole of PCB should be overturned and it should start from scratch. Bunch of incompetent BAFOONS!!!

Sami Syed

its times like these which remind us why Pakistan is a third world country(everyone blaming and no one taking responsibility).

Oh please this is the most preposterous story I have heard. STOP MAKING BOB A PARIAH! I can't believe that Kamran has even contemplated that the DAWN of all newspapers may be right.

SOME HOW I DOUBT IT!!!!!!!!

Apologies are not common in Pakistani papers. At best I hope that this dies down quickly before the World Cup. Otherwise Woolmer might be considering taking up 'offers' for coaching right afterwards. The last thing we need is for the coach of the currently distraut team to leave under these circumstances...

Don't rule out the possiblilty that one of the players interpreted the conversation incorrectly and blurped it out to the newsmen. Since our players know no bounds to stupidity either on the field or off this is quite possible.

Frankly Shoaib dosen't deserve to be in the team and given his past attitude can't really blame Woolmer for suspecting him.

Pakistan is exactly where they were before the 2003 WC - disarray and on-field thrashings....I'll be surprised if they are in the hunt beyond the first week of April.

As if everything that went on before was not enough, now we have a team member threating to sue the coach and the captain! Where is Pakistan cricket going? That too just a month away from the World Cup. There is need, after the World Cup, for heads to roll. PCB, domestic cricket, selection committe and the team needs drastic changes. Find good, young cricketers, who have been away from the current muck, and groom them for the next world cup.

I also find it hard to believe that Bob would use such language but then, you sometimes say things you cant believe you did, when you are angry!!!

If Dawn says, they will stand by the article than they must have an inside source to back up the claim. Shoaib unfortunately is less credible hence most people would like to believe the other party.

Bob has been with the team for quite sometime now and players who were struggling to get into the side due to lack of technique are still struggling. I do not think we have one player who was struggling 3/4 years ago and now has a permanent spot in the side.

On a different note, barring a miracle, a world cup disaster is on the cards and I hope we will see some changes in the team and administration structure soon, just like after the last world cup.

I am a religious person myself but I have a feeling that too many decisions (selections) are being made on the basis of religion instead of performance. I think this situation is no different from the time when most of us suspected match fixing.

The world cup cause is almost gone and I hope we fix our problems sooner rather than later.

Tanweer from Toronto.

well, no matter how much you know about the editors of Subcontinental Newspapers; there is no guarantee of what you read in there. Than again so far what ever news has risen from the Cricket in Pakistan has its angles. The only thing that is a fact is PCB has made a mess of it; there is no disciplane any where; no control; no accountability. It has been getting worse since the days of Tauqir Zia. It is time they incur some professionalism. Otherwise the cricket will always survive; but forget about being a world beater.

I could hear the collective groans of over 160 million people as the news spread. I could also hear the restrained mirth of the rest of the cricketing world. Here we go again. So utterly disgusted with how things are handled by this regime that we affectionately call the ad-hoc administration of Cricket Pakistan. Do we have to do our dirty laundry in public. They have the concept of transparency all wrong. The things that need to be transparent are all shrouded in mystery and the things that need to be quietly snuffed are all out in the open.

I have no sympathy for Shoaib what so ever. If the PCB had spent a 5th of what they have spent on Shoaib so far on any other fast bowling talent, they would have had a world class bowler today who actually did represent the country and not himself. Its time they very unceremoniously did away with this enormous liability and spent their resources on grooming someone with less of an attitude and more talent.

What a big joke. There is no way Bob Woolmer would have said "blackie". It makes no sense to say that. Somebody is cooking this up. If he had to say something he would have said: Paki or something like that.. saying blackie makes no sense.. as it is not a word that is used in south africa or england as far as i know.. so just the term "blackie" makes it unlikely that he said it..
moreover, he doesn't come across at all as somebody who could say something racist...

In total agreement with you Sir once again . The only question I have as far as heads to be rolled is concerned :

Q) How to approach this ISSUE if it is revealed that SHOAIB is actually claiming this ?

He(shoaib),never had a HEAD (or anything close to it) . What will roll in this case ??
Its got to be this express which runs bi-annually .

It's is never ending cycle with Pakistan cricket! I am tempted to follow Kabaddi more often than watching these monthly soap operas of Pakistan cricket. If i wasn't embarrassed the way Pakistan lost the series from SA then i am certainly feeling that way with such stories coming out of Pakistan.

I would like to request Prez. Busharraf to simply ban this sport as we certainly don't deserve this beautiful game.

Pakistani cricket has enough irregularity and one need not invoke racism. Bob woolmer is an experienced campaigner and coming out of South Africa I cannot imagine him using racist remarks. Racist or not, I am sure he is well aware of race relationships. Hence it is very difficult to believe that he used those words publically.
Coming back to irregularities, the contradictions in the statements of Woolmer and South African authorities needs to be clarified. That by itself puts a heavy toll on Bob's credibility.
His inabilty to find an opening pair for Pakistan, and after all the trials and errors, picking Imran Nazir for the world cup campaign makes me believe that he may not be a racist but sure has a bizarre way of thinking.

I don't know Bob Woolmer, but I don't think he's stupid enough to say such a thing. I think it's all nonsense and Dawn has made it a big issue. If any one should be any actions it should be against Dawn for their pitty thinking. World cup is not even a month away, and that's all Pakistani team and coach should worry about.

We really need to find out the truth. It is PCB's responsibility to do so and do so fast. It is a serious allegation and needs to be clarified. I would also take this opportunity to ask a question that has been in my mind for a long time: why do we pick coaches from foreign countries? Are our former cricketers not good enough? We have the likes of Javaid Miandad, Imran Khan, Asif Iqbal, the two W's, and many others to pick from. One other thing: if any of our cricketers cannot speak English why can't they do their interview in Urdu and an interpreter can then translate their responses into English. This way the cricketers would not be put in an uncomfortable position and they would be able to express all of their thoughts without any hinderance. As things stand right now, I find a lot of our cricketers struggling to answer questions posed to them, and, consequently unable to completely express all of their thoughts and I feel sorry for them. It is not a shame if you don't know English. Lastly, for Pakistan to have any chances of taking the World Cup, the following team will need to be picked - and all of the players will need to stay injury-free - with no inside fighting and back-stabbing.

The Dawn's had it in for Bob Woolmer for sometime. Something of a personal vendetta developed between him and one of their writers, which came up time and again in the Q&A section on his website. There is no way in hell Bob would ever say that if you look at his upbringing and history. He literally marvels at Pakistani culture, immerses himself totally in it and writes article after article praising its merits. This shows up the lack of media accountability and lack of libel laws in Pakistan. I hope there is a way for him to sue and to win. You say the Editor is your mate, Kamran - is this why you don't advocate the axe for him?

When Is It Enough?
I agree with you, Pakistan Cricket's stupidity knows no bounds. It's clear to see that the wheels are coming off and so are the gloves. I am stunned to read day after day Pakistanis going after Bob. He might not be the best we ever had, but he is definitely better then the most we've had. We were no where in ICC rankings but now we have a respectable ranking. Inspite of the fact that none of our players ever reflect playing for the 3rd best team in the world.
When will the selectors realise that Shoaib Akhtar is a PROBLEM. Always has been and will continue to be, for heaven's sake he must have played under 5 different captains in his career and if you asked each of them off-the-record they would confess that he is NOT a team player. Just drop him and be done with all his on and off the field nonsense.
Inzimam might have a "calming" effect on his charges but since the England Tour he has failed continuously to Inspire. World Cup matches are more about unleashing on slaughts rather then soothing;cool;calmness. I am afraid his style of management is ill suited to a world cup campaign, but guess what? too late.
We are as ill prepared for this world cup as any we have ever been. PCB heads use fancy words, take bizzare decisions in selections and always dig a hole for themself.
I dont have any expectations from the World Cup :(

I don’t know if Bob said something or not but I know one thing for sure that Shoaib does deserve any statement similar to that. Ever since he got into Pak team, his non-cricketing ‘’achievements’’ have always been more prominent than his on the field achievements.

However, I would still not blame him. The truth is he has not been handled in the right manner by the captain. When he was under Wasim, Shoiab always delivered but Inzi failed to get any thing positive out of Shoaib.

Coming to Woolmer-Shoaib episode, I think Woolmer has one of the toughest jobs on this planet. Coaching the bunch fanatics who are hardly interested to learn anything from BW is certainly very difficult. So if BW says something, it should not be taken in any negative manner.

Secondly, we all know BW assignment with Pak team would be over just after WC 2007. Lets say goodbye to him in a graceful manner. Although Pakistani nation does not give any respect to any outgoing officials (no mater if it is cricket or politics or any other walk of life………….please take note that except the founder of our nation, Mr. Jinnah, ALL other head of the government since 1948 have been kicked out with all possible disrespect)

Lets break this tradition and DO NOT start any debate on BW. He has done too much for us and we should always be grateful to him.