Cricinfo - Blogs - Pak Spin - Shamed by the shamrock: an open letter

Only Pakistan cricket could do this because only Pakistan cricket could have a system that fails from A to Z. Only Pakistan cricket could have a system whose failures are protected by the patronage of the president of the country. Whatever the merits of the president's work elsewhere, he must take responsibility for being shamed by the shamrock. Because, ultimately, he appointed his pal, the good doctor, to rescue Pakistan's world cup chances. Instead of rescue, Doc, you have orchestrated a catalogue of disasters, embarrassments, and ill-conceived schemes and intrigues. For shame, Doc, move on. Look after human development in Pakistan, though on second thoughts if you are as unsuccessful in that as you have been in cricket administration perhaps you had better leave human development to somebody else.

Your combination has failed too, Inzy and Bob. Your choices, your strategies, your inspiration have brought us to this. Nobody should doubt that you both had the best of intentions but the best of intentions mean nothing when your team surrenders in a hurry. And it is not as if these failings are new. Unsettled openers, batsmen unable to negotiate swing or seam as they gift wickets like sweetmeats on Eid, and a general lethargy about the team that only disappears in moments of crisis. You have given the impression of men asleep on your watch, but Pakistan's cricket fans are some of the keenest observers of the game. And the majority don't like what they have seen this last six months. What they have seen most obviously is an absence of leadership, a confusion in strategy created by disunity of purpose, and persistent failure on the cricket field.

With all due respect, I believe it is time for both of you to seek pastures new. The extent of this loss means that Pakistan cricket must build afresh, free of the shackles of the past. Many will say that you should have gone much earlier but I believe that up to last year's tour of England you both helped Pakistan regain much respectability in international cricket. But everything possible has gone wrong since then and Pakistan cricket now finds itself in a similar mess to the aftermath of the last World Cup. Overall, no progress then, a bad situation to be in.

But I hope you are not made the only scapegoats because the shit needs to pass upwards and cover you Doc and your man at the helm, Salim Altaf.

What to do? Well, Pakistan cricket will survive. There remains a passion for this sport like no other in the country's cities and villages. But Pakistan cricket requires a root and branch reform, a top-to-toe shake up. The PCB requires to be run by people appointed on the basis of merit not friendship or relationship. And the first job that meritocracy should do is sack its selection committee and replace it with some real champions of Pakistan cricket.

After the lethargy of Inzamam, is the passion of Shahid Afridi the antidote we all need? © AFP

Our new captain needs to be somebody with age on his side and fire in his belly. A leader who will lead by example and fill his charges with a passion to succeed. We know there is no perfect choice but what Pakistan cricket needs to rediscover most urgently is its attitude. These spineless capitulations sit uncomfortably with us emotive Pakistanis. There are only three candidates to my mind: Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, and, I thought I'd never say this, Shahid Afridi. Something inside me says that after the lethargy of Inzamam, the passion of Afridi might be just the antidote we all need.

Finally, at this moment I can't help but think of the great players that made Pakistan a force in world cricket, the battles they fought to create a team for a whole nation to be proud of. I can't reconcile those images in my mind with the joke of a cricket team we have desperately supported over the last six months, batsmen unable to bat, bowlers unable to stay fit, with some fanciful notion that all would be well come the big day.

Inzy, Bob, and the Doc, you came, you saw, and you floundered. The best thing you can do for Pakistan cricket is leave it to rediscover the qualities that once made it great. You have sentenced us all to four years of painful memories. Failure, they say, is an orphan but this one has at least three fathers, and the fathers of this failure need to adopt some other child.

In the end, though, it just shows how important a skill great leadership is--and none of you possess it.

as a pakistani cricket follower one gets hurt alot ... its part and parcel one assumed and heart breaks like bangalore 96, bangladesh and australia final in 99 came to mind. today in the wee hours of the morning something happened which is probably the end of all hope for our cricket in the near future!
cricket is/was the only sport internationally that we represented with some dignity ! and here we are losers to ireland! thrown out of a 1 1/2 month event on its fifth day!
being part of an active cricket lover group we always exchange text messages during matches it was almost eerie how the text messages just stopped half way through the match! the reality was sinking in to all of us who were watching that the worst moment in our cricketing years is upon us ...
if one looks at religous history one hears of "azaabs" on nations which were completely destroyed to start afresh! maybe some felt pitty when we almost did it after 2003 but not to do it now will be a bigger disaster!
for whatever contributions these cricketers have made in the past we thank them for the happy times but they should honestly and heartilly apologize to us pakistanis for what they have made us feel today! and then with whatever dignity left bow out of cricket forever!
a new era should begin ... whether it takes 10 years to blossom give it time ... dont worry! the public will not expect anything anymore for a longtime to come!

in the end i would like to ask my fellow pakistanis that how bad did it really fee?

Have you gone mad? Still singing the same old song that only Ausralia can beat Pakistan? Wake up and see who has beaten them and send them crashing out of this world cup. Pakistan is no match for Australia.

No doubt I understand your emotions with your dismal performances of late, we can relate on that as I'm from Trinidad (West Indies). But thrashing some of your best players like this, what sort of fan are you? We in Trinidad have a term for people like you, they're call Waggonists. They jump on the waggon when the team is doing well and are quick to jump off and criticise when the road is bumpy. Yes, Pakistan cricket probably needs big change, but disrespecting your team in such a manner is a poor way to support your country.

well.....i woke up till 3 ........and all i get to hear from inzi is it was not our day....inzi you should better quit now coz you have not ruined the team...you have ruined the hearts of 16 crore pakistani fans.to tell yas the truth you r the real s**t in the team......get lost before we sacrifice you in name of God like v do on Eid ulAzha

kamran, i understand your frustration. across the border, countless indians like me must be tearing their hair on india's lack lustre performance against bangladesh. this indian team does not have what kapil's devils had - a desire to win, a willingness and above all talent. one could say the same about the 1992 pakistan team too - plus backed by the incomparable leadership of Imran. Suddenly, more so in india, the reasons of commerce have replaced the pure motives of passion. kapil paaji aur imran paaji da jawab nahin...

Kamran bhai, couldnt agree more with you. We wait for 4 years, and you try and overlook the ominous signs of the last year in the hope that better things will be just around the corner...and when the time comes, the players tanks are empty, the brains are disengaged and days like Ireland become the norm. We need a complete reform of the system, but that will not happen, some heads will roll (and some will be made scapegoats to save face for those higher up in the administaration) and we fans will wait for some new or other player who will be the "next great hope" and we will gloss over the inefficiencies that have bought us to this debacle on St Patrick's day.

Heart-breaking seems to be a very polite word for all that happened. A hoard (or a board) of shameless people were made the representatives of a nation that eats, sleeps, and breathes cricket. I wish I could say what exactly my heart or the hearts of 160 million Pakistanis feel right now, but I can't. The so called Doc and company should be denied any right of representing this nation again.

Sorry we lost.But we will continue with our nepotism and regionalism.Asim Kamal will stay in Karachi.Yasir Arafat shall always be on standby.Waqar Yunus will coach Australians.Wasim Akram will train Indians.Dr Nasim Ashraf will resign.Another friend of the General Saheb will come.Cycle of humiliation shall be repeated.Pakistan team supporters shall continue to urge,beg,plea and cry for performance.Nothing will change.Nothing!!I wish I was never born in Pakistan!!Long live Pakistan Army.Jeetingey hum jeetengey!!!

this is true. How could pakistan possibly have lost to ireland. ME living in Australia will probably get a big mouthful from my friends when i go back to school as all there teams are still in the world cup.
BOB has not really done much good to the nation and neither has inzi in his leadership capabilities.
Pakistan need to get half there Under 19 chapions from the past two tournaments and need to start developing them now in time for the next major tournament.
Hopefully we will do better in the 20/20 world cup than we did in this one.

Haroon

One can only reflect on your comments. The nation is shocked and speechless. I hope that after the mourning, we start making some constructive decisions all round. Lets pray to God and look ahead to 2011 World Cup.

A sense of Déjà vu? I was experiencing the same feeling after the disastrous performance in the 2003 world cup, but this performance beats the lot. Losing to a bunch of part timers in the most feeble and pathetic manner is a disgrace to Pakistani cricket.

I think the whole team should be sacked, including the management coach and board. Then and only then can we restart with a blank sheet and start rebuilding the Pakistani cricket team.

I keep hearing about the poor infrastructure in Pakistan, and the same script has been read out for the last twenty odd years that I have been following this sport, so let’s fix it. But I think the problem is different, the guys simply do not have any hunger for success.

If you want to win at the highest level, then you need to improve your game – technically, mentally and physically Our boys have been lacking in all three areas for too long and have been found wanting.

Facing one controversy after another, from the farce at the Oval to performance enhancing drugs, to players losing their professionalism and brandishing bats at rowdy and stupid spectators is a joke.

There is no doubt about the talent in Pakistani cricket, but talent without application is a crime. So get rid of them all, and start afresh with young blood and mould them into winners.

Looking at the way Bangladesh played yesterday with no fear in their eyes, and with a youthful side we need to learn from the tigers and apply the same strategy with the Pakistani side.

I believe that this is Pakistan's worst performance ever Inzamam was never the leader that Imran Khan was, the passion and commanding presence in the field seems to be missing. Make no mistake, Inzi has been a legendary cricketer but his career is fast approaching its end. The rest of the Pakistani team has been pathetic except for Gul and maybe Akmal. Both of them tried their level best to win at least one game for Pakistan.I do not think that any heads should roll yet for it would leave the team in an even bigger mess.

Lets see what the future holds for us... it looked like Inzi bhai was not at all motivated to do good in this world cup... is it a personal problem or an emotional one for Inzi... he talked like he planned to make this world cup his last one. But all these mistakes Inshallah will help us in bringing a revolution in cricket.

I was on work when the match was on when I came home and checked the score online I was literally shocked. I was mocked by my Srilankan co-workers over the phone and to certain point I agree with them in saying that even though Pakistan team is rankes forth in the world but they don't have the potential fo winning the big compititions. It seems like Pakistan team has fail to handle the pressure.

The best thing that can save pakistani cricket is by having a change in the selection committee as well as there should be a total change in the cricket board.

At least the PCB should be governed by someone who had made pakistani cricket proud by their displays in the field, instead of someone who does not know the ABCD of cricket. Only then the team can be saved.

Kamran sahab, I completely agree with your comments. Our cricket team is a true reflection of the fact that the word merit is missing from each and every organsisation in our country. What happened yesterday is arguably the worst day in our cricket history.

I could not agree more with you as far as the future captain is concerned, the one person that came to my mind yesterday while watching the shambles was Shahid Afridi, like you said he has the fire in his belly and he will play with passion and for the shirt. He has matured greatly over the years and like you said has time on his side.

as painful as this article is it depicts the right picture. The conclusions are absolutely right and these heads should roll

DISGRACEFUL is the only word I can find to describe this darkest hour of Pakistan cricket.

Let us demolish the expensive castle made of huge blocks of brittle "granite" and rebuild it on the small bits of freshly cast bricks from the raw mud.

As Imam Ali said "When you appear to be on the verge of a total destruction, prosperity makes its appearance". It is just like dawn after after a dark night. So the time has come for a total reform, top to bottom.

In Ashes the team was cremated. Let us "bury" ours and build a grand "Mazaar" of the finest marble available in Pakistan.

Baqar Naqvi

Kamran Our whole nation is in a big grief and sorrow today...it was shamefull effort from pakistan in all departments..they(irish) came, bowled well outclassed us and we just were left wid those ugly and tired faces,we were hoping Pakistan might take it frm here..but all in all what eva u wrote above,i dont hav anymore words to write for this stupid,idiotic and orphanage team...
I remembr in last worldcup when our so called heroes were there ...they too did the same were digged out of the worldcup in the first round..its da same story after 4 years..they didnt moved a muscle...defeat was in every1z eyes since day one...
long live pcb management...You are right its time for some new faces to step in and take over frm here..
GOD BLESS PAKISTANI'Z

The Irish have reduced Pakistan Natioanl side to nothing more than a club side, that every local cricket club should fancy a chance against.

Kamran eat your words , you have got to be the very worst pundit ever, as well as one of the most optomistic people working for cricinfo. A recluse who knows nothing about cricket at all would have been able to predict that Pakistan did not stand a chance.Obviously you know less than nothing. Next I suppose you will be predicting a South Africa team will win the World cup, yet more delusions from you.You might have more luck predicting the numbers on a Roulette table.

On one note it is very sad to see a great team crash out as they are probably man for man one of the most talented outfits in the world.

The pain is unberable, who to blame!! Its obvious head will roll and Inzi, Bob and the PCB chairman have to carry the can. However before anything I would like to thank Inzi, this is probably going to be his last match coming up. Thank you INZI for WC 1992, thanks for many match winning innings. Lets now forget those is our haste to accuse. It think its time for him to go, but lets not vilify him but lets give him a honourable sendout. Whatever his failings as a captain he has always been a honourable man. I can imagine the abuse that will come but lets not forget the dignity if the man. For the future Shoaib Malik would get my nod as captain, Afrdi is not guarantted a test slot. We still have the 2 Y's however we still dont have 2 openers , a replacement for inzi. I would give people like Fawad Alam/ Asim Kamal a extended chances, the bowling with Asif, Gulf + Rao/Sami etc
is not bad. Lets forget this WC as a bad nightmare.
Above all PLEASE BEFORE the vilification begins think of a young INZI in the WC semi and final winning us our greatest moment. THANK YOU INZI AND I WISH YOU ALL THE LUCK IN THE FUTURE AS YOU ARE A GOOD MAN

Now, it will be fun reading this blog !!

Kamran, you have already said everything I wanted to say. There was hope before the start of the world cup specially after the warm up games. After the game against west indies, i have lost all of it as I saw no passion in the way the played the game. For the sake of what has been happening over the past year with pakistani cricket, it is what we really needed; a real BIG shock that can wake everyone up. The team that we should really learn from is bangladesh, just look at the youngesters in their side and the passion that helped them beat mighty India.

Its about time the poor guys performing in the domestic season get their chance. Inzi my friend you will always remain my hero. You have always led pakistan to incredible wins but its time to move on and let some young people fill in your big shoes. I am sure you will be very proud if tomorrow a young guy comes in and starts performing the way you used to in your early days.

For the sake of a disappointed nation, please democratize PCB. What a political personailty has to do with cricket. Let it be run by people whose bread and butter is this passionate game. We keep calling for changes in our domestic set up and keep referring to it as the root of all problems. Gentlemen, make no mistake the roots lies somewhere else, a place called PCB. If the President of Pakistan really wants to see monkeys, he should visit the zoo rather than the PCB.

Dear Kamran,

This time your feelings have come from your heart . . . and I am sure the whole nation feels the same.

Shame on these guys who calls themselves professionals! Changes are needed from top order of PCB down to the coach and the captain. I feel sorry for great Inzi, but I guess now is the time to go.

I guess the team can go home now where they can give interviews in Urdu so that nothing can be misinterpreted.

Yesterday was the darkest day of Pakistan Cricket . . . and the worst in my life as far as cricket is concerned. These guys have broken my heart.

This is whats going to happen - Bob Woolmer will not seek an extention of his contract and after giving his final report to the PCB - will walk away from Pakistan cricket forever. Inzamam Ul Haq will, like people before him, not resign but wait for the sacking that is already coming towards him. The selection committee will be gone, replaced by another bunch of medicore players who barely played 20 games between them, Salim Altaf the most pathetic person in the PCB will still keep his job, which is kiss Nasim Ashraffs ass and get his friends positions in the PCB, the immediate future will see Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal, Azhar Mahmood, Rana Naveed dropped from the team, so the PCB can show the naieve Pakistani fans that is doing something, all these players will go back to domestic cricket, make some cheap runs, and will soon be brought back into the fray by their old buddies. The over-rated duo of Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousef will shift the blame onto the other players and remain unscathed. Inzamam's career will be over. Another mediocre player will be made captain - Younis Khan, and after 6 months of appearances, will bring all his old friends like Hafeez, Akmal, Rana and co back into the fold. Pakistan cricket is headed to the dogs, people. If you all want things to change, you must write to the PCB and make your voice be heard. Look at Bangladesh, a team of 17 and 18 year olds went onto beat India. Pakistan should drop all its so-called stars, and play the under-19 boys, after a few years time at least those kids will be able to win games for us. A strong leader should be made Captain. Salman Butt comes to mind. The same experiment worked with Graeme Smith of South Africa. Smith was not a regular in the team, he had only played 4-5 games and was brought into the team as Captain after the 2003 world cup, and look where he and his team is today. Salman Butt can do the very same. Pakistan should appoint an Australian as coach, someone like Ian Chappell or Dean Jones or Steve Waugh. No Pakistani like Miandad should ever be made coach or we will continue to slip further and further. This is the time to make sure our voices are heard, otherwise dark days will continue for Pakistan.

Nice outporing of emotion Kamran. Hopefully it eases the burden. I have been a diehard Pakistan cricket supporter for 35 of my 43 years. I have gone through many agonies in the past, a home test series loss to Zimbabwe, betting scandals, doping scandals, dismissed for 50+ twice in one test match. But this takes the cake, and hence I have come to a sad but true conclusion. It is time to give up. Life is too short to wake up with this kind of knot in my stomach every few times that Pakistan plays. So I vow from today to never read, or comment on Pakistan cricket. To never send well meaning business plans to the PCB, to never pay money to watch a Pakistan team. I will watch cricket for sure, the joy of watching a young Tamim Iqbal tear into giants like Zaheer Khan is something you cannot replace. But Pakistan Cricket I will avoid watching you at all costs. You do not deserve my support or my sympathy. My emotions are to valuable to waste on unprofessional players and administrators. I could not give a rats ass who the next captian is, who from this team will remain or go, who our next coach will be. I disagree with Kamran when he says Pakistan cricket has a bright future and the sport is too entrenched in the country. The core is wrotten and the core will not change. We have a outdated domestic system that does not produce enough quality cricketers for us to seriously become world beaters, and this will be the case for a long time to come. So enjoy the sport, just leave the partisanship at home.

You hit the nail right on the head with this one Kamran. Not taking credit away from Ireland (For they did a brilliant job out there yesterday)...They did not deserve to win as much as we deserved to lose on that field yesterday...I think at this point all Pakistani Cricker supporters stand united against this Joke of a team!As far as the re-vamping of our entire cricket structure is concerned...Yes, Absolutely!We will have to build from scratch if we have any hopes of putting Pakistani cricket on the pedestal that Imran Khan left it on in 1992.I think the time has arrived when all PCB employees should be fired...We need to weed out the politics that have so badly riddled the Pakistani Cricket scene over the past few years....And put some of the heroes who put Pakistan at the forefront of World Cricket in charge of the game in order to wield some positive results. It was like watching models for the talibanisation of Pakistan (but secretly sporting massive hangovers) play on that field today....They have disappointed millions of us around the world.....A friend of mine very aptly put it in one of his blog posts when he said "Ramiz Raja said heads will roll...there were be a severe backlash... i have always been and always will be a pakistan supporter, and i hate the way we performed, but i wont go out on the streets burning effigies...inzi said he did not think there will be a reception at all...and that is what they deserve...nothing in the newspapers, noone at the airport, no extra security, no chartered flights..just normal people getting off an international flight and going home...ignoring them is the worst reception they can have...and they know they deserve it... let them feel how much it means to people but dont go about trying to show you are plain losers by abusing them and their families... it's a pain that we lost, but let them think about it on their own..."!

Needless to say how embarassed I was when Pakistan lost to part-timers Irish team. I had no courage to go to office and meet my colleage who were perhaps ready to torture me more with their critics.

Paks cricket is at its worst in whole history of Pakistan cricket. Perhaps they may lose against Zimbabway and create a another unwanted unique record of not winning any match in world cup.

They are simply pathetic and should leave the scene .

Let me - an Indian cricket fan - be the first to commiserate with the Pakistan people. It was not nice watching either game yesterday. Both were mockeries of the game, but at least the Bangladeshis played really well to beat us. I fully understand how a stunned nation must be feeling right now, the fact that there has been no comment here as yet tells me that you guys are yet to recover from the shock of yesterday's capitulation. I simply fail to understand why a team filled with some really good batsmen and two great players could not score more than 132 runs (of which more than 30 were extras!) against a team that is in its first full year in cricket, let alone a world cup debut. Saying there was grass on the pitch is all very well, but it is not like they had bowlers throwing 150 kph swinging screamers. Complacency too is not the right answer to this debacle since after the first couple of wickets, the complacency should have been replaced with circumspection and basic cricket shots.

I am preparing myself for feeling exactly like this by next week, since I am sure our team too will be kicked out of the World Cup by then, statistical chances not withstanding.

there is absolutely no excuses here. pakistan needs to prepare all kind of wickets in pakistan to give practise to its players, i wonder why this is not done yet, after such dismalperformance abroad. Pakistan needs to hire a full time pychologist, specially for the operners, the psychologist needs to analyzes why the openers chase balls outside the off stump when all is required for them is to defend for ten overs. PCS should be changed, we need CEO type managers who can manage an organization such as PCB, just like if you will manage a private enterprise. Pakistan cricket has fallen way below, it will take some time until it regain its confidence. If things above are not done then pakistan cricket fate is just like pakistan hockey

It took a humiliating defeat at the hands of Ireland for us to blame the existing PCB setup, rather than the (hapless) cricket team (if we may call it a team!!!!).

Although, it definitely is the end of the worldcup campaign for the mad Pakistani fans (the cricket setup, and hence the team, were never prepared enough to fight for it); its not the end of the Pakistani cricketing world.

In fact, it should be the beginning of a completely new era.

Kamran, you have rightly pointed out the big guns as the culprits. We need people who understand cricket running the PCB, not the failed quacks and pseudo-professionals who belong to another world.

But not much can be done about the meagre cricket set-up, when a Army General is (miserably) running the affairs of the whole country.

Although, the General, and his team, do not accept their failures on other grounds, however blatant and serius they may be; for once he should take initiative to accept responsiblity for the failure of cricket in Pakistan; the only joy people get a chance to avail in the presence of all the miseries they have to face each day.

May Allah Bless us all!!!

Mr Abbasi,
Prior to the world cup commencing I shared your enthusiasm. I was optimistic that even though this wasn't our strongest 15, we were capable of winning the tournament and upsetting the odds. However, the performance last evening was nothing short of a complete disaster. I am shocked and angered at the display, as I am sure 160 million other Pakistani fans are. I do think it is time for Inzy and Bob Woolmer to step down and a clearout is definately on the cards. Having said that, I hope they are not made scapegoats like you mentioned, as the root of the problem lies in the PCB. I don't want to get into details on what I think about the system currently in place, but a change must come from the top, and as soon as possible. Otherwise, in 4 years time we could be looking at a third succesive first round exit from the World Cup.

To say the least, it was pathetic. I could not bear to watch it. Coach's work is not teach but to develop overall cricket personality. Where has Woolmer developed a leader like Imran? Where has Woolmer developed fighting qualities of Miandad? Where has Woolmer developed the opening batting pair like Saeed and Sohail? Where has Woolmer developed opening bowling pair like Wasim and Waqar? Where has Woolmer developed good fielders? Where has Woolmer developed fitness of the players? Where has Woolmer developed a fine wicketkeeper like Rashid? These are the questions. Who has answers?
I know Inzi and Woolmer will now leave Paksitan cricket. But they togethe have done irreparable damage to Pakistan cricket. These individuals should be held accountable. Afridi should be accountable for his stupid actions. Shoaib should be accountable for his stupidities. Asif should be accountable for his stupidities. Rana should be banned. He has outlived his welcome. That should have been known. What is the experience of Woolmer and Inzy if they can not see that the wickets are not made for Rana.

All in all, I am ashamed. I am ashamed to be a Pakistan cricket fan. I am ashamed that I thought that loss to WI was Ok and the team will bounce back. I am ashamed that I love cricket as the sport.

I am angry that I have been made a fool by the Pakistan cricket officials.

I am angry that I supported Pakistan.

Kamran! Never had been an exit so quick for any team from any of the earlier world cups: Within 4 days of a 7 week long tournment. Pakistan have been comprehensively disposed off and literally kicked out. I've no words to express my disapointment - I had much the same feeling when they were dismissed by Australia twice for 50 odd runs in Sharjah. But this is..........I don't know what to say. Here we and our moderator of pkspin hoping against hope and making tall claims on their behalf - only Australia.........bla bla. There they are even incapable of beating a Brazelian cricket side. Alas........................

share ur disappoinment Mr.Abbasi..
Sad day for pak cricket..

Agreed 100%. All PCB top officals need to be professional cricketers and not chosen by HE. The blame has to the Top who puts PCB officailas by choice-let us be honest!. Then this what would be happen. Hard to digest what happend to our team in the world cup. They better get ready for some stones and eggs-exactly what they deserse right now.

Pakistan cricket died on this day. Look back at my previous postings and u'll see that i warned u fans not to get your hopes up high with this bunch of misfits cos they won't make it through the first round. Shameful, woeful and inexcusible that a cricket team paid to do a job succumbs to a bunch of part timers. The writing was on the wall when u look at the poor preparation prior to the competition. The whole system needs to be revamped and it will take a decade to pull the team through this and make it into a serious contender again. Sorry guys but this is a dark day

Such a pethetic performance from our national team,i just cannot believe.Inzi is our hero,is he?I cannot express my feelings toward Inzi and Bob,but i would request Inzi not to play the last match against Zimbabwe for Pakistan's sake.Its enough of Inzi now.

i hope the stupid smiling Doc is dumped, while is lacky Salim Altaf is made a janitor at the PCB HQ..as far as the team is concerned...i have nothing to say, such is the extent of my depression and dejection. Inzy is by fsr the best ODI and Test this nation has ever produced...but i think he himself needs to move on before our "gracoius" Doc drop him like dirt..Inzy doesnt desevere that...now wat can i say about Bob...at first his insightfulness helped the team in becoming a fighting unit, but the last 6 months have been a mess...so i now think Bob shud finally move on...and as far as captain goes...Yonis mite not be the best choice, as we saw in the Champion Trophy, and is a liabilty in the ODI team batting at 3...but my mind says Shoiab Malik cud be captain, cuz believe it or not he does has the steel and a cool head like tht of the great Steve Waugh...but my heart says Afridi cuz he ALWAYS plays will passion and fire and his attacking mind mite make him an agrresive and proactive capatin....well now haver to wait for almost 2 months for Pakistan's next assignment...and maybe start of somthing good, coming out of the ashes of broken dreams of a Worild Cup Pakistan winning team...lets hope we become the top ranked Test team...Ameen

Kamran, watching Pak match was like watching b-grade Ramsay (Indian) horror movie. And same went for India's match as well. The thought has been going in my mind since the time I saw, first India & later pak loosing. Why doesnt Sharad Pawar (BCCI Prez) strike a deal with PCB and have a 5 Test 7 ODI series somewhere in US or Canada. Indian should be free after their outing against SL. Am sure companies like Coke will sponsor as Pepsi is sponsoring WC. Will save alot of money on travel as both teams are there. After all a WC tournament only fills coffers of ICC, there is nothing India or Pak makes in this 47 days drama. It's just a Cup nothing else. Let rest of the team play each other while we have our own series running.

We the fans from sub-continent will forget everything by the time the first ball of this series is bowled.

How about that. Even Donald Trump would not come with such ingenious way of making money.

It's a shame that the Woolmer - Inzy nexus failed so badly when it mattered in the end... the team peaked probably a year ago, when, after achieving a number of good results, they looked like genuine contenders for this world cup that we've been knocked out by Ireland from. For this, more than Bob, I blame Inzy... a legend, but his lethargy in everything from fielding to captaincy was the real cancer that prevented this team from kicking on, instead of collapsing in a heap. In one interview with Woolmer, he said the first thing he wanted to do with the team was extra fielding practices and Inzy told him, in his langruos tone, that "easy easy... we'll take it slow". In the end, that attitude, combined with the tableeghi influences which just added to the laziness, combined to shatter whatever spine this team could have had.
But there are probably other reasons too... though they have cut down on their antics, but player-power and politics is still a factor in the dressing room. Afridi quitting, afridi-younis khan fighting, shoib akhtar's another story himself, younis khan resigning before the ICC trophy (which led us to dr naseem ashraf, the biggest drama of them all)... when will these guys learn to act like professionals and give up their petty in-fighting and work collectively for the team? I guess it's just a reflection of the culture of the whole country which is so unprofessional, so prone to nepotism and ad-hoc shortcuts. I think the whole COUNTRY (not just the players) needs to take a good hard look at itself. We're falling way behind in every social-political context, and now the only thing we were somewhat good at, a bunch of 2nd-string county players from Ireland have beaten us at. The board and the players deserve alot of the blame, but so do all of us for permitting so much unprofessional conduct in all of our lives.

Its high time for Inzi to make way for some dynamic leader.....leadership being the only trait we missed in this WC.

I don't think there is a need to axe a great deal of players, most of them are fine.....the coach, captain and the management and administration of the PCB is in dire need of change.

Agree with you on all the points you've made.

Let's face it, unless Pakistan has a strong leader like Imran Khan, even the best of talents combined (like the dream team of 1999 cup) can't lift the cup or their bat out of the way of a seaming delivery!

We need new blood and we need discipline!

Kamran has succinctly summed up all of the woes that afflict Pakistan cricket and I can only endorse his view that it is indeed time for the triumvirate of the captain, the coach and the 'Doc' to go. Even then I think that it will not really change anything because the system is not a meritocratic one (indeed the word does not feature in the lexicon of Pakistan cricket let alone the nation with the exception of when Imran Khan was at the helm)so in effect it will be plus ca change. But hey we live in hope because that's all we have left.

Hats off to ireland pants off to Inzy and his bunch of cowards! Inzy don't you dare say the word cricket again!

We live in a country where there is no institution at any level, a few specks of individual brilliance here and there and thats it. Nations are not made great by individual efforts, they require collective efforts. The same can be applied to the Pakistan Cricket. (The best example of "Pakistani" way of handling things clearly visible in the dope case.) I think no matter how much we lament, its all over now. The big bosses have made the money and now they are ready to run. Cricket is now at the same place where we have send the hockey and squash. But I don't agree with you here that things will improve, cricket will survive. Drastic measures and complete overhauling of system is required at every level. Can you name one person, anyone who can do this with all the "politics" in the game and no regard for the country's name or nation's feelings. Almost 60 years of PAKISTAN'S Cricket reputation has been thrown out of window, does anyone who is responsible cares. Would anyone accept his repeated mistakes, the answer is no. The shifting blame game has already started and it will continue for sometime. This is not a new spot we are in. The same thing happened in last world cup. What thing amuses me the most is that while Australia and other teams have players announcing their retirements ahead of tournaments, we have to participate in a world cup to be kicked out of team.

Seeing India lose on the same day It seems to me that the time of the Sub continent is up. Just like in hockey Pakistan and India couldn't keep up with the white people in the same way we can't match the fitness and energy of the developed countries. We can't play the old school stuff anymore. Pakistan and India don't have the kind of fitness and professionalism thats required. And they can probably never have it. Because for this to happen we need to invest at the grass roots which we can't. I really don't see anyway Pakistan batsmen can bounce back from this and actually be able to play on seaming tracks.

Dear kami and pakspin readers

This victory for Ireland doesn;t really come as a shock.

I predicted this from the way we played against the windies.

But the important thing now is that a real change needs to happen in Pakistani cricket.

I totally concur with you in regards to the meritocracy associated in pakistani cricket. The president needs to realize that selection of the team management and the team itself must now be based on merit!

This world cup is the culmination of embarassing cock ups that have been associated with the PCB ever since the champions trophy. I and millions of pakistani cricket fans are absolutely furious in the way the pakistan team have performed since the England series.

We need a first class cricket system that creates a competitive and fair environment. We need a system that can get provide wickets that are not foreign to pakistani batsman. The reason why Australia are so good is because they have grounds that offer different conditions. Sydney turns, melbourn will seam, Adelaide is the flat and slow pitch and brisbane is good bouncy wicket. The waca is quick and fast.

Its not difficult to creates wickets with seam and swing in pakistan. All you have to do keep the grass on the pitch. This was done in Karachi in the final test match between india and pakistan in 2005.

This will help our batsman adapt to the conditions. In the long run you will find quality openers from this.

One day a cricket is a game for the youth. Bangladesh proved that in uncermonious fashions against india yesterday. Which means we really need to focus on our youngsters.

Pakistan won the under 19s a few years back competing against the likes of bravo and smith. Maybe its time we gave these young guns a chance.

There needs to be a huge shake up in how the game is run in pakistan.

I feel sorry for inzi because now he will be remembered as an has been! and not as that superb middle order batsman who took world cup by storm at eden park in 1992.

In regards to the captaincy issue pakistan needs someone with a lot of chracter and the ambition to succeed in all conditions.

afridi is too much of maverick. Younis khan is very strong minded. Yousuf is our best player so maybe it should go to him as he is very ambitious.

Talent wise i would go for yousuf

Today we saw how part-time players playing with big hearts triumph against highly-paid, full-time
players devoid of class, determination and leadership.

The problems Pakistan cricket faces today are deep and wide without a beginning or an end.

Is it the foreign coach we acquired in lieu of talented local coaches expecting that insight
he showed in TV interviews and papers columns would be matched by a real understanding of how to
channel a raw cricketing talent into a professional team?

Or is it the captain and his cronies who spent more time proselytizing, growing beards and
offering public prayers than preparing to compete at the top level?

Is it due to the head of the board whose presence has encouraged confusion and unprofessional-ism since his first day at office.

Or is it the poor cricket selection process and lack of accountability, typical of Pakistani culture.

Or is it simply that shame and humiliation does not upset this team any more.

This must be the lowest point in this country's cricketing history and a shameful day for us to have sent this team to represent us at the World Cup.

I know its hard to digest for all of us, and especially for someone like you who had been so optimistic about the progress of the Pakistani team. But there is no way that ANY team in the world would have got over the kind of setbacks that Pakistan cricket got. First, they lost their pace spearhead - Asif who was head and shoulders above any other bowler in international cricket. Second, the selection of the openers was a joke, there was no way someone like Salman Butt or Yasir Hameed could have been left out, and then we lost both Afridi and Razzaq. And we took a comedian of a wicketkeeper who would drop one catch for every one that he takes. Give as many setbacks to any team and they would fail (remember the failures of the Australian team in New Zealand). With this bunch, anyway they werent going to go very far, I think Kamran you are frustrated more because your expectations were too high. Well, yes, they should have got to the super eights with this team, but thinking any further would be a pipe dream. Its time we are realistic and accept that this is the worst team that we have sent to any world cup. And it's time to think ahead. And thinking- means not thinking in terms of someone like Afridi to lead the team- that would be disastrous. Younus Khan also seems a bad choice- he has more of the cheerleader and less of the captain role- too much of show. Shoaib Malik should be ok, but can we also spread our nets wide and think of anohter 'thinking' man Mohd Yousuf, someone who was being talked about in terms of captaincy long ago- and whose limited attempts at captaining were quite ok. Anyway, time to shrug off our disappointment and to look ahead, we surely can do no worse and can only improve from now.

i read almost every article from kamran and espacially the comments send by my brothers. but i never made any comments by my self infact i send two times my comments but not more than two but today, today i m very very disappointed so i want to say wat i want to share with my friends.
this team have let us down in very bad way.we people waited for worldcup for almost 4 years then it started but lost in only distance of 3 days wat a shame.and we lost to baby of cricket.
its time now that pakistan have to think abt this game seriously otherwise cricket will also become hockey of pakistan.

and also now its time to make some bold decisions.i liked the way when amir sohail was cheif selecter of pakistan after2003 debacle.he gave almost new blood to team.

its time now to first of all get rid of this selection cometee.but i m affraid we will not. but if we want improvement in cricket of pak then we need this
secondly we need to get rid of these so called heavy waigths. infact there is only waight left in them.
i was ashamed by the way in which ireland feilded.they look parallel to south africa in feilding and we after playing almost 675 one dayers we not not understanding importance of feilding.

we need to get rid of inzi is well both as captain and player. becoz he is gone now he left nothing to offer for pak cricket. and need to get a new aggresive captain. i m sure younis is not the man.
younis khan can never be a good captain. we need some one like afridi or malik.
those can inspire the team with their performances not like of younis,yousaf of razzak
but i m affarid that one of these will be our next captain and the same will happen again to us.

one thing we also note that imran khan once a big suporter of younis for captaincy has now leave this idea after last year champion trophy becaz he got to know that younis is not the right option.

and we should bring asim kamal, hasan raza(becaz he has 10 year experiance of domestic cricket)immediatly in one day side
and for long term we need to found champions of the last two U-19 world cups.
thoser guys are all of big heart.
they also made 110 in last U-19 world cup but they also get india 10/6 at one stage in same match and then won it.
so we need to get fighters.
and we also need to prepare green tracks now in our home series.
also now time to get rid of shoaib and rana
that is all from a disappointed paki.
allah hafiz

Well written sir! It was truly the most shameful perfomance any Test playing nation can give against an associate team and ends up looking like a joke in front of the whole world. Shame on the coach, the captain, the selectors and each and every member of this team. Somehow, deep down inside, we all knew from the start that something like this would transpire but the passion, the yearn and the desire for world cup glory made us believe that this group of amateurs would be able to pull off something extraordinary. Shame on the Pakistan cricket team for letting down the nation and turning it into a laughing stock in front of the whole cricket world.

SHOCKED. I am from across the border. But I come to share the grief, vent the anger, and condemn the absolute cowardice of this Pakistani team. May be, we ourselves are not very far from being eliminated. But, before that happens let me appreciate the forthrightness of Kamran's observations.

Well said, Kamran. I was asking for Afridi for captain for a few months now - he has the experience, the youth, and the enthusiasm.

On his bowling alone, he can be part of the ODI team. The fielding, batting, and captaincy are a bonus.

When Afridi is on the field, bowling, or batting, the opposing side is unstable, and the Pak side is full of energy.

Yes, we needed a disciplined bunch after the match-fixing scandal, but now we need fire! Is there any other person who exemplifies that other than Afridi?

Abbasi sb. you have hit the nail right on the head. Inzi, needs to leave, at least ODI cricket and leave it for more sprited individuals. He has been guilty of picking up his buddies, rather than picking team on merit. If you have seen, sami today, you must know that he is definitely the person who should have been picked in the first game as well.
Captaincy should go to Shahid. Younis, though backed by Imran, does not seem to be one making a fight. We need the agression of Shahid Afridi to make these bunch of cats, fight like tigers.

I was not surprised by the result because I knew that sooner or later it is going to happen. I was reading the article of Woolmer prior starting the match that the combine Irish team does not have the experience equal to one Pakistan Player Inzimam, BUT what everybody saw on the TV was quite shocking for most of people but for me it was quite realistic. Irish team body language was positive, they were determined and they knew they could win the match. Pakistani team body language was not positive. They were not sure that they could beat the Irish team. Hell, 133 is a not a bad score at all to defend but again .. it was going to happen.

On the other hand, I can also bet that the Pakistan under 19 team which won the under 19 World Cup in Bangladesh and defeated India can easily beat Irish team. I saw that particular match as well, the boys were determined and positive and they knew that they could win the match and they did.

The main problem with sub-continent teams is that they do not have any formula (especially boards). There is lot of politics around. Why on the earth we are stick to same players for years when we have vast resources available. Look at Aussies, if any player do not perform he is out for a while. But we are stick with those chaps and that's the main problem because they knew that they are still in the team if they will not perform well. It's useless to talk about any scenarios and if at this stage. Who should not play first match, who should play second. It's over now.

I was hoping that the match should go till the end rather then being ended by DL method. We might have an excuse then and this is what we do all the time, making EXCUSES rather then accepting our fault and correcting them.

The cricket team has changed a lot. Teams with young and energetic players are giving good impression. Two teams are equal in the ground and two recent matches have proved it. I am not sure where this defeat will lead us as it is even worse then 1999 World Cup final. You can not call it just a Black day. It is DARKEST day in the history of World Cup and the Pakistan Cricket.

But on the other hand, I am very much excited about super eight rounds and rest of the World Cup. At least we will watch some quality cricket from top performing teams.

Kamran, i am writing in response to your columns first time. I have read all the column on Dawn and Cricinfo and have to write to share my concern for our country. I don't know what will happen once we know we are out at first stage. In 2003 world cup defeat this was disclosed by selection and board that they will prepare for 2007. In somehow they did good early stage in 2004 and 2005 but then our Cricket board plays, they thing they should be praised instead of players who are performing. Now it is same selection committe chairman Bari who was there for 2003 and almost same staff at board level.
If we want to do better yes we need passionate Captian not like Inzimam who served Pakistan a lot but not by his decisions it was team efforts when we won in past not by captaincy.
We need to upside down in Cricket board Doc, salim altaf, Mushtaq woolmer and then players.
we wish and hope that somebody will be sincere to country to build the status of Pakistani team to be fighter not the spectators.

i totally agree with u mr. kamran pakistan cricket has been on drastic decline.iam a stonch suporter of pakistans cricket but even iam forced to say that a school team can beat this current pakistani team.players like inzama, yousuf, younis should have been more responsible then they actually acted. in simple any team can bowl pakistan out of the match on a green track if ireland can do it so can any body.it would be bette if someone from pakistan asks mr. inzamam the following questions.
1) y rana palyed the match against west indies when everyone knows that at his advanced age he should take care of his health and not to play cricket. iam sure even ireland will not accept his services even if rana wants to play for them.
2) y did inzamam decided to bat against westindies after winning the toss. he dosent have a seamer other than gul who can bowl the opposition out and also everybody knows the record of pakistan when chasing.
3)y did not he promote himself up the order in both the matches since he has the experience.
well i have been witnessed to some of the best innings of inzamam and iam 100% sure that he is a match winner but watching him play since last 6 months i wonder whether he still has to continue palying.
at last i feel pity for him that such a great batsman like him could not take pakistan atleast through to super eight.

Hi Kamran,

The thing you said...

"Your fielders wander the outfield like elephants, young men grown old and old men grown arthritic. They are a blot on international cricket, a sport that now requires fitness, energy, and speed, yet your players are like the noble unbending amateurs of some bygone era."

... is very true.

Shame on you Mr. Musharraf , Shame on you Dr. Naseem Ashraf and Thank you Inzamam for your great service but its time you retired to sufiism. Bob Woolmer i truly believed you could do something special for Pakistan you did for some time but whatever it is you are trying just didnt work. The Pakistan Nation has been let down by all of these people and the main culprits are the President and the ADHOC Board. They owe us an explanation not an apology an explanation. What they have doen is criminal. But then again what else should one expect from a bunch of Pompous Idiots trying to run the national sport and its team like a bloody PLatoon!

Ahmed Qaisar
A die hard and seriousl pissed off Fan

An open letter from me too - Hi bob,if you open the replies to your blog, you will find a small warning statement from me that beware Ireland will beat you, but i think you didn't take me seriuosly at all. Yesterday was a black day for all of us pakistanis. I have never been ashamed of bieng a pakistani cricket fan, never ever like this. I am resigning to the fact all because of you and your bunch of chumps with the beards, i will support and follow south africa as my dream team and to hell with Pakistan's team. That's it. you and your loser players didn't do justice worth of a penny to our nation. Go back all of you to your homes, wear bangles and dopatta and sit at home, make currys for your wives. This is what you should have been doing from day one.

Doom to Pakistan Cricet.

Naveed

Let's pray that Bray or O'Brien show positive in dope test and THEN Pakistan will again be in the run for the cup :)

Right on Kamran.

I am sick of Inzy taking the blame for it all. What are our "World Class" batsmen doing? Its time Inzy gracefully exited because for all his faults in this World Cup we know that as Pakistanis we are unable to respect a great cricketer and provide him with a proper farewell.

The future is bleak. For the next world cup, who do we have? No Inzy, probably no Yousuf. Only Younis Khan (good for nothing), and Shoaib Malik (potential). You have bowling, thats for sure but no batting. So basically more of the same. Only one part of the equation out of three!

I do agree, we need a captain with fire in his belly and Shahid Afridi for all his faults as a batsman, is the most logical choice. Shoaib looks too baychara, and Younis call only wince the whole time from slip.

We are a nation that forgets. We are nation that looks for scapegoats. We are a nation that loves playing Monday morning quarterback.

To play on Reagans words, are we better off now than we were in 1999? Will we be better in 2011? Don't bet on it.

cricket died a dirty death in pakistan yesterday.. our team is supposed to inspire the younger generation to fight.. but unfortunately not only has our team been bad examples, they may well have killed the passion for cricket in many Pakistani's just like me..

shame, shame, shame no words to describe . speechedless at the moment.
about afridi , i think i agree, we need aggression in captaincy as he possess.

but all in all shame , shame and shame etc.

afridi

What a shame????? Its hard to believe that we are out of the World Cup!!!!! Inzamam will have to be stripped from the Captaincy...what a sad end to his career??? What a lack lusture leadership shown by him?? other than keeping his two arms on his back and cuddling his beard!!!!
Hats off to the bowlers who tried to salvage some thing from the team!!!!
I want to cry, I am humilated, I am disgusted, I am sorry for the nation, A Bleak Day for Pakistan Cricket?

On the other hand there looks to be a conspiracy from the ICC in giving Pakistan green tops in big tournments....this was not fair play from the WestIndian Board also......May God Give All Pakistani Fans the Patience to Gulp Down this Difficult pot of Poison.....I wish we all forget this soon.
The defeat probably will make way for Salman Butt as an openor again......Mr Nasim Ashraf and Company do you have any new excuse and reason to explain.....How about utilizing the services of Javed Miandad, Intikhab Alam or Imran Khan or Waqar Younis.....The Nation demands an Apology from you also....rather than putting the blame solely on the players????????

WELL WELL WELL PAKISTAN, ANOTHER FINE MESS YOU GOT YOURSELVES INTO........and this one tops the lot!!!!!!! You have yet again proven yourself to be the best side in the world at SELF DESTRUCTING. Bob Willis, got it spot on 'EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED' with regards to Pakistan, and the Pakistan team just obliged, so everyone out there give them a round of applause!!! I'm not going to waste my time debating, what went wrong?, who's to blame?, who should have been playing? etc ... Theres no point as far as i'm concerned, time and time again... i have been backing my team everytime we had embarrasing moments in the cricketing world, but this tops the lot. I hope each and every player, manager, coach, captain, board, who ever is involved with the pakistan team is proud of what they have achieved. I have been a proud supporter of the Pakistani Team, and enjoyed watching them since the 1992 world cup begun... i'm afraid that ends as of now. Too many times i have forgiven them, for past embarassing moments, failures etc ... theres no joy in watching this side anymore. All they do is humilliate us further time and time again... nobody likes loosing, but to see the way the pakistan teams looses, without even putting up a fight is there for all to see. So this is where i say my final farewell and best wishes to the team once loved and held in my heart. ALLAH HAFIZ

Let me be the first to vent. We are fools who still live in the fancy world of Pakistan Cricket of the past. We have no leader in this team like Imran who can turn a bunch of Jokers into Fighters. These scumbags are just filling their bank accounts and going thru the motions of their daily life.
This team during these two matches was looking more like a minnow then a test playing nation. A JOKE!!!!

I think Bob Woolmer has played a real bad part in the later stage of his stint as Pakistan Coach.
It started from the England Tour and has brought us to this. I donot know why people were still thinking that this team can give them gift of World Cup, when this team was beaten badly in ICC champions trophy and also the South Africa ODI series.
Now Inzimam can not even blame the defeat on the absence of Shoaib and Asif as bowling did do more than its job but the batting My O my, what kind of batsmen we have? should they go in Ireland and get training and learn from their batsmen.

In my previuos posts also I mentioned that the biggest mistake was sacking of 6 or 7 cricketers after the 2003 World Cup debacle. We needed a few of them still (maybe not all of them) to remain a force in World Cricket. We needed bowlers like Akram and Waqar to nurture new bowling talent so that the torch could be passed along, same with batting, we stil needed a few years of Saeed Anwar to harness the opening batting.

I think same thing will happen again after this Debacle, and we will be back to zero again for the next World Cup.

I would again say, as I did in my last post, that we need to get services of Imran Khan to build us a team for the next World Cup. Otherwise this Chaos will continue. When Richards andgreat players of other ocuntries are providing services to their national teams, I think it becomes a moral duty for Imran to take the helm of Pakistani Cricket once more (although in a different role). We need discipline for this team which Imran can bring. I know a few heads will roll, but is that the permanent solution, I think "No", because we have seen it from the previous WC.

I agree with you Kamran, this head of PCB is not suitable for the job. He does not know ABCs of Cricket. He is not been able to bring discipline in this team.

WHAT A LET DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OUR TEAM DIED A COWARD'S DEATH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I THINK PAKSITAN SHOULD BE STRIPPED OFF OF THIER STATUS AS AN ASSOCAITE MEMEBR OF ICC AND BE DEMOTED TO MINNOW.

Kamran Bhai,

You left out the so called chairman of the selection committee, Bari . He is also equally to be blamed in the gang r*p* of paki team. The bubble has burst, and we all had anticipated this for a long time.

Its time to roll heads big time and bring fresh and energetic blood into the team. YK have no claibre to become pak team captain neither do MYo, both are good only on dead paki wickets.

The current players should take a long rest and join Inzi in his multan piry fakiry sermons.

As I said earlier after the defeat against West Indies, it is no surprise. The team for the last few years has been preparing for world cup, yet till now they do not have been able to come up with correct openers. Successful teams have good opening pairs which Pakistan does not possess, The only opener with some skills, Salman Butt has been sidelined for no obvious reasons. Players like Asim Kamal with mid 40's average are not provided with opportunities for unknown reasons whereas mediocre players have been given ample opportunities.
The so called Pakistani all rounders (which has long list) are all not really all rounders they are not perfect in any one skill. For being a genuine all rounder one should be a good bat than an average bowler or vice versa. None of them fit that criteria including Azhar, Razak, Afridi, Hafeez & not to mention Rana....The key is consistency, which none of these players have. Look at Pollock, Kallis, Symonds, they all are atleast perfect in one skill....Unlike incomplete cricketers of our team.
Mr. BOB you gotta go what are you really responsible for, what have you really coached. Also PCB needs to be run professionally, dude this is a professional era. We need to change are mindsets & be proud of our nation & heros instead of kissing ass of foreign coaches, trainers & doctors & throwing away huge funds to these people. We have produced worlds best batsmen without these coaches. We should utilise services of players like Javed Miandad, Imran Khan, Waqar, Wasim, hanif Mohammed etc. This experience is priceless, all are legends, but due to our slave mentality & corruption as well as gora wannabees atitudes we have ignored these heros.
Just give merit a chance & be proud of who you are.

Well Kamran i think the time has come now that we have to make changes.In my opinion they need changes from the top to bottom including selection committee , captain and coach.We need to bring new palyers in the team.
we need good captain ,yunas khan is good but i would say shoaib malik is best choice because if you make younas captain it will be more plitics in the team .and please we are fed up of this politics of pakistan we are fed up of this system .
i wish there is a miracle which can change this system of pakistan and paksitan cricket .
I want to request to board's member Plaese stop putting the money into your pockets and spend on pitches and first class cricket and build some better stadiums .

In the last i would like to request to all pakistan great players please dont sit outside and critisize and get in and help pakistan .

just in one sentence i would like to say PAKISTAN CRICKET IS DEAD

Kamran Bhai, Thank you for verbalizing exactly what all Pakistanis around the world are feeling...utterly gutted, a sense of disbelief and bewilderment...It is strangely befitting that the annus horribilis of Pakistani Cricket that was this past year has culminated in this darkest of days, and reached its Nadir with the defeat by the Shamrocks. I feel that the fateful day at the Oval when the Doc gave his Thumbs Up that from that point on, it all went downhill from there.
There is a need for a complete overhaul of Cricket. Which starts at the top...Doctor Whatever your name is...(the fellow appointed by the Pres)...you better go NOW!!! Don't even try to come up with pathetic excuses..OUT..OUT!!!Bob...Please show the Doc the way out, make sure to join him, and please don't let the door hit your A** on the way out...Inzy...the less said about him the better...I agree that we need to bring Passion back to the team...I think we need a Bowler to be the Captain...I hate to say this but if not Afridi, then Shoaib Akhter...we need someone Vocal...arrogant...Tough and I hate to admit it but someone who is a bit of a scoundrel...someone who is flamboyant and passionate...Afridi and Akhter come to mind...

I've been saying this to everyone I discuss Pakistan cricket with; Inzamam-ul-Haq is a bad influence on the team. In this day and age when every team, including Bangladesh, moves like greased lightening across the field and bring about saves and catches fit for an acrobatics competition, we have fat, bearded, old farts scratching their facial hair as the ball passes by.

Inzi's lethargic body langauage has permeated into the younger and previously agile lot like Malik and Afridi.

This whole 'Thanks to Allah' whatever be the result may be fit for Raiwind, but not for a competitive international sport. I hope these guys are replaced by younger players with a passion for winning. Thats what they are paid for.

Dear Kamran , On the DOT , WELL Said and Well asked for . INZI , BOB , DOC , Salim Altaf , The whole selection commeti , IF they had any self respct and any iota of self soul searching process within their thick skins , They Must see the door themselves or be shown the door at once. Discrage to Watch , Disgrace to see & hear , Disgrace to see them play , full of shit from head to toe. ENOUGH OF THIS CRRONISM , THE YOYOS have prooven it once agian THEY ARE Just YOYOs. In my opinion , no resemblenns of the PAST STARS must be seen in the New Team , Kick the FAT Potato out upfront , he has been the real culprit in brining such fate to the team & country , FULL of Negativity and defeated mentality .

Kamran Sb,
u nailed it once again.

U sir have summed up the unbearable pain we all go through now.

GET A LIFE BROTHERS!!
All this furore from sad asians bemoaning the losses of India and Pakistan - who cares! How many times is rioting, calling for the teams heads etc going to change anything that happened, sport is a funny game and one that does not always play out the way it should on paper - moreover we are Muslims - we should distance ourselves from asny form of fanaticism so that we can deal and talk about such things in a rational and SENSIBLE manner. Give it a break for God's sake.

This team should be cut because at the international level this lethargy should not be accepted.
If we declare the real ages of the under19 squad they could easily make the national side. What is the downside ? things can only get better from here.
As for Inzi and the pussycats - well maybe their dream of running a Madrassa might just be preponed a bit !

I Just Dont Know Wat To Write Here.But Like every pakistani,i want big changes in the team and managment.please for God sake,select young team.
My future team is. 1.Salman Butt, 2.Yasir Hameed,
3.Shoaib Malik, 4.Younis Khan, 5 M Yousaf, 6. H Farhat or Z Haider(wicket keeper)7. S Afridi(Captain) 8. A Razzak (vice captain)9. M Asif,10 Umar Gul,11.M Sami,12 Anwar Ali(Hero Of under 19WC),13 Fawad Alam,14 S Akhtar,15 Mansoor Amjad,16 Tariq Mahmood.
Waqar Younis Bowling Coch
Javed Minadad Team Coch.

I wish i should stop playing cricket.
I wish i should stop watching cricket.
I wish i should stop discussing cricket.
And finally i wish i should stop loving cricket.

well kamran its all reality what you said.But this defeat shocked us too much that we can't say any thing.I think so now we have to stop playing,loving and even watching cricket and enjoy our lifes like other peoples who donot watch cricket.
Now my situation is that i love my friend who donot watch cricket and whenever there is a match of paksitan i put my self in the front of TV for a day and they just simply smile on me and at the end of the day just ask Ohh YOUR TEAM DEFEATED.How much relax they are and how much silly we are.
I think so we should put a case against pakistan cricket team ,that they are not playing cricket they are only playing with our heart's.And finally cricket mathes telecase should be banned in pakistan for atleast a year so that we forget the unforgetable 'CRICKET'.
And when in future when some one waste his time wathching pakistan cricket match we just smile on him. I wish...

I agree 110% to Kamran. It is the darkest day of our cricket and thanks to Inzi and company. It was a writing on the wall for the last 6 months but the fools like me were still hoping against hope of an impossible turn around. I am sure we all have played cricket at some level can not apprehand our national team's performance, no pride , no self belief, and totally spineless. I am afraid all this reflects the state of affairs in the institutions of our country and PCB is no exception, run by(Dr Ashraf) a person with no experience of cricket affairs what so ever typically selected not elected & Mr Saleem Altaf acting as he has all the knowledge of cricket not ready to listen to any body, taking mind bogling decesions removing wagar and keeping Mushtaq as a bowling coach ha ha. Selectors all dancing on the higher up tunes. In my humble opinion its time now for some strong decesions which should have been taken ages ago. There is no room for players like Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal, Azher mahmood, Rana and of all Inzi. Bob must also go ,his mission impossible to destroy Pak cricket is successfully complete now he can move on.

Salaam Kamran Saab, All what you have said is absolutely right, 100 % agreed. We all Pakistani fans love cricket like religion and in the end Most of the Occasion Pak team give us disappointed result and disgrace our feeling. Now there should be accountability for Pak team plus PCB.Sir in my judgment Shoiab Malik will be a good Choice for the Captain instead of Younis Khan which we have already tested in Last Year Champion Trophy. We need Young but Mature Captain and I guess Shoiab Malik fit for this. For Inzi I would say here it is a really Sad Departure for a great Batsman.PCB or who ever has the authority should take extreme step to rediscover Pakistan cricket team, I really feel sad today. As we are standing at the same place where Wasim and Waqar left us in 2003 may be behind.

Oh the agony and anguish. Waking up early morning to watch a game as inconsequencial as this. But at the back of my mind was the ever present fear of Pakistan some how messing things up. Mr.Abassi a truck load of shit needs to be dumped on Naseem Ashrafs head, better yet i say to all Pakistani to take a bags full of shit and turn the PCB in to a manure factory. Our country with such an illustrious cricketing pedigree doesn't need these imposters. But not losing hope.....2011 baby!

Now, now, let's not analyse this shameful performance of the Pakistani team on any cricketing merit. There's no question, on paper, that there was more talent (if measured by pure statistics) present on the Pakistani side than the opponents.
So what went wrong? To a team that's God centered - all Glory to God, etc.-we can only conclude that it was God's Will. Because, even at that pathetic batting performance, Paksitan could still have won the game. But alas, the Almighty God intervened - He sent the rain! "Thou exaltest whom Thou wilt, and Thou abasest whom Thou wilt"(Surah 3:26).
The Irish pricked the God centerness balloon of the Pakistani team. Since, according to Islamic theology, all good and BAD occur only through God's Will, I suggest that the Pakistani team should stop-over in Mecca and pay homage to God for having abased them. Or perhaps, according to the twisted theological concept that's galore in the land of the pure, let's use poor Danish Kaneria - the only non-Muslim (and a "Mushriq" at that)- as a scape goat for this God's team's pathetic failure.

The utterly spineless defeat has let us with no place to hide, with no solace. How much lower do we have to fall before some semblance will be restored ?? It is not a blame game, but for once, just once, let's hold the accountable people accountable. Unimaginative leadership, insipid coaching, spineless performaces - how much more do we have to put up with ? let's clean house - properly - once and for all.

yet another dissappointment or i can say the biggest dissappointment !! ahh no words for it .. as it has proved that pakistan board is responsible for all the mess. first of all the selection committee which is all biased and never go with the merit. how do you justify the selection of kamran akmal and rana naveed in the first place ? and imran nazir ? out of no where he appeared ? board as usual ignored asim kamal who is alot better player than imran nazir , imran farhat , salman butt and other failed openers. but the board attitude towards karachi or sindh players has always been like that. despite the fact the pitched were new , sami was not selected for opening game and inzamam's favorite rana was played .. i m pretty sure if rana was playing against ireland, the irish would have won in 25 overs ! but no the favoritism always go with punjab players as they got the upper hand from the govt. the team represents the whole country not just one state but it seems more like representing punjab. kamran akmal would be the most worst wicket keeper pakistan ever produced ! there is no way the guy can replace moin and rashid , i hope he is thrown out of the team as he is a disgrace. inzamam prolly would face the axe with bob woolmer which is very likely. its unbelievable as pakistan didnt find any openers for this long as it only opted for few openers as imran farhat , mr butt and taufiq umar. same guys repeated again n again .. so where was the search when bob woolmer and inzamam were going for the same bunch of players. i have been reading for so long that they are working for the world cup and in the end you find same bunch of losers who dont have any technique and play like gali (road) cricket. you will see no professionalism in them. i wonder what justified their selection in the team oh wait a minute they are from punjab.

Interestingly , the batting order again didnt changed. once again repeating same thing . not understandable !! .
Inzamam is a good player no doubt but his approach as a captain on the field is below par. and i agree with kamran that younis , shoaib malik or afridi should be replaced as a captain. Inzamam is out thats for sure as we all know pakistan cricket board or do i call it now punjab cricket board. replacement would be most likely younis khan or new surprises ?? who knows . shoaib malik being really the guy who plays so intelligently should have been promoted to number 3 or yousuf but no same failed strategy again and again ! the team would be greeted by the nation with roses or eggs no doubt bout that ! i wonder when merit would be the criteria ever in pakistan !

There would not be a more ardent Inzimam supporter out there than me. To me he is till now the best batsmen Pakistan ever produced. Better than Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbass and Hanif Muhammad. But it is time for him to go now!

It is also high time for Pakistan team to rid this image of piety that has creped into its fold. Sports by its very nature are supposed to be secular. The selection criteria for this team looked like growing a beard and offering prayers in group. Cricketers should be selected on the basis of their playing skills not on religious devotion.

I think it is time for M. Yousuf to quit too! He ain’t nothing but a flat track bully who will never make a contribution of note when the pressure is really on.

Afridi might be too inconsistent for test cricket, but then again honestly who is consistent performer in this team? The one player (inzi) who could play under pressure is past his prime. So I would have no qualms about him taking over but for heaven’s sake please do not turn to Younis Khan. He might have all the characteristics needed to captain a side but he too can not handle pressure. Look at the ways he got out consistently in WC and before that in Champions trophy.

So choice should rest between Afridi and Malik. As far as selection of cronies of our the General to important positions are concerned. They will keep on happening! Dr. Nasim Ashraf just like the general himself is nothing but a walking disaster. He must go just like the president needs to go!

Bismillah ar rehman ur rahim ... first of all thanks to Allah for sparing us the pain for the rest of the world cup ... i hope we have seen the last of Inzy, yousaf, younis, nazir ... well the list is too long and space limited ... HOPELESS!

The tragedy of March 17, 2007.....

Sadly, in recent days, it was such that cricket "was" the only thing, as a Pakistani, you could've looked forward to make you feel proud as a Pakistani...like Mohsin Khan said after the match, Cricket is the second thing after religion us Pakistanis follow so passionately.

I have no words to sum up the display of sheer incompetence by the "men in green" on the field yesterday...most of the team's fans, like myself, are still be in shock over what conspired in that match...

Shame on you Younis for getting out for a duck...
Shame on you Yousuf for that stupid shot you played...
Shame on you Inzi (and it hurts your greatest fan to say this), for not being the leader the whole nation expected you to be...

......

Somehow i was worried before the play even began. As i saw the green pitch i could not make up my mind that this is going to be a very tough day for the pakistani batsmen.
Ireland played better than Pakistan, that is a fact we have to live with and we should congratulate them as a good sportsmen would do and i'm sure we pakistanis are!
That Ireland can play we know since we saw them in the practice match against South Africa! I think hadn't South Africa used 10 batsmen at that day the result could be a similiar one! This Ireland team is not a minnow team - they all play county cricket and some of our guys should know them!
But it also showed once again that Pakistani batsmen are unable to play on green pitches and that we have not learnt anything after the South Africa loss at the Champions Trophy where we finished in a similiar fashion.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has to rethink its strategy and change itself to be able to match up with the big nations.
We need a revolution in Pakistan Cricket - otherwise we cannot make it in the Top 5 of world cricket.
We don't need a team without spirit, without will to win no matter what happens!

Bravo and well said! After a humiliation such as we have seen these last few weeks, nothing short of radical reform will satisfy Pakistan cricket supporters.

Look at our Bowling with Mushtaq as Assitant Coach and Without Waqar as bowling caodch.

Naseem Ashraf, because of his ego problem didnt stopped Waqar from resigning.

The result was written well before the tournament started, when Waqar resigned.

Look at our Bowler performance on green top wkt they allowed Ireland to make 130+ successfully.

I cant even believe it!!! i feel like i'm in a bad nightmare and will wake up to find out that it was all a dream.......I feel bad for the paki fans who have spent tons of money on match tickets, airline tickets, accomodation etc to fly to the west indies. I think PCB, Inzy & Woolmer should personally refund the money of these fans.....where the country is in so much turmoil its unwise to think that the cricket team should be otherwise.

amran, very well said indeed!
But this result, sooner or later, was enivatble.

What would you expect from a team which consists of:
A Captain after 15 years in International cricket and after playing more than 375 Onedayers still cannot play moving ball, cannot run between the wickets, cannot field and most of all cannot motivate the players and cannot think.
A Vice Captain, who still do not have the common sense for shot selection.
A Fine batsman (Yusuf): but with little commone sense (as with all pakistan players)
Openers: No technique or temperament whatsoever.

Cricket is a game of 11 fit and professional players, each should be a match winner on their own on any given day. But Pak played with atleast 5 players who do not possess the required fitness, 6 bits & pieces players who do not belong to International cricket with no technic or temperament and 11 fielders who cannot field.

Above all what make me sick that they just repeat their mistakes without learning. We, by watching them play, can pinpoint where they are going wrong but the Coach, the captain and the players did nothing to sort out their weakness.

My Suggestions:
Get rid of:
Inzimam, Younis Khan, Hafeez, Nazir, Kamran Akmal, Azhar Mehmood & Kaneria.
Forget forever: Shoaib Akther, Abdul Razak.

Make Shahid Afridi Captain and Shoaib Malik Vice Captain. Infuse new blood by inculding players like Shahid Yusuf, Fawad Alam, Anwer Ali.
Get back: Salman Butt, Yaser Arafat, Asim Kamal, Mohd Asif.

I think what you say Kamran is very much right, we have lost that fighting touch, we didnt play anywhere near our potential. Yet i have heard this about the pakistan team after nearly every tour. It is all well and good for us to criticise what has happened, but i doubt that the players intended to not put up a fight, or that they intended to lose. I think the bigger problem we have is that we have a million people complaining, but rarely one with a solution. When there is one person with a solution, we ridicule that solution until it too is of no use to us. I think solutions rather than complaints is more of use to us.

17th March will be a dark day in Pak's cricket history but it will also be a lesson to learn. I am totally agree with you kamran, all those three people, Inzi, Bob and Mr. Ashraf need to pack up. I feel really sorry for Inzi, he was truly a great batsmen of his era, he deserved better ending.
So where things got wrong? it is a million dollor question, everything seemed fine just 6 months before. This team ranked 3rd in the world and was looking good and well shapped up for the world cup and then suddenly.....
There are few things i need to emphazise before we hit panic button and sacked almost all the team. We have done that after 2003 world cup and got rid off the likes of Saeed and Waseem. As you said this team need a passionate leader who can lead from the front. We need a pakistani coach who understand the roots of the pakistani cricket. We need a chairman who has a cricket brain ans has cricket background.
In the end, i must say there is a bright day after every dark night although this one is a pretty dark one.
May God bless Pakistan.

Yeah...they are really bunch of assholes...inzamam you have been a gr8 player but now its time for you to go...and we want green top wickets in pakistan...so that they can learn how to play on one....

Good article, only one thing I disagree with, but no surprise coming from you. Shahid Afridi as captain material? That is simply laughable. Well I reckon in your next column you will suggest Afridi as possible future president for Pakistan, such are is your zealous support for him.

Kamran, i totally agree with you. This team has very badly let all of us down. I being a sri lankan dont feel like watching the rest of the matches now that pak is out.
As i said earlier the complete infrastructure of pcb (prized collection of buffoons) need to changed

Firstly! I have been always and will continue to be the most ferocious Pakistani fan! I had not given up hope for a single second until it was in all actuality and reality gone to my disbelief! I have not ever faced such desperation when supporting my team! I believed that they can do it, but I was wrong.

Kamran Bhai, you address in this open letter to Inzi, Bob and the "£$!£%%£ Doc, but what I feel the whole supidity oozes out is the PCB, the Paindoo Cricket Board. Because the loss to Ireland (for crying out loud!!!!!!) has a history to it. And that history begins and ends solely with the PCB, its pathetic board of money mongers and its selection committee with a person on its chair that deserves nothing but to hang the boots now.

I will not come harsh down on Inzi, even though I predict many on this thread will absolutely like to bash the sh!t out of him for his leadership qualities or rather the lack of it. Because in my opinion the captain must have the perfect environment to freely make and choose decisions. Which were not made possible due to the PCB's lack of common or rather cricketing sense. I for one feel really bad for Inzi, who would face some brunt. He has given so much to Pakistan cricket, if it were not for him, 1992 wouldn't have been ours either! If it wasn't for him, Bangladesh would have registered a win in Tests with us as well and basically his record as a batsman for Pakistan speaks for itself, and to give him the bashing or a scapegoat (which I fear) will be a terrible insult to him, which the other Pakistani legends have faced as well, that to me will most definately be unfair. He has been let down, even by his favourite Rana Naved-ul-Hasan; a captain believes in the ability, and when that ability is just not there then its not the captain's fault, although I do hold this one against Inzi, that he should have dropped Rana a long time ago, when India came to Pakistan and beat us in the ODI's because all those matches were lost thanks to Rana's come-hit-me-nice-and-hard-over-the-rope balls!

For me the important change that should be brought about NOW!!!!!! Is that the PCB needs to be totally restructured, those -yes I am calling them that- need to go out, and out NOW!!!!!!! And the second most important change is that captaincy, Afridi or Younis would be my opinion, Javed from Montreal -'Akhroats' as you mentioned the previous thread can only provide you with the madness of rage inside that is the desperate call of the hour!

I really feel bad for Inzi though, I'd say again. Come on, lash at me for saying this whoever feels like it, but I am going to stand by his side!

But I am really depressed, some top brass heads need to be rolled!! And for God's sake tell Mushy to bask in his 1992 glory and not make more fool out of himself, leg spinners can't coach fast bowlers, and our strength has always been our fast bowlers, aidedddddddd by leg spin!

Brilliant,Kamran ! While you're at it, can you write an open letter to the bunch of jokers who call themselves the Indian team, too ?

Kamran, I agree with you 100% but I will go a step further. Fire every single person/player/manager/coach/pet etc etc currently associated with the Pakistani squad. Sometimes it's necessary to cut the entire leg to save the body. I only wish this was a military exercise so that we can have the whole team and PCB shot on the spot for such incompetence.

I had predicted this in my previous posts that Pakistan will be embarrased in this WC and they should not even elect to go. That prediction was not based on lack of talent, we have enough of that, it was instead based on the attitude of the entire squad from top management to the players specially during the recent SA series.

We cannot expect to see dead and slow wickets that we see in Pakistan to be everywhere so that we can win. If we want to beat the likes of Australia/South Africa... at this point even Ireland, we need to start from the grass roots. We must have pitches that prepare our players for the matches abroad. Our FC cricket is a joke at the moment.

I like Pakistani cricket and am passionate about it but I want to see some serious shake ups to the PCB. No more temporary fixes while it's a failed institution just under the surface.

Mr. Abbasi, the writing was on the wall since the England's tour. I was really surprised at your optimism, which was more from the loyalty factor, than rational reason when you thought that Pakistan could still make it after West Indies defeat. Both English and South African tours exposed the Pakistan team, Inzamam's leadership capabilities and Bob Woolmer's coaching. Both abilities. Somebody must be held accountable for this debacle. Inzamam, like Musharraf, doesn't want to give up. I feel that he should be asked to leave along with other senior players and we should re build from scratch. For the next world cup, we should aim to have players with an average of not more than 24 years (after mid 20's it is downhill for the players because they do not have the decipline of keeping themselves fit). Chose a captian, who leads from the front and not loose the match before the start like Izamam and Bob Woolmer did in the last match with Ireland. Kamran, your understanding of the game and its modern day requirement leave much to be desired. Perhaps you should at doing something sles rather than give opinions on crciket.

Sharum ...such sharum...

now i truely agree with this .. although i did laugh alot when i first read that only aussies can beat this paki team ... but being a paki i also supported this in my heart ... but getting backt o the point ... i agree that its time someone takes responsibility of this shameless defeat and sum1 goes .. for good .... n i personaly think .. liking inzi as the best batsmen in the world .. its time u give the team to sum youngster ... younis i would hav supported but his unpredictability has now raised questions .. after gifting his wicket in both matches .. so my first chice would b afridi .. n yea i agree that the chairman as well as the selectors should go now .. but then again knowing how our system works .. no one would go n we would b cursed with the same faces and they would take us to another disappointment ... only this time they have 4 years to raise our hopes n then humiliate again ...

FLAT TRACK BULLIES... couldn't say it more perfect myself. I think all the other cricket teams in the world have discovered a guranteed away of beating Pakistan now. All they have to do is produce green top/bouncy tracks... and leave the rest to the PAKISTANI BATSMEN. I'm sure in the future all other cricketing nations will adopt this policy, even the so called minnows when playing pakistan. MAYBE ITS TIME TO TEACH OUR TEAM TO BAT ON SUCH SERVICES BY PRODUCING THEM AT HOME, an idea dont you think!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Along with the millions of PK fan, last night was realy a wrostest one in my cricket viewing life! The way our top and middle ordered batsmen played, were looks like a team of the streets! No one borther to take the responsibility to stay on the crease.

Our middle order is one of the best experienced wise and technique wise, but its been a big big disapointed performance by them, no dought the pitch was green and the irish bowled very well, but on the same pitch they bated as well and PK bowlers bowled as well, but the difference was to take the responsibility.

Can we compare our team with them? we had the team of who played a lot of ODI's along with the best performance, but the other side, irish first appearence in the W C and their whole players played hardly 10 ODI's we had the batsmen with 12K and 8K 6K etc runs and they dont have even in 1K runs in ODI's!

Near me the responsible for all this what happened is, Inzi himself, Yousuf, Younas along with our very very smart coach! PCB spent millions Rupees on the team but what they/we got?

Cant we produce 16 best players in our 16 Millions nation?
Cant they make their brains like a cricketing brain?
They didn't played the W C, they played with the 16 Millions ppl hearts!

On the arrival of the team (Expected on 23 or 24 March) the following players should appologize from the nation, and put their resignation letters on the Chairman table!

Bob!
Inzi
Younas
Yousaf
Hafeez
Kamran
Rana (He should leave Pakistan as well!)

I was a very very big fan of PK cricket team, but sorry to say I have bycotted them, untill the mentioned ppl will remain in the team, I'll never ever watch any cricket match of Pakistan!

Dear Kamran, The letter you have written should be published on the DAWN front page. I cannot describe you how much depressed I am. Rameez Raja in his comments said on thing on target is that the politics in the first class cricket should be taken out especially from Karachi and Lahore. These root causes should be addressed and merit should be given chance. Dr. Naseem should be sacked and should be made accountable for all this shame. The relationship between coach and captain is not working out. There seems to be big gap of communication between inzi and bob. You are talking about captain, I can tell you things will get worse if Afridi comes in as captain. Because Younis and Afridi already have personality clashes. This formula wont workout. Yousuf should be given chance as a captain and Shoaib Malik should be his deputy. Younus is not able to comunicate players because as I mentioned he have some attitude problems. March 17th was the darkest day of Pakistan cricket and I hope this should end here and rebuild should be done ASAP.

Kamran bhai, you have written what every pakistani cricket fan must be feeling after this pathetic performance. World cup performance has been degrading since 2003. 4 years and this is the service we get. Anyhow, what's done is probably for the best (i hope). I think Shoaib or Afridi are better option for captaincy. I hope the board and everyone related READS this letter.

I guess there's nothing else left to say to the trio kamran. to say the nation is disappointed or even disgusted would belittle our emotions...but lets just be honest with ourselves,we knew this was coming. it seems like this sport will also die its death...the honorable president of pakistan has slowly but surely taken everything we pakistanis used to be passionate about and turned it into a mess!!!army,check.hockey,check.cricket,check. every institution of our country has failed and you dont need to closer,you'll see a general sitting on the top of every failed institution. the example of our educational institutions with their retired generals as VC's would suffice.
i guess the love for this game would also die just like our "NATIONAL SPORT" hockey. if fundamentalism and crime doesnt prosper in our society,wat will?? wat is this nation supposed to live for? our president's answer would be: to fight the struggle to feed your families,day in, day out..the present circumstances in our country are just wat we saw in this world cup....chaos,utter chaos. i would go one step further kamran and i would like some questions to be asked from the man who appointed the Doc....but would all of us ever get any answers? im not so sure.
i have to say though, you have done a great job kamran. loved your open letter...we all know we wont get any answers,the players would get out of the airports through the alternate way just like 2003 to avoid their "reception",the cricket board's ad-hocism would previal but at least we can give vent to our feelings. your words did the job!!

Kamran bhai you are spot on... Believe me i was in tears when i saw the pakistani batting unfolding this way. I cant say much. Shame on Ashraf , woolmer and the entire first class system.. Kudos to Sami , he bowled his heart out.

Kamran, Could'nt have said it better myself! Great post-mortem. We lack leadership and vision on all three fronts - PCB, coach and captain. Comprehensive reform from top to bottom is the only way out of this mess. The PCB must be run by a professional outfit and not by ad-hoc political appointees!

Beyond the PCB, I have a few suggestions for the team.

First, Inzy and all his tableeghi buddies must be
kicked out pronto - Mushtaq Ahmed, Rana Naveed etc. Good news - now they can spend the rest of their days in Raiwind! Apparently, praying ten times a day has not done much for their cricketing ability...who would've thought!!

Younis Khan should be Captain - he has the fire in his belly, and can lead from the front. Shoaib Malik should be vice-captain.

Second, Woolmer will have to go. His biggest failure was not finding a reliable opening pair, and experimenting ad nauseum.

Third, Shoaib Akhtar will have to be put out to
pasture. He is a negative influence on the team, and not fit enough to play anyways.

Four, Salman Butt must come back - the guy
has class and will do well. Not sure why they let him go in the first place. Kamran Akmal needs to be groomed as a ODI opener. However, he will also need to deliver on the wicketkeeping front - no more lean patches. Hafeez and Nazir are not up to the mark and should be axed.

Five, Shoaib Malik must bat at No.3 going forward. His average as a No.3 is 40.5 as opposed to an averge of 27 coming in at no.6.

New Starting ODI X1:

1. Salman Butt
2. Kamran Akmal
3. Shoaib Malik
4. Yousuf Youhana
5. Younis Khan - Captain
6. Faisal Iqbal
7. Shahid Afridi
8. Abdul Razzaq
9. Umar Gul
10.M Asif
11.Danish Kaneria
12.Ifthikar Anjum

Well said, Kamran!maybe pakistan cricket team should pray less, play more !! Shame on them!! Spineless team of bad criceters.

Dear Kamran,

You said it all. i think they all must be fired to death. For the first time it has happened in my life that i feel so embarassed that i dont want to step out of my house. I just came to work and let me tell u that im the only pakistani working in my company and its impossible to describe in words the humilating position our paki team has put us into. I really have no ideas how the management of pakistani team works and as i see the future i think the way the team is playing they might loose their test status in next couple of tournaments. All i can say is now that even prayers cant do any good for this bunch of fools who call them professionals.

Dear Kamran, U have written a spectacular blog today and I agree to everything u have written. " Shame on PCB, Bob Whoolmer in particular, Inzimam and the whole Pakistan Cricket Team. I, along with all the Pakistanis around the world are in misery cuz of all of the above mentioned people. But we all in a way knew wat was going to happen since a long time now, esepcially how the PCB was working and the BOB AND INZI combination taking the team to deep dark depth of bad cricket, but going down repeatedly since the tour of South Africa and now to a baby cricket nation of mere part timers IRELAND, WE ALL SHOULD BE HORRIFYINGLY SHOCKED. As far as my views are concerened I would say, FIRE THE WHOLE PCB MANAGEMENT INCLUDING THE CHAIRMAN NASEEM ASHRAF AND THE LAME AND LAZY OLD FASHIONED SELECTORS INCLUDING SALEEM ALTAF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. After this main thing, fire BOB WHOOLMER OUT OF THIS PAKISTAN COUNTRY AS FAR AS POSSIBLE FOR HE HAS DESTROYED THE WHOLE PAKISTAN CRICKET TEAM AND ITS SPIRIT SINCE THE DAY HE TOOK OVER. To an extent I believe he was an agent of South African cricket board and the ICC all along and played with the sentiments of the whole nation along with the PCB Management. Inzimam wanted the control all along and so he had it coming all the way also. I loved him as a batsman but I will curse him for a bad team leader. He should be fired or resign himself as soon as possible. Shahid Afridi should not accept to play in the last useless match against zimbabwe anyways, it makes no sense. Specially Younis Khan and the openers should be blasted out of Pakistan cricket and be replaced by useful and strong character crickets on the top slot. As far as the captaincy position is concerned I would make my choice between Shoaib Malik,Mohammad Yousuf and Shahid Afridi. and offcourse last but not the least FIRE KAMRAN AKMAL AND FIND A USEFUL AND GOOD WICKET KEEPER FOR ONCE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

ATIF YOUSUF,
Pakistan.

I know it is a hard pill to swallow but i would urge the Pakistani supporters not to be too harsh on the players. It was just meant to be. It was fate. The fact that Zimbabwe was unable to finish off their game against Ireland and it ended in a draw means we dont stand a chance now. Take it as a game. Every team has highs and lows. Its true that we have hit rock bottom. The whole system from the board to the selection committee has collapsed with this defeat. Lets make it a new beginning. Its good that there is no cricket for a few months now for the team. We need to rejuvenate. We have good talent in the team which needs a fresh approach to the game. We need an energetic and focused captain to rebuild.
Lets give Inzamam a good farewell. He has been a great player for us over the last 15 years. Lets remember him for all the matches he has won us over this period (and there have been many), for all the wonderful innings he has played in tough situations and most of all for being the gentleman he always has been. I for one will miss the gentle giant on the field.

Dear Kamran Sahab,

As you told before in your prev column only Australia can block the road for Pakis, now what you have to say?? Its really pathetic performance.

Only thing Pakis can do is cheer for Bangladesh & Sri Lanka, and hope India dont quaility for super 8. I would say that would be the only consolation for Pakistan ;-)

Pakistan's cricket if needs to survive then the problem has to be addressed from the grass-root level.
We dont need the World Cup.....We need consistency .....Consistency in winning matches on a regular basis just as Australia has proved over a decade or so.
The whole domestic infrastructure of Pakistan Cricket needs to be addressed in this context.Our batsmen fail on green-top pitches.Why?Because they have been tuned to play on flat wickets back home.
Anyway a disastrous day for Pakistan cricket...!!!

Fully agree with u !kamran
It is so disappointing,,,it simply hurts...
the way they played..they deserved the defeat..Bob,inzi and doc ,,all three should be sacked....
i m also backing ur idea of afridi as a captain,,,we need a aggressor...

What else do we expect from a cricket board that is too concerned with the choice of the players' use of language and such trivia!

Herein lies the lesson that we as a nation, let alone the cricket team, have long forgotten. The lesson of Unity, Faith and Discipline. The lesson that if we dont have any of these in our life as guiding and binding principles, then we are condemned to failure. We will fail whether it is in play, it is defending our honour or whether it is in any aspect of our lives.

I have been writing on this blog for quite some time and always said this team has virtually no chance to get to next round............ and on 17th March, it was proved.

I am of course not surprised. This was very much expected. Inzi is the worst leader Pak has ever produced. This inept urdu/punjabi medium mulvi has ruined Pak cricket. The Islam phobia illness in the team is responsible for the entire debacle. I am no one to comments their inclination towards Islam but if they are so passionate and particular about Islam and tabligh, they should leave Cricket (as did Saeed Anwar) and concentrate on whatever they like.

I am also a firm believer the leader must come from educated and cultured background so that the leader can be an inspirational source for other members of the team. That’s why Imran and Kardar were very attacking and successful captains. Having leaders from mediocre and illiterate background will not serve the purpose. On top of this Inzi is primarily a coward person who believes more in prayers and Allah’s will and does not put any efforts. Inzi is among those sort of people responsible in bringing bad name to country and religion by their wrong beliefs and practices which are there primarily due to their backwards family background and lack of knowledge about others.

Then we have another idiot heading PCB who thinks by speaking Urdu, he can make Pakistan one of the best tourist attraction.

This is just the beginning of an end for Cricket just like Hockey and Squash.

In my humble opinion, Dr Naseem and Bari must be sacked before the next match. (I don’t think they have any moral courage to resign by themselves). Inzi may continue to play as a player. Beard must be banned for anyone who wants to represent Pakistan. Afridi should be appointed captain. Players like Mushtaq Mohammad, Sarfraz Nawaz and Wasim Akram must take all the important positions within PCB.

If only you had said all this from the start of the world cup there would be a little bit more pressure on PAK team and that would have been the "right thing"...but instead you chose to turn a blind eye towards all that is wrong with our team and supported it with closed eyes.

You Mr.Kamran Abbasi have failed to do your job as well!

We pakistani supporters should be the most stringent critics of our team ...let the outsiders
do the praising part (if our team deserves any..).With so many ills plaguing our team we cannot afford any let up in the pressure.There should be unrelenting pressure from all sides to change pakistani cricket establishment for the better.. and we as its supporters should be at the forefront of that effort.

You put in words what so many of us are feeling. Its amazing how quickly we have undone every single thing we achieved since the last world cup.

A part of me is sad to see Inzi end his career in this manner. He's been my favourite player for as long as I can remember. Yet he has no one to blame but himself with a spineless display of batting two times in a row when he was needed the most. Inzi should just resign/retire and save himself the added embarassment of getting fired. If nothing else he owes us that.

I felt numb after watching each pakistani wicket go. The whole fraternity of pakistani cricket is responsible. Akthar for starting the uncertainity mess, Asif for be friending akthar and getting into the dope mess. Afridi for being reckles and getting banned (not the first time). Inzy for his 19th century captaincy. Azhar Kamran for their indifferent shots. Musharraf for being the nonsense behind every pak failure..donno how better is the pak board chief than a cricleting person. The pak team lacks the professionalism..learn from Bangla...
And Imran Akram Waqar Zaheer and co...can u stop chasing money and do somethin for ur country ???

It's been almost 12 hours since Pakistan crashed out of the World Cup, and the anger that i immediately felt has now been replaced with extreme shock and sadness that, in the words of Sarfraz Nawaz, is "unbearable".

Its all finally sinking in.

Toady was one of the worst days in the history of Pakistan.

Millions of us Pakistanis are all absolutely, completely gutted about the once-great Pakistan team go down the dumps.

Kamran sahaab, i agree that the worst thing to see was the complete lack of fighting spirit by the batsmen. The sad thing is that the other top teams are routinely scoring and chasing over 300 runs yet we can't even cross 250!

Failure is going to continue if the Politics continue. Pervez Musharraf's one-man show and the iron fist rule of his men over all of Pakistan cricket has destroyed the cricket structure. The unprofessionalism of the PCB, its appointment of officials and selection of players based on friendship (nepotism awlays causes rifts in the team) rather than cricketing achievments, and its unwillingness to train players on livelier, bouncier pitches has brought about the downfall of the team.
The PCB responded insanely after the 2003 World Cup by dropping all senior players. So Saeed Anwar and Waqar had had enough nonsense and retired. You dropped 2 of our best players ever, players who still had some years left in them. Good job, genius!

We need a radical solution to save Pakistan cricket. Shahid Afridi could bring the great, passionate leadership that we need, Muhammad Sami's furious pace bowling was great to see, Asim Kamal is Pakistan's very own Rahul Dravid (he can be the backbone of our middle order), Yasir Hameed is Pakistan's ONLY good opener and its unexplainable why he was dropped. But Inzamam and Bob Woolmer had to persist with out-of-form players like Rana Naveed and Kamran Akmal for months and months when there were in-form replacements for both of them like Zulqarnain (keeper) and Azhar Mahmood (bowler). So many players are wasted to keep these mediocre players in the team?!

This lack of leadership is shattering the platform that the champions of 1992 built for us. Imran and his 1992 champions must be holding their heads in disbelief right now.

The only hope from the disasters of the last 7 years are the few fighting players left on the team and the Pakistani fans who truly care about Pakistan's success. If we keep failing like this, I think us fans should play for Pakistan - we'll easily perform better and we'll sure as hell FIGHT like the cornered tigers that true leaders really are.

Hey Kamran, why blame woolmer? He didn't bat, bowl or field against WI or the Irish. It was the Pakistani that should be held responsible. I do agree to some extent that woolmer must be held responsible for mot forming a decent opening partnership, but in the end its the players that need to preform. I think Inzi has to go from the Odis and just play tests. Yousuf has to pick up his game and take more responsibility, so does Younis. Gul,Sami,Rao,Razzaq,Malik,Afridi,Younis,Yousuf and Asif are the players that the team needs to be built around on. For a captain, i wouldn't mind Afridi, hell it might be a good choice. Openers is the area we need to pay attention to. Butt can be one of the openers Pakistan can play. I hope Dr.Nasim Ashraf never comes back to Pakistan ever again. That idiot has ruined Pakistani Cricket for good. I hope good times are ahead for the team..

Hi to all. I start by saying I am a Bangladeshi who have supported Pakistan all my life and then came my country to me. The reason was simple. Bangladesh was talented but never made use of it...until now that is. I amnt saying this just because we have beaten India. We have been consisten even if that meant beating Zimbabwe and kenya. We now do have the talents that we always had and more importantly we are beginning to realize how to make the right use of that talent.
This blog is of Pakistan cricket. About criicket, where I think every fan has a lot to tell about.
Here are the things that I would like to change:

1 - Dropping experienced players after 2003 world cup. A tournament shouldnt decide the fate of so many players. You need experienced players to mould the youngsters, to lend them your experience...unfortunately this didnt happen.

2 - Follow the horses for courses strategy. You cant take 20/20 players for test matches and vice versa. Play players in form not because people want to see them (afridi, akhtar...and many others).

3 - A new captain. Definitely Shoaib Malik. Not Younis Khan because of the previous point Horses for Courses. Never saw him as an ODI player and probably never will. He is a good player and a good batsman but just dont see him doing well in ODIs. Not Afridi because..well thats the next point.

4 - Lead by example. Do for the team if you expect your players to do so. Bowl well, bat resposibly, dive in the field, save singles... all these done by Shoaib Malik. Thats why Afridi wont be captain. What will be the team morale when the captain gets score of 6, 39, 0, 1, 5, 102, 3, 4, 4, 0, 0....thats not what you want from a captain. Moreover you dont want a player who is so consistently inconsistent.

5 - Fielding and running between the wickets. This is one area where all teams can improve. You dont need any special talent. Just pure hard work, dedication and committment.

6 - Do you need to axe Bob Woolmer. I dont think so. Still rate him as one of the best coaches. You cant do much if you never have a completely fit team (read fast bowlers).

7 - Bench strength. Try new players, who have performed in the matches they played. Send A teams to places like Australia, New Zealand (olutside the subcontinent).

8 -Define roles to the players.To the openers, bat 10-12 overs with 45 runs on the board ( not a lot trust me). Number 3 or 4 batsmen...look to bat the whole 50 overs with a strike rate between 70-80. Last 10 overs try getting 70+ runs.
The bowlers - bowl in the right channels. Thats hard I know...atleast dont give extras. Fielders put pressure. Create pressure the wickes will come.

The list can go on, but I dont want it to. These doesnt only hold for pakistan but for all the teams out there. A few points were just sticking out when I was watching my Bangladesh trash India. Bowlers bowling in the right channel, fielders backing them up, runs not being leaked, pressure created, and CLUSTERS of WICKETS falling. BAngladesh still have a long way to go before we regularly beat the biggies (we are no longer minnows, the others are just biggies) but one thing can be said the journey has started.

Pakistan, forget what happened. Start the journey again. 2011-world cup held In Bangladesh-India-Pakistan-Sri Lanka (in alphabetic order) and I would love to see these 4 in the semis.
No reason why it cant be..

Dear Mr. Abbassi,

I think it is time for you as well to seek pastures new.

After the Pakistan time, your column has become the second biggest laughing stock of this world cup. Please review some of your recent blogs which highlight a series of absolutely inane and ludicurous judgmenets such as "Qadir was better than Warne" and "Pakistan are the only team that can challenge Australia in the world cup". Have you lost your mind? What world are you living in.

This blog has the the best one yet "Afridi as Captain!" As a doctor, can you suggest any pills that we all become madmen so we can acclaim Afridi as our leader.

You sir, are better suited for writing patriotic songs for Pakistan or chronicalling 10 over tape tennis matches.

But writing for cricinfo requires at least a modicum of judgement and common sense, some cricketing knowledge rather than serving as a blog for the PCB.

Thanks for the entertainment you have provided, but its time you returned to your day job. I just home your medical sense is a tad better.

Sincerely,

Asghar

The most disappointing thing for me is not that we lost to Ireland, it's just that my team is out of the World Cup in just 4 days. As a fan one waits for this occasion (World Cup) and one wants that the team do well, go down fighting and all. Those saying Pakistan won't even make it to the Super Eights and all, well i wasn't one of them, I was the guy who was dreaming of Inzi lifting the cup. I know it was a foolish dream especially in retrospect but that is what i was doing. There is no doubt that the first-class system is faulty but wasn't it always? Wasn't the system the same in 1992? What about 1996 or '99 for that matter? No the difference isn't in the system, the difference is that those players rose to the big occasion, Wasims and Waqars for all their faults and match fixing scandals, you knew that when the big occasion came, win or los they fought. Ofcourse there were 133 all outs in tht era as well (WC Final 99) and losses to minnows but they were stuffed between some good victories.This team it seems cannot rise above themselves when the situation demands it.
I know most people out there would want heads to roll, but i think we should nto be rash. Clearly Inzamam the leader has to go, there is no doubt about it. However i would not want Inzamam the batsman to leave just yet. I know he's going through a bad patch but maybe without the burden of captaincy he would start performing. I want Inzamam to be there for a while just for the calming effect on the players. We can't fill a team with eleven youngsters.Bob i'm assuming would not get a renewal on his contract so no sense talking about him, he's leaving anywa. Mr.Chairman needs to go as well. He has handled situations poorly and since he is so keen on travelling with the team everywhere they go and is keen on giving out sage advice, he too should take responsibility and take off. Younis Khan in all likelihood would become the new captain, though in my opinion he should be out of the team. The man is supposed to be a great batsman, yet has scored only two centuries in ODI's. One of them agaisnt Hong Kong. I mean i didn't even know they played cricket. An average of 30 is nothing to write home about either. He is a good test batsman and should retain his place there. Rana should be given a time off or something for atleast a year.No sense in persisting with him. Imran Nazir should be told to go back to domestic cricket, become the highest scorer in first class cricket and then try and come back to the Pakistan team, this was one of the most idiotic decisions in the world. Selectign a batsman for the World Cup on the basis of 20/20 competition and a half century! (I was one of the few people who actually knew before his selection for South Africa that he would not prove to be a good opener) If they want to play Hafeez, they should bat him at number 7 no higher and play him as one of the all-rounders because he is no opener, i know he is technicaly correct but so is Younis Khan and look how far he has gotten in odis. Captaincy in my opinion should be given to Malik (though it would never happen). He has a good head on his shoulders, trries to take Pakistan out of tough situations and has a good record at number3 and as an opener. His avrage of 27 as an opener on the surface seems bad but take out the England series where he came back from injury and tht average shoots up to over 35 (can't remember the exact figure). The bowling other than Rana is fine i think and the current wicketkeeper should not be dropped though a replacement should be prepared for when he gets injured or is out of form. This team needs a good captain and that can is the only solution.

They Betrayed us! killed the love we had for them, butchered our spirits, and knived us in to an agonizing laughing stock of the cricketing world!

Get rid of the Doc, the mullah and the bob! and NOW!!!!

Kamran Please write an open letter to the patron of the PCB as well!

Well Done Ireland!! - Well Done

Get rid of:

1) Inzamam who as a captain never led from the front. Why did he always hide himself on 5th position?

2) Never select players like Shoaib Akhtar who damage the game more than server it.

3) Remove the management and selection committee system we currently have. We have a unique system of sports in our country. Trainer/coach knows players inside out because he is with them on the field/ in the nets every day. What the heck is the role of those selection committee members who do not watch net practices and domestic matches to find the best players but just paper statistics.

I say, change the whole system and only let coach select the best players. Once he selects his best 11, then and only then can he be made accountable after such defeats.

Thus I do not think removing the coach will solve our problem.

CHANGE THE SYSTEM.

Kamran you are correct when you say Inzi and Bob will go. Afterall, true gentlemen, as these two undeniably are, know the consequences of such a failure. Whether the Doc will go (or is even a gentleman) will soon be found out.

Back to some of your other well raised points, agree that the whole Pakistan structure needs to be overhauled. However, will demanding Pak fans give time to the powers that be to make these changes and still survive in a climate that may well bring a further initial downward spiral?

Last 6 months or so have been shambolic for Pak cricket and we probably paid a huge price for limping from one controversy to the next.

Will Pak cricket survive after two dismal failures at the biggest, and only, tournament that matters? I hope you're confidence is well founded.

Malik and Afridi would be a good combo, however old father time may just have caught up with Afridi.

Perfectly articulated. Nothing more can be stated

I understand that Kamran sahib might be a little too harsh in this column but i guess our team deserves this bashing.
so i agree with him...

Dear Mr. Kamran Abbasi,

While appreciating your passion for the game, I however, do not agree with you blaming Inzi for the loss. I for one believe, he made the right changes to the team and precisely the ones you had recommended, yet he could not win the toss.
I am aware that there are no ifs and buts in Cricket, but i trust you would concur with me, that had Pakistan had won the toss; Ireland would not have made 100 runs.
the problems are losse shots by the top order on an consistent basis, can you defend Younis Khan's lame poke, Md. Yousuf's brain taking leave of absence after scoring a boundary, or Mr. Veteran Azhar Mahmood ugly hoick, or Umar Gul not wanting to bowl fuller and kindly suggest which of these were Inzi's fault. Since I respect your cricket acumen, I would like a follow up Blog.

Well life goes on, what hurt most was the abject surrender of the top order without any pride or passion. Of course these overrated foreign coaches do not work see what Greg and Bob has managed to do to Pakistan & India

This was inevitable!

I am so happy that we will not see bunch of idiots in super 8 who look more like terrorists rather than international athletes.

Pakistan will sink further if they continue with such policies and non-professionals. In the next ICC Annual General Meeting, I would recommend Pakistan should be stripped off their Test status and play as associate member.

It is a matter of great pity that Pakistan has a great cricketing genius and administrator like Imran Khan but he is not being utilized due to politics.

WHAT A BLOODY SHAMBLES!

Oh and by the way - you dint seem to have any problems with the team in charge in your previosu blogs and believe therr were Allah's gift to Pakistan.
Well you BLOODY HYPOCRITE.
Maybe its tiem for you to look at pastures new as well. Cricket is not your forte. Neither is humanity.
Maybe you should go and become a jail warden of something. OR clean the streets in pakistan.
You dont have the character to be at this level.

I think the asian players in India and Pakistan need to be stripped of their super star status and the millions that they earn and have earned via payments and endorsements which will bring them down to earth like other countries and for once will let them concentrate on the cricket and not everything else apart from it.

that's a very harsh blog. i'm as gutted as anybody that we lost to ireland. i feel sick and depressed.

but this is not the time to parrot the usual rants that everyone is coming out with. you have the emotional stability of a typical pakistani, kamran. only 1 blog ago you talked of how we'd win the world cup.

personally, rather than slag inzy and bob off as they sign off, i'd like to thank them for everything they've done for pak cricket. inzy, in particular, is a legend and always will be. the hero of '92, our best batsman for 15 years. just treat him with more respect than you have, ok? and bob - this clearly isn't his greatest hour, but test series win against india, sri lanka, england and windies in his tenure is not exactly all failure now, is it?

one bad game against ireland. it can happen. it did happen. it's fate. LET'S NOT OVERREACT LIKE IDIOTS, and instead praise inzy for all the joy he's given us in his career.

This was inevitable!

I am so happy that we will not see bunch of idiots in super 8 who look more like terrorists rather than international athletes.

It is a matter of great pity that Pakistan has a great cricketing genius and administrator like Imran Khan but he is not being utilized due to politics.

Alas! Our worst fears have come true, rather hastily. Pakistan have been knocked out of the World Cup 2007 after just 2 games. By who? A team madeup of part-timers.

Indeed this is the end of the road for Inzi, Bob and hopefully Nasim Ashraf too. They must pave way for some one else to come and breath life into the corpse Pakistan cricket has become. But can anyone tell me, that what assurity lies that the men who replace these, would do any better? Afterall, thats exactly what we went through after the 2003 World Cup exit. Captain, coach, team, selectors, board, everything revamped. What fruit did any of that bear? Zilch. So we may condemn the players, the board, the coach, the pitches, the domestic system and any other scapegoats we can find...but the Question remains that what exactly would it take, for Pakistan cricket to rediscover its glory? Or was it all a flash in the pan? All in the past, done and dusted? Have we reached the end of the road in cricket as well, after giving away hockey and squash titles? Is cricket too rotting away in Pakistan? Certianly not in the fields and the villages and in the beating hearts of millions of Pakistanis. They certainly remain as passionate as ever about the sport. But why then, does Pakistan fail to come up with a team of winners, correction, competitors? Why do we end up with over-rated under-achievers? The most modern coaches, dedicated staff, the state of the art cricket academies, the superfluously knowledgable cricket administrators, flashy sponsorships & hefty tv rights deals.....what has any of this contributed to Pakistan crickets cause so far? Zilch again. Knocked out of the last 2 world cups in the first round (this time, in record time) never performed credibly in the Champions Trophy since its inception, not won a series in Australia, South Africa and England as well since what seems now an eternity. Bar some sugar-coated wins at home (flat track bullies indeed) and a cluster of meaningless feel-good trophies at Sharjah (pre-2003), we have nothing to show. Not in the last decade atleast. Whats more depressing that the future looks no more promising. With all the expected political tangles, finger pointing, axing and infighting that will scale with this yet another world cup debacle, we might see Pakistan become poorer and poorer. Lets just pray that Pakistan cricket doesnt go in the direction West Indies did in the 1990s from here on. Hold your breath. The worst may be yet to come...

I NO LONGER SUPPORT PAKISTAN (AFTER 20 YEARS OF FOLLOWING & SUPPORTING THE TEAM from the UK).

Face facts. The team is currently comprised of drug takers, unfit, unhealthy, unimaginative clowns.

I don't care if Pakistan recover after this, winning the world cup is all that counts, not winning a meaningless tournament elsewhere. This is the big occasion, and the team seems more concerned about enjoying themselves and dont care about the world cup.

Guess what Inzi & co., I don't care about you either, Pakistan team can go to hell.

To all Pakistani fans, Like you I am still in a state of absolute shock.The magnitude of this defeat can only reinforce the national stereotype of professional incompetence now overflowing into the only sport in which we could once compete on an international level.A true "beizzeti" as they say in urdu.

Well Kamran, the writing has been on the wall for sometime. Only those with rose tinted glasses could have spoken about winning the cup .... when in truth the mission was more about survival. I am not speaking after the event ..... there were many who felt uneasy at Pakistans prospects but simply hoped for the best.And now we know that even survival was beyond Pakistan.

What a let-down and what a humiliation for all dedicated Pakistan followers around the world.

But, we must now take our lesson from this. Every cloud has a silver lining. It is time to look forward. To learn from this horrible experience (and also of the previous 6 months). It is not enough to pray that all will be well on the night. We can emerge strengthened in mind and talent BUT only by shining a cold light on what has happened. We must have the resolve to make difficult decisions, to commit to the long term and put in place a first class infrastructure.

The current team and management must face-up to the issues (both on and off the cricket pitch). In the face of such pain, let us not squander the opportunity to make real changes for the better.

No. Kamran sahab no. before leaving these three peoples (Inzy, Bob & Doc) have to give answers of our question.

I am working here in Dubai with many of Pakistani colleagues. Two from them have sacrificed there vacations for this worldcup to support Pakistani cricket team they planned their vacations to see their heroes in action now tell me what should they do ?

One of my friend installed cable connection just day before yesterday with three months advance payment, now tell me what he will see on TV ? other countries matches or entertainment channel what ?

We were waiting since last worldcup (When Pak was fallen badly in group matches) now tell me what should we do ? We should wait more four years to see Pakistan defeat against non test playing cricket team ?

I know these questions are rubbish nobody can give answers of these question but this is a fact from today I (and many) will never see Pakistan matches neither support Pakistani team.

A just result for a nation of racists who call Darrel Hair "racist"

Great work Pakistan team, you have earned the distinction of being the first team to be kicked out of the World Cup. The worst World Cup in Pakistan's history and I was not surprised because this was always on the cards. Believe it or not, Shoaib Akhter would be jumping out of joy at this result. He may not be the greatest role model on the face of the planet but trust me; he was the only person who could win you the world cup. The openers: Imran Nazir selected after playing just 2 Odi’s in South Africa and what about Mohammad Hafeez (Parchi No 1), an average of less than 20 in more than 40 Odi’s I think. Where is Salman Butt (I think Inzi doesn’t like him because he can speak English) and Yasir Hameed? The middle order: The two Y’s followed by Inzi, supposedly the best middle order but when up against even a mediocre bowling attack on a pitch which assists seamers, are worse than club cricketers. INZAMAM the time has finally come to say good-bye to cricket, sit at home and grow your beard. You will always be remembered for the amazing knock you played in the 92 semi-final but its time to go now and please take Mr. Woolmer with you. Not a single Test Series victory abroad in 3 years under Woolmer (SriLanka does not count and that too was because of Asif’s dream spell in the Second Test). He has also taken from us the one thing we were good at, “the nature of unpredictability” and transformed us into predictable losers. And finally Rana Uncle, how can I spare you? I am ashamed to admit that I liked your bowling once but in the last year you have become the worst new-ball bowler in the game and surprisingly the team management still persists with you. I even have a message for Aamir Sohail and Ramiz Raja. Aamir Sohail you cant commentate for shit, please do not torture us anymore, get back into the selection committee and repeat your act of 2003. And Ramiz, take back your post in the administration of the PCB because we need educated people like you who knows the game well and not some doctor imported from the United States. Adios !!

you are right kamran, but who will do all of this , in our country it has never happened and will never happen , there will be no accountability of any one , only scape goats will be the junior players like imran nazir etc. like inzi after the first match scolded only junior players for dismal performance and nothing for senior moulvis like yousuf , inzi and younus,
both of these defeats are due to batting failure of big guns, yousuf was rated as best ever pakistani batsman afetr scoring 9 centuries now one can see what he can do in big matches out of pakistan on seaming tracks, pcb should get back all rewards given to him on scoring on flat tracks , so much was expected from him but now he is more interested in visiting Raiwind and work for tablighi jamaat than playing cricket.
pakistan should get rid of this tablighi jamaat from team and select sportsmen who can focus on their game and not on any other activities.
and by the way will any body ask moulvi mushy that he is getting big amount of salary for what?
is it Halal or Haram ?????????????
my answer is he is earning haram despite of having beard and showing himself a spiritual teacher for thr team.
as regards to your question about future leadership, i would like to vote for shoaib malik he is the only man in team who can play in pressure situations any where and seems to be a wise and thoughtful man , and can play atleast for 10 years more for pakistan, just like what south africa did by appointing graeme smith and they are successful, afridi should be his deputy and if seniors don´t want to play under his captaincy they should immediately be sent home.

What has happened has happened!! It has been the worst, even worst then the exit in 2003. There are lots of things that needs to be said but ONE thing I MUST express that what can be done in future is more of a problem. Pakistan's leadership and management needs to be resolved. Dr. Nasim Ashraf and Co. (PJ MIR should go back to his media job) have failed miserably. Kamran had predicted that when Dr. Nasim was appointed, which i recall disagreeing with Kamran's (Abassi) Opinion, but over the period this has proven correct. Lastly, PLEASE PLEASE kick out Younis Khan, he is useless for the team and the future of Pakistan. Since Dr. Nasim Ashraf's appointment (a fellow Mardanian) YK's non seriousattitude is absolutely unacceptable. He screwed up in mini WC and then in SA and now in the WC. His simple drop catch and irresponsible batting has be one of the MAJOR factor of where Pakistan is now. Regardless, Congrates to Irish People on this wonderful / one sided victory. On a separate note; Kamran very well done on the expected failure of the management that you had predicted 6 months back.

Well what else you can expect from a bunch of clowns... In my one of earlier posts I mentioned that Bob and Inzy will pay the price for not showing any willingness on inclusion of Yasir hameed and Asim Kamal. But it happens that early I never anticipated. This is the consequence of a corruption that the selectors are persistently implementing upon the genuine cricket players, reluctantly to say, with cricketers who are emerging from Karachi ….Now this is the time for the President to make a plan and to bring the gems from all over the country and not just from one place….

Btw did some one noticed that Yonis khan was very quiet in last two matches ? why it is so? Why and how this talkative man turns a taciturn ?? why is that ?

A true pakistani

We cannot go on like this, the basic differnce between other teams and ours is that we cannot take pressure at all, this as in my previous comments is due to the fact that we are a very emotional people and cannot reason when the going gets tough,you are one of them, just yesterday you were saying that we can beat anybody and today the opposite, this type of unconventional and filmy sense prevails in all our people and player alike.We are very inconsistant and always hoping for miracles. But than again very day is not friday.
it is very intersting that you have mentioned 3 choices for captain. I think younis will be appointed the captain but then his form in ODI is very questionable and needs to improve his batting instead of jumping around, we need a a solid opening pair that will solve half the problems, it should be noted that all the things will fall into place asa we have a established opening. get rid of hafeez, imran, rana. We need a batsman wicketkeeper instead of kamran say like sanakara, this team will be something else once we have three solid positions, we have the bowling resources and we need an allrounder with abdul Razzak's attitude in 1999 and up until 2003. As of no he is unfit to be considered.
Let me start with the top, we should have a replacement at the top with the chairman, diector, chairman of selectors who is sitting quitely and this is his doing, he has managed to lose 3 world cups for our team, and still we presist with him, i think the people at the top and incredable stupid to have retained him for this WC, we should have maindad as the director operations and a australlian choach. waqar should be called back as the bowling trainer and mustaq should go back to england. all in all we need to reassess our approach.

I agree 100% with you. What a shocker... I am a fool too I guess for I kept hope till the last runs were gobbled up by the Irish. I kept on hoping someone would strike a hatrick and we would win the match :(

On one hand, we have fools like us who believe our team can go the distance; on the other hand we have retards who can't control their emotions. There is no call for what's going on in Pakistan, the DEATH TO INZI BOB AND YOUNIS slogans are bull.

Our nation deserves nothing, we are an irrational bunch; this goes for both the cricket team and the citizens of Pakistan. I just can't believe this, yes I am heart broken too but I am still hoping that our selectors will get replaced with an intelligent crew and the likes of Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed and Asim Kamal will make a come back and in a couple of years we will become the number 1 team again.

For me; Shahid Afridi should be the captain and shoaib malik the vice captain. Maybe its just the irrational and foolish part inside of me saying this but I firmly believe changes are Necessary and neither Younis nor Youhana poses the skills required to become fiery captains.

Inzy has been palying one dayers with hope and pray, you are right he is lethargic, unable to read situation and a dying elephant not a tiger. We need fresh faces with p[assion sit out Mohammed Yousuf and Younis Khan to reflect why they should not be included no automatic selection it should be on merit. Inzy Bob and Doc shouild retire. Bowelers need credit afterall this is the only light in the tunnel. Inzy is past his playing age so please go and stop making a fool of your self you cannot, think, run or score any candidate for number5 position? plenty give them a chance. I am depressingly upset like the whole nation.

Hi Kamran,

The main issue facing Pakistan Cricket including other Sports in Pakistan is the lack of professional staff at all the National Sporting Bodies. We have the talent no doubt, but there is a huge lack of proper resources to nurture that talent. We seem to still be in the 80s etc where talent alone could win you games but now with everyone using technology to find out the strengths/weaknesses of the opposing teams, we need to start bringing that more into our normal sporting practices. I realize Woolmer tried to bring this into practice but when you have a bowling coach such as W. Younis who initially blasted Woolmer for using technology, you can't run a steady ship.

There is also a lack leadership from the PCB. The last 6-7 months have probably been the worst in Pakistan's Cricketing history. Bring in people who are good Sports Administrators and then you will see Pakistan on the top of the standings. You don’t need former players, as it has been proven most of the top athletes cannot administer the sport they play as well. If New Zealand with a population with 4 million can field a competitive team then there is no reason why we can't have a competitive team! True Pakistan has other issues to take into account in the development of sport such as kids not being able to fork out cash to buy sports equipment etc but it is the job of the National Bodies and the Pakistan Sports Board to help out through the grass root levels.

There is a lot of potential but we seem to still rely on ‘Star’ athletes, who prefer to worry more about there respective bank accounts and image rather then respecting the sport and the nation that has given them that wealth and stature! We have now seen the fruit of the exercise from the 2003 WC and I don’t think much is going to change after this debacle unless proper staff is brought in to look after the interests of the sport first. We seem to never learn from a lesson. When a decision could not be made on the attendance of Akhtar and Asif, you knew this was going to be another shocker of an exit!

All is not lost, a lot can be done for the sport within Pakistan still. Everyone talks about the difficulty faced by Pakistani’s on green blocs (I understand weather has a lot to do with this!), wonder why we don’t try to create those in the domestic circuit? One would have thought to overcome a weakness, you would face it head on, not run away from it!

Another disappointing display by the green shirts, it hurts more because everyone knows they are capable of more then this!

Disappointed in the Structure of Sport in Pakistan,
Arsel Aslam

Imran Nazir, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal and I hate to say it, Inzamam should never again be allowed to wear the colours of Pakistan.

Bob, thanks but no thanks, your insistence of packing the side with bit part all-rounders never won anything major with South Africa, and surprise surprise, you've not done anything for us with it either.

We had 2 genuine prospects in Salman Butt and Yasir Hameed when you were appointed coach of our nation, you've put them into the shade, completely dumped them and knocked their confidence, from whcih they may never recover, in favour of who? Mohammad Hafeez?

To this day i've never been able to work out whether this guy is a batsman who can bowl, or a bowler who can bat, and his stats dont do much to settle the argument either. When he bats in a one-dayer he seems to play a test match grinding innings, stick him into a test match and he'll try to flay them to all parts, great.

Then there was the donkey Farhat, Bob, you gave this guy more chances than anybody may have received in the history of Pakistan cricket, not once did he ever repay your faith but you kept him in their, not once did he ever play a convincing innings. On the rare occassion he got past 50, it owed more to buttery fingers, and streaky decisions than his ability, and then after two years of failure you dumped him a month before the world cup and brought back Nazir who had not put on a Pakistan shirt for 4-5 years, what great planning.

Could you please explain to me what Salman Butt ever did wrong, or Yasir Hameed? we've tried every opening combination under the sun, apart from these two together. only once did these two play together, in the final Test match in Australia, and I seem to remember they both got fifties, convincing one's too, and what was their reward? they never played together again. Great thinking Bob.

Exactly which batsman have you bought up through the ranks in the almost 3 years you were our coach? NOBODY.

Inzi, mate you have no body language, you have no plan B, you have no reactive thinking, and you can never adapt your troops in the field to the demands on one-day cricket, its all Plan A A and A. Pathetic, and I saw this black day coming the day you were appointed captain.

Please for Allah's sake, GO AWAY THE LOT OF YOU.

the pain is there and the shock too, still cant believe it has happened and an article like that has been written for our team. your pain can be sensed in the words you have chosen to express. true we need the passion of afridi or the aggression or indiscipline of akhtar, how ironic life can be that sometimes the worst brings out the best, and we are ready for that. after all how low we can go, now.

Yesterday was a black day for Pakistan cricket, im still in shock that we are out of the World Cup. This was quite possibly the worst technical batting display by any team. Credit tho must go to Ireland who batted very well and who understood the conditons as professional do.
Ok lets start with the restructure..
1) Sadly Inzamam has to retire.. his captaincy has been poor for a long time, his batting has also diminished and well his slowness in the field is also harmful to the team and also sets a bad example to the youngsters.
2) Some of the failures also have to go. Hafeez, Nazir, replacement for Akmal is needed to give him competition, Rana Naved, Younis (in the one day).
3) What is needed is new blood from the U19s and the higher age group.. they need to be tested against australia and S Africa in coming test series, then Pakistan must get them used to bouncy and moving pitches. Dont know how they are going to do this but they must find a way.
4) Whole structure of the cricket board. The idiots must go and men with courage and independence must come in who wont be afraid to tackle big issues.
5) Get the boys fit.. Send them to a year long boot camp, get them as supple as a ballerina, and running marathons.
6)Do it now.. we have a long time off till the Aussies come to Pak.

I can understand that you are dissappointed with the result from yesterday, but Ireland deserves a lot more credit than you are giving the team. Irish cricket has been growing steadily over the last few years and yesterday was the pinnacle thus far. We have a good team, and we all know "there is no I in team " we bowled well and more inmpotantly we fielded well, we got nervous but overcame the nerves, we were a collective person and the crowd helped.
We who follow cricket in Ireland have been waiting for years for a day like this, we have spent years being poked at and riduculed for far too long , I respect your dissappointment but the better team on the day won, green pitch or not....

Dear Kamran,

This I feel is the best entry you have posted as it sums up the situation perfectly. It seems this has been written with your heart something our current team doesn't have.

Anyways, rebuilding is the only option now and we should not waste time talking about the past. Cricket is too important a sport for Pakistan and its people and we need to start from scratch yet again. I just hope this time we pick the right bosses, coaches, captain and players. Below is my list of players that we should use to build a team for the future based on my humble knowledge and experience. I honestly believe we have enough talent and with right leadership and coaching we can come back on top once again. This would be my team in batting order in our next ODI based on availability (drugs and fitness)

Yasir Hameed
Salman Butt
MO YO
Younis Khan
Shoaib Malik
Shahid Afridi
Abdur Razzak
Zulqarnain Haider
Muhummad Sami
Umar Gul/Shoaib Akthar
Muhummad Asif

Reserves:

Rao Iftikhar
Fawad Alam
Adnan Akmal
Yasir Arafat
Anwar Ali
Mansoor Amjad

Test Team

1. Taufeeq Umar
2. Yasir Hameed
3. Younis Khan
4. Mo Yo
5. Asim Kamal
6. Shahid Afridi/Razzler
7. Kamran Akmal( after a break)
8. Umar Gul
9.Shoaib Akthar(if he is clean)
10.Danish Kaneria
11. Mo Asif

Reserves:
1. Zulqarnain Haider
2. Muhummad Sami
3. Rao Iftikhar
4. Salman Butt
5. Abdur Rehman
6. Faisal Iqbal

Thanks,

Harris.

I am shocked by the results of both matches on March 17th. I think both India and Pakistan face the same problems with their cricketing teams - a few superstars who fail to perform when it really counts surrounded by a bunch of mediocre players and even more mediocre administrators whose only desire it is to fill their own coffers.

Neither country has a decent domestic championship that really counts. Talent spotting from the far corners is appaling and facilities to train some of the talents that do arise are insufficient. Yet, both boards are enormously rich. In order to fix this problem, I propose an annual public audit of the board's finances with accountabilty of the head administrator. A plan for the development of the game should be annouced in advance and reviewed at the end of every year. Non-performance should be met wih swift action. Till their is no accountability, their will never be any action.
Until the people of India and Pakistan don't demand this of their public servants, days like March 17 will not be very few and far between.

Thanks to my Allah, boy's not play really well, Boy's pray all night, but Allah not listening, Allah not happy with us, All credit to Ireland, Allah supporting Ireland is Today because St Patricks day.

INZI BHAI, DID ALLAH NOT SAY THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ONLY REMEMBER HIM AND PRAY BUT YOU SHOULD PUT IN SOME EFFORT OF YOUR OWN ACCORD?

NO EFFORT. ALL PRAYERS.

Hi Kamran you did a good postmortum. Last year after the oval incident Inzi was talking about IZAT and RESPECT I think if he has little bit of that he will resign before the next game

As I said before the only team Pakistan is capable of beating is Bermuda,Sorry I will take my words back. They cant even beat Bermuda. What we have witnessed on 17th of March between Pakistan and Ireland Match is Pakistani betsmen,s inability to play forward defensive strokes, in ability to play the full legth ball, inability to square cut the ball, in other words spineles performance from the lot. The whole current batting squad should be kicked out and managenent should look into up and coming under nineteen players.We have had enough of bloody Hafeez,Imran ,Younis, Inzamam Kamran Akmal and the rest, Afridi also in the same boat. If I had my way I will terminate their contracts with PCB and starngle the lot. Waseem Bari should also be kicked out from the selectors Panel. If any one is thinking of making him the chief of PCB they also need theit head examined. Every one who is responsible for selecting this team should be fired.We had enough humiliation as it is.All I say is congratulations Ireland you deserve to win.Dont blame Bob Woolmer for the poor and pathetic batting performance of these morons,these bunch of animals are untrainable. Pakistan Cricket died on 17th of March 2007.

I must say I agree. Unless something drastic is done fast, it seems the death of Pakistani cricket may soon be upon us. The Darryl Hair saga, Shoaib Akhtar & Asif, Afridi's ban... really, the last few years in general. Pakistani Cricket is on life-support and in desparte need of resuscitation. Who can provide it? That is the question.

On another note, expect a similar reaction when India is knocked in the Group Stage by Sri Lanka. It too will be deemed a disaester, but while Indian cricket may be ill, it's not on life-support just yet.

The balance of power in sub-continental cricket is changing. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are the new superpowers, with India and Pakistan decayed by ignorance and inaction. It's up to the respective cricket boards to stop the rot.

What a disgrace. The stronger part of Pakistani team has once again disappointed the whole nation. Whats the point of having Mohammad Hafeez as an opener he was taken to England he failed. Than was given a chance in SA he failed again and was finally taken to the world cup guess what he failed again. 45 matches average below 20 and his partner hitting the international arena after 6 years and that also in the world cup directly. What do you expect.

Younis cant stopping pulling the ball and Yousuf cant stop cutting it and both cant stop misjudging their shots. Captain makes one run the vice captain does not feel to make that effort as well.As long as favoritism prevails in PCB its gonna be a case of 'Deja vu'.

It is the worst thing to happen. Everybody would have expected all the 8 established teams to qualify. Now pakistan out. It might happen to india too, and if india wins Srilanka, srilanka might have trouble. These minnows have had their good day. They will never win anything, they are people who are snatching something from a burning house just with a day's play.

Not so bad afterall, now that Pakistan (and in a couple of days- India) are out of the world cup, the commercial interest will end, then possibly the real game of cricket can begin. And now these two teams can look at their selections with new insights. How could Pakistan leave behind batsmen with good technique behind, just as India could leave out Mohd Kaif (very well knowing how well he played last year in the caribbean). How how could anyone expect any of these out of form teams to reach anywhere near the cup?

Pathetic, pathtic and pathetic. Pakistani cricketers have played with the feelings of millions of cricket lovers. I have no sympathy for Inzy as he got what he deserved. Not playing Sami and Azhar in the first match was a big mistake. I was a huge fan of Inzy since 1992 worldcup but not any more. He has killed pakistani cricket because of his politics. I think he is the only pakistani cricketer who said his hobby his sleeping , well now he can sleep peacefully.He can also go, pray and thank Allah with Rana and Akmal.

Even though I am an Indian fan, it is so sad to see Pakistan go this way and so meekly. A team with player like Inzy should have easily won this match like a team with Sachin should have today against Bangladesh. But then these stars from the subcontinent are big time spine less players who always tend to fail whenever there is an iota of pressure. Fault lies with us supporter who tend to idoilise them.

And Pakistan crash out of World Cup !!!! We saw it coming, Bob Woolmer sounded like a loser in his previous interviews, Inzy seemed not to have any strategy, Younis Khan sometimes plays like Younis Khan but atleast 50% of the time he plays like **nis Khan getting himself out impetuously on innocuous wide deliveries. Inzy is not the same force as a batsmen. Yousuf is not in the same peaceful mindframe. Our openers are arguably the worst in World. We were all hoping against the hope. Rude awakening indeed. I am so mad at this bunch of losers. I am ashamed of my country's cricket team. Could Bob Woolmer not coach them how to approach a moving/seaming ball ? Also seems like time to axe (for good) Akmal (the worst wicket keeper in Pak history and pathetic bat), Nazir (single track mind with no talent to support it), Rana (wannabe all rounder, cant bat, cant bowl, cant field, wonder what else he can't !, kindly go back to county cricket never to come back, pleeeeze), Farhat (same flawed technique for last 5 years, not teachable) , Hafeez (pathetic batsmen, though bit better bat, but cant have him and shoaib at the same time), Mehmood (please go and play in England, you are just not good enough for international cricket), etc etc (in this exact order). I would say even Razzaq would not have much of a difference, he belongs to same loser breed. Maybe one Afridi is still okay, only because of his good bowling. Sami, Gul and Rao have escaped my wrath due to today's showing but barring Gul the other two are only back up acts. Should have played Sami in the first match as well.

What a messy situation, when there is no hope, you are as good as dead, I feel that today cricketing-wise we are dead nation. Perhaps the only hope is to try groom the promissing players from under 19 setup before they too get into the mold of above hopeless cases.

It is a sad day, the Irish deserved to win with the gutless performance we displayed. I remember I was 8 when we won the cup, true cornered tigers...where did that passion and commitment go? Our team today looked like lame ducks. I agree a complete overhaul starting from the top, and reform at the grass root levels is a must. As far as the captain is concerned, I would rule out Younis Khan, as age is a factor and he seems to more of a cheerleader than a captain who would call out his troops when the going gets tough. I like Malik, who seems to be the most talented, consistent, level headed and quite experienced player on the team and he is still young (26?). If not him than Afridi, I agree it sounds bad but why not, we have just been beaten by the Ireland for heaven sakes! somethings gotta go our way right!!?? And as far as the world cup goes, I hope our brothers the Bangladeshis take it all! It will be Pakistan's cup for the taking in 2011 INSHALLAH!

Kamran u are very right. I had been awake till the last six hit by the Irish. I could not believe my eyes and even when i woke up in the morning, I thought it was all a dream. I wonder if we are mistreating people like Inzi and Bob but frankly most people I have met today are experiencing the same pain in their hearts as I am. The disappointment knows no bounds and add to it the feeling that we have to bear this burden till the next world cup, the situation gets worse.
So what now? well I think it can be a blessing in disguise. We can go through a major shake up of the sports governing body in Pakistan. Nasim has never been my personal favorite and he has proved he lacks any knowledge of this game and he has damaged our repo more then shoaib ever will. A new and transparent selection criteria will help. Maybe now poor Asim kamal can get selected. The captaincy issue will be very important and I wonder if we will ever find a mind like Imran, Wasim or Miandad. I pray to God Almighty to help Pakistan cuz I see no light at the end of this tunnel.

I am a Indian. And I weep with you today. I never thought that we would live to see this day - Ireland sending Pakistan home and Bangladesh almost making sure that India catches the next flight homebound. These cricketers do not have what Javed, Imran, Akram, Kapil, Sunny...(never mind, the list goes on) have - a stomach to fight, to stand up and be counted when it matters most. I weep for the millions of fans back at home. You know, people in both these countries go through so much. Poverty, unemployment, racism - so many issues. CRICKET was one passion which made one forget his present and past. The national team was the beacon of faith and hope - to the rich, the middle class and the poor alike. TEAM INDIA & PAKISTANI - you guys have let us down - big time. And you must pay for it.

Firstly congratulations to Ireland, they showed what it means to wear the green colours of your country with pride and passion!
In all my years of watching and supporting the Pakistan cricket, this is the worst I have ever felt. The team showed no passion, no motivation, no desire, no strategy, no technique, no form and most of all no leadership!
Of the team that played yesterday, I personally would only keep Shoaib Malik (and appoint him captain), Umar Gul and possibly Sami and Younis Khan and Rao Ifthakar, as they are still relatively young. Mohammad Yousuf should retire from ODI cricket and concentrate on Test matches.
Players like Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed and Yasar Arafat should be given further opportunities. Mohammad Asif should be forgiven and given another chance but most of all we must give youth a chance. Look at the way the young Bangladeshi team performed against India. Our under 19s team our World Champions, surely we can find players from that team to take over and bring some pride back into Pakistani cricket.
Lets home this is a watershed for Pakistani cricket and a new era can start from this debacle!

Kamran, you are right once again. This Pakistani team has humiliated a whole country and millions of supporters world wide...a totally inept performance against the part-timers Ireland is the final nail in what has been a shocking 12 months...Drawing a ODI series agianst England who had been beaten 5-0 by Sri Lanka in their previous series, disgraceful exit in the ICC championship, and the humbling SA series.
Heads will have to roll Inzy and Bob have no right to represent Pakistan again....they should take Hafeez, Rana, Akmal and Younis Khan with them. I cannot the see the future being any better under the captaincy of younis Khan...who has badly let the team down in the last 2 tournaments...He is not good enough to be representing a nation like Pakistan at Number 3 batting position (the only way he should be kept in the team is a wicket-keepr batsmen at number 6 or 7!!). We should go the Bangladesh way and start blooding our under19 and Under21 players into the international arena...the current players (except Yousaf, Afridi, Asif, Gul) should all be discarded with, averages are nothing performances when it matters suggest they are not good enough.
Bob Woolmer has taken us to a high (2 years ago) but now he has taken to our lowest point ever...the backlash has to be severe.

I guess people are shell-shocked to even comment on the article.I am sure India is soon to join you in mourning,although I doubt if someone will write a equally brilliant letter from across the border. Great article,written with lot of feeling and emotion which shows.Too bad that they lost,but Afridi as captain is just plain hysterical reaction.

Congrats to Ireland for showing excellent all round cricket.

Well, for Pakistan, this shoudnt be really surprising! Afterall, how can you forget the WC 99, ICC trophy in England, WC 03, ICC trophy India, and the games inbetween. Collapsing and breaking down is part of Pakistan cricket, the problem is burried in Pakistan cricketing roots. Therefore, unless its tackled from grassroot level, the problem will ever remain.
But is that the only problem? I dont think so!
As an outsider, watching cricket on tv, just a normal fan can see the ill-prepared, unfit, unstable and unspirited team. There is no plan or strategy at all, from either the captain, the coach, or the management.
We all know the issues of the Pakistan team, there is no decent openers, the poor fielding, bowlers giving too many runs and extras, droping of catchs, tumbling, giving up too easily etc..How many a times have we seen the half of Pak team gone within 15ovrs? These are all elimentary, and yet they cause such a big part of Pakistans demise.

However, there is a solution. To start from the beginning, and to build from new with capable people in charge. To build from strong basics, the ABC of cricket.

Dear Kamran ,

What made you so hopefull in your last posts about Pakistan ? Are we fools , Its all what our society is !! The nation who can succumb to 32 years Acceptance of mediocre , dishonest and inefficeient one man shows can only produce 'lambs' like our eleven . Dont you think Asif , Shoaib and Razzaq are equally responsible for this defeat and my man is Afridi whose sheer non sense seconds of madness cost us this all. Open letters have never shaken anything in Pakistan in last 60 years so your words will also be wasted .Better to prepare a same statement in advance for 2011 and hopefully without change of names because Inzy still wants to play till 2011 with Mushi his chief coach. Well said Inzy " God doesnt want us to win " so responsibility and Open letters transfered to heavens.

I come from India..but as I watched my own team suffer, I changed channels in the hope of seeing at least Pakistan do well. All that you have said, applies to our team too..Overblown megastars sitting on their mountain of self-gratification and fuelled by a false plethora of praise.Depressing..these guys deserve all the anger they will face back home

Im realy sad today after watching pakistan game.
Changes should be made as soon as possible.
inzi should be thrown out from the team.His brain is over weight as body weight.
We need young Team.my 15 future players are.
1 S Butt,2.yasir Hamid,3. S Malik, 4.Y Khan,5 M yousaf,6 Shahid A(Captain),7 A Razzaq(V-Captain),8 Z Haider(wicket Keeper),9.Fawad Alam,10.Mansoor amjad,11.Anwar Ali Khan(Hero Of under 19WC),12 M Asif,13 Umar Gul,14.M Sami,15 Shoib Akhtar.
Waqar Younis Bowling Coch
J Miandad Team Coch.

Success has many Fathers, but Failure usually is an Orphan.

Come on, you didn’t see it coming?

Even a Broken Clock is Right Twice a Day, but in case of Pakistan Cricket, it is a Sun Clock with Never Ending cover of Dark Clouds Hovering over it.

Not Hope, I am abandoning Cricket and gonna pickup the Irish Sport of Hurley.

It appears that PCB doesn’t let Reality Interfere with their Planning or Operations. They seem to be Fluent in Crazy. Isn’t PCB HQ nearby Lahore HighCourt? Can we send some Protesting Lawyers over there Today?

No Need to do any Post Mortem of the World Cup, we know what was Ailing our patient and what killed him, yet we kept giving him fake medicine and just relied on fake Peers and Hakeems, all it needed was a kick in the balls to wake him up. Even that couldn’t have helped because this patient didn’t have any balls.

I said it in my last post, but let me modify and say it again, “Even if they are not Swiss, its about Time we Deport Pakistan Cricket Team back to Switzerland”. They do melt like the Swiss cheese, and are as Effective as a Swiss Knife in a Battle of Tanks.

Lets not be so tough with our Returning Cricket Team, I for one would like to offer all of them Gift Certificates for Cordless Bunjee Jumping.

Kamran Saab, this is a lesson for Pakistani & Indian players who think grater than game. Whatever they achived so far is in subcontinent pitches where every bastsmen have advantage over bowlers. Never understimate any team beacuse that will be hunt u like mad dog. First our players should respect the opponents & then they should play accordingly. I hope, atlest srilanka will be in Final.

Kamran
I being an Indian, believe that the best thing that ever happened to both pak and indian cricket is losing to minnows at such an important event, I know it is hard to digest, but this should drill the message that cricket is a team game and not a game of individual superstars. We have always looked at a quick fix instead off a long term solution, the best approach for the cricket board will be to start looking at their respective teams as minnows instead of world beaters and thats when we will address the basics. No more superstar status to any of the players. Also on a personal front I feel sorry for Inzy, as he will be remembered for this world cup debacle instead of his otherwise wonderful record.

Kamran ! for once I agree with you whole heartedly. You have summed it up well. I think the only way to go is rolling of quite a few heads, induction of under 19 and brand new captain and coach like Shoaib Malik or Shahid Afridi (not even Younis the loser Khan). Finally something has to be done about the system of cricket like organizing inter-school, inter collegiate and finally first class that is truly first class with sporting pitches, good umpires and professionally run PCB.

I'm afraid this has been coming for a long time. For too long the top of the order, in particular has been in disarray, with too much pressure on the middle and lower order to perform.

The cracks have been papered over, but the dearth of talent has been palpable. I don't want to hear the plaintiff cry of 'we are the most talented' It's rubbish.

We aren't the most talented, as our players have the poorest technique and are the most brainless and spineless bunch, in world cricket.

Real talent is that which was shown by New Zealand, when in a spot of bother, against England, buckled down, played sensibly and coolly, and won at a canter. Or Bangladesh, perhaps, who didn't lose control of their line and length against India, and when Ganguly and Yuvraj were there, could have easily folded (like Pakistan would have) but they didn't. They stuck to their plan, got the basics right, and then proceeded to beat India, comfortably.

I suggest that a wholesale clearout needs to occur, particularly in the batting department. The team will suffer over the next few years, but opportunities need to be given to youngsters, who need to be given intensive coaching, and military discipline, to give them some toughness, mentally.

Ha! What can i say? I was in great pain before reading this article and now its really unbearable. Losing to Ireland is too much but with that going out of the world cup just after two matches is just unbearable. I woke up this morning still thinking of the defeat, I cant take i out of my mind. I think that its time for inzamam to anounce that the match against Zimbabwe will be his last. After that there is only embarrassment for him. Bob woolmer is not to be blamed because what can he do if the players dont do what he tells them to do?
Even i didn't think that i would say this but i think Mr. Abbasi you are right this time, Afridi's passion is the antidote we need for our cricket. For me its just unbelievable to think that we are out of the world cup. I thought that our last world cup team wasn't so prepared but this team was even worse then the one before. Its just downright UNBELIEVABLE and AGONIZING.

Dear Kamran,

You are 100% right. We were fools who hope that this team will do something. This is the worst day in the history of pakistan Cricket. You blame all of them but in my view only one person is the responsible and that is Mr. Naseem Ashraf (Dictator Doc). What he had done in the last few months was the cause of all this mess. Pakistan lack their fighting spirit which they shown earlier. Since England we are only going down and nobody cares. Inzamaz as we already know is not a kind of person who can inspire the team in field. I am not sure sacking of Bob Wolmer will make any difference. Pakistan was always bad on green wickets. Pakistan need somebody who can fire them up and Younis is not the right person as he shows in champions trophy. That leaves only Bad boys Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar.

Mr. President, Sack your Dictator Doc and the selection comitee and hire some professionals who know the job and don't play with our feelings.

Zeeshan

I totaly agree to every single point mentioned in this coloumn. Pakistan leadership, management, players really did not have the required instincts in them which are required to become champions.
PCB is anyhow a board of gathered bunch of stupids who have no clue of what matters on the field.
A board which is not aware how to RESPECT their greats like Wasim, Waqar etc should be completely eliminated.
Inzimam, Bob and Ashraf combination has failed which was to be honest inevitable and the outcome was definetly predictable.
For the future i think Pakistan should really look to make green top pitches where domestic cricket is played, so that after two debacles in the world cup our batsmen become capable of playing swing + seeming deliveries.
I would not want to have Younis Khan as the captain because i don´t think he made a good impression with his stance before the champions trophy of a standin captain and apart from that he also did not perform in both the world cups he played.
Pakistan really needs young blood to take this over who are free of fear and lossing aswell as carry the passion. For me it would be either Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi.
I am very much disturbed and this will exist for the next 4 years.

After watching Pakistan cricket team being humiliated at the hands of Irish I thought of never following Cricket in my life again but what shoudl I do about my heart :-(
It just doesn't understand, it beats for this great game and though the people at the helm of Pakistan cricket have succeeded in destroying our dreams and a good night sleep, we just can't bear to be away from this game.
There are no words to express how dishearted and let down we are from the way Pakistan played.
Why was Danish Keneria droped from the squad at the last minute when we already had 3 seamers?
In Pakistan team once top order doesn't score no one at the bottom scores even if we bad down to no. 11, they are all spineless bunch of professionals. Rather shouldn't call them professionals but a group of greedy, sensless and shameless unfit players.
I just can't go on.
Regards to all.

A few years back I had a colleague who was a Pakistan supporter, when we discussed cricket I always use to agree with him that Pakistan had great and skillful players, after yesterdays performance and performaces recently I realize now that my colleage and I was very wrong. Maybe they are not so great and I must stop listening to over-hyped comments about the team.

I actually feel sorry for the Pakistan team because of the backlash they will receive from their supporters, but I dont feel any sympathy towards their supporters. For so long while watching this great game I noticed how arrogant and one-eyed the sub-continent supporters are, when the opposing team is doing well there is deathly silence in the ground, when an opposing team takes a wicket or scores a boundary you can here a pin drop. I am all for supporting your home team, but the sub-continent fans take it to the extreme.

I have watched cricket being played in the so called “evil” countries of cricket (australia, england, new zealand & south africa(if there is not enough players of “colour”)). There supporters on the whole applaud when the opposition score a boundary or take a wicket.

Even though I feel that the sub-continent supporters are so one-eyed in supporting there team, i have to say this, its only sport and the sun will come up tomorrow.

To be honest with you Kamran im still in a trance. My mind fails to comprehend what happened. It all seems so unreal ! The sight of the Pakistani Batsmen succumb to the mediocre yes i INSIST "MEDIOCRE" Irish bowling put me through HELL !!! how could the pakistani team do this to US !! i think there is a lack of SANE heads in the PCB !! for starters how on earth can a DOC (Nasim Ashraf) run the PCB !! i just cannot comprehend it . . . he has no know how of cricket whatsoever i mean this is disgraceful !! there is a serious lack of merit in our country ! why was Waqar Younis replaced by Mushtaq Ahmed ?! even after the Pakistani Fast Bowling was getting better by the day ! this is all so mind boggling ! i had the utmost of respect for Inzi as a player and Bob Woolmer as a coach . . . but it all has gone down the drain if u ask me ! In all honesty i thought something would happen in this world cup for good . . . like the repeat of 1992 but now what has the team given us ? a wait of another 4 years . . . if v had done well in the world cup this would have provided much solace to the bruised affairs of the country i seriously hope n pray that the ppl of our country would get over this soon

it was only 2 days back did i joke with friends that pakistan will pull off a number against ireland. Truly they lived up to that statement!

An interesting article but do you not think some blame should go to Shoaib and Asif. Would Pakistan have been knocked out of the world cup had their best bowlers not been hiding from the drug testers.

I totally agree with KA. What a debacle. No excuses this time, get rid of the old brass and get in some young blood that people constantly harp on about. The problem I fear is that the cupboard is rather bare, both in batting and bowling. Our openers are amateurish and there is no depth to our bowling. Kamran is right, all us pakistani fans have this ill conceived belief that is will all be right on the day. This defeat will be long remembered. What an embarrassment.

Subject: RE:
Dear Kamran & the whole Pakistani nation,

We are very regretful of the way we performed at such an auspicious occasion. We take completely responsibility of being biased in team selection and giving air to favoritism and predicamenting Pakistan’s WC campaign. We filled our team with the bunch of bits and pieces of cricketers like Mahmood, Hafeez etc and the rookies such as Nazir, Rana and Kaneria. We have been ignoring and refusing to recall the spinner of the caliber of Saqlain Mushtaq, not to forget the sacking of Waqar Younis, and appointing Mushtaq as a bowling coach for the attack that included mainly fast bowlers. Pakistan team got the result for being inaudacious and fragile and Pakistani cricket fans have all the right in this world to condemn us.
In the end, we recommend Shoaib Malik to be announced as a long term captaincy solution and that the players mentioned above not to be selected ever again. We also step down from our Irrespective designations and take oath never to take part in Pakistan Cricket again.

Embarrassingly yours,

Inzi, Bob and Doc.

BIMILLAH HIR RAHMA NIRAHIM. FIRSTLY I WOULD TO THANK ALLAH......... FOR KNOCKING AS OUT OF THE WORLD CUP............ SECONDLY I WOULD LIKE TO THANK INZI MUSHY YOUSAF AND RANA FOR LEADING THE NAMAZ WHILST WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TRAINING AND PRACTISING........... THIRDLY I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE PCB FOR BRINGING IN TABLIGH WITHIN THE SPORT IT HAS SHOWN AS ALL HOW THE GAME SHOULD BE PLAYED............. WINNING AND LOSING IS NOT THAT COUNTS BUT THANKING EVERYONE FOR READING JAMMAT BEHIND ME

Finally woke up to the reality, did you Kamran?

Here's one more doctor who needs to spare us of his 'cricketing prowess.'

I totally agree with you. Its time we dispensed with the reigning mullah biggies of paki cricket and gave chance to a young leadership having a brain bigger then a pea. I think that the blame for this defeat lies on the paki media and the fans just as much. Everyone knew that we heading for such a debacle and nobody bothered to voice out their concerns. We had all the talent in our side but our spineless captain with his unimaginative captaincy and idiotic strategies let them down. Even a fool would have told them that the biggies of paki batting needed to step up and take charge having lost an opener in the first over for the last three games the country played. Anyway its time now that inzi stepped down and played only test cricket.
raza

Now there's an open letter if I ever read one. A passionately described state of Pakistani cricket together with the authors responsible for its decline.
There is a very wise saying in Hindi - Loag chadte suraj ko salaam maarte hai, dubte ko koi nahi maarta.
Isn't it time to realise that nepotism 'just isn't cricket ole chap'.

Heartache.... why do we care so much? Maybe because being Pakistani we have little else to have pride in. We have taken pride in our team in the past but I think that we are looking at the past through rose tinted glasses, have we forgotten the divisions in our team at the time of the two Ws or the political tussles that have always dogged the team. The Pakistani cricket team is a part of our society and suffers the same problems. The problem with cricket in Pakistan as many commentators have said stem from the inept and sub standard first class system, the poor pitches prepared at home and the politics within the administration at PCB and the team itself. How are you going to solve these problems without actually changing the environment….the Pakistani society.

I just want to mention a quote by Shane A. Chalke which fits completely on this occassion that "In the end, if you hunger success, it is most important to study failure". When are we going to study our mistakes?

What is the purpose of using technology if you cannot use it to your own benefit. Atleast, in the past if we were not using technology we were capitalising on experience of our players. But alas at the moment we are not using any one of the services for our own benefit...what a shame, honestly what a shame.

Woolmer was hired to build the team for this worldcup but we failed to qualify to the next round, same as in 2003. Bottom line, we are standing at the same point as we were in 2003.

Since the debacle at the 2003 world cup I have been following Pakistan with growing confidence that we are going down the right path but it all started going bad in summer last year. What changed? The people at the helm? Or is it something else?

Everything you have said I agree with but two things I would question.
1. We are not as worse off as we were after the 2003 world cup, progress has been made but a lot of the gains have been lost since last summer. So we need to try and pick up from where we were in June / July 2006.
2. A leadership change is necessary but Shahid Afridi?? – a guy who dances in the middle of a pitch and flings his bat around like the local bully. Maybe responsibility will change his attitude but can we risk further scandal and controversy. Shoaib Malik
or Younis Khan are the only choices.

Kamran,

I can understand your disappointment reading your previous optimistic, encouraging and passionate letters about Pakistan cricket.

I couldn't sleep last night either(I live in Northern Ireland aswell!)I am happy for brilliant performance by Ireland but obvioulsy its hard to digest this defeat.

You've very rightly mentioned the Pakistan cricket board being the main culprit. In a hugely talented cricketing population like Pakistan, the most unbelievable thing is the hirerarchy works under one-man show but probably its not surprising in a country where the chief-justice of supreme court could be disqualified in a matter of day.

Inzi shouldn't be the scapegoat forsure. For years and years he has held the Pakistani cricket together. Remember, Pakistan could be the first or probably the only test-playing nation to loose a test match against Bangladesh, had Inzi not been at service to Pakistani cricket.

Onething which Ramez has rightly mentioned on cricnfo and was very noticeable was the pressure under which Pakistani cricketeres were playing in both the matches...The system sucks...Surely we all fail in life at times...Poeple like Yousuf and Inzamam who we can be proud of, not only as cricketers but as human beings shouldn't be at threat if they loose. I can assure you they were under tremendous pressure right from the word go..I know they are professionals but no prfessionals can work perfect under such circumstances. Every cricket board stands behind there players unlike Pakistani cricket borad where the whole team was kept in the dark about shoaib and Asid until the eleventh hour. Do you think loosing them at the lest minute is something that teams can get over with promptly? What the hell was the planning of Pervez Musharraf's deputy Dr Naseem?

Finally, I hope Inzi is not forced to retire as yet coz at the moment we do have atleast the problem with the openeres which would trun into a problem with themiddle order aswell. Many people speak about bubbly nature of Younis Khan but as you could know, its always taught to us for medical exams a littile bit of pressure is good for preparation of exams..He seems different. He's always in a cheereo mood which doesn't help...

Last but not the least, I would request Pakistani nation not to react in a way which should be even more shameful for our nation. Please understand these players had been our heroes and they just didn't perform well. I would also like to question the way green top for left for a worldcup match...Was that for a purpose?If not I would like to see such a pitch for India Srilanka and South Africa Australia match aswell.

I cant but nod in agreement with your anger and show of emotion. I am a student from Pakistan in UK with no access to TV. I depend ...Oh so lovingly...on your blogs and cricinfo to be with my cricketing heroes. I am getting nostalgic. Images of Paki heroics by the likes of Imran, wasim and waqar come to haunt me , so does the joy of winning, of being blessed with the best in business. What have we made of our cricket...perhaps same as of our country. I am at loss for words and felt like crying when Pak capitulated in all so familiar a manner. Yes...heads should roll..including that of the top gun. Here I am staring at the screen...feeling sad and disillusioned. I want a break...I want to take a journey..into the past..when khan sahab reigned supreme ..and so did our pride.

I do not have words to illustrate the feelings I am going thru after this ignominious exit from the world cup.

The wrongdoers are well-known to everyone and there should be no wavering in sacking them.

I doubted their appetite when I saw Bob too impressed (rather frightened) by the Ireland before the match. What motivation he thought his own team would get out of this, be fearful and fall miserably? And when I read Inzamam’s article in a local Urdu newspaper placing his team fourth and speculating Australia for the dough.

Damn man, you can’t do that, as a leader, you simply can’t say these things communal; they transmit the negativity to the troops. Even if you are down and timid you have to show your eagerness to fight, not placing yourself fourth on the battle chart.

It appears you had mentally lost long before coming to the Islands.

Going forward, I expect nothing but an immense revamp. The only man for the leadership comes to mind is Shoaib Malik. He seems strategically well-equipped and shows ability to soak up the pressure.

I would still like to see Inzaman contributing just as a regular player to regain some respectability; a gesture to appreciate his contributions in the past. I believe the pressure got the most of him since the Oval fiasco, drug episodes and the MIA of the key players.

Dear Kamran,

What can we say!!! I guess many like myself will use this platform to express the shame.. the utter disappointment.. the grave humiliation we all have faced in the last 24 hours. Where else do we go? Who else do we talk to? Our wives wont understand what’s going through our heads… the constant encouragement that there will another world cup just doesn’t digest that easily. In my last comment, I warned everyone… I even said the way the state of cricket board is the same as our beloved country. Tho I wanted myself to be wrong.. atleast about the cricket. What I ask is.. what Now??? Will we do another 2003?? Sack 6 players.. never manage to find a stable opening partners.. never equip our players with the skills of playing on green pitches.. never find another leader (such as the King Khan).. what now Kamran? The fans are demanding to arrest the whole team along with the officials.. should we do that? Should we just ask the doc to resign? All the beliefs.. the trust.. the expectations.. everything gone in one day. You know what Kamran, I still believe we have the talents to match the best. I still believe we produce batsman and bowlers of the highest caliber. I still believe we will get the crown ball one day. But how? I say the first thing to do is to remove the President of the country as the Patron of chief. Remove the current chairman (whatever his title maybe) of the cricket board along with his henchmen. Let Inzi play one more game and then ask him to go gracefully (after all he deserves for all that he has given to this country). Choose a new captain.. some young.. someone controlled aggression.. someone with the hunger to be the best. I hear Shoaib Malik is a good candidate. How impossible is it to make different pitches at our national academy… get someone like Dave Whatmore as a coach who does less talking and more coaching..get the coach/player of the best team in our first class to head the pcb.. someone who's known for his knowledge of the game.. someone who's know to be a visionary.. stay quiet for a few tours.. make players instead of stars and then launch them at the right time.. how difficult is all this?? many will say impossible in a country like our’s… yet I believe….

Great article Mr.Abbasi. I feel like Younis Khan would be the best captain but he doesnt have age on his side. Shahid afridi as a captain would send a message to other teams he is a strong competing player but his captaincy could take a horrible turn for the worse.Shoaib Malik a good candidacy too. I REALLY HOPE EVERYONE IS SACKED.The whole PCB should be sacked.

Inzi should be out immediately and i think they should think about a team like

1.Imran Nazir
2.Shoaib Malik
3.Younis Khan
4.M. Yousuf
5.?
6.Shahid Afridi
7. Abdul Razzaq
8.Kamran Akmal
9.Umar Gul
10. M. Asif
11.?

Such a big shame.... the worse day of pakistan cricket history :(

What can we say now!! Its all over... The shits at the top should immediately be removed - before the next game.. The three senior most best players should go to their homes. We should make a very new team with just youngsters.. No 23+ allowed. A Pakistani coach - no more foreigners, please. All the administration of the PCB should be kicked immediately. And you should also leave Mr. General - You ruined Hockey and now Cricket... We feel ashamed today just because of this cricket administration and the selection committee. I don't know what to write more, I cant.. I am still in shock. Lost to Ireland!!! Its a real shame. Every thing is just shameful in my country right now.. Oh my God, when will these stupids leave?

i am a die hard pakistan fan i watch it when i can i live in england if it means waking up at 4am then i do that i waited 4 years after the last dissapointment this is by far the worst i have ever felt supporting pakistan. i am in tears from last night till i have to say to them 2 spinless excuses of humans shoaib n asif they are no injuries you just hiding because you still have a high blood level of nandalone!! ur pathetic so is the pcb!

I agree. I was also very angry at pakistan's loss. we played sooo badly :S. shahid afridi as captain????? im not sure, but fr some reason i think it might be a good idea.

Disgraced, ashamed, & Angry.

These three words are not enough to express the pain i feel. So much was expected from this team - at least to get to the super 8. I cant believe its over.

My name is Usman, a canadian in Ontario, going to University of Toronto. So much was expected; at our personal expense we hosted fundraisers to gather money to pay for watching world cup at Univeristy but only resulted in pain and shame. Everyone who passed saw grief on fellow pakistanis and we were ridiculed for high expectations.

Not only have i been ashamed but the Pakistan NATION has been DISGRACED & RIDICULED. What the hell? You cant beat Ireland....who is Ireland? I never heard of a team before the world cup and the 2 fat blobs [Inzimam and Woolmer] couldnt outwit such a team....

Pakistanis fans are right; REMOVE Inzimam, Woolmer, & Bloody Ashraf.

All 3 have common relation: All talk, no show.

Finally --> Woolmer-Inzi era is over.
Lets build a team with a passionate PAKISTANI coach, a captain with a brain, and a team with individuals that can score into double digits.

Depressed, dejected, angry and hugely disappointed are just a few of the words that cover my feelings right now. 2003 we were let down big time and were told that the team is preparing for 2007. Well 2007 WC has come and gone for us and I feel MUCH worse than I did in 2003.

All the people mentioned in the letter need to go and need to go NOW. I feel Saleem Altaf and the corupt Doc should get slapped in the face and then told to change nationality as they have put shame to the cornered tigers tag. Domestic structure needs a HUGE CHANGE so we can produce batsmen that can be called true batsmen. Younis Khan is no fighter, he caved in on the big day and we all know his child like antics before the Champ Trophy...he can sod off too.

Pakistan shirt...in the bin. Flags...in the shed. Heart...broken.

Time for change, there has to be. The problem with pakistani cricket is deeprooted and a huge overhaul is needed from the politics to the coaching staff.

Dear Kamran,
I am not sure why are you so upet. You should have faith in the leadership. This loss to Ireland was an intrigue by the opposition, we are investigating and Inshallah every thing will be in front of ther nation. Please don't try to give the wrong impression that the President and Patron of Cricket is not in control. We have full faith that Inshallah we will win 2011 WC. The boys is working hard in the nets and boys is confident, just pray for us to have a little longer beard, sorry I meant to say tenure. Theas things happen in Kircut. Now we should pray that the real Pakistan, sorry I meant to say Bangladesh carry the green flag.

Mr. Abbasi you are in denial. This team was never good enough.

I have tears in my eyes - this is just not going to sink in. This defeat has sent our cricketing heritage 200 years back. For me it was Inzi's disgraceful body language that summed up everything.
You could sense Ireland were going to give Pak a tough time when Bob and Inzi gave their pre-match comments. At the toss Inzi, appeared nervous and looked as if he had already booked his flight to Lahore. And Woolmer, well it was the same old diplomatic BAKWAS that we have become accustomed to hearing from him.
The question now is where do we go from here? New coach, new captain, new openers, new bowlers, new administration - if everything changes what will be left.
The sad bit it Inzi is probably one of the best players we have ever produced - its a shame he will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
I just want to say that as a patriotic and passionate Pakistani I am ashamed of our team - the scar they have left in the hearts of our nation are utterly unforgiveable. I dont want to follow this team anymore.

This sure is the saddest day of Pakistan cricket. The team did'nt look like one unit at any point of time. All they have all managed to show us is the catching practice they can provide to other teams and how to make use of one's pads while batting. They are a bunch of cowardly, lethargic players also devoid of any technique whatsoever.
They should apologize publicly to the millions of fans for the ridiculous and shameful performance and at least 8 of them should be kicked out for good and never be reconsidered again.

From the twin upsets yesterdays....it is quite clear where the two "sub continental giants' stand. On home made dead pitches...both maybe tigers scoring in excess of 300 frequently. But the truth is that once exposed to foreign pitches...they are WORSE THAN THE LESSER TEAMS TAKING PART IN THE WORLD CUP. In a few days from now, once again we will have those meaningless ODI series on flat pitches in both India and Pakistan...and all will be forgotten. In reality India and Pakistan should be made to playwith these 'MINNOWS" in ODI tournaments on bouncy and grassy pitches. That will expose the real standings of our heroes that have started to regularly disappoint. Easy to blame...but when you have so much money and resources at your hands....atleast the fans expect a fight if not a win every time. A really really disappointed fan.

AssalamuAlaikum!
Respected Mr. Kamran, all the nation is stunned and in disbelief. The Faith is shattered. The only thing Pakistani's has loved, has laso btrayed it due to unjust selections and combinations. The merits were destroyed. I can say nothing... Shock!!! Well it seemed as if Pakistan PLAYERS WANTED TO CELEBRATE THE 23RD MARCH IN PAKISTAN. Well that is good thinking cuz the moments should be shared together. May Allah show the right path to these BLOODY FOOLS!

AA, Sub say pahle to .......Boys is confident, boys is work hard in the nets. To hell with you Inzi and co.

Words fail me. This was the most depressing day in Pakistan cricket in a long long time.
Theres no point now in blame casting and reprievels. I guess its just time to change the old guard and put this behind us.
Lets not forget the good points in our hurry to condemn; Pakistanis fought really well in the field. I really liked the fire in Sami and Gul, and the way the fielders were going after the ball. Sadly it has come too late.
The batting is just hopeless.
Going forward, let us now start afresh with new faces, and new thinking.
1. Get rid of Adhoc committees
2. Finally get that PCB constitution written
3. Let the chairman and selectors be elected rather than selected
4. End pandering to prima donnas like Shoaib Akhter, who ruin the discipline for everyone. No one should ever be bigger than the game
5. Reform our domestic cricket set up so that we produce batsmen capable of playing anywhere in the world

Anyway, I dont think I will want to watch cricket for some time after this :(

Very amicably put Kamran Abbassi, I think all Pakistani fans are feeling similar to you today many a times I find your comments rather sensationalist but today they are fully justified

The display by Pakistan in the World Cup has been absolutely horrendous, everyone expected them to struggle because for and injuries had put them on the back foot. Yet even that struggle was supposed to be relative, i.e against teams such as Australia and South Africa not against lowly Ireland. I do have to congratulate the Ireland teams and fans as they remind me of some of the great underdog feats previous Pakistan teams have achieved.

Grass root changes are in order in my opinion, this Pakistan team is not like previous failing teams, there doesn't seem to be corruption or off the field lunacy that has dogged the side. Rather it is about truly cricketing flaws, which makes it worrying as they will take longer to eradicate. There are so many obvious flaws which the Pakistan administrators have been giving the 'head in the sand' treatment to. Playing in seaming conditions is clearly one of them, time and again Pakistan have been exposed because of this. Fielding has been for a while a laughing stock, yet this is accepted in Pakistan apparently it's part of our unique appeal. Not too much complain about the bowling in this tournament except surely their must be some real talent out there instead of the current bunch who are far from exceptional, of course we have Asif and Akhtar who may have greater troubles ahead. One has to ask that, Pakistan have won the last two under 19's World Cups, but where have these players gone? Are they disappearing into obscurity. Surely these problems have to be recognised.

I think it is fair to say that Inzimam and Woolmer have to go, for a while I really liked what they were doing to Pakistan cricket. We had an amazing run through mid 2005 and early 2006. Then the wheels came off, of course all of it is not their fault but certainly their needs to be a change or we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past again. I just can't see where we will get an inspirational captain from, their are no characters in the side (except Shoaib of course) and that also means no ego's. Need to get a coach like Tom Moody who has moulded the Sri Lanka side very well. I thing is obvious there are lots of places open for grabs in the Pakistan side, in fact I would say only Yousuf, Younis, Malik, Gul and Asif could justify their inclusion at the moment.

I am sure you will get many angry Pakistani fans like me responding and surely they have a right to be so, but I urge we take sensible approach and look for change that has a long term success policy and not try to look for any miracle cures because we will only go and repeat the mistakes again. Changes have to be made from the top down, and the PCB has a lot to answer for, if there is any justice then surely after these questions are answered the PCB board members will hand in their resignations.

To all the dreamy,unreliastic fans who ultra overestimated your team beyond beleif.In your face hahahahahahahaha. Are you guys even for real hehehe

I absolutely agree with Kamran on this one....... 17th March 2007 will be remembered as the day the Pakistan cricket died. There needs to be a major reshuffle from top to bottom - management as well as the players. Get rid of half of the team ( the old bums)and build from scratch. The whole rebuilding process started right after the 2003 world cup debacle has failed - we are back to square one. Now we cant even think of the World Cup in 2011 - might have some chances in 2015 if we start rebuilding now. Woolmer, Inzy, Doc the people of Pakistan will never forgive you for bringing Pakistan cricket to this state.

Kamran, one couldn't agree with you more. I come from the generation that saw the Pakistani team of the 1970s, that bunch of charismatic, supremely talented cricketers, announce, in no uncertain terms, to the rest of the cricketing world, their undoubted ability and their intentions to dominate the sport one day. I remember seeing a helmetless, imperious Majid Khan take on the might of the West Indian fast bowling; remember hearing radio commentary eulogising the late Wasim Raja's single-handed ripostes to the West Indians on the tour of the Caribbean in 1976-77; remember watching a helmetless Zaheer Abbas (yes, a helmetless Zaheer Abbas) stroke chancy, but graceful innings against the Australians in the same season on fast, bouncy Aussie pitches; remember watching Imran Khan's transformation from an open-chested in-swing medium-pacer to an all-out fast bowler; remember watching Mohsin Khan score a double-hundred at Lords in 1982; remember Abdul Qadir spin intricate webs against the same team and, thereafter, against every side in the world.

Crucially, I remember watching Imran Khan mould a team -- so disparate in composition and ability that it makes this current side of fundos disguised as cricketers seem a well-knit, well-oiled unit --into a winning outfit in 1992.

But I also remember what has happened since: the match-fixing issue, our two premier fast-bowlers of the 1990s at each other's throats, team selections made not on cricketing ability, but on personal whims. I remember Aamer Sohail not turning up for a Test match against Zimbabwe in 1998-99, for which he was captain, simply because he was "disgruntled".

I remember ad-hocism in force in the PCB BEFORE it became a "fashion" to refer to it as such; I remember a former chairman of the PCB (no prizes for guessing which one!) being allegedly forced to resign after it transpired that he had unfairly granted television rights to a privately owned TV channel for a one-day series less than half-a-decade ago; I remember hearing about a "constitution" in the making that has never been made, and I remember wondering what credentials the current PCB chairman possesses that allowed him to be appointed so. (Now, we all know he's the head joker of the pack that went to the West Indies!)

So our loss, yesterday, to Ireland isn't really one-off. We hit rock-bottom a long time ago -- this loss merely exemplifies just how far BELOW par this sport has come to rest in our country. In many ways, it is a microcosm of what happens in every other sphere here.

Reactions to yesterday's debacle, of course, are going to be full-throated bayings for blood -- perhaps, deservedly so. But, once the furore has died down, perhaps -- and this is a BIG IF -- someone with a sensible head on his (or their) shoulders will sit down to take stock of what is wrong and how it could, conceivably be rectified. (Sounds a little like us sitting before our television sets yesterday, hoping against hope that our team could pull off a miracle, doesn't it?) :)

The administration will change and new one will say, 'we are now preparing for the next WC', they will lose everything in between in the name of re-building, and then next WC will just be that for Pakistan.

Honestly I am short of words to desribe the pain,humiliation and total disbelief that I am passing through right now.

Loosing to Ireland and that too on St Patrick's day is unforgivable.This team of the PROPER TABLIGHI MUSLIMS should have atleast thought of their so called Tablighi status and give it a true fight.I don't blame the bowlers.Iftikhar,Sami and Gul performed well but the batsmen failed us and failed they did miserably.
Generally speaking our team reflects the situation in the country.We have gone down fast over the last decade and especially after the current regime.A country who had worldclass sportsmen in Hockey,cricket,squash,athletics,boxing etc haven't got even the players to beat a B class Ireland team.This portrays the life in Pakistan.we have nurtured cricket at the expanse of all other sports and we have provided such a dreadful peformance in it.I am lost really.

The blame should be shared by the president and Doc before anyone else.
Inzy's strategy of playing a second choice team in the very first match had laid the stone for this defeat.A team of loosers of rana,nazir,kaneria and co just paved the way for the ultimate defeat.
I may sound as a pessimist but to be realistic I dont have any hope for the future.

were a nation in mourning. as if killing politics and justice wasnt enough for us. yesterday, we laid cricket to rest, and with it died the one distraction that used to keep the "16crore Pakistanion k dil" intact.
i dont care how it happened...but no one had the right to take our sole joy away from us. shoaib, asif, afridi, hope u guys are happy now? drugs, indiscipline, bad cricket, whatever happened to our team?
heartbroken.

I hate to say this, but Inzy has to go. He is the only guy, who is worth of some sympathy, for his tremendously long service to Pakistan cricket.
Sham! Disgrace!!

Thanks for nicely summening the status of Pakistan cricket at very moment.
I can only say that this team have brought nothing but SHAME for whole the cricket mad nation and all the fans around the world. For me WC 2007 finished last night.................

Like every pakistani, I am also feeling extremely shameful and disgusting. I had never thought of such an early exit. It's very painful to believe that your worldcup compaign is over in just 4 days out of the 51 days contest. We all pakistanis strongly demand an immidiate ousting of the current management including the top brass and i would also like to advise to ICC that looking at this pathetic pakistani's performance, it should not be given a direct entry in to the next world cup or any other major world event. Rather, it should be entered in the qualifying rounds to firm its berth just similar to Hockey, where no matter how good seeded a team is, it has to qualify if it has not performed well in the previous outcomes.
Inzamam should now announce his retirement as his physique and body language don't support him as an athelete any more. Every body watched that you completely lacked leadership qualities on the field. Pakistan board should try to engage Dave Whatmore as a coach. Look how well-knit unit he has made the Bangladeshi team. He took Srilanka team on top and is heading now to do the same with the Bangladesh team.

With an absolute sense of dejection, disgust and frustration, I agree with Kamran's views. Not in our wildest dreams we ever thouht, that the world cup campaign will end in such a disgraceful manner. But then, based on the performances of the team over the last six months, it was predictable to some extent. When I watched Ireland's match against Zimbabwe, I thought the way our batting in particular, has let us down consistently over the last few months, any thing is possible. My worst fears were justified yesterday.

It hurts immensely to think the way career of a great batsman like Inzamam is going to end. He has been a great servent of Pakistan cricket for fifteen years and has given us some wonderful moments to cherish over the years.

The selection committee, management (particularly Salim Altaf), Nasim Ashraf should ask themselves some harsh questions and decide to just disappear from the cricket scene of Pakistan forever.

Ex players like Imran, Javed, Wasim, Waqar, Qadir should be parsuaded to head the new era in Pakistan Cricket.

With our performance getting worse with each World Cup, it would be in everyone's best interest to send Pakistan through the qualifiers before World Cup 2011....chances are that we wont even make it through that....atleast it would spare us this embarassment on the international level....

Kamran,

I share many of your sentiments. In all my years of watching great sporting events from cricket to football, to boxing, i have never felt this humbled, distraught and so much pain after watching the spineless, gutless shambles of the Ireland - Pak match.

I would have prefered a physical blow to the gut than to experience this.

I usually say i am one of the more optimistic of Pak fans and until Ireland stroked 120, i still had belief the team could do it.

Nasim, the joke has to leave immediately, with a large boot following his behind from the Pak entire nation. The way he has handled the team's issues, a boy of could have formulated better strategies.

In my view what lost us the first match was Inzy and Yousuf's incredibly slow run rate. Shoaib Malik at least showed he had the stomach for a fight. Akmal showed some sort of fight against Ireland in the second. The shot selection from all other players in Pak's 'star studded' line up was simply laughably bad, where even amatuer enthusiasts would be embrassed to put their names to those shots given the situation.

I think they all left their cricketing brains back on the runway tarmac in Pakistan. Not that many of them had some in the first place.

Put simply, their lights were on but nobody was home. This team showed on a world stage, they cannot rise to the occasion.

Tottaly agree hope Inzi retires on the plane home.

Well, what can be said of our cricketers, a herd of school boys who have been sent for a picnic party on warm beaches of West Indies..

Inzi's career is going to finish in a worst manner. I hope so it would be enough for him to leave cricket.

Dear Kamran, i agree 100% with what you have written. But a fact that you missed is that Pakistan lost to " A Team which dared to Dream".
We were weighed and measured and found wanting!!!!!
May Allah have mercy on Cricket in Pakistan.

We loyal pakistani fans have been let down in every aspect of our criket structure.

1. Shoaib and Asif let us down, saying that, despite our worst fears, it wasn’t our bowling that let us down.
2. I am a fan of bob but is he telling us that Salman Butts, yasir hameeds or taufeeqs umars runs were SO bad that these specialist openers were dropped for Hafeez (who, ave of 20, shouldn’t be in the team), nazir (who has shown he has learnt nothing from his international absence), Farhat (who wouldn’t know where his off stump was if it was in his hand) or akmal (who despite being a fan of his, is just not an opener).
3. I think bob and Inzy missed a trick with Kaneria. Despite what you think of his ODI credentials, he can learn and with our lack of wicket taking bowlers in the middle overs, he is perfect.
4. I hate for inzy to end his international career like this but he is by far and away the worst captain at this world cup. I have tried to defend him to my friends and he has give so much to Pakistani criket but he’s no leader. Theres no energy or enthusiasm, theres no passion but worst of all, it seems like he hopes something will happen rather then trying to.

But our openers aside, our spineless batting aside, our very unleathal bowling aside, our arthritic captain aside, our reps as flat track bullys aside, worse than all of this has to be the PCB.

We do not breed enough disciplined and professional youngsters, when they get into the team they are dropped far too quickly, brought back in and lack the confidence to ever play well again (yasir hameed, how slow was he scoring when he last played). The PCB is responsible for, keeping inzy as captain, not giving enough support to woolmer, destroying afridis confidence, getting rid of a good bowling coach and a genuine legend, having a an elf as a bowling coach who by the way is not a legend, being the reason why we are the laughing stock of international cricket. Our fast bowlers are never fit, our batsmen can’t play on swinging tracks, our youngsters never reach their potential, good solid players like asim kamal are not given a chance, and we have stuck with a captain who’s lethargy is legendry.

We cricinfo bloggers should run the PCB, I propose:

Rid or nazir, rid of hafeez, rid of inzy (as captain), lets clean our hands from shoaib, he shall betray us no more, give an ultimatum to razzaq, make shoaib malik captain, play y.khan down the order/opener, play yousuf at 3, make the brilliant asif fit, make sure gul remains fit, make sami fufil the potential, give kaneria some confidence, do not drop afridi, , play salman butt, play asim kamal, play yasir Arafat and bring on 2011. If we don’t do it, who will?!?!?!?!

I had to remind my self its only a game but I felt as if someone very close to me was slowly dying before my eyes.

heads should roll. Bob's best was not good enough and he needs to move on. Inzy time as an ODi player has come to an end, and needs to announce his retirement from ODI. He should resign from the Test captaincy, although i still beieve he has something to offer as a Test batsmen.

New openers are needed.

I agree Afridi or malik should be ODI captains, but I'm not sure the PCB will allow two different captains for ODi and Tests.

Everyone from the selectors to the whole of PCB are responsible and should be sacled forthwith.

I was very pleased with sami performaces.

EXACTLY All ofur commetns gave the impression that all WOULD come suddenly mairaclously ok the big dat . Shame on you guys for living in a state of denial over reality and i mean not just only cricket.cricket

Serious changes both in the team and the management are required ... we need new people ... and e have to start doing that today ... and we shouldnt give a freaking damn about how much we loose the comming season but we should experiment ... maybe a new captain becasue this one is too sleepy.

its mind boggleing how stupid the selectors are. playing talentless hafeez.They keep persisting in stupid selections like out of form rana hoping he will come good when he has underperformed for months.inzi blaming the pitch for their bad batting. what does professional mean? the management should insist on varied pitches in pakistan so they can get used to different conditions but they persist with slow easy batting dust pitches where even misbah ul haq scores centurys. All in all 4 years of preperation gone down the toilet. well done pakistan. cant bat cant bowl cant field your picked.

Shahid Afriddi as captain. Whoa looks like u wanna drown the ship even more than it already is.

What about your own misplaced confidence and huge error of judgement in predicting that Pakistan would go very very far in the World Cup? You still stand by it?

There is nothing wrong in making a mistake in prediction- but why don't you write an open letter to yourself for getting carried away by the hype at the expense of substance?

It was really a shameful day for Pakistani cricket. But there was nothing un expected to me. Is not it? If you deeply analyze, other than Muhammad Yousif, was anybody expected to fire? My answer is clearly not. Start from the openers, does anybody expect a good start from the openers who are around the game from more than 5 years and have averages around 20 while openers having averages of 32 and 38 are staying at home. Selectors and captain have to anwer it. Dont we over rate Younis Khan? Is he really a match winner and what is the percentage of matches he won for us in his 8 years long career? Leave Muhammad Yousif apart. Is really Inzi fit to play one day cricket and win matches?
Then come to bowling department. Dont we over rate Danish Kaneria as compared to what Kumble, Murli and Warne do for their teams? Do we really need Shoaib Akhter after almost 10 years of expereince with him? Mind up, Pakistan spends a huge money on his fitness and what he gives to the team in return? Do we have really fire power in our fast bowling which was our trade mark for around 20 years? Probably, a little bit. I think, answer to all other questions is clear NO. But who cares. This country is run by the people who are soldiars not politicians. Sports is run by the people who are politicians not sportsmen. Universities are governed by the people who are soldiars not educationists.
So, we should be prepared to accept humilitations like that.

Dear Kamran, I have been an avid reader of your passionate words and my commisserations to all Pak fans. As an Indian, I too felt betrayed by my overfed, overpaid, over-hyped boys who do nothing to enhance their superstar status.

I only hope both the Indian and Pakistan boards are changed forthwith. And that sanity is restored to this glorious game of cricket in both countries.

AOS,
First of all I couldn't have agreed anymore to this... Mr. Kamran you are a hundred percent correct...these people should quit and quit BIG TIME...now or face the pain your own people would give once you touch Pakistani soil...I am so deeply disheartened that I cant even write this lengthy comment...I want to express my ANGER that is boiling inside me...however...its time to change and time for a new look...Maybe Afridi could be the correct move for captaincy...Hafeez should play at 5, Younis should be rested for some time, Yasir, Salman, Bazid, Misbah are all great players and should now be given a chance, we have 4 years till the next world cup which gives us plenty of time, Asif will hopefully return...Gul, Iftikhar and Sami are all good but need to practice their death bowling to a greater extent...Akmal has fixed his keeping but need to get back to his batting (maybe his brother can be given a chance..Adnan Akmal)...Akhtar (does anyone have any idea what his plans are???)
Lets just pray for a new, bright,dangerous and an energetic Pakistani team (like u said, Kamran) with fire in their belly!!!
Hope to hear from you soon...
Mazen Khan

The whole setup is wrong, why do we have mushy as bowling assistant coach!? he has no right to be there first of all secondly Inzamams lazy leadership has been the downfall of Pakistan. There now has to be a massive clearout and Pakistan need to start from scratch the following players must all be kicked out for good; Inzamam,Rana,Afridi,Nazir,younis,Akmal,Mahmood. we need to appoint wasim akram as a bowling coach and a new generation need to be taught if they are not atheltic they can not be in the side! I lay the finger of blame at the foot of the pcb and inzamam who have constantly over ruled Woolmer in key decisions, no wonder he seems happy to leave circket all together!

Very well said Kamran. This was the worst day in the history of Pakistan's cricket and the people of Pakistan will not forget this for a long time. Waiting four years for the worldcup and this is what is the gift that is presented to the Pakistani people on a platter! Shame on you Inzi, shame on you Bob, shame on you Dr Naseem Ashraf (I think its high time that you go back to USA and restart doing what you were qualified to do i.e medicine and not make us suffer by running the PCB just on the qualification of your ties with the President), and shame on all the people who were involved with the Pakistani team 'rebuilding' since the last world cup. Its been 8 years since we have been rebuilding our team - the usual excuse whenever we lose.
When can we stop making excuses and start to admit our follies; let us admit that our domestic cricket is in shambles, no batsman in Pakistan can play on green pitches, etc. It is time to make the pitches in Pakistan that will enable our players to play anywhere in the world, let us train then as Australians train their upcoming players. I am afraid just changing a few faces and starting a few inquiries into the causes of defeat will not solve this crises (which sadly is what will be done, im afraid). The problem here is not an acute, it is a chronic ailment that is eating Pakistani cricket alive. We have to make huge changes and I hope that somebody has the willpower to do that.

On behalf of this platform, I would like to requet Imran Khan to come forward and hold the neighs of Pakistan cricket team. Out team badly needs you with such a perfection and quality leadership. Please don't waste your time in dirty politics of this country which would give you nothing in the end other than disgrace & humiliation. For heaven's sake please come on. Its a heartiest request on behalf of the 16 crore people of Pakistan.

Im lost for words, I honestly did not sleep properly last night. All I can say is I feel sorry for every Pakistani and even some of the players. I dont want to cry over spilt milk so i wont. What needs to be done now in my opinion is

SACK: The so called Chairman and his puppets in the board.

CHANGE: Captain and Coach, Make Afridi captian, I dont think Shoaib Malik has the personality to lead the national side however hes a good domestic captain. Younis Khan may be just a good contender on paper but his last stint as captain he made Schoolboy errors.

As for the coach, ive always thought there is only one man who is up for the task and that is Javed Miandad, his task will be much easier as there is no Wasim Akram or anyother senior player to challage his authority.If Wasim would be coach that will be great but hes too busy teaching the Indians our secrets, And obviously Imran Khan but we know thats not gona happen. Bring back the great Waqar Younis as assistant coach and bowling coach.

As for Inzi he can retain his place in the team as no one can argue that he is a great batsman along with Mohammed Yusaf.

I am kind of glad that this happend (obviously not like this) as it was bound to happen anyway, atleast it saves us Pakistanis from having to go through nervous stressfull moments in other macthes.

Time will tell.

country and team has gone to the dogs, judiciary and cricket being manipulated by the Generals. Inzimam was a sorry sight even after losing the toss, it seemed he had given up the match already then, the likes of Aamir sohail, Javed Miandad and Warqar would be the happiest, they would be gleefully waiting for a phone call for new offers. The main reasons:
(1) Lack of hunger and desire plus leadership on and off teh field
(2) Scandals and suspensions
(3) Injuries with no depth in replacement

Well Kamran bhai I will not give the comments in englisg i will give in urdu, I think that this is the worst moment not only in the history of Pakistan cricket but also in the history of international cricket, pakistan nay jaisa perform kiya aisa to hona he thaa mian nay aik baar latifa perha thaa aik book main k lerki nay apni ami say kaha k mujjay lagta hay k kal hamaray ghar main aik ferd kam ho gaa, aur aglay din aisa he hoa kiun k wo larki aik larkay k sath bhag gahe, wo larki bahut bari peer, ussay pata thaa k aisa ho gaa, bob woolmer nay b aisa he kaha thaa match say aik din pehlay k Ireland is very tough side to beat, wo b aik peer hay, shame on bob woolmer, I think bob woolmer jaisay stupid person nay pakistan cricket ko taba kiya, aur inzimam is main barabar ka shareek hay, Kamran bhai main nay world cup start honay say pehlay kaha thaa yaheen pay aap he k pak spin main k pakistan ki bating bahut week hay aur pakisatn ka koe chance nae even supper8 main janay k b aur woe hoha. Jis team kay openers Hafeez aur Imran Nazir jaisay nakis batsman hon wo team kiya khailay g, Imran Nazir just twenty twenty cricket ka player hay, Mairay khayal main Imran farhat b bahut nakas player hay laiken ao atleast in dono say behtar batsman hay, Aur Salman Butt is one the most talented batsman in Pakistan, Kamran Bhai pakistan main talant ki koe kami nae sirf aur sirf PCB say kali bhairon ko hatana ho gaa, Aur merit pay team banani ho g, aur players ki selection kerni ho g,

Pakistan's proposed strategy against Zimbabwe:

1. Start the game at 0/2 before a single ball has been bowled....this will spare the entire nation the agony of seeing our openers fail again.

2. Do away with the wicket keeper all together and also spare us having to live through his senseless shot selection while batting as well...

3. Send Umar Gul, Mohammad Sami and Rao Iftikhar to the top of the order and demote our "BIG 3" to the tail....for once, such a move will ensure Pakistan gets of to a good start...

4. Ensure that the entire team takes on the field in anything but the Official Pakistan colors...such a demotivated spineless bunch should not have the privilege to wear the national colors...

I actually don't even want to answer, great letter. I feel ashamed that this is the great Pakistani team.

embrassment????not the right word mr kamran.this team got what they deserved.i told u in the start that they wont make it to super 8's.i wish we had hitler as a president and could have shoot fat inzi,racist bob woolmer and whole of the selection panel.
fat inzi who done nothing for pakistan for past year or so wants to carry on,have some shame you fat pig!!!!!!!!!!

I simply don't know what to say. I can't take this, its way too painful.

it is curtains for one south asian giant. well atleast no more urdu press conferences

Pakistan needs fresh and young blood like fawad alam. Gone are the days of lethargic and aged dummies in the ODIs who cannot run, dive and throw. Energy is needed rather than selection on the basis of past performance.
This defeat summarizes how the state of cricket is being run in Pakistan. There is no vision for selection. The whole setup is being run on adhoc basis. I will held Naseem Ashraf, Shehryar khan, Saleem Altaf and Wasim bari equally responsible for this defeat.

There are some positives though: I think Rao and Sami have shown that they can be trusted. To me the future of fast bowling look bright in the presence of Sami, Gul, Rao and Asif. It is batting that needed major overhaul and fielding that required fresh and improved skills.

My friend when you ask others to go I think your mind needs to go through a refresher course as well. The sort of comments you have been making.

Inzamam has only got a bunch of cronies who can keep a beard and say their prayers. People like Naveed ul Hassan and Kamran Akmal with his mutterings. Mushtaq was another of his preferred ones.

I had mentioned that Wasim Bari was Chairman Selecting Committee at the last World Cup. He has not the ability to take decisions whereby people should have been removed. Why was Naveed ul Hassan selected. Why not Sami in the first place? Why was Kamran Akmal not removed?

What has Woolmer done in the last months except praising his home team South Africa? The shots played by Younus and Hafeez against West Indies were stupendous. Younus has the stupid habit of trying to play the pull shot early for balls outside the off stump. Has Woolmer tried to ever reprimand them? The same goes for shots played against Ireland by Azhar and Kamran. I think selecting Azhar was a total disaster anyway.

Naseem Ashraf was the product of this dictator anyway. The dictator has showed Mullahs to the West and stayed in Power. He goes about nominating people at his whims. Lets start by having his head roll as he is the Patron in chief OF THE PCB.

As can be seen there is so much in my mind and all rolling of without being coherent. That my friend is the FRAME OF MIND. I AM SURE THE SAME CONDITION IS OF ALL THE SHOCKED PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN, EXCEPT THE STUPID CAPTAIN, WHO SAYS THESE THINGS HAPPEN.

My friend when you ask others to go I think your mind needs to go through a refresher course as well. The sort of comments you have been making.

Inzamam has only got a bunch of cronies who can keep a beard and say their prayers. People like Naveed ul Hassan and Kamran Akmal with his mutterings. Mushtaq was another of his preferred ones.

You're nominating Afridi to be the next captain? Really? The same Afridi who got himself suspended for four matches?

And you're still holding onto your original statement that only Australia stood in the way of winning this World Cup? Really?

At least admit when you're wrong. Making mistakes is not unforgivable. Not admitting your mistakes is another matter altogether.

Well Kamran, it was long time coming as amny of us pointed out. You didnt' want to quit. We too felt good when you fought for the team, since a team with such nice history deserved to go higher up anyway. Well, now the question is, when will Pakistan cricket recover? What measures will be dedicated to such a process? If left to the PCB actors, we all know what is bound to happen! So... got to do it now so that the next WC has some steam in it.

I sincerely empathise with all Pakistani cricket lovers and indeed the players and it seems to me that when politicians directly run sport, they generally display the same arrogance and incompetence as they do in the governing of their Countries. As an Australian I shudder at the thought of a dishonest sycophant like John Howard directly or indirectly running our cricket! Politicians apply their own ill informed and corrupt ideas of what creates success and as they surround themselves only with "yes" men they preclude any possibility of objectivity and alternate ideas. Failure must be the inevitible result. Perhaps that is Pakistan's problem, perhaps not, but I am sorry to lose your brilliant though enigmatic team from the World Cup and I ask Pakistani supporters to show restraint in their treatment of their team. After all, their performances are the symptoms, not the disease itself and the cure lies elsewhere!

I don´t have any words to say. I feel like a loved one has died. I can believe it. For me only cricket has been the pride of Pakistan. After yesterdays event it is confirmed that Pakistan cricket suffers from the same problem as the country itself. Mismanagement and bad leadership. Instead of rebuilding Pakistani cricket as Kamran is suggesting I suggest lets rebuild the country so it can live up to its full potential.

Go on, tell us the real reason your two best bowlers remained in Pakistan? and don't give us any crap about injuries.

I forgot to mention that you have gone really crazy if you mention Shahid as a possible Captain. You forget his behaviour against England, trying to damage the pitch and then his trying to beat up a spectator. Man you have lost your marbles, spare us more of such stupid suggestions.

i am not the sort of person to have a go but the pakistan team are pathetic i have been listening to all the haters and was quitely confident that this team can do well but i guess i was wrong how could they even contemplate losing to ireland let alone actually losing. there is no passion from the leaders and the board is pathetic to say the least who will be looking for someone to shift the blame on. i dont really want to dwell as i have been let down and would rather forget what happened but life goes on and i will like every other idiot get over it in the hope that there is always another world cup

Truly, yesterday was the worst day in Pakistan cricket. If March 25th is etched in my mind as one of the best day of my life then March 17th will become a day of shame.

Time has come for Pakistan cricket to take a real hard look at itself. Having natural talent is one thing but not harnessing it with hard work will make even the most talented look mediocre. If you want to understand the problem with Pakistan cricket on the field (I do not have words to explain the problem off it) then consider this: How could people like Miandad and Asif Iqbal become the best fielders and runners between the wickets in the world. These two skills only need one thing and that is desire, which if you saw the game yesterday was clearly lacking in the Pakistani team. When I saw the Irish "amateurs" diving around and stopping every possible run, my mind was filled with the impending embarrassment that Pakistan was going to put on later and call it fielding.

Its time people realize that God did not want them to play good cricket because they had not put in the hard yards. Inzamam and Woolmer have taken us as far as they could and brought us back to where they had started. The opening dilemma could be blamed on the pitches in Pakistan, but what are the reasons for not making an inch of improvement on fielding and running between the wickets? The pride and passion of Pakistan cricket has been replaced by shame and insipidity. Like Imran Khan says, if you are not good enough in sport you will be found out at the top level, we all know Pakistani team is good enough, what we do not know is how good they want to be, and for that this regime should be dispensed with. And a new regime should be brought in whose leaders can understand that there are millions hoping and willing them to win, and those millions can accept defeat, what they cannot accept is half-heartedness.

Yesterday was definitely the worst day in Pakistan's cricket history...Pakistan are out of world cup in just two games is unbelievable...Yes!The Pakistani team lost some of players due to injuries but what the others were doing...They r paid so heaviy...and at the end of day they produce this result..Its a shame....and an insult to our country....I can't just pinpoint one problem with the team...bcause they r many in number...After this performance i have learnt not to waste your useful time watching Pakistani team play....I think President should do something...and penalize all players and even put them to jail.....bcause they have broken hearts of 16 crore people....Pakistan should quit from international cricket...seriously....Should quit voluntarily....And plzzzzzzzz dont waste so much money on these cricketers...There r many things in this country that deserve more of this money like education and poverty....

Well done Kamran, I hope these headless people will heed it !!!!!!! shamed to be a paki

This is it guys.....doesn't get any worst then this.....death of cricket.....A miracle is needed....so let's all pray to the Almighty.

What else can I say that has not been said in the past year. One has to ask will anything really change. Will Mushraf give up his position as patron of the PCB to someone who is held accountable? Will the PCB be run on a constitution? Will first class cricket be revamped so it makes cricketers ready for international cricket? Nothing will change unless we, the supporters, turn our back on Pakistan. Since 1996 I have watched Pakistan on every tour they have been to the UK. The next time Pakistan tour I will not be so eager to part with my money to watch a butch of highly paid, spinless, flat-track bullies who refuse to perform out of their comfort zones. Unless we make a stand and show our anger by not supporting Pakistan nothing will change.

Actually, i think i am the only pakistani who was praying for their defeat. dont get me wrong. becoz if the basics are wrong, teams did not selected on merit then it should not succeed otherwise these things will continue for another decade. we make our strategy on the basis of players we selected. players should be selected on the basis of strategy. those bits and pieces cricketers are not answerable becoz their job was neither batting nor bowling. just contribute some thing to remain in the team. What could Razaq or Afridi do if they were in the team nothing...... they all come in same category.

Four hours and no comments! Tells you a a whole lot more about how shell shocked each one of us are. For a few years now, the hardest thing has been to be a Pakistan team fan, but yesterday was rock bottom! I think, we the fans spend more time, effort and heart on this team than the team spends on their game. Over the last few years, every good player in the world has continued to work on his game and improve it, but not for these superstar Pakistani players. Somehow, for the Pakistani player, their education as well as learning of the game stops the day they enter the team. The desire to do better is gone, and they learn very quickly how to live on few patchy performances of the past. So much talent has been turned into rubbish. They don’t know when to hit and when not to. They don’t know where their off stump is, and what is wide and what is not. The arts of reverse swing and yorkers at the death are gone, and so is their will to stay at the wicket. If someone has to ask how do you get to be a mediocre fielder? You start with a very good one, put him in the Pakistan team and give him about a year! (A la Malik, Nazir, Afridi, and a whole bunch of others).

Bob & Inzi should be fired and and rebuild of the whole team is required after this shamefull loss

Wot can i say? I had a feeling this would happen and it has. This last yr has been a sham and after much undying support i feel truly ashamed to be a pakistani supporter..

This team has been pathetic, a joke. They look liked a bunch of pakistani club cricketers, who play on the weekends in between their taxi jobs. Unfit, with no zest and passion. The selections have been mind blowingly stupid, the leadership- none existent. The captain strolls around the field like he aint remotely interested. He doesnt look or behave like a player or captain-instead a zombie, sorry even they move faster than him.

This is a terible day for pakistan cricket and inzy and bob should do the right thing for once and leave and leave right now. Spare us losing to zimbabwe 2 and go home and take this bunch of circus troops with u.

The duties should be given to some1 that has the fight for a battle- who that is is another million dollar question. Am just gonna go and bury myself in a deep pit and if the players have any shame, which i very much doubt, they should follow suit..But i wouldnt hold my breath...This after all is the pakistan team.

shame on the whole team for the spineless and loser performance.. inzi you have shown the best of your brainless head and cowardly approach to the game.. batting at the 11th position suits you much better now.. you have no place in pak cricket anymore nor is younis khan who is the worst of all.. why nobody took responsibility of seeing the team through the match.. ok i agree that inzi is useless but why not a single individual rose up to the occasion themselves.. beggars belief actually.. you all have brought shame to the nation and pakistan cricket and you should all be stripped off the honour and benefits you receive from board and us people cause clearly you guys dont deserve any..

We the Pakistani nation want players who are committed and have a passion for the game...players who love the game and realize how fortunate they are to be living every Pakistani child's dream of someday wearing the national colors....

We the Pakistani nation do not want lethargic unfit and unmotivated individuals who consider themselves to be rock stars or aspire to be models (check out The News online website to see how Younis Khan utilized his time to prepare for the world cup -- by modelling for casual wears..)...

Word of advice to the Pakistani team -- learn from Bangladesh and aspire to emulate those who we called our own till 1971...play every ball like it is your last you'll ever play...and value the passion with which the entire nation and those around the world support you...

With all due respect, Shahid Afridi does not have a proven track record as a reliable batsman, bowler. Plus his body language on the field lately, and his attitude off the field is terrible. He will be a disaster off a captain. He will never lead by example. His good innings will come after every 10 games or so, and we will be stuck with him because he is the captain. A terrible choice
In my humble opinion I would have definately gone for Younis, but his shock attitude before the ICC trophy and poor result during it, has changed my mind about him.
Regarding Pakistan, it is going through a complete crisis, starting from political, media, and now sports.

I strongly agree with you Kamran.
This does not get any worse.There can't be a bigger shame and disgrace for Pakistan cricket than this.
I agree with you that the every PCB chairman exploits PCB to get his favorites appointed in key positions, the positions they are the least qualified to hold.
Inzimam, many people call him "laid-back", I would say he isn't "laid-back", he is listless. Like many other Pakistani cricketers in the past, he is cemented his position in team because of one-off performances.
Bob Woolmer, what difference has he made to Pakistan cricket. He is has not brought any consistency, any discipline to Pakistan team. I now strongly believe he is not the right man to do the job for Pakistan.
In the end, I would like to say that I can see Inzimam and Bob going but the Doc as long as he says the right things about "the General", he sadly would keep his job and will do more harm to Pakistan cricket.

Well, like all losers say, there are positives to be had from this humiliating defeat:
1. No more doping tests for Pak players
2. No more Urdu at press conferences
3. No more watching Inzi's infuriatingly slow way of running.
4. No more Mushtaq Ahmed...bring back Waqar (even to bowl
5. No more Bob Woolmer...bring back Miandad
Please do not look forward and "plan" for the next WC as you did in 2003 after your first round exit.Now we see the fruits of your "plan." Just look forward to the next match with some enthusiasm. Looking too far forward is not for you (PCB).
Did you guys look at Bangladesh. The YOUNG 17-year old opener (fearless as they come). The 18-year old #3 who played with guts. But I guess you will have your own awards to give away to guys like Akmal (dropping so many catches that it cost Pak dearly and gifted with more matches just to prove that his dropping catches and mis-stumpings were not flukes). Rana should never have been brought to the WC after his disastrous tour to SA. But an award have to be given as he helped the opposition with lots of runs. But it's no use going on about other failings as it's time to sit back and watch the "amusements" that will take place.

I think your columns are symptomatic of the thinking that goes on in Pakisfan. 3 days back, there was nothing other than Australia that could hold back Pakistan from winning the cup. Today, they are arthritic and the pits. Get objective and real in analysis rather than swinging the emotional extremes.

World cricket has evolved by leaps and bounds, but it is obvious that the thinking in the PCB has lagged far behind. The debacle in Ireland could have been predicted by any keen observer of the game. Nothing was more illustrative of this than Inzamam's inarticulate ramblings to the interviewer after the game.How on earth anyone in the PCB could detect leadership qualities in this man is beyond belief. Hopefully this is the wake-up call that the PCB needed.Still it must be said that even this team has given us much to be proud of in the past, and I hope the people of Pakistan do not go overboard in their condemnation of them.

Thank god inzy is retiring, he looked like he couldnt care less when he was out on the field and about to lose to Ireland.

Heads at the PCB should roll too, beacuse no other board in the world would crucfiy their own players like the PCB did Asif and Akhtar.

Sami, Rao and Gul bowled well yesterday, considering the total they had to defend.

Players like Malik and Hafeez showed why they have no place in the team. They are bit part players, Malik only makes a half century when they dont matter, as in the match against the windies. Hafeez dropped O'Brien early on, batted poorly as he has always done, and cant get the ball to turn either.

Bring in some fresh blood, from the youth teams and carry on from there.

Goodbye, Pakistan. And good riddance. Darrel Hair is laughing his guts out.

Dear Kamaran Bhai,

I agree with you, Bob has turned this team into spineless team; they look like stooges on the field.

There is no word that could describe my disappointment. The way Pakistan has approached this game was ridiculous, there body language was so laid-back and lazy. Although there were not much expected from Pakistan team in this world cup but at the same time, nowhere in my thoughts, I would have imagined that they will loose to Ireland and will be kicked out of the World Cup in just two games.

Dr. Ashraf, Mr. Bob should resign immediately along with Inzi. I don’t think they should wait for anyone to request them for their resignation; they should do it by themselves.

The damages has been done and instead of crying over spilt milk Pakistan Cricket Board should move ahead with new energy and engage new leaders to put the team in the right direction for the next World Cup. I would say engage someone who could talk to them in Urdu because I doubt they understand English. Even the Bangladeshi Captain speaks better English than Inzi.

Adam

If Inzi, Bob or the Doc had an ounce of decency they would have retired from international Cricket with immediate effect. Any man with any amount of dignity will would have retired when Tony Cozier asked him how he felt about loosing to Ireland. The only man I can think of leading Pakistani Cricket is Shoaib Malik and even his doesn’t have the technique to play fast bowling on green tops, The entire fault is with Pakistani Cricket Board for preparing flat track’s and crap first class structure until we get that sorted I am sorry to tell all my Pakistani Cricket Supporters that these days like the 17th of MARCH 2007 will be common occurrence. I am off to celebrate India’s loss…pathetic I know.

I am Speachless.......Inzi should take the blame and retire... we dont need him anymore he was a great batsman but he hasn't scored a century since 2 years. He still can play test matched but the problem will be he will do politics to push himself inB ODI sqaud. So its better for Pakistan Bye Bye Inzamam and let give some young blood a chance to lead....

Where ever you go out network follows....
We love you so much that we are following you in worldcup...
India is the next casualty from Worldcup...Woh worldcup hi kya jisme Pak vs. Ind ka match na ho...
We are with you in hard time...........

A Sad day for Pakstani cricket

All credit to Ireland - they stuck to their task well and took some crackin catches!

Pakistan:
PCB were and are a mess

The ONLY thing they did right was to NOT send Asif and Akhtar -
They need to be held accountable because they papered over LARGE cracks - They're Shambolic

Musharraf saab - Sort it! - Get rid of your "best mate" and out in the BEST MAN for the job!

Well, the WHOLE system is messed up
And they thought a hlf-decent world-cup run would blind us.

But a DRASTIC overhaul is NOT required - just attitudes ned to change a nd a few people need to b sacked.

THIS IS THE BEST THING TO HAVE HAPPENED:

Look at this in context, at least NOW something will be done

Get Rid of the politics that say the team HAS to be made up of certain number pf players from a certain province.

REWARD and select on MERIT,
NOT on POLITICS, or LOCATION!

New Coach - Would you bring back Miandad? Or should it be someone completely new...
New Captain - Younis or Afridi
New Openers - Where were Hameed and Butt?
Batting Coach - Bring in Miandad!
New Bowling Coach: AKram or Younis and keep Mushy for the spinners - USE THE LEGENDS!
Add: Asim Kamal and BLOOD a few YOUNGSTERS (Arafat etc)

Keep This squad - We know theres talent - Many players are YOUNG.

And Ramiz Raja said it best:
Stop POLITICISING - Improve First-class cricket!

Every cloud has a silver lining.....

Dear all fans of pakistan n India,
Please keep it in mind that without doing basic things you can't win the match,that is proper preparation and plans.But its very difficult to tell that when India and Pakistan are going to improve !!! Anyway Good luck for India !!!

Nothing to say....Just recite fatiha on the coffin of Pakistani Cricket. The England ans burnt the bails and 'Ashes' was created. Let us burn our bats and balls and look to other horizons and sports. Our Cricket team has shamed us. We neglected Hockey for this disgrace? Perhaps team sports is not for Pakistan. With all the rivalries and lack of patriotism, only individual sport where personal gain is in sync with winning titles would fare better here. The coffin of our cricket is lying unattended. Let us bury it with full honours on team's return from Jamaica, and celebrate just once each day (on March 17) the day cricket died in the hearts of Pak fans

Hi Kamran

I like many are waking up confused to this disgrace! What the bloody hell happened at Sabina Park yesterday I don’t know!

Before this all started, like you I shared your idealism ‘I, like many other romantic fools, believed that the World Cup would bring the best out of you, that your players would fight to the death, and would prosper on West Indian tracks’. Like you I thought that only one team could stop the mercurial talented individuals known as the Pakistan team!
How wrong we are! I feel cheated, embarrassed, humiliated but deep down every fan can admit resignation- we all knew the unthinkable would happen but being optimists we never admitted these feelings.

In my last post I questioned Inzy’s physical/mental toughness & also his hunger but it was all here to see. Slowly the skippers’ lack of communication, passion, interest has engulfed the whole team from the England tour onwards. Without magicians with the ball (Asif, Shoaib, pre 2K6 Rana, Razzaq) the team has struggled for the inspiration with the ball that has characterized Pakistani cricket for 3 decades. With these aforementioned cricketers inzy gave them the ball, 9/10 times they produced the goods, no Q’s asked! Michael Atherton always states that Pakistan play best when attacking, again for a time yesterday 3 wickets in 6 balls displayed this evidence! I have to admit I’m beginning to question the point of my own post, but I feel it’s the only way to vent frustration!

The retirement/resignation of Inzamam due to the points outlined above. Please pack up yourself, to be sacked is a disgrace to the effort you have invested into Pakistan cricket. Thank you, we will cherish the memories of Pakistan’s finest. How will we cope? I don’t think anybody knows but I think any replacement batsman needs to know they have some time to cement a place in the team, i.e Asim Kamal

Anyway Shahid Afridi for captain, I think! Even though I would love to see Shoaib Malik in the role, his time will come in the future.

The end of Shoaib Akhtar- How he would of destroyed the Irish & many others when mentally/physically fit. We have to draw the line on Shoaib & I think this is the best time! Again we have the memories, I’m sure that will divide fans, but everybody has to admit he bullied opposition and was smarter cricketer than people give credit for.

Bring back Yasir Hameed, Salman Butt invest in Shahid Yousuf. These players need time, confidence I’m sure they will yield results. Anyway it’s all we have!

As ever the plus point was the bowling, I’m confident about the abilities of Gul, Asif, Rao Ifitkhar & Sami yes Sami! To win matches. However there has to be a bowler in Pakistan who can bowl 95mph or for my foreign brothers who know the domestic scene 155 KMH. I remember on a blog of yours Kamran, someone mentioning about a fast bowler from Wazirstan who hit them speeds!!

This leads me on to my penultimate point, if I were to ask Bob Woolmer a question, it would be:
Where is all the talent in Pakistan you have been banging on about?
He will leave us with a broken team, devoid of fresh ideas, players, and mentality. What the bloody hell have you been doing to improve us since the India series in Pakistan???

As for Coach, I haven’t got a clue- Wild card picks such as Wasim Akram/Waqar Younis

Khuda Hafiz, InshaAllah we can be world beaters in the not to distant future, we have to dust ourselves down for 3 important series’- South Africa, Austalia & India!

Lets pray for victory, Allah knows best.

there is more to life then just cricket, so what if pakistan got knocked out... it is just a sport, life will go on. it could have happened to any team, there is no betrayal as you make it sound, it was just a very unlucky day...

Somehow you had to wonder the warning bells were loud and clear even before the Ireland game that Pakistan were going to lose. Pakistan's chances of doing well in the World cup rested on only two players - M. Asif and S. Afridi. As we all know the shambolic (& ridiculously funny) episodes in Asif & Akhtar scandal. Afridi's discipline and commitmnet to cricket always come second to his hot head and he was banned from the start - so it was clear to me Pakistan were going to exit the WC early and in the worst way. Of the current crop or the 11 that were picked none of the them are match winners unless the tracks are flat for M. Yousuf to post his record scores or dry and dusty for Kaneria to spin a few out. There is a need to drastically change the backbone of the squad and bring young and talented players in, otherwis this will keep continuing. For the right attitude Pakistan should watch Bangladesh's victory over India - now that looks a potent one day team.

Pakistan crashed out of the world cup with two straight losses to West Indies and Ireland. The worst performance by any Pakistani team in a world cup, far worse then in 2003 when we at least managed to beat the minnows, this time we have been humiliated by Ireland. Somehow I do not feel that bad about all this, I am surprised my self but I expected it. I never expected this Pakistani team to win the world cup and in a way this humiliation is a good thing so we can reflect on what went wrong.
1. There is no doubt in my mind that we lost because of the poor handling of the affairs in general by the PCB. The PCB is fully responsible for these horrible results. I do not blame the players or the coach, it is the same players and coach who have been winning for the last 2 years, but ever since this new PCB has taken over, things have gone from good to bad and from bad to worse in a matter of few months.
2. The so called chairman of PCB should resign immediately. It is clear to every one that the only reason Naseem Ashraf is the chairman is because of his close ties to Pervaiz Musharraf. The manner in which Asif and Shoaibs case was dealt affected the team’s moral and preparation to a great degree. An inquiry should be done on the whole drama and the nation should be told the truth. We have become a laughing stock because of this affair and it should not be taken lightly.
3. The decision to sack Waqar Younis and to sack Musthtaq first and then bring him back was as stupid as it can get. The PCB chairman was reported to be present in the team’s dressing room more often than the players would like. Im sure that did not go well with the team too. His concern about the team getting too religious was another stupid thing. At least before him the team was winning on a regular basis even if they were religious, ever since his administration came to power everything has gone wrong.
4. People like Saleem Altaf need to be shown the door too. One brother screwed up the judicial system by writing an open letter against the Chief Justice of Pakistan and the other screwed up the national passion and only national pride we have, that is cricket. What else is left for Mr. Altaf to destroy in our cricketing system, if he would not leave now I wonder when he would go then?
5. The selection of the team was as appalling as is the personality of Waseem Bari. Again what would it take to get rid of this guy? Isn’t he the same person who was the chief selector in 2003? And now it seems he has improved his pathetic record. The guy can not even speak properly, Im sure his IQ is not even 50 (saying that he is a moron is a huge understatement). Ask him why is Yasir Hamid not in the team and what is Imran Nazir doing there, why is Salmn Butt not there and what is Azhar Mehmood doing in the team when he was not the past of original 30? What else would it take for Bari to go, how far down would we have to go before we realize people like Bari are no good.
6. Stupid restriction on speaking in Urdu for the players did not help either. PJ Mir has never been a likeable person and his presence with the team did not please any one.
7. I do not have complains from the players themselves. These are the same players who have been winning for the last two years. I have no problem with the coach. The problem is with the system as whole, with PCB, with politics in PCB, how the chairman PCB position is a reward for being the dictator’s spoon.
The issues are not just cricket but the whole system in our country. Its not just cricket which is on the decline but the whole society is going down. Who is responsible, US OFCOURSE, we allow people with no competence and capacity to rule us and our institutions. I do not know what is going to happened now but one thin is for sure, Ashraf, Altaf and Bari atleast have to go if there is any hope or revival of Pakistan cricket. If even one of these guys stay, I have then no hope what so ever and it would be most unfair on the whole Pakistani nation.

There is need for new blood in the pakistan outfit and i think this is the right time for that...there is some time before pakistan play in an international fixture....get the young ones in and groom them so that they can make the pakistan a world beater again!!!get them to bat on grassy /bouncy pitches so that when they face a green top they won't hope to be watching the game rather than playing!!

You nicely summerised and opened up the heart. During Imran's and minandad times you had the hope even against odds of odds and more often than not there would be a feloow who will perform beyond his abilities. The examples are too many to count , but now... ah! Your recommendation of Afridi seems surprising, but looking at the way he commanded his karachi side and his hunger to succeed against all odds....(least you go by the shot he plays ....he has sharp cricketing brain) he may probably the right antidote of the sleepiness that creeped recently.

Too harsh Saahab. Giant killers have always been a part of the Cricket history. Its part of the great game and should be accepted. Do you think the 11 players dont know everything that you spoke of. They carry the expectations of millions on their shoulders and try to do their best. But after all its just a game and while their performance was disappointing, they never gave up the will to win. I say give the guys a break.

Dear Kamran

The state of our cricket is simply a reflection of the mess our country is in. Talent alone doesn't create champions. You have to have discipline, professionalism, sense of responsibility and above all a strong commitment to teamwork to be the best.

Give us one example of any Pakistani institution where you would find the above attributes.

Mr Abbasi, I thought you would have learnt a lesson or two on humility and being a fair analyst after the defeat to Ireland, but I am sorry that it is not the case.

This has reference to your article last week where you arrogantly belittled all other cricketing nations by writing that Pakistan has to fear only Australia.

I am surprised at your steadfastness on still hanging on to this statement while you have made huge hue and cry on the Pakistan Team, Management, Coach and everyone you can blame on.

My humble remark would be that people like you also should not escape the blame and act holy. You build expectations at the cost of overating team, belitling other deserving teams and can't hold onto your poise when you face defeat. I wonder what earth shattering things have changed in the last one week from your last article to this one today. Have your 'hungry' openers, 'strong' middle order, 'bowling at death' specialists have lost appetite and strength overnite.

No. The thing is Pakistan just had a bad day out there which can happen to any cricket team.

I guess game of cricket can do away with all these emotional articles (i would rather call them 'outbursts') that you 'cricket journalists' churn out. This would help pakistan cricket better than all the changes you have suggested in your article.

i think this team needs to practise with the kids, on the streets of pakistan. .......i wonder if they could even beat them.. ahahaha

hu ha pakistan
gu kha pakistan

The Worst Day Of Pakistan Cricket !
Rightly pointed out kamran bhai !
just unbearable , un thinkable , unimaginable and above all it's unforgivable !!
are these bunch of players over confident or lacking confidence ?
they are just ill !
i'd rather pick my college team to play against ireland , these players have 1000 odi's experience against a team which has less then 100 odi's experience !
PATHETIC IS THE WORD TO DESCRIBE INZY'S AND BOB'S STRATEGIES !!
we performed a bit better in the 2003 world cup atleast win(s) against the weaker oppositions , but this time around we're just piece of bulls**T !

the person who is majorly rensponsible for all this is General Pervez Musharraf .
he can't run a PCB , just imagine how he manages a country ?
Nasim Ashraf should be kicked out along with bob woolmer !
and the players need to be addressed aswell !
whatever now happens , will happen for the good !
but no supporter would ever think of pakistan winning a world cup ( as i did after 2003 disappointement )

inzy !! u let us down !

Dear Kamran Bhai:

Completely agreed with your opinion. As a true Pakistani fan, i stayed till the last moment and hoping against hope that something will happen! but it didnt. Escapegoats will be their now and i hope that rather than making stupid decisons, we should make wise decsions.
Imran Khan has been insisting on making our domestic system strong for some time now but since he is on opposition no one listens to him. We have not produced any good batsman for quiet some time now and our bowling is going down the hill as well. To me discipline is the key , not the super stars. Bangladesh and Kiwis are just two exaples, they won the games just by playing as a team.

In the end i would like to mention that no one expected us to do good in the world cup and we just did what was expected. It is far more better than teams like India who claimed to be listing the world cup this year and got bashed by a spirited bangladeshside or you can say that new Lanakns on horizon of cricket.

I have been saying for so long, we should fire wolmer and get rid of all this crap. If you dont believe me read my earlier posts.

Thank you woolmer n Inzi for giving us many victories. Failure is not urs failure is of critics who never siupporte du from day one. Failure is of players like Younis Khan who being a rubbish still is in team and failure belongs to the team who didn't stand up and delivered. As for me Younis Khan as captain will be a joke, he should be thrown out together with the rest of team batsman with exception of yousuf n shoaib malik. Abbassi sahib u never supported Inzi, woolmer n u can sure as hell say I told u so but u cant say u n ppl like you supported this team at all. I guess it is Inzi's n woolmer's fault that the pathetic n unreliable Akhtar tested positive and also dragged down our other bowler Asif with him, I guess it is also Inzi n Woolmer's fault when afridi decided to show his antics that got him banned this close to WC, thier fault I would say when Razzaq got injured and Azhar the luckluster was brought back? I love my team which is team Pakistan, no matter who is playing, n i will always suuport my team Pakistan. U never suported this team and they lived without it. Inzi has done more for this team then any one cricketer with the exception of Javed Miandad. Your beloved Waqar was the captain when we lost in 2003. Your beloved Sohail cost us another WC and a class batsman like Saeed Anwar when he become selector. Both W & W's have been involved in petty infightings and delibertaley throwing away the matches just to get one up. OCB Naseem Ashraf should be sacked, no doubt, team policy should be changed, cricket structure should be changed and domestic cricket should gain some respect all agree but dun just blame coach n captain blame the whole team. 11 players play the game and with exceptuon of rao, gul sami all failed. Sami who bowled good today should still be sacked, we all know he is here cuz of ur hero Imran Khan who dun have the courage to get at the helm and fix the cricket only thing he is good at, except to sit at the boundry and work behind the scene. When Miandad was coach n Pak lost to India in Pak cuz of new team, you all cried for Miandad head. Now at this loss Woolmer;s head. An embarrssing loss it was on the ground to Pakistani team its further loss to decimate ur heroes.

This has to be the darkest hour for Pakistan cricket. They have brought shame to the entire nation and all its supporters. The proud history of producing champion sportsmen has been tarnished by these bunch of jokers. Every member of the squad and the managment committee need to apologise publically to the nation for this shambolic display. This should then be followed by the resignation of the captain and the management committee. We need to start with a clean slate now. No baggage should be carried. The side should be full of energetic individuals who have no mental scars and have some mental toughness. I mean look at the way people got themselves out. After they saw there was some grass on the wicket they should have re-thought their strategy and should have set their stall to bat the full 50 overs. They probably would have won the game even if they scored 150 odd. But they took the Irish bowling lightly and didnt adapt to the match situation. Full credit goes to the Irish team who deserved to win. This is the worst day in Pakistan cricket's history and we are out of a 7 week tournament in 5 days. Way to go chaps, you have done us all proud!!

What a fiasco, consecutive exits from the first round of the world cup. The weaknesses of our players have been exposed; just prepare green decks and make us wobble in bewilderment. I don’t blame Bob Woolmer for this debacle, but it is the Pakistan Cricket Board who should be accountable for the mess. The quality of the domestic circuit is pathetic. There is a consensus that our players are not technically or mentally equipped to handle the grassy bowling supportive pitches; it’s such a pity that even then the board is in a state of bliss. The chairman of selectors Wasim Bari had already proved his ignorance in terms of players’ performances and this spineless performance against Ireland is an open demand of his resignation. People like Saleem Altaf and Nasim Ashraf must be ashamed of themselves. The chaos and confusion they created over the Waqar Younis resignation or the doping issue directly affected the team.
It’s high time that ad hocism must come to an end. We need hard hitting people like Imran Khan to brush the talent and harden the feeble structure of our cricket. I fear that cricket in Pakistan is following the similar down fall pattern of hockey. I think the team must look beyond Shoaib Akhtar and Inzamam ul Haq now. We need an aggressive captain and I agree with Kamran Abbasi that Shahid Afridi must be given the opportunity to show his worth as a leader. As a die hard fan of cricket, I am disappointed and mourning the death of quality cricket in Pakistan!

Gutted, just absolutely gutted.

Even at my most pessimistic I never envisaged this. A defeat to Ireland? Not only a defeat, but an almighty failure of batting - 132 all out to Ireland? Who? Ironic that that's exactly the same score that Pakistan were bowled out for against Australia in the 1999 final. I thought then that things could not get any worse, but being bowled out for the same score by (and with all respect to the Irish side, who were fantastic) a bunch of postmen and teachers. Absolutely unimaginable.

I just feel empty. After looking forward to the world cup for years, and given that it's a 6 week tournament, it's hard to believe that we've been knocked out within 5 days.

The Pakistan management can now take their Urdu only directive back home with them and see if it helps there. It's just so indicative of what was wrong with the team - focussing on completely unneccessary issues while the team was falling apart, turning up with an arrogance which demanded a Super Eight and semi final spot with no application whatsoever.

We were all expecting to be disappointed in the Super Eights, not devastated after two games.

Clearly the management, Woolmer and Inzi are to blame. The management were nothing more than inept, and Bob Woolmer, who was supposed to have brought 'discipline and professionalism' in the end managed in his few years into an even bigger shambles than it had been after the last world cup. As for Inzamam, this was just one tournament too many. Inzi is a poor captain, he looks lethargic in the field and the only inspiration he provides is to instill an ill-diciplined ethos into the team, resulting in a team of overly qualified unprofessionals lacking in graft. It's easy to forget what Inzamam has achieved over his decade and a half long career, and once the dust settles and he has moved on, we will miss his unbelievable batting abilities. But right now it is his poor captaincy and poor recent batting that only comes to mind.

If Pakistan continue as they have done over the last 10 years, they will be in danger of becoming a completely spent force in world cricket. It feels like that's what they are now, but this could spark an absolute failure of cricket in the country. After seeing Bangladesh's unbelievably disciplined and professional performance against India yesterday, and watching two teenagers scoring fantastic half-centuries under such pressure, I would not be surprised if the Tigers replace Pakistan in the trio of world class teams in the Sub-Continent.

And what now, who for captain? After the all-round debacle yesterday it's hard to single anyone out for glowing praise. Mohammad Yousuf would be a captain in the Inzamam ilk, and that's not acceptable. The openers are hopeless, and need to be completely removed, in favour of a new batch of youngsters. Younis Khan is obviously the favourite, but how many times has he failed with the bat? His reputation for steel and determination is in tatters after his recent poor performances and dreadful shot selections. Having said that, he is certainly more professional than a lot of the team, and could help improve discipline.

Shoaib Malik scored a few runs (not many, but a few) and applied himself well. He just doesn't seem to have the authority and it's hard to imagine him presiding over the team.

The bowlers have been interchangeable and also bring with them a lack of authority and discipline. The wicket keeper cannot keep wicket and does not have the head for a calm batting innings.

And then, aside from the obvious Younis Khan, that leaves Shahid Afridi. A man who didn't play in these two debacles, who watched with agony from the sides just like we all did. Will he be feeling the same despair that we're feeling? From the television pictures yesterday it would appear so. But then one only needs to recall why he wasn't on the field to realise that he has had his fair share of controversy, not to mention his yo-yo-like relationship with the bat. But perhaps, and exactly because of the fire and passion that is in him, this could be a stroke of genius. Perhaps he could be the man to mould the team into a team of determined professional individuals with the will and dedication that we, the long-sufferring Pakistan fans deserve. It would be a big ask though, and he would have to work on adapting his cavalier 6-and-out attitude that has failed the team so many times. It would be a great risk, but it may be the spark we need, and after all, what could be worse than what has just happened?

These are decisions that the selectors need to make. But first of all the decision on the selectors is even more important. We need people who know Pakistan cricket, people who have the experience and acumen to realise exactly what is wrong with the team, what needs to be done and exactly how it is to be done. And we need someone who has the vision to create a new team, someone who can provide inspiration to the team. We need Imran Khan. He is surely the man to drag Pakistan out of the quagmire and through to the other side. And if we can't get Imran Khan, and other luminaries of Pakistan cricket? Well, then we need to prepare ourselves for our beloved team to disappear completely from the world of cricket.

Quite right Kamran, I have followed you since you were writing for the now ceased publication Inside Edge. And, like you I felt that this bunch of players could some how rise to the occasion.

The underlying tradegy is that in terms of natural talent there probably is not a nation in the world on par with the pool available in Pakistan. How we hone that is another question.

The simple fact is as you, the team is run like the county, people who know nothing about what they are doing, all power hungry wanted to be heard, and no one wanting to listen.

Until a full time board is appointed, and a solid first class structure, nothing will happen. We ahve been saying this for 15 years!

The likes of Wasim,Waqar, Javed need to be put into various roles to develop our side.

But for any who saw the Waqar interview on Geo with Saleem Altaf will know that whilst we have the likes of him and Doctor Who? running our team, we are going no where.

The solution, another Imran. In the mean time, I think Afridi would be a great choice, no fear, and perhaps he would grow as a player too?

Knowing Pakistan though, Javed will soon be coach and Younis will be skipper, boring boring pakistan. This is the equivalent of Gerrard Houlier ruining Liverpool. If there is a Pakistan Rafa out there, please come and save us, for Pakistan Cricket died, on St. Paki's day.

It is a shameful day in the history of Pakistan Cricket, it is so unbeliveable that it boggles my mind, however reality is such, what we need is a complete overhual of our system. I propose making Imran Khan head of the board so that he can reform the way cricket is organized and played in the country. In the immediate future the heads of Inzaman, Woolmer should resign, and if they have any shame they will apolgize to the 150 million fans or so.

Well said Kamran.
Last night my wife was trying to console me by saying it is only a game. I can only quote Bill Shankly (for those who don't follow football, he was one of the greatest managers who coached Liverpool Football Club). He is reported to have said -- "Some people say football is a matter of life and death. I can assure them, it is much more than that." In this case substitute 'Pakistan cricket' for football. So what should I say to my wife? I am a middle aged man now with grown up children and should know better but this is the worst day of my life (as far as sport is concerned).
I hope heads will roll. Not only that but I think the PCB should put a stop this tablighee influence, which seems to be all pervasive in the team. I have nothing against tabligh -- in fact I was once part of it but now the players seem to blame everything on destiny -- ala Inzi who felt it was in the 'Kismet'.
Time is a big healer and this pain will also ease but I hope PCB and our players learn something from the debacle that WAS World Cup 2007 (note the past tense because for me the World Cup is over).

I cannot agree with you more on this Kamran except for the fact that Pakistan simply does not have enough talent or professionalism to compete consistently at the international level. This debacle once again shows the mediocracity of our nation which is enshrined in every single one of our cricketers minds. Secondly, we are generally very optimistic people. The way that we had been playing one day cricket for the last year or so, was enough evidence to suggest that we will certainly not be able to qualify for the world cup. Losing to Ireland! was even beyond my imagination (i proclaim to be the biggest pessimist about Pakistan cricket). Thirdly, in a country where every important post is held by a buddy of the President, what should we expect? I think we are fools ourselves to expect anything from our Board anyways. Finally, I cannot believe the audacity of Mr.Haq, Mr. Woolmer, and Mr. Ashraf who , after taking Pakistan cricket to its darkest day (we thought nothing wud be darker than the Oval fiasco), have still NOT RESIGNED?!?!?! Nauseating...just nauseating

A fair summary Kamran as always. The current administration-captain, coach et al, have brought shame on our team and our nation. We are proud, for all our faults, and this degree of humiliation we cannot stomach.

Perhaps Inzi should stay on as a batsman, I hope he does. We are not flushed with quality players to be able to lose him.

Pakistan cricket died yesterday. We need to rise from the ashes like a phoenix. A new skipper, and to do away with techniqueless clowns like Hafeez, Nazir and most of the rest. We have 80 million males to choose from, one of us must be able to play the swinging ball. Not that it counts for much, but I've knocked the ball around in friendly club matches, and is taking one for the team is the need of the hour, I am ready and willing to serve. Jinnah once uttered "failure is a word unknown to me"-what has come of the great man's dream?

Pakistan Zindabad.

No comments...
No words can explain 17th March....

Bob, Inzi, if you are reading this please answer with your thoughts....we have yet to hear your views on where our players get their lack of energy

wow that was a bad day! In my limited knowledge here's what I think should happen. Inzi should call it a day, Woolmer should take up the offer to coach England, and 'the doc' should pack his bags and go back to the states!!
Of course we need a complete overhaul of first class cricket, but I think the reason our batsmen capitulate so spectacularly so often is the pitches in Pakistan. All the pitches should be turned into good sporting wickets, which will expose batsmen's weaknesses, and then they can work on fixing these issues. This I think is the single reason we have not had a real opener in so long. None of our current crop have the technique to negotiate the new ball on a bouncy seaming track.
Kamran...Afridi as captain...seriously? Is this the same afridi who is currently banned for threatening a spectator, who pirouetted on the pitch agaist England, who threatened to resign from test cricket due to his exclusion based on his poor form?? I'd much rather see Shoaib Malik given vice captaincy and Younis Khan made captain as a short term option till Malik can stand on his own two feet as captain. I think Malik is the single most intelligent cricketer in our team, and this is mirrored in his versatility. He is able to shift through his gears superbly depending on the situation. He is being wasted at number 6, by the time he comes in, the match is all but over (one way or the other).
I know i just said make Khan captain in the short term, but as a player I just don't see him as a match winner...he just seems to play well against India, maybe I'm wrong on this one though.
I absolutely love Inzi, and have nothing but immense respect of this immense man (in more ways that one :p), but I think he is past his sell by date. I really don't want to see him axed, so I hope he resigns, and leaves with some dignity intact.
Imran Nazir needs to back to playing galli cricket, and I really want to see Asim Kamal reinstated in the middle of the innings.
But who cares, its all gone to pot!! What a bad day!!

Shame on Pakistan team. I am so shocked that it is getting difficult to put my thoughts in words. PCB chairman Naseem Ashraf, Bob, and Inzi should immediately resign from their positions but I doubt that they have any courage and grace to do so. Instead thay should be fired.

Nothing has changed since last world cup, they were thrown out in the first round then as well.

I still can't believe that they lost to Ireland.

It is high time to get rid of Inzi, Imran Nazeer, Hafeez, Rana, Sami, etc.

I think we should now put some under 19 guys in our team. Take the example of young tigers of Bangladesh.

Kamran you could not guage the ability of this team and wrongly kept your faith in them.

I think Yousuf and Younus should continue to be in the team as they still have some years left in them.

The bowling department is OK.

Pakistan should look for some good new openers. Enough chances have been given to Nazeer, Hafeez, Farhat and Salman Butt.

rgds

I think you summed up every die-hard pakistani cricket fan's thought.
Now like many other pakistani fans, we go to the West Indies to watch another team play rather than our own.

Dear Kamran, thank you for this open letter. You have almost communicated what most of the die hard fans would have wanted. I still can’t believe that we are out of the WC 2007. I will also never forget the face expressions of Shoib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Rao Iftikhar & Mohammed Hafeez during the dieing moments of the game against Ireland when they were 7 down and required 12 runs to win. You could tell from their faces that they desperately wanted this win and then there will be no looking back but I think it was too late by then.

Now we need to answer some questions here and keep in mind these are not new questions these should have been answered long before. Now is the time to find answers for these before it is too late;

1. Who is responsible for this debacle?
2. Who should be accountable? Will Dr. Nasim Ashraf do the accountability who himself has been sent by Mr. President to take charge of the PCB affairs or will it be the selectors who are part timers and don’t have any authority what so ever over the selection process?
3. Will history repeat itself (WC 2003)?
4. This time it was the worse performance so again some heads (Captain, coach, top players) will roll?
5. Will the rebuilding start again and end in the same fashion?
6. Will someone (please) take some bold decisions?

We also need the following NOW;

1. A young, thinking, bold and aggressive Captain who can lead from the front with out any fear of loss. It’s not difficult it’s just a matter of finding the right person.
2. A young coach, who can communicate with the players
3. Inject some youth in the side and prepare them for the international games. It’s better loosing with a young team than with the older guys.
4. Select a pool of the best 25 players (2 playing 11 teams) and give them international games over a period of 2-3 years. You need to coach and groom them at the same time. Amongst these there should be 3/4 ‘specialist openers’ and 3/4 ‘specialist pace’ bowlers
5. Need to do drop the following players permanently from the ODI squad; Inzamam, Shoib Akhtar, Yousuf (Inzi and Yousuf can carry on with the test game but Shoib should be dropped permanently). The young guns after analyzing their performance should be dropped and should be asked to prove their form and make a come back.
6. We need a system where at least someone is held responsible/accountable.
7. We need a system from where you can pick players and convert them to into match winners.

The last two (6&7) are going to take long and may never be done but the rest can be done (1-5). I think this is the last opportunity for us to go back to the drawing board and start from the scratch. Otherwise I don’t see any future for Pakistan cricket and it will become like our Hockey team. There was a time when I used to know all the 11 players in our hockey team and now I even don’t know who the Captain of our Hockey 11 is. We still have the talent and the players who can compete at the international level; it’s just that we need to find the right players and put them in the right channel.

well peoples anger is justified ..... but i guess we all should remember ..... ireland played well ..... every dog has his day ..... y do we always get green tops to bat on ..... SA got a perfect batting strip ..... even the defending world cup champions france were eliminated in the first round of world cup n got defeated by debutants senegal ..... india lost to bangladesh ..... n the blame for the defeat is more coz of the PCB administration n the selectors rather then the players ..... i am sure out team will be able to regroup ..... n i agree with u mr abbasi ..... on paper only austrailia was a better team ..... n i think shoaib malik should be the number one option for the captaincy now ..... inzy's days r over ..... we should all back out cricket team to do well in future !!!

You start with “Dear Inzy, Bob and Doc,” what about the top guy, the patron-in-chief of the PCB who appointed the most mediocre people to head PCB.

Woolmer should have been fired after England’s tour. It appears that Mr. Woolmer has accomplished his mission of transforming Pakistan’s talent into a docile side. Job well done!

And “the doc” turned out to be a “domicile doctor.” He is a total disgrace. These idiots have docked Pakistan of an opportunity to perform well at the cup.

It is not a matter of just “a” defeat at a sports event. It has to do with institutions and the accountability. No institution! No accountability. It is a wake-up call for all who are trying to damage institutions in Pakistan.

With all that has been going on since the ill fated England tour of last year, what else was to expected. Still, being thrown out of the wcup by Ireland is pretty much the icing on the cake. There is a strange yet totally familar feeling about what went wrong yesterday with cricket team and what has being going wrong with this country over the past, well....days..weeks..months...years..so whats to compain about!!

Absolutely agree with the sentiments you expressed in your open letter. Let's start with the last match of the 2007 WC against Zimbabwe: Inzamam, Younis, Yousuf, and Afridi should sit out - our senior-most stalwarts. Afridi was missed the last two matches but who's to blame for that if not Afridi? Let Malik shoulder the captaincy for the match against Zimbabwe.

The creeping of our mullah-mentality into all matters is manifesting itself on the cricket ground. These Tableeghis have got to go; they're merely retardation agents.

Clean the stables and do it now!

- An irate follower from DC

Bissmailaah ...., Assalamoalikum, thanks to ALLAH that saddam husain is not leader of pakistan and his son is not in charge of sports affairs, probably this inzi was going to say at the end of match. one can imagine what would have been the treatement of our team and management if they were. (once iraq lost against kuwait his captain was arrested and beaten up on intruction of saddam's son, to cut story short, he got managed to leave country and claimed asylum in UK)

I hope PCB may have learned lesson now if domestic infrastructure is not of standard level required this what happens if team happens to play on a seaming and bouncing tracks. Not a single batsman had an ability to apply himself and could prove himself to be professional cricketer (batsman).
At the start of worldcup our worries were that we dont have front line bowlers and batsman would have to win us games but it turned out to be opposite, only difference is it happened when our front line batsman were around.

Kamran, that was a very emotional letter with some valid points, but really if you have been a longstanding Pakistini fan this result is not a complete surprise, we have always blown hot and cold, even under the great Imran Khan; that is part of the enticement and excitation that makes being a Pakistini Cricket fan so special. Sure, Pakistan need to be more professional and change their domestic structure etc...But don't kid yourself that Pakistan cricket has been anything other than unpredictable in the past and give Inzi a break- the greatest day of my life would not have been possible without Inzi. It's just a game, that is a fact, we played badly and deserved to lose, we need to look at our game and structure and improve for the future. What we don't need to do is start getting too upset and we certainly do NOT need Shahid Afridi as captain! Relax; at the moment we are all low but it will make the next high feel so much better, and it will come because that is the way Pakistini cricket works.

ha ha ha, u silly old chap! what made u believe in this volatile pakistani team? and now u r hurt...just like many other pakistani fans. i wud hav luved a pakistani win also, but i had no hopes considering the captain and coach and their hi-fi mind blowing strategies. u need to learn as much as pakistani cricket board needs to do.

I would really Critisized the way matches have been played by the ICC like if we see that there is no reason that Pakistan and England had to suffer the first defeat and get into the pressure while other teams playing the Club level cricket and enjoying defeating minos in their first matches if ICC have made this kind of table they can make that one in which every team should have to start with the other Minos teams. Like i said we took a lot of pressure from the first match, we were down and out with the westindies so much that we didnt recovered from there, I think that thing was same happend in 2002 ICC Champions Trophy, when we lost with Srilanka in the first match and then it was nothing left for the second match , in this world cup its look like it was only for Austraia and South Africa that currently they are enjoying their first two matches and then they played each other for the carry on points as compare to us we played first match and got a lot of pressure, ICC can arranged these matches like they did only for Group "A", why did we suffered, I can say it wasnt the balanced way of schedule of the First round Even Though the India and Srilanka are also playing the Minos First but we didnt, AND IT WASNT THE RIGHT THING HAPPEND. I DONT KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL AGREE WITH ME BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT WASNT THE RIGHT WAY ... THE WAY PAKISAN SCHEDULE TO PLAY ITS LEAGUE MATCH

It's shocker, shameful, disgraceful and painful. Even though I am a pessimist, I too, was of the belief that we will qualify for the second round atleast, though I gave our team no chance for the trophy.
To lose to Ireland is like me loosing to my three year old and then lay blame on the pitch and batters and what nots. We were dismissed in 45.2 overs. I don't blame Gul or Iftikhar for not scoring, but I blame them for lack of mental application. If they had stayed at the crease maybe another 10 would have been scored. (India lost 8 wkts at 150 odd, but Munaf and Zaheer showed what true professionals should do and atleast made the target respectful). In international cricket as in other sports, its not over till its over; teams that have character fight till the death (Aussies in 99 semi final and supersixes). For Lords sake you are paid to play, DO YOUR JOB. In all honesty, I couldn't sleep last night thinking that our cricket is heading the path of our hockey (and does someone know we were unbeatable at squash as well?)
There will be letters published calling for Woolmers and Inzi's head. My train of thoughts is derailed, I can't even say what should be done. My only postmortem was on the team selection, why didn't we pick the most capable players, Yasir Hameed, Butt. Dreams along with application may result in victories, but only dreams? When will we as a nation stop dreaming, start doing. As a nation we are going down by the day, many won't agree, but that is what it is. It won't long before we get routinely beaten by teams like Ireland (no discredit here please to the wonderful Irish team and performance--but my feeling is just like that of an Irish soccer fan's if Ireland loses to Pakistan in soccer).
Maybe later in the day, on finding some energy and sheeding off the depression, I will comment on the overall performance, but for now I will leave our fans to think what long term strategy should be applied. There will be targeted comments, frustration will be vented, all understandably, but dear friends, please for the sake of our team, country, for once lets analyse this rationally and post our comments accordingly.
P.S. I hope and wish India qualify for the second round and more, or else it will give our team management more reasons for being stupid, and our fans (including myself maybe) to believe it can happen to anyone, and hence it happened to Pakistan. May Allah help us.

dun know where to start frum huh ... U R RITE WAT A BLOODY SHAME! only coz my comment wudan be posted if i use any swear word otherwise i wud have done n done it big tym coz i can feel lot of anger inside which gotta cum out...huh
i reckon if our woman team had played dere cud ve ben a much better result,i wud lyk pak managment to do wat hitler did a long tym back..
INZI NO WORD FOR U MAN ..huh, y dun u jus do tablegh n stay away frum cricket really feel lyk knockin u out beard guy... u n u crappy team have played with our feeling n emotions..by da way i ve asked my lil bro to be on airport wiv eggs n tomatoes on airport coz i cant .. GET RID OF ALL.
ZAHEER,LONDON

2011 inshallah pakistan's year....inshallah

All too predictable I'm afraid. The writing has been on the wall for the last 12 months but a few streaky wins (usually based on MoYo getting a big score or one of our flashy "superstars" riding his luck) have papered over the cracks.
We still don't have an opener who can consistently see off the new ball or survive 5 or 6 six overs. Yes occasionally they will ride their luck but there is a basic lack of technique, knowing which balls to leave, dealing with a moving ball etc. Whoever is responsible for coaching them needs to go. In a country as populous as Pakistan with the number of playing cricket, there must be 2 players capable of being coached to international standard.
Of our "golden triad" in the middle order, only MoYo has played consistently well, and cannot be expected to carry the team every time.Younis Khan has been distinctly average and living off his reputation. Inzi has been great in the past, but looks a shadow of the player he was, and it seems time may have caught up with him.
Allrounders? Afridi- one big score out of ten innings, as evidenced by his ODI average over the last year. Razzaq- looks lethargic, slow, out of touch. Azhar- doing as well as can be expected, but he is not a worldbeater. Shoaib Malik- has at least shown some guts and desire and deserves to stay because of this, but in all honesty would he get into any of the top 6 teams?
Wicketkeeper- dear oh dear. Akmal has been desperate for at least 9 months- missed catches, missed stumpings, and comes from the eyes-closed-have-a-thrash school of batting. He's young and can recover, but really should have been dropped to go away and learn the basics again.
Bowlers- credit to Umar Gul and Rao who at least tried, and can be competent, but at the moment at least are not world class. Even Asif, although he has the potential to be a McGrath, is not there yet. Shoaib I'm afraid is bad for the team, bad for morale and too disruptive. Kaneria is overhyped but seems to be the closest we have to a decent spinner.
Overall, people are deluded if they think we have the talent- we don't. We have lots of players who throw the bat around and occasionally it comes off. MoYo is the only world class performer in that team, possibly Asif. I'm sure there is raw talent, but it needs to be coached properly- at club, district and national level. The first teamers need to have hungry players fighting for their place to get rid of the complacency. And until we develop more world class players, we need to rely on doing the basics right- technically correct batting, decent fielding, tight bowling, be competitive.
I agree that heads must roll at the PCB. If the infrastructure does change and the cronyism and nepotism stop, this defeat will have been worthwhile- but I'm not holding my breath.

salaam!I don't know where i begin frm.Whatever U have written is totally true.But it is not enougf.They deserve a lot more.I have no words to express my emotions.But next time i will write more if i continued.I am a big fan of sports & specially CRICKET. But i watch no more cricket since 2003 World cup.There are a lot of people in Pcb & Pakistan cricket team who don't know even the abc of cricket.

Why no comments ??? this was truly the most shocking defeat ....

kamran i said it before n i'll say it again...

people please get over cricket
this game has given nothing exept SHAME and PAIN to its fans

its time now to get over it

Anger, rage and depression is what is haunting the Pakistani fans at this moment. The last 6 months we have seen our team come trembling down from heroes to zeros. Who is responsible ???? ultimately the PCB management and the board patron !
What is the role of higher PCB officials hanging out in the player's gallery ? Let eh players do their job and you do yours. Gosh, we are so diasppointed.
I will come to Inzi and Bob later but Mr. Nasim Ashraf since you took over as the chairman, we have seen our cricket being down graded, controversies, bad management and at the end you found nothing else so you banned english ?
Please give us all a break, pack up your bags and head back to Texas where you have been more successful and give us a sigh of relief. You have been a disappointment and a BIG ONE.
Now to Inzi and Bob. You guys have helped transform our tigers to paper tigers. You guys were doing just fine until 6 months ago and then everything fell apart. What happened ? Please we want to know the reality and facts. Yes, an open letter will do the much needed explaination. In the last 4 years you guys haven't been able to overcome the basic problems .. the openers, green top pitches, swinging balls ... the list is endless.
We, the Pakistani fans have supported you and your team like no one else did. We ignored all the criticisms from all around the world, backed our captain and his team because you, yourself assured us success. At the end, on the day when it was time to prove yourself, you failed. You failed yourself and failed us all.
Inzamam, you don't deserve this farewell but unfortunately, you wrote this script yourself and I am really sad to see such a great player leave cricket on such a low note. I have been a big fan of you as a player, as a human being and will always be but you have been a failure as a captain and its time to admit it.
Please, before you leave, kindly explain us the reason you didn't wanted Waqar as coach but Mushtaq. Who was Mushtaq suppose to coach ? We saw huge difference in bowling when Waqar came on board but YOUR favoritism gave us all this mess.

There is nothing much to say anymore. Today we saw the failure of the most prestigious organisation in Pakistan and its very obvious who is responsible. We will never learn from our mistakes ad we will see the same pattern as after every worldcup. NO ONE has paid attention to developing cricket from grass root level and we will fail again. We have failed so many times that we dont even have hope anymore because PCB, you really suck !
March 17, 2007 is the darkest day of Pakistan cricket history and should be officially declared a Black Day. This is the day when our most prestigious unit failed the whole nation and we might not recover from this for a long time now.

I think it was important loss. It highlights following things, that many fans were already saying:

1. Pakistani cricket is like any other institution in Pakistan, and been corrupted by lack of democratic nature and involvment of Musharraf. He has screwed everything in country.
2. Nepotism in PCB and in team. Examples are Dr. Nasim Ashraf who was just worrying on wrong things , and getting rid of Waqar Younis and bringing in Mushtaq Ahmad for no good reason.
3. Poor selection of team, and no guts to take some new players.
4. Lack of proper cricket infrastructure in country.
5. Lack of vision from top down, in any sort or form.

Solution:
1. Groom young emerging batsman, in sort of all pitches. I said before, take 40-50 batsman who performed well domestically to places like New Zealand, England, Australia and South Africa. Make them play with some club (even if PCB has to pay it).
2. A captain who is spirited and technically correct. And also who would have stable position in team on his performance. Shahid Afridi can not guarantee his batting performance.
3. Take Musharraf out of picture, re-structur PCB in professional manner.
4. Write a comprehensive software that takes into account all sort of possibilities (recent form, form against an opposition, strategic requirement, skills on all departments etc) to generate a squad of 20 players, and then coach and captain can select 15 from it. Just a suggestion, may be the software should select the final 15 as well.
5.Coach, who does not get caught yawning in match, more involved in team at all level.
6. Rotation policy should be adapted. Also, there should be some specialist test players and specialist one day players, and groom them in their speciality.
Lets see what furture for Pakistani cricket is..

The worst day in Pakistan’s cricketing history no doubt will bring out a range of emotions from those directly involved and those who support them passionately. I am of no exception and being upset, angry, shocked and embarrassed just being a few that I am experiencing.

Cast your minds back to Pakistan’s first round exit in the 2003 world cup and one has to ask themselves what did Pakistan learn from that disastrous tournament and it has now become evidently clear that they learnt f*?k all.

Heads will no doubt roll after this defeat and in my opinion rightly so. Lets start from the top;

Nasim Ashraf: What has he done for Pakistan cricket other than creating a number unnecessary off field distractions?! He quite clearly has no credentials of running a national sporting association and is in urgent need of being replaced by a able body to help Pakistan recover from this catastrophe.
I also think most of the selection committee needs to be shown the door as their lack of vision and planning was a major factor in Pakistan’s downfall.

Bob Woolmer: He came with a reputation of being one of the best coaches in world cricket and arguably will leave with that reputation being much damaged. What exactly has he done to improve the national team during his stint and without sounding too harsh I can not think of too many achievements. He failed to display any planning or strategy in the three most recent tours of England, South Africa and now the World Cup. As a coach of a national side his main focus should be on strategy and planning as he can only fine tune player skills at this level but he has time and time again showed to be a failure with Pakistan in that department.

Captaincy of Inzamam-ul-Haq: Pakistan NEED Inzamam the batsman as I feel he still has a lot to offer but more importantly there does not seem to be anyone good enough to replace him. One thing he should relinquish is his captaincy in the ODI format of the game. In my opinion Pakistan need to make either Younis Khan or Shoaib Malik captain in the ODI format with my vote going to Shoaib Malik. The question is will Inzamam play under another skipper especially if he lacks the seniority Inzamam has. At the same time I don’t think at this moment in time we can lose Inzamam the batsman.

Imran Nazir: He does not have the mentality, discipline or the application to be a international batsman and especially an opener. He is a walking wicket which the opposition are guaranteed in order to get off to a good start and a way into which to exert pressure immediately on to the rest of the Pakistan line up. There are plenty of players in Pakistan who can do a better job and need to be given the chance.

I have finally pressed the off button on Pakistan cricket. After years of watching our players flounder their way through game after miserable game, I have finally accepted the fact that they can never rise above mediocrity. After years of cringing at each run up and praying that the batsman will at least attempt to defend, I have finally decided to turn the TV off. No more watching them with one hand on my eyes and the other on the channel changer, hoping against hope that the embarrassment will be a little less this time. No more wishful thinking that one day I’ll wake up from this nightmare and find myself watching a game where Pakistan lives up to its hype.

As a red-blooded Pakistani living in Southern Africa, I have finally exceeded my capacity for shame brought about by this new low in performance. Pakistan is considered most unpredictable team in world cricket; yet, I have found our team to be very predictable in disappointing us at every chance we give it.

While other teams are breaking records of all kind in this World Cup, our team is busy digging itself deeper still. Where inexperienced players and teams are standing their ground over after over, our players are going out for zero and one against the very same inexperienced players and teams. I have stopped trying to make sense out of the nonsense we call Pakistan cricket and I will no longer attempt to find reasons for the consistent failure of our players that are supposed to be world-class.

I am tired of the heartaches and heartbreaks that come from being emotionally involved with such unstable individuals. I am sick to my stomach of being the laughing stock of sports fans everywhere that are lucky enough to have no genetic affiliation to our team. South Africans are called “chokers” by Australians. Our players are “jokers” by contrast. This ignominious defeat at the hands of Ireland—Ireland, for God’s sake—is just the straw that this camel needed to have its back broken. When the so-called minnows can crush Pakistan so convincingly, it is time for Pakistan to hang its bat and retire to a life of anonymity.

There is more respect in not playing at all than in playing so badly. There is more honor in not being a cricket fan at all than being a cricket fan of Pakistan. Our team can actually take the honor out of even being a Pakistani. Well, this Pakistani has decided to cut this infected part off completely and voila, I can actually lift my head up and look people in the eyes. There is still shame, but this shame is not repeatedly rubbed on my face every time a TV channel shows highlights of the latest fiasco choreographed by my brethren in the green.

I'm sick. On medication. Advised to go out. Trying my best to type. Trying to avoid any more news. No Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik (Vice Captain) and Shahid Afridi (captain). Sorry Inzi, you and your team 1 - 9 apart from Sami & Rao (both in batting and bowling) let us down.

Pakistan deserve to be out of the world cup at the first hurdle for the lack of respect they showed to the rest of the cricketing world in dealing with the shoaib/asif drugs issue. It's time they abide by international sporting rules, leave religion out of sports(start of Inzi interviews?), be honest with themsleves(Afridi?) and just play cricket like the rest of the world do!

As a long time admirer of the Pakistani side I am deeply saddened by this result. I have always had high praise for Inzamam and this is not the way he should say goodbye. I believe Afridi as captain is a brilliant, innovative idea. It would bring out the best in him and I think it would inject some daring and hunger into the team. Afridi bowls, bats and fields with urgency and ambition - perhaps he will lead in the same way.

People might say that they expected Pakistan to loose the way they did, they might say they knew Pakistan had no chances to win anything, but I am sure that no one wanted to go out of world cup like this. On a day when everyone in my home kept saying that Pakistan cannot possibly loose to Ireland, we did. The remefications will be dire, ofcourse, that is again expected. Coaches, management and probably the senior players will be sacked but what good will that do, same thing happened last time around and we do not see any differences in this campaign.

Fans of Liverpool Football Club has an anthem that most probably know, they remind their players that "You'll Never Walk Alone", they remind themselves that no matter what happens, they will stick together, they will stick with the team, no matter what happens, no one will walk alone. Yet today, each one of us feel that the team has abondoned the fans, the fans have abandoned the team, the management is quiet, it feels like a storm is coming. Hopefully, some good will happen this time around, but knowing the people, the place we live in, it is just a hope, and probably same thing will happen again and again and again .....

I should not be that depressed my folks say ... I am sure I am not the only one walking alone in despair

well said Mr kamran

But who the hell listens in our society? its an utter shame that a 150 million nation which is palying cricket since its birth, which takes pride in its natural talent for the game, which has crowned the coveted title once in 1992 and reached finals once again laler,loses to "Street cricketers " of Ireland. ....They only had two county players amongst them. But what they had and our paper kings did not was "A Plan" and a will to go out and fight it out. A will that we have been known to possess for decades in our cricket.
Thanx to the so called leadership that we have in our team management, we have proved last night that we have lost it. We have had seriously stupid defeats earlier on also but as You rightly pointed out Mr kamran , that these romantic followers of game thought that we would not drop so low.........lowest may be.

The only signs of life in this otherwise lifeless leadership of inzimam . Woolmer and the PCB chairman could be visible in shape of their resignations from their respective posts.
Go and do what you can do best.....definitely its not cricket

Very well said. Agreed 100%
shahid afridi or shoaib malik for captain!!

Disgraceful to both Pak & Indian teams. The fans of both these teams are despondent and shell-shocked. Pakistani fans deserve much better. The PCB, if it exists, has never been transparent with it's fans about the selection process, the whole asif-shoaib saga...must roll indeed none one but many heads...start with the aloo Inzy, since Woolmer's is a given, Shoaib since self-promotion comes before team interest to him...we should also make sure that there is no knee jerk reaction, but I believe some wholesale changes are in the offing for the betterment of the team's future...

My heart felt commiseration to all Pakistan fans

You deserved better

Also sorry to see Woolmer and Inzamam careers end on such a sad note

I think the entire sub continent should come together to develop a premier first class league and academy program that will ensure the best players rise to the top and are taken care off. India may follow suit soon and elimination is round the corner. This is a shock wake up call, and must result is puposeful re-building particularly as the sub continent hosts the next WC in 2011

Well said Kamran sahib.
Words fail me. The only solace I had yesterday was trying to convince myself that I will be more productive at work since I wont be watchig the game on my computer while at my job!
The PAKI teams lack of performance was a disgrace to the nation. In-zalaleel-ul-haq reminded me of a cow walking in his lazy stupor chewing 'cud' with apathy on his face- no fire, no passion, no zeal.
Even if the team was focused on using Islam to drive success (and nothing wrong with that) they should have looked at leaders such as Saladin, Tariq bin Ziayaad, Hazrat Omar, Hazrat Ali and the learnt from the victories of the prophet (okay, maybe I'm getting a bit carried away but I'm a bit peeved so please allow me). Rather they looked like a bunch of school boys lost without in a professional sports world.
If these idiots have self respect that all of PCB needs to resign along with Bob and Inzaleel.
I bet you that while losing these idiots were just comforting each other like a bunch of 'sahelees (girlfriends)' in the dressing room rather than screeming and cursing like real men.

Nothing can compare this back day for the so called Asian cricket gods...
Thoroughly outplayed and thoroughly demolished. Two neighbours, both capable of reaching the finals are betraying millions and billions back home.

Shame to all those 'greats' whom we should no longer revere.

It is really shameful the way we exited the worldcup 2007.

The solution for this dilemma is just the merit selection in every department. We need the leader someone like Imran Khan who can absorb the pressure, can show agression, can have the control of his team mates and lead from the front as he did in the semis and final of WC 1992.

We have to make a professional first class infrastructure. The country can not produce openers and the batsman of Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting class unless we have green, bouncy pitches.

I think we have the talent in bowling but our batting is the main problem. No proper opener, no strategy what so ever. Just the hit and trial.

From my point of view, we need 3 proper openers and 1 specialist 1 down player. Inzamam should now retire and give chance to the youngsters.

Something has to be done immediately. I pray from Almighty Allah that He saves our Cricket and our Country.

Allah bless Pakistan (ameen)

Hmmm. Plenty to think about for Pakistan but do they deserve this? Is Inzimam captincy is that bad? Does Pak current team have ability to beat teams like Ireland and Westindies. Is Bob Wolmer that bad as a coach or is it our domestic level cricket.

Plenty of questions came to my mind.

1 thing Inzi should do retire before even going to Pak.

and

What will happen to the rest of Pak team. ALLAH KNOWS

However oen think i do think is that We lost and we are out of the World Cup at a such an early stage but I dont think out team, captain or the coach are that bad to loose like this.
Cricket is by chance and what ever happen had to happen as comes ALLAH even if Imran Khan was playing it had to happen so we should not cry our it but go home and learn from our errors and do the neccessary ammendments needed to the team and the administration.

Well, it had to happen, many people had already predicted it. This Pakistan side looked spiritless for the last 6 months and it has paid the price by loosing to Ireland. Irishmen played brilliantly and I wont take anything away form them but its so humiliating that Pakistan has failed to qualify for the second round for second consecutive time. It is a shame, it really is a shame. Wasim Akram's team lost in the final of 1999 World Cup and everyone said he fixed the match. I think now people would know ho big a deal it is to reach the final of a World Cup and that no one and i say again no one can fix a final of the World Cup. This is surely the end of Inzamam's career, but I dont think we nee haphazard changes in our side. Inzi must be sidelined and a new captain should be chosen. Please dont go for that laughing hypocrat Younis Khan, he is not a gud oneday player anyway, so it leaves Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi, one of them should be given the responsibility. About openers problem, I hav been saying this for the last one year that we need to try a totally new pair. No more chances should be given to Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Mohd. Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Imran Nazir or Taufiq Umar. They have all been tred and tested and its time to give chance to some new faces. Its been a long time since we got our last quality under-19 batsman. I hope we have someplayers in the under-19 ranks who could come to the rescue. I think, it is also the end of Rana Naved and Kamran Akmal, atleast for some time. We need 3 or 4 changes in the team not more and we certainly need a new captain to give us a fresh start.

P.S. Plz kock Salim Altaf he is a real nuisance.

Mr. Abbasi,

There's no point berating the cricket system in the sub-continet, especially Pakistan and India. In fact the way these two countries run the cricket makes my belief that they are more alike than different even stronger. For example, both the countries have a passion for the game like no other - you just have to wander around in any city in either country and you will see cricket being played in streets, gullies, grounds, maidans, roads etc. In fact talent wise I don't think any country comes close to Pakistan or India.

Another instance is that in both the countries cricket is being run by politicians - by Mr. Musharraf in Pak, and by Mr. Sharad Pawar in India. After all in subcontinenet you can't really keep politicians away from fame, fortune and power, and cricket in the sub-continent has all three attributes. And I won't blame the politicians and other factors as well for our failings - after all take away India's world cup win in 1983 and Pakistan's triumph in 1992, what have we really achieved? Precious little! We still are tigers at home and lamb for slaughter away and still have yet to win away from home against decent opposition such as Aus or SA.

We, as in cricket fans and general public in these two nations, should take the blame as well. After all one are ruled by the system/people one deserves. But we are, as you rightly said, emotional people, and generally with short memory. After every failure we make a big hue and cry but forget all about it after winning a few inconsequential matches. In fact I can guarantee you that people will forget about our failings as soon as our teams start hammering a feeble opposition at home on flat-as-a-glass surface. Nobody will remember the hard truths and bad memories of seeing our team fail whenever there's a bit of pressure or in case they are presented with alien conditions (green-tops).

We should not let our cricket administrators get away free to make even more money from the game and give precious little to the game that fuels the passion of the entire sub-continent like no other. We should ask for, and deserve, a system similar to Australia's that has cricket administrators who know their job (similar to management team in any fortune 500 company) and selectors are actually people who have played the game and know something about it. After all who else would make Mushtaq Ahmed a bowling coach instead of Waqar Younis when Pak bowling depends on fast bowlers?

We have to make sure that we force the system to change by not being satisfied by a few inconsequential wins at home. Maybe we should even think about boycotting the game for a while to force the administrator's hand - I am sure with no money coming in for a few months would be enough for the administrators in both the countries to get an idea that we can't be treated like fools forever.

Blaming the cricketers and baying for their blood is the easier option but not the root cause of the failure. If we replace these players with a new ones we will have the same failings the next time, albeit with different faces. Performance of the players is a symptom, and not a cause and unless we change the way we run our cricket, I am sorry to say we will continue to be mediocre.

And back to cricket. Even though it pains me to see the sub-continent teams (Pak & Ind) bow out of the rournament, as a cricket fan I am thrilled. The game we all love needs more countries to be competitive and it is absolutely essential for the well-being of the game that the game spreads to newer horizons. I think Ireland's performance is the shot-in-the arm that is needed to promote the game in Europe - Ireland, Scotland and Europe.

For Bangladesh the win against India marks a new chapter - they have turned the corner and can no longer be termed as minnows. Sure, they will still lose more than they will win for the next few years but I can see them win a world cup in the next 12-16 years a la SL in 1996. This can only be good for the game.

But ICC needs to make sure that they don't make the same mistake they committed with Kenya post 2003 - after reaching the semis of the last world cup they hardly played any other team and simply stagnated. This time ICC has to ensure that teams like Ireland, Scotland, Holland and Kenya are encouraged and given games against the elite nations on a regular basis. In fact the European teams should be encouraged to be part of the county cricket by ECB.

And maybe ICC can opt for a two tier test cricket whereby top 8 countries form the elite of the game and other 8 nations compete with each other and two top nations of the 2nd tier are promoted to the elite level every two years, replacing the bottom placed teams in the elite level.

Anyways, this world cup would no longer be the same without Pakistan and India's presence in the super 8's as I was really looking forward to April 15 - the day Ind & Pak were supposed to meet as per the ICC world cup website :)

Maybe everything happens for the better and who knows this was the shock we were waiting for in order to get our house in order.

That was embarassing, humilating, and stupid

I dont have any words to describe how im feelin now

I supported the team through tough times, dopin, oval fiasco, homes series drubbing by india in ODI, England series, the damn South Africa series, and really im reachin to the end of the rope
How long am i gonna be humilated, disappointed, there's a limit, to what a person actually feels
Despite this,i still support team Pakistan
I still dream of glory, dunno maybe i should have my head examined
Our bowling was great, Sami, Rao , Hafeez, Gul
our downfall was batting, imagine a team of 11 players, 7 batters need to perform, and out of seven not even 1 got to 30, blame lies with Nazir, Hafeez, younis, yousuf (sorry yousuf, but i still love u), Inzamam (his fault is the big one), Kamran and shoaib malik, not 1 perfomed, its understandable that the wicket was green, but hello a team like ireland should not have been a problem, we should have gotten use to it by now, a green wicket
Inzi's time is finished, he's to damn old, he cant bat anymore, its best for everybody that he retires, Woolmer is a good coach, its not his fault that the players cant perform, Waseem barie the selector should be given a kick, he cant select, nasim Ashraf should be sacked, no experience
its time we bring Imran Khan as PCB chairman, but it will never happen as Musharaf is against him
Maybe its up to us all Pakistanis, maybe we should build and construct a team, if we are good in cricket it wouldnt hurt to try out for the team, im gonna try out this summer inshallah, if any1 is pretty good in cricket u guyz should try out for the team, its our responibilty to restore glory to cricket, that is Pakistan's cricket
Love u Team Pakistan

On 17th March 2007 Pakistan cricket died. RIP.

On 18th March 2007, every Pak cricket fan will wake up and eventually, after everybody has had their say and people are sacked or forced to retire....Pakistan cricket will be re-born sometime later in 2007.

In short, no matter how much we hate the team right now, come the next tournament everybody will be backing them again, because that is what Pakistani fans do. No matter how much we try, we can never give up on our team and will always follow them with hope in over hearts. WE ARE THE ETERNAL OPTOMISTS.

That is why, even with no decent openers, no Razzaq, Shoaib or Asif and most of all no strategy, we still believed that we would go far and even win this world cup.

Well the reality has come home. Kamran bhai is right, since the England tour Pak cricket has been on a downward slide and this, after all the other controversies, is the end result.

I dont agree that this team has no fight, look back at the India tours the last couple of years, there is most definately fight in this team.

But since that ill-fated tour of England the fight has gone, along with any application and strategy too.

We waited 4 years since the last World Cup to put right the rubbish that went on then. Everything we did, all the new players we found, everything new we learnt mean that ULIMATELY WE ACHIEVED NOTHING. And that is what hurts the most.

In 2003 we had opener problems (ie who to bat with Anwar) and the middle order had no application and fight. The bowlers could not finish off the other team, there was no killer instinct.

And that is exactly what has happened now.

I feel very sad for Inzi. His legend is now reduced to this. All the hard work he has done, is forgotten. His laid back appearance to captaining is coming back to haunt him.

But its not all his fault. Younis Khan has batted so poorly in both innings, playing without responsibility. Future captain...I hope not. His ODI record is poor anyway. And then theres Yousuf, Azhar, Akmal and Sami. All set, all doing well. All we needed was single to get to around 200 which would have been enough, but no...they stupidly played their shots and got out. NO APPLICATION. Its all well to cry after getting out Akmal and Yousuf, but then why do it? Idiots.

You cant blame the bowlers for their efforts. The batting has been poor for years, especially on green pitches and still there has been no improvement. Not one bit.
For this, Bob Woolmer must take responsibility. In his 3 years, he hasnt unearthed a batsmen and the only 2 that have gotten batter are Yousuf and Malik. This is very disappointing in his part. The lack of strategy from him is amazing too.

But going on just yesterdays game, although Pakistan didnt help themselves, and I dont want to take away anything from Ireland, I just feel that it was Pak's destiny to lose/Irelands to win. They dropped many catches against Zim. Yesterday, they dropped nothing. 240 balls out of 243 were pitched on middle and off. 163 were on a good length. And when they batted, how they didnt manage to give even a single edge until the very end is unbelievable. The luck of the Irish was in.

Good luck to them now, they will need it more so in the super 8. But if Pak can learn anything, Akmal, Yousuf, Younis, Sami, Hafeez, Nazir, Malik should alll watch the Irish batting again and then they will see how to bat on a green pitch, and they will see what application, strategy and fight are.

To end, I know the instinct is to abuse and blame Inzi. But dont be too harsh. He is a proud man and he will be hurting like no other right now. Just remember his legend.

I cannot believe what happened yesterday. But the problems you mention are at the root of India too, and they are the reason, despite all the fans and all the support, that India & Pakistan will never produce a dominating side.

Australia produced one not necessarily because the players born there have more talent, but because the talent they do have has been harnessed and the system is such that the true potential of the player is realized. How many players under 21 make the debut in Australia, compared to India and Pakistan? In Australia, you are required to prove yourself, mentally and physically at all levels of the game, including several years in what is the most competitive first class cricket structure before you are even considered. We get fond of these 18 year old kids, and just throw them to the wolves without knowing anything about how they can handle pressure and the rigours of cricket.

It is quite shameful, this defeat. But I think this write up is typical of the sub-continent's mentality which is as quick to lionize the pretenders as it is to bring down the just loosers.

Another case in point is India's defeat. Pakistan did much better than India all in all, they fought tooth and nail, atleast the bowlers did, while the Indians just whiled away. If Inzamam is a bad captain then Dravid is simply the dregs. If Woolmer is bad, Chappel is a criminal offender. I see India on a flight back home soon as well. Maybe we can book them on the same flight back, India and Pakistan. Inzy would also get time to finish his shopping by then.

I agree.Bring fresh blood.What about Shoab Malik for captain and involve Imran Khan in management

what a fantastic letter... could not have put in better myself... although somehow i have some sympathy for inzi when i saw how demorilised he was... he has always said his players have to up their game and they all failed him... but the basics were just not there... 5 wickets down and nazir, akmal, mahmoud all still going for sixes... truly pathetic... most of all i blame the pak management for being such a bunch of corrupt cunts... from the whole asif/shoaib saga which they well and truly fucked up to the waqar sacking... we need to replace this team with our u19 team except keep gul, younis, yousaf, afridi, and malik... where the fuck was anwar ali is this world cup?!? we decided to continue to toll with the most useless bowlers in international cricket who have proven in the last 6 months how shit they have become... rana naveed go back to sheikhupura back to your shop please

Kamran -
One of my friends accurately pointed out that while South Africa and Australia have been hammering the minnows, India and Pakistan have struggled against them. Its a sad day for both former world champs as they were both humbled by much much lower ranked teams. Cricket is a great leveller and the teams from the "big teams" from the subcontinent are always the ones quoted when referring to this adage. The truth is that we always play to save a game when in trouble while all the other teams do not compromise on aggression. This sense of inevitability often leads us to keep tripping on our own feet and sink further into a self constructed quagmire. The other thing we need to learn from the better teams is that superstars are superstars as long as they perform, otherwise they should be no better than bench-warmers.
!! Sanjay !!

!!!. Totally agree with you man. Why not Mhd.Yousuf a gud choice for next captain??

Yes i agree with Kamran Abbasi that the best thing Inzi & Dr. Ashraf can do for Pakistan cricket is to leave. Look at our young tigers Tamim , Musfiq, Saqib all three are 18-19 years old. Look their committment & patriotim. How the brought down Mighty Indian to earth. We have second love to Pakistan Cricket Team because Great Wasim replied the question when we beat Pak in 1999 world cup-"We lost to our brother". So we fill hart when PAk lost to a team Like Ireland. Last 4/5 one day matches Pakistan did not cross 200 runs. In a country where country is running by military leadership in that country it is natural that PCB is also running by One man leadership. There is no democracy either in team selection or in team management.So we request to Pak team not to participate in major tournament involving teams like AUS,IND,WI,SA or BAN.

It is bad and unfortunate ?
Now its happened.
Now the question is, how many people will leave the set up?
Will the dummy Captain, Yunis Khan leave as he is also responsible ?

When will all team come back to Pakistan after performing Umra - Thanks to Allah ?

Will the Dcoc stay there at PCB expense till the worldcup final ?

Sarmad
London

Inzy, Bob..and all the paki players...U bunch of losers..u disappointed us...we hate ya all...we hate ya.....

Well done Ireland.

Go to hell Pakistan.

Where do we start from?...this is so shambolc it defies belief. Lets try and pick up some pieces. Firstly, let me make it clear that I am not a cricketing expert and these observations come from the common sensical observation of an average Pakistan cricket fan.

The events on the cricket ground seem to be a reflection of the wider political and social circumstances prevailing in our homeland.

For way too long now, Pakistan has lacked inspirational leadership. Inzi will go down in the books as one of the greatest Batsmen of this era and a very nice and humble bloke he is , but he has failed umpteen times as a leader. The fact that when he saw his batting side wobbling ( on numerous occasions now) he never moved up the order to take the bull by the horns , instead went down the order disgusts me. If your team leader is going to protect himself from the "Swing", who is going to play , wrong signals throughout.

Bob Woolmer....great coach, really admire him but i feel over the last few months/years he has hit a plateau with the team and seems to be struggling to take them forward . I am indeed very critical of one of his approaches , the approach to fill the team with allrounders, he did this when he was with South Africa and he has done this with us now , the decision to recall Azhar was never going to work , it was obvious , the guy is a spent force, and him replacing Danish kaneria , a specialist leg spinner seemed diabolical and bore it self out. When bad times come for teams they go running , recalling the players of the past instead of ensuring the young ones stand up to be counted, India ( SOurav Ganguly) and Paksian and examples of such and Australia is an example to the contrary. they will make the newcomers fight to the end , they have expectations to reach , one way or the other , they MUST do the job , because no one else will.

I suspect, with a heavy heart, Bob will be asked to leave following this debacle , and I am sorry to say , he must bear part of the responsibility, alongwith Inzi....we must move on.

Completely agree with Kamran , the shit must move on right to the top. The cronies MUST pay a price. Inzi and Bob are responsible at the ground level, the administration at top are the eventual responsble people.

Our team must start afresh. We must be prepared to lose a few , the young ones must be made to work bloody hard to earn what they get , nothing should be taken for granted , the bowlers must continue their good work , the batsman have to pick up their game many notches, it is eventually the batting which got us, the bowlers did a reasonable job.

Can somebody PLEASE get rid of Mohammad Hafeez???...the guy has been given an unbelievable number of chances and has not come through ONCE. you can fool some people some of the times but this guy seems to be hell bent on fooling the whole nation at all given times. What happened to Yasir hameed, Salman butt, Taufiq Umar. why was Danish nt playing , why is Niazi just a member of the squad and not plaing any matches if he is alleged to be very good. The era of the "bits and pieces player" is over, it is the era of responsibility of the specialist.

Captaincy must be given to an unbriddled spirit, somebody with pride and passion, energy which is contagious , not an introvert like inzi, but somebody who is a bit of a gambler in his nature whilst leading from the front. unfortunately, I cannot come up with a single name at the minute, but maybe Shoaib malik, he seems to manage responsibility reasonably well , Younis is going to be a bad choice , mark my words. He is arrogant , which is good, but does not possess the substance to sustain that arrogance and more often than not will end up making a fool of himself and us.

We have hit rock bottom, it certainly cannot get any worse , can it ??....second thoughts , yes it can , the PCB can make Hafeez the new captain!!!! (Joke...PCB please ignore this suggestion!!!)

Let them play , no politics , just hard work , push them to their limits and persevere with the ones who show promise and commitment and this will not repeat it self.

I hope for the best for our beloved country.

I think Pakistan never could get a reasonable opening pair. Imran Nazir started his career in mar 1999 against Srilanka and every since he has the same batting style. M Hafeez not technicaly strong enough to absorbe the pressure. Younis Khan always tries to open his inning by hitting big shots. Pakistan has more than 20 first class playing teams with more than 100 specialist batsmen. How on earth we couldn't find a single reasonable opener in more than 10 years? Shame...

In my opinion, shoaib malik shud be made captain and afridi should be his deputy in ODI but since afridi is not a permenant member of the test team, we need some 1 else to take the responsibility of VC in test.

i know this sound odd, but this odd is not necessarily wrong.

inzi will surely step down as captain, and should retire from ODI's but should play test for a while.

younis need to be dropped from ODI's, he is useless. but he is an integral part of the test team......... may be he should only play test like langer.

Well it's the same old story...a spicy pitch and presto! Pak batting collapses...doesn't really matter who the opposing team is...before we were a bit luckier and the tail used to bail us out...getting us to a 'respectable' score of around 180...and then ofcourse we had some fine bowlers like Waqar, Wasim who would even win some games for us...or at least make it tough for the opposition...

The only thing that is different nowadays is that the tail is much weaker and the bowling is not even a shadow of what it was before, and theres no where for us to hide our pathetic top order's failings anymore... I guess the only solution is for PCB to try to get some pitch experts and make more bowler friendly pitchse in domestic cricket...but thats been said so many times by so many people, and it's still not been acheived, it seems that it's impossible to do...

The aftermath here will be like WC 2003 all over agian...a few heads rolled, a few fresh faces came in the team-just to appease the public's thirst for 'justice', but nothing really done to fix the underlying problems with Pak cricket...

In 4 years time we will be in the same situation...but don't be alaramed!...the next WC will be in the sub-continent...so we may actually make it to the second round!!

PS. well played by the Irish...when Pak were batting it seemed like Pak were the underdogs and not the other way around! Also to Pak fans...cheer up it's just a game :)

Well, Kamran, i think you have spoken for the entire nation, and covered up most of the parts pretty well.If only we were allowed to swear in this blog, than this website would have crashed due to the endless amount of swearing that this entire side deserves!A leader like Inzi makes the entire team look like a bunch of unfocused amateurs, whose main target is to spread islam more than anything else.

My recommendation for captaincy would be a young guy like Mohd Hafeez. We have to learn from what South Africa did with Smith and NewZealand did with Fleming. They were both ordinary and inexperienced players who seemed to have that little extra to be a leader, and that extra bit brought out the best. Shoaib Malik seems to be too lethargic (in line of Inzi) to be fit for the job. We must find young energectic players, who would actually put the picture of Pakistani cricket in front of the world: EXCITING AND ENERGECTIC. Inzi, your 11000 runs are no good for us if they dont come when required. Bob and Mr. Ashraf, please look for a job where your decisions will not directly effect any individual, as you both are born to fail.

Our team deserve that it should be handed over to Punjab Police in black courts and should be given the same treatment which is now a days given to lawyers.

Wonderfully summed up Kamran..! I've been watchin cricket intriguingly ever since 1998, I seriously don't think i've missed more than 10 games ever since. The amount of talent these guys possess is unbelievable but amount of times they click togethor is once in a blue moon.

1)Inzy should retire, He has been a truely wonderful batsman ever since he came on the seen 1992 but now his times up, sorry.

2)Shoaib Malik should be made captain, Ive seen him captain at domestic level and he has done a good job.

3) Shahid afridi should be made vice-captain instead of Younis Khan after his comments in the champions trophy last year. Even though Afridi is a free spirit, maybe this might give him some responsibility.

Hope is what we had... and you took that away from us!
May Pakistan Cricket Rest In Peace!

I totally understand your frustration Mr Abbasi. As an Indian supporter I feel the same way albeit that Bangladesh is a minutely better team than Ireland. I believe this has been a rude awakening for these grossly overpaid and idolized cricketers who take their huge fan base for granted. Pak should take a hard stand and treat their players like Ganguly was dealt with.

i had never expected pakistan to loose so badly in the world cup.....not only me but the whole nation expected then to atleast qualify for the super eight...it would be har to overcome this trauma...but theres nothing one can do...moreovver its time for inzi to retire....nd the team which i would like to see after the world cup is
1.shahid afridi(captain)2.yasir hameed 3.mohammed yousuf 4.shoaib malik 5.mohammed hafeez 6.bazid khan 7.kamran akmal 8.abdul razzaq 9.rao ifthikhar
10.mohammed sami 11.umar gul ........shoaib and asif should replace sami nd rao if the return

interesting sms i juz recieved:

"pak cricket died at 3 am tonight.inna lillahe wa inna elaehay rajeoon.funeral will be held on March 21 after the match against zimbabwe.maulana Inzi will lead namaz-e-janaza."

Pakistan cricket won't go anywhere unless it is reformed from the ground up, we should look to the "Academy of Excellence" in Australia to figure out how exactly to go about to recruit and groom; technically correct players who have a temperment of keeping the bigger picture in mind and going about their jobs as cricketers in a professional manner.

Unless we reform everything from the PCB, cricket academy and local leagues we really are just wasting our time going around in circles putting a team of unruly and indisciplined players together thinking they could win the World Cup and be the team to beat for other nations.

Wake up Pakistan!

Pakistan's world cup campaign is finally over. Every Pak fan is disappointed and most of them may not even want to talk about cricket for a long time. I think before we open another flood gate of traditional emotional outbreak of ours, we should take a moment and honestly look at the fundamental problems in a more constructive way. Future outlook of the team does not look bright if we just scrap our defeated team. No player wants to perform the way our team did today and I am sure that the most dishearten Pakistanis are the Pak team itself. Its time to move on as world cup is just another big tournament. I would like to see Pak fans showing character in the times of a defeat. Throwing dirty eggs or stones on the team is not going to improve our future in cricket and it is certainly not the sign of a civilized nation.

i agree with some of the above especially the doc.

but to flout inzamam like that is not the right way. he has brought a lot to pakistan cricket and if you look back some of his teams performances in 2005 against india where we drew in losing situations and even won.

shoaib should be given life ban.. muhammed asif should also be peanalised heavily for his drugs taking. for if these two were in squad wee would have a team its these two players who have tarnished and rubbed the name of pakistan and pakistan cricket in the mud.

Bob and inzamam u brought a lot to pakistan cricket but now its a time for change..

younis for captain

why you wrote only australia?
shame on me too with you go to hell pakistani captain he is a lazy person i saw ever in my life he don't know how to use bowler spec. he never used malik and haffez for atleast 10/10 overs
3 i pay 200 box to watch the whole tournament spec when i wanna watch afridi to play but i have to pay the price nothing to watch
4.why younis khan playing in this one day team
5. remove inzy he is lazy dull
6.never trust on this team again this is not a team player just everyone fighting for rights(WHO KEHTE HAI NA NAWABI KARNE KA SHOCK NAHI GAYA NAWAB TO RAHE NAHI) they all fit for this
6. KITNE DIL TOTE AJJJ AAI PATHER DIL TUJHE MALOOM NAHI KASH TERE SINE MEIN BHI EK DIL HOTA
I PERSONALY LIKE SAHIOB MALIK AND AFRIDI FUTURE CAPTAIN AND VICE CAPTAIN I WANTED SOME GOOD PLAYER
LIKE ANWER ALI
SARFRAZ AHMED
JASMED AHMED
AND SOME LIKE MORE AND MAY BE SARFRAZ BE THE CAPTAIN
INZI SAHME ON YOU
they broke my heart

U said very right that PCB requires to be run by people appointed on the basis of merit not friendship or relationship.People of Pakistan want the recogsnations of Sir Doc Naseem Ashraf, Maullana Caption INZI BIG BHAI,(Aap k liye 1 mashwara hai k kisi sarkas main hathion ko training ki job dhoond len)and our LEP TOP Coach(Please go & try somewhere in IT company for job). I have some more good options 4 U.U may contect me at 0800 20032007. Now the question is what to do with Pak team.First of all look 4 somebody very fit & diciplened caption in Pak team.Sorry 4 that Osman here i will not agree with ur suggetion about Younis.To be very honest this man has no place in Pak Odi team.Second one is shoaib Malik. He is a very good fighting crickter,but on him iwe can't trust now because of some reasons.everybody knows that.Third is Afridi,let him try and give him the full authority of team selection.And ask him we need only very very good results.And gihe him some time limits.We want to be NO 1. we want to beat Australia & South Africa in every field of game.I think U and a lot of people will agree with that.ALLAH HAFIZ:

media, judiciary, executive, cricket every thing is in shambles ..
i've lost hope/interest in cricket..
i'm better off with the premier leages and the UEFA ..
adios cricket..

Assalamoalikum!
You cant just say that it was another bad day, give me these 15 players and I show you how to handle your guys. The problem is a little bit deep rooted, you have to scratch the surface a bit. Think about it, did Bob or Inzamam think about the suggestions on these blogs? Why is it sum-mun, buk mun (bkind and deaf). What were they thinking that they will mange some how with out giving it a serious thought, no way. For me its not only the question of cricket but also the question of our poor nation. Until there is rule of law and justice in the tree (Pakistan), please do not expect the branches (all organizations including PCB) to be green and fruitful. No one,absolutely no one is above law/justice. Even though I strongly believe that this team was not selected totally on merit, still they should have done much better. The question is
Are we willing to sit down, think and learn now?
I doubt it, as the "maniana" (dung tapao) culture is running in our blood. I hope/wish/pray that things get better at all levels (amin).

People outside of pakistan, u dont understand. This is d biggest embarrasment for pakistan since i dont know when. None of us understand d reprucussions of this.. All the players will have to sneak bak into d country should stay in solitude for a few months. F**king hell.... I'm an irish pakistani and i'm ashamed to be a pakistani today.....
At the moment i dont see anyway out of this.
We played like cowards. This shows our whole mentality to the world. We saw ireland, presumed we would win. The saw d green wicket and instantly after losing the toss, heads were down. Wat the hell. These paki payers are getting payed millions (in dollars) and lts not forget we are a 3rd world country. They should atleast make an effort. Look at South africa, austrailia, srilanka... They got minnows, took them on professionaly and did their job. Us pakistanis. we're always leaving it for someone else to do. This is a terrible reflection onn the people of our country but this is how the world see us now.
I dont know wat i'm writing here but i have never been so pissed off at a bunch of people in my life. I dont know how they are gonna get out of this

It was devastating performance,this whole team should be gone except for few players.PCB should spend money not on these tired spineless greedy players. The best approach would be to get 13, 14 year old boys and send them to the cricket academy and teach them language, fighting spirit, and of course the basic technique how to play, cricket not do dope,and concentrate on fitness. Bangladesh is doing something like this and see the results. An acadmy like militry acadmy.That money will be worth spent.

Well now that its over one can only look at the better aspects of it, atleast it was 'quick', wouldnt say painless. I agree with the option of Afridi as Captain, its now time for drastic measures. Pakistan's confidence and self beleif has hit rock bottom, we need someone to lead our team who has a whole lot of it even to the level of craziness and I beleive that Afridi can provide the team with that massive dosage of belief and fighting spirit. Coming back to the current side, one other good aspect that I can think of is that the coming month and half could now be better utilized, maybe.

Like all of my fellow Pakistani citizen, I have been in a state of shock since Pakistan's hasty exit from the world cup. In this deep emotional state, I started questioning why am I so passionate about this game? And at that moment it hit me, what else do we have as a nation to celebrate? We have no status left in the world, we dont have any leadership, we dont produce any world class scientists, our only hapiness as a nation lied in the fact that we were respected as a cricket playing nation. Unfortunately, that also has been taken away from us. It is very easy to blame one or two players for this. We shouldn't forget that these players have been great servants of the country for so long. We did the same in 2003 and it didnt work. In my opinion, the system has to change. Like all other institutions in Pakistan, cricket is also being ruled by "Darbari Maskharas" who are only worried about pleasing the "King". We need bring political change in our country from top to bottom so that deserving people who can bring constructive change, get a chance to run these institutions. The question is, what can we do for this? We need to be politically active in PakistanIts time for us to become agents of change.

hi i am a 16yr old pakistani . and i am a die-hard fan.i have been watching cricket keenly since i waz 11.And i dont thnk i have ever felt so low and depressed after the game against ireland.really dissappointed.im speechles..4more loong yrs......for me i thnk inzamam needs to be fired and our fielding desperately needs to be improved.After the huge amounts of money tht is being made ,it should be spent to improve our game,pitches and the whole system.we do need an energetic leader just like u mentioned.
however my greatest fear is tht cricket might be totally wiped out of pakistan just like hockey and squash have.only a miracle can help us now

You have one thing correct. Your captain certainly needs to take a large share of blame for this. I believe it all started when he spat the dummy and denied his team the chance to continue play against England in the 3rd test last summer. And he basically got away with it. Imagine Australia pulling the same stunt. We would have been shredded to bits by the media for believing we were bigger than the game.

This Pakistan team 2nd only to Australia? That's funny.

The great Miandad and Imran must be wondering how Pakistan Cricket lost it's fighting spirit.

Inzi has to go. Bob ha to go and so the rest of the cricket board including selectors. Younis has done nothing for us in ODIs.He does not deserve to be in the ODI team forget about him being a captain. Malik is a true fighter but is not strong enough to be a captain. Afridi is the guy to take us forward. He is aggressive and we have seen him captain Karachi Dolphins and he truely impressed me. Sack both openers and bring back the true genius of Little Saeed Anwar (Salman Butt) and Yasir Hameed and for God sake leave them alone for a while. Send them to play county to correct their off stump problem. Bring Asim Kamal and Fawad Alam. They deserve to be in the team. Bring Sarfraz into the team as a second choice Keeper to put some pressure on Akmal to perform. WE need Abdur Rehman as a specialist spinner. Kaneria is next to nothing when it comes to one day cricket.
Do all the above and I might be tempted to support the team that I have madly supported from the day I remember the word cricket.
The second option is just tell ICC that we dont deserve to be on the cricket field and just Bow out of the circketing world.
An ashamed to be Pakistani cricket fan.
Naeem

This to the ICC:

Cricket teams represent their nations. Please do us a favor and ban Pakistan from all forms of cricket until and unless every current member is not removed. Given the current team, i would rather not be represented.

Ireland deserved the win. It just goes to show how much a team realises its own skill and makes the best use out of it. Pakistan, on the other hand, have shown how to help the opposition bring out the best in themselves.

Until the next world cup, i invite all my Pakistani citizens to shift their attention to Football- where we have an under-skilled team that requires motivation. Unlike the Pakistani cricket team, im sure they realise how important every game is.

Sad, but true, Kamran. Pakistani cricket has been in decline for years now. The doping controversy involving their 2 bowling stalwarts - Akhtar and Asif betrays deception and insidious dealings of PCB. Inzamam has been the 'Rock' at the heart of a fragile Batting team that has 'collapse' as its middle name. Yousuf and Younis are the other mainstays and they have flopped in the World Cup so far. I must praise Sami, Iftikhar and Gul for their work ethic and accuracy in this new-look attack. Old habits die hard - Pakistani openers are the subject of global ridicule today, just as they have been since Anwar and Sohail retired. The faces change but the scores do not. On a green pitch, the Shamrock islanders tripped a sloppy Pakistani bunch to create the biggest upset of the tournament. Modern cricket is about passion, athleticism and skill, which Pakistan lacked conspicuously. There is room for improvement and the focus needs to be on building a team from scratch while retaining the young bowlers. Say in 2015, Pakistan could have a team worth competing for the title ? It is a hard road ahead when Pakistan play without Inzamam and other old hands but patience is needed to build a new team. Someday Pakistan will regain their rightful place among the elite of World Cricket. Till then, work and patience will be their formula.

Well Well, i cant forget this nightmare, I am proud of those who made us proud of this game of cricket but i have to say sorry abt Bob and Inzy.
I agree with you Mr Kamran, its realy time for Bob, Inzy and Doc to leave this system and lets the young guns to regain that status which Pakistan had at some time back in the history.
Mr Kamran you talked of 3 options but i would like to add one more young player in this list, Salman Butt. I'm sure most of you would agree with my choice. But my first choice would be Shoaib Malik.
I would like to add one thing more, one thing more should me added in the selection criteria of cricket player, player should come at the age of 20 and must leave at the age of 30. Todays cricket never demand experience, todays cricket demand something like spirit and inovation and much more like it.
This is time for Pakistan Cricket Gurus to sit and think about new strategies.
I think we should start from scratch as we did in 50s.
I dont want to repeat the words of Mr Kamran, i have alot in my heart to say but silence is enough for some one who have understanding of the situation.

Salaams, what can i say? like most other pakistanis i am still in a state of total shock and utter disbelief at yesterdays events. I cant believe how it all went wrong. I was remembering the glory days of not too long ago when we werebeating sri lanka, india, and england in test series and we were ranked second in both forms of the game. I thought pakistan had turned a corner and were actually gaining some consistency. How wrong i was. Since the champions trophy it's been a shambles to be honest. Why did it all go wrong? well first of all the biggest problem in my eyes is the corruption and scandal in pakistan cricket. I think politics runs cricket in pakistan and that is a real shame. I definately hope ashraf goes because since he's been in charge pakistan have been an embarassment. I actually thought bob woolmer is a fantastic coach with a great reputation. So what went wrong? my thoughts are that the politics of pakistan cricket meant he wasnt able to do his job the way he wanted, and pick the players he wanted to and unfortunately this has been the case with all pakistan coaches. In terms of inzamam, great player though he has been for us, the time has come for a enw, energetic captain, i think inzi is far too laid back in everything he does..i believe pakistan needs a major revamp, get rid of the corruption and politics to start with, and ensure the best players are being picked. I mean what happened to salman butt? ok so he had a patch of poor form, but the boy knew how to bat (test centuries against australia, england, india..) and he was a damn sight better than hafeez, nazir or farhat yet he's discarded and is a figure of the past at the ripe old age of 23. He actually had the potential to prosper and was worth sticking with, and the same with yasir hameed and asim kamal (who incidentally didn't even have poor form and eyt were dropped, hammed with a est average of 35 ad an odi average of 40, and kamal with a test average of 37). Other then the politics involved in selection of the team, i think pakistan still has a core group who obviously are brilliant players if they perform, namely yousuf, razzaq, younis, kaneria, asif, akmal, malik, afridi, gul, sami etc etc the list goes on..but what i think needs to hapen is that the team is revamped and frankly grow some balls, because they show a complete lack of guts and look like cowards when the ball is moving around. We need a vibrant and energetic mentality and i believe this will be achieved with new selectors, a new, young captain and a revamp of the whole structure of pakistan cricket if we are to ever succeed. However, for now the hurt and shock remains, and will loom large for the coming months, it will hit home mostly as i walk in to lectures at uni on monday morning and get the piss taken out of me by bengali and indian friends. I end with saying i just wish this mess could be transformed. We all live in hope

get politics out of our academies and first class structure .. our cricket board is no different from the zimbabwean cricket board .. how do u expect our team to perform when we have a goof like inzimam as our captain .. the bowlers have tried very hard .. the batsmen have failed .. they are paid millions of rupees for every game and the PCB cant get them to learn how to play swing bowling .. its pathetic really .. the mentality , the atitude of the players .. we need educated cricketers .. people like Imran Khan .. Rana Naved once came on tv and said most of the young guys try and perform in a game so they can get selected for the next .. u need players who dont only possess natural talent but players who know the importance of playing for Pakistan .. they must have that fighting spirit .. the selectors in australia do that .. they will not only look at ur talent but also ur fighting ability and family background .. i think the selectors in pakistan should adopt a similar approach .. so as he PCB wont ever change its policy and we'll have guys with the same attitude and cheap thinking in the team forever , i would suggest we should all stop watching pakistani cricket ..

ASHAMED TO BE A PAKISTANI.

Road to Karachi No.1,Flight No.1,Exit No.1,Shame No.1,Kick to Bob woolmer No.1 & INzi and PCB sink the pakistan team, Allah Hafiz

These jokers have hurted the feelings of 20 crore citizens and there should be a public humiliation. Personally I think cricket has left us behind as a sport just like field hockey. And it didn't happen at once. It happened over the period of four years with a potato lover coach and captain.

Well, well, well. This was inevitable. I strongly believe that if the merit is superseded it might give you a temporary success but the lasting end result will be a disaster. If an organization is run by non professional this is the end result. PCB needs complete overhaul. I don’t think Pakistan cricket will ever see a further lowest point than this. The two matches in the world cup shows lack of leadership, plan, techniques and in short lack everything. Anyway successful nations learn from their mistakes but our history shows we learned nothing. If we still try to find excuses and don’t own and address these mistakes we are bound to see many more days like this. I hope and pray for the better. My consolation is with every Pakistani.

Like most Pakistanis I am stunned. I didn't sleep well last night. This is an unmitigated disaster. I am not qualified to suggest a solution to our many problems but it is obvious that huge changes are necessary. This is a mind problem and not one of talent. We are the ultimate chokers. Inspiration comes from the top and Inzamam has been a horrendous leader. On a personal note, I have tickets to the Super 8's in Barbados along with hotel reservations at a 5 star resort. If any Irish fans are reading this and want to help me with atleast some of my pain then please buy them from me.

Another day, another Pakistan team bash. What I think is even more shameful than yesterday's match is how every Pakistani is all of a sudden judging every player over one game. Nobody is recalling the valuable innings Inzamam played in 92'cup final; 99 Group B matches; etc. Nobody is recalling Mohammad Yousuf's record breaking 1700+ runfest of 2006. Nobody remembers how Kamran Akmal went and stole the series from India early last year. And so much more.

Yes, I agree that Inzamam has reached his peak. The poor man isn't as nimble as he used to be and it is a valid time for him to depart from his momentous career.

However, shafting every other player won't acheive anything. Just 2 matches ago the same team bested South Africa in a warmup game. Everyone is jumping the gun after just one stupid match. And this sort of overanger only happens with Pakistani's. I can almost guarantee that India even after losing to Bangladesh won't even make a 1/10 of the reaction as we are.

Pakistani cricket isn't in such a debacle position it is in right now because of yesterday's match. It is like that because of how people like Kamran, Osman, and every other frantic Pakistani goes berserk at the slightest sight of imperfection. Go congratulate yourself because people like you are part of the problem.

Kamran what happened against ireland was painful to take in and like you say the only team who should have beaten us in this world cup is australia.Pakistans exit is heart breaking i am not angry but dissapponited.
I see Inzamam retiring now.But the whole of pakistans coaching panel must change it is not the players fault because the problems we have had on these green pitches have been from day one and the coaches seem to be doing nothing about it.

Credit is due to ireland who played beautifully i hope they perform a miracle and win the world cup maybe this will avoid our players getting punished and maybe seriously hurt back home by emotional fans

Its that time again - We're back to where we were in 2004. Inzy has done alot for Pakistan cricket but last couple of months - what ever he tried didn't go his way - I salute his contribution to Pak cricket and now is the time for him to move on to bigger and better things. In 2004 we dropped more then half the players that represented PK in the last WC and now we're in the same boat. This time we need to get rid off Selection Committee & couple of chutia's from PCB. We don't need Coach from outside when we have so many Greats available in PK - getting rid of Waqar Younis as Bowling Coach was BIG MISTAKE and also Ignoring U-19 WC champions was also big mistakes - couple of those players should've been in the Team.

Once again, the team has failed when it mattered. I had made up my mind that I would not follow the Pakistan team in the World Cup after the events that had unfolded over the last couple of months. I had given up hope. I knew there wasn't much that could have been achieved by this team.

However, I followed your blog Mr.Abbasi; and your continuous optimism made me believe again. It made me believe that all was not lost; that this squad had the unity and that fighting spirit that could reincarnate the glories we had achieved over 15 years ago.
It breaks my heart to see the team I love, play the game we all love, in such a manner. I guess, we have to wait for atleast 4 more years to be reminded how it felt, when WE WERE KINGS.

Thanks for calling yourself a fool now. I don't know what made you write your previous blogs! Having said that, I understand your emotions. You are not alone and we are no different. We like all idiots believed that at least if our beloved team puts heart, we will win, at least against Ireland, we will. We will be there in super-8. But, that we will cry blood was not our imagination. We have been fooled by our optimism. We are representative of our nation as we never learn. Had we as supporters learned anything from last world cup, we would have carried no expectations.

i was literally in tears after seeing pakistan s performance against the irish and all inzi cud come up with was BAD LUCK.atleast bob woolmer had the dignity to apologise to the nation.....inzi hasnt even dun that...shame on u pak cricket team ..and i wish u have hell to pay for this...

I dont have words to express my anger I always supported our team but was totally appalled by their performance and after a long time felt ashamed and had tears in my eyes yesterday.Every single player,coach and specially the idiot on top has to be blamed. But what was interesting to me was Inzi body language when he lost the toss and said " now we have to bat on this"it said a lot about his confidence.We need to get rid of his lethargy and slowness. One stupid decision made after other since last summer.We need to get rid of Inzi the openers,selectors,Bob,Nasim Assrough and some others.But it just wont be enough to make a new team we need to promote a new culture of constantly promoting new players I believe after a certain time most players in our team start to take their position for granted.This has to stop.Inzi dictatorial style in the end cost a lot too.We will get over this also hope we learn something at this time.

Kamran, you too alongwith all others associated with the Pakistani Cricket team were unable to add 1 + 1 till the axe fell on our necks... this wasn't rocket science; the forfeiture, the change of captains and Chairman of PCB within 24 hours, the positive dope tests... this all was pointing towards a massive failure but like ostriches, you TOO buried your head in the sand and kept imagining of things going according to plan... well, serves you and all the pakistani nation well. Quite frankly, it would have been shameful for the game of Cricket if a team like this had progressed to Super 8. I'm glad that the hardworking lot of Ireland have been successful, they truly deserved to win from this moronic lot of buffoons who have nothing better to do than test positive for Nandrolone and pose with soft drinks with mobiles in their hands.
Well done Ireland, u truly deserve it!
Plus another so-called world cup favourites wud be joining us on the sidelines too... they too should be ready to face the stick from their blue billion supporters!

Just change the Captain and Doc let bob be there alongwith Afridi as captain or someoen else cause i guess Inzi is culprit this time around
We will survive Inshallah

i don't think we should be wasting our words for these bunch of careless , irresponsible and unprofessional "cricketers". How can we believe that we are beaten by Ireland who have just appeared on the cricketing horizon. We lost to the bangladesh in 1999 and our captain said "we are beaten by our brothers" now what kind of compensating excuses can be made now?

I am still too shocked to say anything, but still Nasim Ashraf should leave IMMIDIATELY, followed by Wasim Bari, Woolmer and Inzimam. Mr. Ashraf, for you this is just another job where you go around the world and make money for presenting crazy ideas but for us cricket is one of the few things we are known for (in a good way) and anything that hurts our cricket hurts us, our pride and ego. PLEASE MOVE YOUR ROYAL SLEF TO SOMEPLACE FAR AWAY FROM CRICKET.

Blame should not only be put on those who were irresponsible ON the playing field yesterday, but also whose irresponsiblity OFF the field (SHOAIB, ASIF and AFRIDI) contributed to this mess.

They have all brought shame to their nation.

Disgust, embarassment, anger.. I am not sure what I feel right now. I just want everyone fired in the Pak team management along with Inzi. His retirement has been lond overdue. I would go with Shoaib Malik reining at the helm!

Kamran - you're a shmuck of a writer. Your articles are immature and lack any literary nuance, your knowledge of cricket is questionable and you are very fickle in who you support.

As such you're the perfect incompetent quack to cover this bunch of rag-tag 'gulli danda' players.

Please, for the love of God, stop writing about Pakistan cricket. The players shame us enough on the field, we dont need you carry on being a disgrace to Pakistan cricket off the feild.

you know what kamran, you have exactly the same name as myself and you took the words right out of my mouth.it was as if i was saying what you wrote.im so gutted, i feel like crying.PAKISTAN,PAKISTAN one time the old greats..ufff and NOW..the crap under the carpet.pakistan are nothing.rubbish..these 6months have been so shit its unbelivable..Inzy should never of recieved captaincy..he lacks everything..and his batting is rubbish too..had it of been somebody else batting the way he does..they would have been dropped instantly..and Muhammed Yousuf what the hells worng with him...ALL THEY HAD TO DOO WAS PLAY DAM CRICKET..you know the one with the BALL AND BAT...they played shitit with a cucumber and a pile of crap...I FEEL SOO SORRY FOR AFRIDI never got any op to show his ability...mind you i think he would crumble underpressure too.

the way forward..SACK EVERYONE...get rid of inzy, yousuf and BRING WASIM AKRAM out of that SPORTS SHOP of his and shove him in a role..bring back waqar younus bring back abdul qadir, bring back amir suhail...etc.

i think bowling department was OKAY, TOOO MANY EXTRAS..perhaps our fast bowlers were bowling spin in disguise alot of off cuters..wonder if thats the Mushi influence...what advice as a bowling coach would he have to fast bowlers?i wonder. i think mushi can stay...WHY DIDNT STUPID PAKISTAN PLAY HIM.. i dunnow what im saying but im so gutted.

I like the idea of afridi being captain...i think younus khan is a joke...what player plays hooks noing that he cant play them OR HOICKS EVEN and that that shot or most of the time gets him out??

WHATS WITH OUR EDGES TO THE SLIP CORDEENT..PAKISTAN LOVE THAT AREA...IDIOTS..WHY DONT U JUST BRING IN SOME YOUTHFUL PAKSTANIS OFF THE STREETS..like bangladesh..i hope BANGLADESH WIN THE WORLD CUP..COME ON BANGLADESH...by the way im pakistani quite shmed to be one now..all my flat mates taking the pee. from kamran in London.

COMON BANGLA BANGLA

Kamran you are not only the biggest fool but you tried making all the readers too by telling that this ruderless dull-headed team was capable of beating everyone bar Aus. Eat you words and stop writing rubbish hereafter. Blame the entire team and not Inzi and Bob alone.

I'm still shocked about the result...

How can the blame be shifted onto 3 people though, when only one was playing? The team must take responsibility and lift their game in future.

This is only a sport, no matter what passions may be stirred up. Pakistan has the ability to beat any team, and the ability to lose to any team. Add consistency to talent, and they should better Australia.

The biggest concern is that both India and Pakistan will be out of the Cup, and that this will leave Australia with an easier path to the trophy.

Even though i'm aussie, I'm hoping the Australians dont win again! Come on India (AND BANGLADESH)!

I am simply ashamed of pakistan performance in this world cup, on the other hand may be it is a good time to get rid of mullahism from the team and bring back someone who plays cricket, and doesd not use islam as a criteria for inclusion, i am sick and tired of this religious fanatism which has seeped into this cricket. I am disgusted

Kamran Sahib; You summed the pakistani team very well, but why only blame the team when this is happening in every walk of life in Pakistan,from president to everage men, no spine.
we will only produce good crickter when we will produce proud pakistani, like Imran Khan.
Lst i feel like putting my head in sand and feel that i naver saw the shame and disgust this team brought to all of us.
I thank you for rasing the issues on behalf of all of us, i hope they don,t go deaf ears.
Raja Waheed

On a day when Bangladesh made short work of much fancied Team India, my heart still bleeds for Pakistan cricket. I have followed Pak cricket since the days of the mighty Imran Khan, long before Bangladesh dreamt of test status. My chest swelled as the Bengal tiger roared, but my heart sank as Pakistan perished with a whimper. I feel betrayed, and I struggle to make sense of this massacre. But wasnt it always on the cards?

The problem has many roots. Ive always thought of Inzamam as a timid leader, leading from the rear when boldness and imagination were needed. He never was a tactical genius and his lacklustre attitude semms to have rubbed off on his teammates. Bob Woolmer to my mind lacks vision and cohesion. The failure to find a reasonable opening partnership stands out like a sore thumb. The Pakistan team think tank took one step forward only to take two steps backward. The same failed experiments were tried over and over and over.

I never thought I would say this of a Pakistan team, but the team has lacked grit and determination under Inzamam. Instead of happy go lucky characters, they need gritty and tenacious fighters. People like Asim Kamal dont get a game, even when the team is crying out for some steel.

PCB is a shambles. If this suicidal management continues, cricket in Pakistan will go the way of hockey - even as countries like Bangladesh and Ireland climb towards the top.

I would like to say to Pakistan supporters, we will still follow the team. But please put pressure on the govt to see reforms are made. And may they be sweeping and far reaching.

I paid $50 for the worldcup. Either the PCB should reimburse the amount to me with interest, or donate it on my behalf to Mr. Osman so he can do something for the system back home.

Yeah...we lost, well done guys!!!, don't know y u were expecting something kamran

Hi Kamran

The disappointment is both palpable and understandable. This can happen to any team. Pak did not have the full strength squad to bank upon and this definitely led to the depressed start which eventually culminated into a shock exit from the world cup. Without going into the debate over "doping" issues, Asif and Akhtar's presence would have surely boosted the morale of the whole team and in my view Pakistan team did not fancy much chance of lifting the trophy to begin with and hence such listless performance even against the minnows.

Big battles are won not won by extolling the virtues of your opponents or by denigrating your fallen heroes;but by keeping frustrations at bay and assuming it to be one of those "lows" in one of those "cycles".

It was coming... we could see it coming. I am not really shocked. The result is a reflection of the farcical manner in which cricket was being run in the country by headed by a man whose only qualification is being a military dictator's bosom buddy. May be there is a silver lining and cricket will be organised in a sensible manner, maybe Imran Khan will have his wish fulfilled of seeing Pak cricket getting a total revamp. To be honest though, I don't think it will happen, just look at the way the whole country is run. Single handely by a despot. Congratulations to Ireland, you played brilliantly, fielded like I have never seen Pakistan field, hats off to O'Brien brothers and Botha. You deserved it.

It is okay Abbasi saab, we just need to get up and reorganize again. Life isn’t long enough to cry about these small things. Don’t lose hope and faith. InshAllah Pakistani cricket will rise again and will be better then.

That defeat against Ireland was i think, the worst thing i've ever seen in Pakistan's cricket history!
And i'll never forget that!

another thing mr. osman that you must stress...one thing understood in developed systems is the importance of intelligence and education. no player is choosen in a high school team if he or she has a gpa below 2.5. cricket also requires smart players and leaders. this must be a criteria and must be implemented with full force immediately.

few heads must go-

1. Naseem-Altaf-Bari a MUST GO ASAP
2. Inzi and Bob Should resign by themselves
3. Akmal,Nazir,Azhar,Hafeez,Rana careers should not be given a second chance-
4. Make Younis Test captain and Malik one-day captain.

Well put Kamran Abbasi. But whatever you say I am convinced that Pakistan Cricket is dead - rather murdered - by people having limited brains and with no heart. And on the horizon I dont see any Imran Khan.. our systems were like this always but sometimes we had some inspirational captains who managed to pull something out. But now we are corrupted that much that not a single lion-hearted fellow will live -- we will not let them live. Only persons like Nasim Ashraf will remain to torment us.

"Even now, I say that the only team this bunch of players should have found to be unbeatable in this tournament is Australia." - I guess this might happen/is happening in a parallel universe, of which only Mr. Abbas seems to be a citizen of. "but it seems your team is handicapped by its habit of shrinking to the occasion" - what is this allusion to you/your all about, this much emotion, in the pen of a professional columnist? I would wish Pakistan all the best in the future, and not take the ravings and rantings of people like this to heart.

Perfectly said...once more we the supporters are let down miserably, that little hope of a miracle, shattered so early.....

Ha ha ha ha, Abandon hope? Not yet!! I still cant stop laughing, Elsewhere Osman Samiuddin has talked about how the Pak team is a laughing stock of the world. you still seem to have hope. I still cant stop laughing after the comments made by your moronic capt. If gods will is your plan A not even god can save you. Wake up you bumbling idiots, Shave your faces, stop mumbling crap before interviews, move on from your stone age ideologies and stop depending on gods' will for everything. Only Australia, yeah right!! Cant even go past ireland!!!

Well!
I feel that somebody has ripped my heart and i am watching it stop beating in front of me. I feel like some body took my pride, the same feeling, i had when there were fireworks in Gaddafi stadium, and india won. Can somebody please, please get my soul back from the underworld? Can somebody please show the way out to Inzi, Rana, Azhar, Kamran by kicking their asses, like million times. Inzi gave bad reputation to Bob's name as a coach. he will have a question mark on his abilities. Tell Younis khan he looked very sharp as a model, there you go a profession for him.
i am so shocked i can't even find words. no wonder osman samiuddin and kamran abbasi took so long to respond Team Pakistan's Awfull performance.
I really can't write anymore, i can't. my mind is still numb. Maybe, maybe it will come to life when somebody will kick some BUTTS.
I hope. I hope.

Eternal optimism and illusions about the one-day game being suited to the temprament of Pakistanis (re Saad Shafqat's column on March 13) need to be replaced by a cold hard look at the problems of Pakistani cricket. The following is the link to an attempt I made in 2001.

www.chowk.com/show_article.cgi?aid=00001056&channel=gymkhana#

Well where do we begin? Since the 2003 world cup, you would have thought that we had abandoned all hope in the rejuvenation of the pak cricket team. By the end of 2005 a lot of hope had been restored; new coach, new captain, blend of youth and experience and the destruction of the England cricket team in Pakistan. Once again, we have proved to the world what a pile of crap we really are. There is no discipline, no organisation in the PCB. It all started with the so called forfeited Oval Test. Once again, Pakistan makes the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Shahriyar Khan resigns which is immediately followed by the handling of the doping scandal which was handled in a typically Pakistani way. Then we go on and get rid of Waqar. How can you mistreat a loyal servant like Waqar Younis who actually fixed up Pakistan’s bowling and made them feared again? Then what? We have change captain three times in the space of a few days! Before the world cup, so much shit went down. The preparation for the world cup in the past few months has been ridiculous. For a nation consistently in top 5 ODI and Test rankings, to lose to a team (no disrespect to Ireland) that competes in county competitions, is absolutely absurd, pathetic, ludicrous, weak, abysmal, sad, useless, wretched…the list goes on. Pakistan has shown the whole world that they have no heart, no soul and that they are weak, pathetic, spineless cowards. Pakistan who were once called the Cornered Tigers have shown the fighting spirit of an ant getting crushed by my arse. Now onto the batting. The batting was atrocious, the shots the players got out to were horrifying. Imran Nazir….why in hell is he there? Mohammad Hafeez is NOT an opener, he should b lower down the order. Want a solution to the opening pair? What did Yasir Hameed do wrong? Bring him in! South Africa was the perfect opportunity to play Salman Butt and get him match fit. He’s a batsman with potential. Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and fat Inzi area bunch of spineless idiots. Kamran Akmal and Naved have completely lost the plot. Kaneria….I’m speechless to comment on why he is in the world cup squad. Azhar Mahmood??? What the hell??? Talk about going backwards!!! If you wanted an all-rounder, what about Yasir Arafat? Again, they should have used South Africa to get his rhythm. only people who still deserve to wear the green shirt are Rao iftikhar, Gul and Sami (alright Sami’s crap but he bowled his heart out and had fighting spirit). At the end of the day, the PCB members are just all out there to wear suits and make their money.

Absolutely right on. This is a shameful display. Can I sue the PCB for having bought the Super 8 tickets?

Perhaps Raiwind has pitchs more suited to Inzi & the boys' devine strokeplay? Thus, I suggest the team lands there instead of Karachi or Lahore after its fast approaching exit from the World Cup. And who knows, had Pakistan won the cup, even Bob Woolmer might have grown a beard as well.
Sigh. If only Inzi would have thought more about imparting cricket taleem than deeni taleem, we might have beaten ireland ... at least.

With all that is happening in Pakistan, I am sure most of Pakistanis were hoping they would at least get some good news from the World Cup but that wasn't meant to be. Are these signs that we are a nation of losers? There isn't a glimmer of good news anywhere, in any walk of life in Pakistan. I guess we shouldn't be then amazed at how our cricket team turned out to be since we are a nation in a constant state of utter chaos. Corruption and Nepotism are rampant, even in sports. Are we ever going to get a break?

I guess now it does not matter in what language the Pakistan team and coach wish to address their media when they get back home....

Finally some sense from you Mr. Kamran. You filled me with hope with your previous blogs, the one thing you just can't give to Pakistani supporters. We have always flattered to deceive in past WCs, and this is another black mark against us. Looks like we keep progressing (backwards) at every world cup, and now we have reached the all-time low one never expects. Ireland? Even if heads roll, Pakistan cricket will never recover. And if lots of supporters are like me, passion for the game will also dwindle.

Sir,

Abysmal, abysmal, and abysmal. I am thinking about learning Gaelic so that at least over the phone I may be able to pose as a Gael, though my accent may give me away. I thought that I would never be the one to associate words such as shame, disgraceful, unprofessional, invertebrates, morons.....etc with Pakistan Cricket (should have use lower case letters). But here I am and I am standing by these words.

First in and first out! To say that Pakistan team is the laughing stock of the cricketing world would be the understatament of the year. The Pontings, Haydens, Arthurs (Micky) of this world, would be breaking their ribs laughing in public while refering to the Pakistan cricket team and its "achievements". The likes of Vaughn, Fleming would be using tounge in cheek "poor luck lads" sort of comments and be "commiserating" ( a favorite word of a Pakistani commentator) with Pakistan cricket. The rest will be rolling with hysterical heaving simple laughter. Lara may be an exception as he is a true gentleman.

No more words. I cannot sympathize enough with the Pakistani cricket followers including myself. If nothing is done that is short of exceptionally radical to turn things around for cricket in Pakistan, consider this comment as the obituary of Pakistan cricket. There is a laundry list of things even for starters such as, what you mentioned Mr. Abbasi, the three fathers of this defeat. From there on weed out nepotism, politics, corruption............

Only if would happen. I have my doubts. Pakistan cricket is but one aspect of a corrupt and failed state. Why should it be an island of meritocracy, transparency and efficiency?

Suffer you poor wretched millions of souls who call Pakistan your home. And as far as Pakistan cricket goes, RIP. Amen.

A Kamran

The oval test was a definite indication of the decline in pakistan cricket. The team seems to now concentrate more on religion that cricket and that is just a shame. As cricketers, the only religion should be the religion of cricket. Leaving it to the almighty will definitely not get you anywhere.
It was a shame that DK was dropped, it was a shame that Afridi never played, it was shame to not see Asif in this cup. Drastic changes are needed.

thank you sir for this article voices all of our opinions towards what has happened

1) we need investment in county cricket the young players quality is poor in ever department, bowling, batting and fielding
2) we need to make our pitches more greener so the ball moves around and make your batsman play on austrilian like pitches, only then can be become world beaters.
3) we need to get rid of all the selfish lazy 'showboaters'they just play for them selves: Afridi and Akhtar
4) also players who have no passion the oldies: Inzi, Razzaq(shadow of former self), Azar,
5) and players who have no technoque and talent: Imran nazir, Hafeez, Rana
6) we need to build for next world cup, we have to get politics outside cricket its destroying the players confidence and affecting captain and coach ability to manage
7) Bob woolmer reaali robbed Pak cricket, he has worsned the team in every department, his selection is appauling, man managment of young players is non existent, and he just spends all his time on the internet and not coaching.
8) FINALLY SEND ALL THESE PLAYERS TO HISTORY CLASSES, TELL TEM WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PAKISTANI, TELL THEM ABOUT THE STRUGGLE WE HAD TO GO TROUGH TO MAKE PAKISTAN AND THE HONOUR OF REPRESENTING THE COUNTRY.

Pakistan has always been and will remain a team that chokes and is unpredictible, whether we had Waqar as a bowling coach or not is not the issue but a lack of leadership at the PCB level( a shamble and a laughing stock) and whole waste of money. As a Pakistan cricket fan, I think I will take a break and watch other teams who have passion for the game, and whose coaches don't say that they want South Africa to win on ther blogs even though they are being paid by another country for their services!!! How ironic!!! Another pathetic event in the history of Pakistan cricket.

Its a real big loss that has saddened pakistani supporters.
I think Pakistan can never play on grassy pitches and pakistan team will always loose.
Pakistani team needs changes. Younis khan would certainly get advantage of defeat by becoming next captain, which HE Does NOT DESERVE at all. Any young player like shoaib malik should be made new captain. Bob woolmer and chairman PCB should quit now. Not even Javed Miandad should coach as he always does nepotism by bringing his nephew Faisal Iqbal.

Eat the following:
"Only Australia block the road to victory...
Pakistan have nobody to fear in this tournament and might just have the mix of experience and hunger to lift the trophy."

Dear Mr. Abbasi,

As per your comments above, we sure require a new captain with some fire & hunger to win all the games that our team play.
I prefer Shahid Afridi or Imran Farhat for the above role as they have the ability to fight at any given situation.

When Imran Nazir didn't click in the match against West Indies they should have asked him to warm the bench and played Imran Farhat.

I personally don't think that Pakistan wanted to qualify for the Super Eight clashes as it was visible with there body language against Ireland.

Not a single batsman applied themselves in the middle and if we compare the fielding of Ireland & our Pakistan then i will give 10 on 10 to Ireland & 2 on 10 to Pakistan.

Thanks.

Well I agree with you on some parts, Naseem Ashraf should be fired and I dont think bob woolmer will ever coach pakistan again, but i still want inzi to be da captain eventhough the recent results shows that his captaincy is poor but still hes the man for crisis but if hes not the captain then I will go for Shahid Afridi, we all saw what younis khan did in champions trophy and eventhough 3 matches are not enough to judge a captain, but after inzi the next captain should be Afridi and vice captain should be Younis. Eventhough its end of the world cup and we will have to wait for 4 more years, the pakistani cricket can still rist and compete the very best.

If it wasn't so painful, I would say it was an Irish joke!

I think it is time to say good bye to at least half a dozen players (if not all) and start all over again. After all, we could not be any worse off! Go Inzy, go Yunis, go Imran Nazir, (at least Hafeez gives you a bowling option, though not much of an opener), go Kamran, go Naveed, go Shoaib Akhtar (yes, I know he was not there, but is he there when needed??). I think the selection committee needs a revamp, and probably Woolmer won't be there much longer, though a coach is as good as the players he is given.

It is time that this nation's history shows that someone did take responsibility and fired themselves - and yes that means the Doctor, too.

I think Pak's loss is a loss for the World Cup cricket. I can not think of next stage to be good without them. I was looking forward for April 15 (IND Vs PAK) and now it is most likely that it is BAN VS IRE

Kamran, you are right in everyway...we lack leadership and players who mentally and physically fit, are technical and without attitude like Shoaib Akter...whole management needs to be chnaged for sure...need profeesional and committed people...I just hope we have some good captian in future...I am afraid in the end nothing much will happen..I hope Younus Khan is not selected...Salman

I totally agree. It is a pathetic performance from a talented bunch. I feel sorry.

I am still numb enough to write anything about the future of Pakistan cricket but this much I should say President of Pakistan is directly responsible of this shamefull loss. His dictator ship has infected PCB chairman, coach and the captain. So all of them need to go. Who should replace them? Well I do not know at the president of Pakistan but chairman of PCB should be someone like Majid Khan or Imran Khan. Imran should realize now that he has no future as a politician so he should take on something that he knows best, cricket. Majid should be Imran's CEO. Rashid Latif and Miandad for the selectors and coach,Afridi for the captain and Shoaib Malik as his deputy. Yonus Khan is too unstable to lead the side and in past he has not shown the leadership qualities whenever given the chances. In fact Yonus is more involved in infighting than anyone else so he does not enjoy team support. Hafeez, Imzimam. Azhar Mahmood, Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Akthar should go home for good. Yasir, Asim Kamal, Fawad Alam should come in along with Asif. Give them a mandate that within a year they should win 75% of thier matches or they will make way for others.

Congratulations to Ireland!!!

Nobody can take this win away from them. They played like true professionals. Even though...all of them have a different day job. Irish team is a team of school teachers, postmen and bus drivers. However with their superb play and fitness they made Pak team look like a bunch of amateurs.

Truth hurts but it says a lot about lack of professionalism in all the fields in Pakistan. No need to work hard buddy as long as you have an uncle or two who can help you get a job or get anything done in your life.

Hats off to Ireland. ICC needs more teams like Ireland than lethargic Pakistan.

Sorry to say this is the Shi!test performance by Pakistan i have ever seen. I feel so upset and shamed and angered [and as a pathan that anger is multiplied]

They lacked any disciplne while batting even mahmood and Akaml steady somewhat of a broken/steady boat they threw there wickets away.

If they didnt they could have posted a 150+ score which would be defenble against IRL. There was only one IRL player that did the work and that was the wicket keeper.

As for Pakistan's future i see no reason in sacking and key players [not the same of the chair board]. Because it would just be another re-iteration of 2003's failure.

and i dont think i cant wait till 2011 at the moment as a pakistani fan i feel depleted to follow them anymore

They really f*cked up

I think this is what our cricket needs now. Except for Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif (and may be Shahid Afridi) everyone in the present team and the PCB set-up should go. Younis should be appointed captain with Shoaib Malik as his deputy and both should be given the task to build a new team from scratch. Also, and very important, we need to have greats like Imran Khan, Javed Miandand, Rameez Raja, Waqar Younis, Rashid Latif (my favourite), Moin Khan and Aamer Sohail to run the PCB administration and team selection/coaching and help us start a new chapter in Pakistan Cricket on national and grass roots level. Only then we might have a chance to redeem ourselves from the shameful disgrace that our present set-up has landed us in.

I have been in a state of shock, ever sine the 6 by the irish captqin had been struck. HOW?? when rao took 2 in 2 balls, i was elated. Throughout the whole match i was like, how an we lose to a 1st timer like Ireland. Noq, I know, thst it is time to call for chanegs. Opwning, should be Nazir and Akmal. 3: Shoaib Malik. Throughout the S.Africa tour, Malik was performing when no one lese did. In the match agaisnt the W. Indies, he made 62. 4:M ohammed Yousuf 5: Inzi, when he reires, who knows? 6: Younis. He can serve as a bridge between the middle order and the tail. 7: Afrdidi. Boom-booom.enough said. 8: Razzaq 9: Shoaib Akhtar 10: Mo Asif 11:GUl I know there cant be more than this, but the team can switch around a bit...12: Sami showed fire against the Irish. 13: Gul 14: Kaneria(BIG MAYBE)

Wonderful letter - I applaud you for writing such a disciplined, effective, yet decent composition.

I've always been against Afridi, but that is exactly the thought I had for captaincy. Young, motivated, aggressive, and inspiring - responsibility will bring out the best in him, just like it did for Imran.

I'm going to get back to my Guinness and gulaab jaaman now :-)

Today is the darkest day in the history of pakistani cricket , it was truly a shambolic perfomance and the worst nightmare of every pakistani cricket fan .

But who should be held accountable for this embaressment , yes i can think of many , Inzimam , younus khan , hafeez ,imran nazir , or the big fishes Naseem Ashraf or the chairmain of selectors. The fact is they are materialized and selfcentered people who are driven by greed . I cannot believe once called CORNERED TIGERS felt like scared PUPPIES , there was no fire in their belly rather the ambition of winning , and much to my surprise Inzi saying in the post man presentation that kismat ne hamara saath diya , this statement explains the stature of inzamam as a leader .

Any way it was very much on the cards , i said in my last coloum that i will be surprised if pakistan make into last eight , its been dilema of pakistani cricket for the last six months , they been the laughing stock of the world . this team should not have been allowed to compete in the world cup , above all these two defeats sum up the mindset of the whole cricketing stucture in pakistan . There is alot of explaintion to be made to the nation and they will not let it go of the hook easily .

Dear All,
I did early write in one of Mr Kamran's blogs that Pakistan where not as good as everybody had stated including Kamran himself. I also stated if we got to the semi final that would have been a great acheivement. I think yesterdays defeat says it all.
I also said that there where to many external forces in pakistani cricket which stopped the coach and captain doing there job. They should have been left alone and backed up and I stick to that. What now well I think that pakistan cricket needs to take a deep breath and look internally.

Personally I would first of all look at the board. It needs to be cleared out along with the chairman of selectors. They have to take the blame. Bob woolmer whether he is sacked or not was going anyway he tried but Pakistans stubborn players and officals never helped. Inzi's will retire.I personnally think he has a lot to offer and should stay on to help the new captian and the youngsters if he can perform or his heart is in it. Personally I do not think his heart is in the game any more.
I think we need to look for a strong captain and not Younis Khan as he is childish and not a team player as shown recently when he resigned as captain. An honor any person would be proud of even if it was for a limited time. Do we have such a strong charcter. I am not sure but I would like to see maybe shaid Afridi given a chance.

Ok so what of the team and players. I would look at telling Kamran Akmal to have a rest and look at the other keepers. I would try a new keeper and give him a few games to see if he has talent and also to see if he is dedicated to hard work. Hard work gets you there look at graham gooch great player worked very hard to improve his game every day also Imran Khan great work ethic. Look at the aussie players they work so hard and train hard. I think Imran Nazir should be given a chance along with salman bhatt. Give them a long run in the game and see how they get on . I would not change much in the bowling except for Rana Naved and Azhar Mahmood. Azhar being to old we need to build for the future. Bring in the talent and lets see how they get on.

Now coming to the board. I would like to see Imran Khan take control of pakistan cricket. For many years he has had a lot to say on cricket. Like a lot of people but now I think he should put his money where his mouth is and take control of the board and change the structure of cricket in pakistan, he should get the groundsman to start to make the grounds more bowler friendly with lots of grass and movement. To help us cope with the seaming ball. What have we got to lose nothing but we have everything to gain. If players play on the hardest tracks when it comes to playing on easy tracks they will only get better. I do not think Imran khan is brave enough to do this job I hope he proves me wrong and takes up the challenge.

The chief selector I think should be aqib javed a good cricketer in his time he has worked with the young and up and coming players. He knows imran khan and they can both work towards getting a great team together and look to the future.

My choice for coach hmm... I would have to go for Amer Shoail a lot of you will say what but I think he is the right man for the job. When he was chief selector he was brave enough to make the hard choices drop the odd player here and there. But character wish he is strong and not scared of dropping somebody. He also has talent for seeing and bring up a cricketer.

I am hoping that the people who have criticized pakistan cricket for so long, step up to the plate and in its time of need to offer a helping hand.

The world cup with be a lesser place without pakistan but may be it was the wake up call pakistan cricket need so it can move forward and once again become a power house of cricket. We need people like the Imran's, zhaeer's and the Mindad's of this world who had skill but more then that a great work ethic but who where ready to take on the world and would give there life rather then lose a game of cricket. Lets see what the future holds.

We would really want to see the 'spokesperson' for pakistan cricket now. Please explain this to us and we need a lot of explanation on how, why and what the control freak behavior of the president, chairman, captian and every new appointee have brought this psychological low and self esteem in these players. I really think there are two causes. One is the 'Do what I say' strategy of the whole Pakistan philosopy and the low self esteem of the players which they are trying to hide in the new religion phenomenon in the team.
Two things need to be done and yes both of them are 'human development'
1. Psyhoanalysis and therapy for the 'control freaks' so that they deal with their personal real issues instead of controlling others. Please control your own heads. The prolem is inside you and not outside. Deal with it!
2. Players please cry if you have to. Get help for your problems instead of hiding yourselves in the newly formed paksitan cricket religious cult. For God's sake please understand that you are professional cricketers and well paid too. I don't know if we slack like this in our jobs, what will happen to us. The bottom line is that- God or no God,you have not done your job. The game looked like it was between Raidwand and Ireland becuase the Imran Khans , Wasim Akrams and Miandads were very balanced and knew their real jobs.
One last thing, don't play Ireland on St.Patrick's day because God is on everyone's side who really believe in Him.

Shame on Pakistan team. I think they should stop playing cricket for another 6 months.

So disappointing. I almost cried when Pakistan lost. I have been a staunch supporter of my team and i have always been proud of green shirts. Few years back that was the only reason i bought a green car and my car number tags read "PRD PAK", i hope you all know what this means. I forced my friend to have their tags as "TEAM PAK". They wouldnt stop laughing at me when i would do such silly things but today i cant even take their calls just because i know what they would say "we told you so". In a country like USA, which is quite hostile to Muslims these days i would wear a Pakistan team shirt in the gym and outside in mall. I drove 2 hours in the snow just to join my friends for the game. i am not telling this just for the people to feel pity on me but i want Inzi and Co know that there are people who were still backing you but you guys blew it.
I have tears in my eyes and my hands tremble as i write this. Inzi and Co, you couldnt have disappointed us more. All this time when everyone on this blog would rate you underdogs i would laugh at their comments and would quietly tell myself "we will show you what our team can do". I really dont know where does Pakistan team go from here. I am disappointed and upset but i still back my country in all spheres of life including cricket and i hope i can contribute something to make this worst scenario any better. But sometimes i look back country's other problems i just tell myself after all cricket is no different. When our Chief justice can be dragged from the forelock by our police then why not our Cricket team.
This is a disappointing fan but a proud Pakistani, signing off now.

Thanks
Shahid.

A sad day indeed for Pakistan cricket. Cannot put the disappointment into words. Totally spineless performance - thoughtless, without any guts, no planning and no will to fight. There is just no excuse for what happened.

I bet Shoaib and Asif would be happy to see that they haven't missed out on much. Pakistani team out of the competition in less than 125 hr, should have made the coach and captain proud of their hasten to return to their respective home soils.
Inzamam blames it on the luck....well I guess he’s talking about the luck of the supporters. Should us be supporting teams like Bangladesh we wouldn’t be so much disappointed..SIMPLE

I suggest Pakistan to play Ireland on a regular basis. This will also help them to achieve the test status in double quick time, as Pakistan is pretty good at doing that.

Lastly, I would suggest Pakistan to rest some of the main players for the next game. They must be really tired after their performances. On the other hand, I would like to wish Zimbabwe the very best of luck… Pakistan holds the key for them to qualify for the next round. I would advise them to bat fist and make at least 300 (not that even 350 would such a problem) and then get Pakistani out within 25 overs. This can be easily achieved by playing few “goray” players in the team, this way Pakistan will mistake them with SAs or Aussies and wont put up much fight….easy in’ it!!!

Kamran,

This was the most abject surrender i have witnessed of Pakistan. If they did not fire Inzamam out of the team now, i donot know when.

This team requires fighting qualities of Asim Kamal sort of. When will Pakistan realize successful teams have always had settled opening partners, like Anwar and Sohail before.
Please bring back Salman Butt and get rid of Nazir.
Its time Pakistan got people who can bat rather than someone who could do some bat or some bowling.

I 'was' a Pakistani Cricket fan. I am stunned, angry and unbelievably sad. "Pakistan" team made no progress, from 2003 World Cup to 2007 we have gotten worst. The unimaginable has happened - we have CRASHED out of the World Cup - YES it is official - Ireland has hammered Pakistan and we are officially out of the World Cup.

Bob, I know some heads are going to roll now and probably you would leave as well. You did a fine job but I guess nobody can coach a bunch of 'Ordinarily Talented' not Highly talented - (Cricket has moved on and we do not have the talent that's needed to compete at the International level now) there has been a paradigm shift and we have missed the trick completely. But I guess we all can argue about what went wrong and what not, the first responsibility lies with the board and their money hungry bosses. Secondly, the players who are so slow to learn and absorb, some real life perspective and education might help in creating better cricketers. Lastly, Bob you were just not simply good or dynamic enough, I apologize but I guess when a cricket crazy nation hears from their own coach that he thinks someone else is among his favorites for the WC - that hurts I know feeling like this is not rational but it hurts Bob.

If it was for me I would just sack everyone, meaning everyone only few can carry froward;

1. Shoaib Malik (He is a fighter)
2. Shahid Afridi (I always wanted him as a Captain- We need someone who fights and stands for this cricket crazy nation - show some attitude which we once had under Imran Khan)

4. Mohammaed Asif (After he is done with his injury/ban because he is just talented and must have learnt his lesson)

Yousuf may be, Younis only for the subcontinent matches, NO Hafeez, NO Azhar Mahmood, NO Nazir's, NO Akmal, NO Inzi, NO Rao, Gul YES and where the hell is Salman Butt?

A new team, a set of players who have actually felt the pain the whole nation has gone through yesterday - in our first ever WC in which we have been eliminated in just Four Days !!!

I have nothing else to say or write as I guess that's how it is going be with Pakistan whether its cricket or something else - a sad Pakistani and a dead Cricket fan!

Shoaib Malik is a good choice but Afridi can be better only and only if he can show some energy in the field. He must take responsibility with both hands and stop being arrogant. Razzaq could have been a choice too but he sleeps at job, so he's a definite no-no. As for Younis Khan, the guy is immature. Don't give him the captaincy, he's a disciple of Rashid Latif, turning back at the eleventh hour. Please don't appoint Younis as captain. Yousuf would start a sermon mandatory for the whole team before an innings or a match, he must be asked to bat, just bat mate.

I don't think coaching is required at the top level. Jawed Miandad should coach at the regional/school level. Give him as much as he wants but keep him away from the top set up. People misunderstand him, so he's not a good communicator.

Relieve the docs at the helm. Nasim Ashraf, Ahsan Malik and the doc-to-be Salim Altaf are no good. They are excellent at mincing money and filling their pockets with PCB's coins made of gold and diamond.

I hope ad-hocism ends and there is an air of settlement and peace everywhere.

We support you Pakistan Cricket Team (Still)
No matter 16 crore awam kay dil toot gaye...Move on...

Don't worry kamran. Indian team will give them company on their return trip.

Pakistan's loss to Ireland will cause the deepest and sharpest of pains in every pakistani cricket fan's heart. It was truly a sad event; reminiscent of the 1999 World Cup final where Pakistan's batting flopped but that was against Australia and in a finals match! The loss against an Associate side like Ireland was simply unbelievable!
I really dont care who is fired or even hired in the aftermath of this world cup performance; the cricket team has let the nation down and will just have to rediscover their passion for the game or whatever they need to become the best in the world which they really should be given the abundance of natural talent.
Finally, it is a sad end for Inzamam's glorious career which started off with winning the World Cup in 1992 and then rounding up with an extremely disappointing performance in 2007.

There is a positive coming out of this.

We are spared the torture of so many more days of the world cup.

now we can focus on our studies, work, et al.

thank you pakistan team, for letting me concentrate on my studies.

I love pakistan.

im a indian cricket fan but still pakistan defeat has not sunk in.. i didnt want my neighbouring county to lose yesterday. I know this team was capable but still difficult to believe how they managed to lose. With india losing to bangladesh, a asian county winning the world cup is going to be distant dream.

The writing was on the wall all along.
Being the worlds worst fielding side. Being the
worlds worst side on running between the wickets.

Almost all our wins in the past have been set up by the bowlers of the calibre of Sarfraz Nawaz, Imran Khan, Abdul Qadir, Waqar, Wasim, Shoaib, Asif and a few others.

If anybody believed that we had any chance without our bowlers setting it up, he must be a lunatic.

And Mr. Captain, please do not blame it on the will of God and kismet. Just blame it on everything else.

The team demanded a pay rise before going on Englands tour. If they have 1% of dignity left in
them they should donate all there salaries of recent past to some charity.

As an Irishman living in Pakistan I have grown to love and admire the Pakistani team, their brand of cricket is a uniquely dimensional, tenacious and multi-faceted one, but this loss was incomprehensible, shocking and bordered on morbidly appalling. The batsmen seemed to lack any focus at all, no one out there seemed to be working to any sort of cohesive or consistent game plan, and the batsmen lacked of any sort of professional application and concentration. The captaincy was lethargic and strategically unintelligible, when the Irish were 15/2; the nail should have been driven and hammered home, instead batsmen whose names we had never heard before played the bowling with winning determination and purposed tenacity. I dearly hope the PCB take stock of what has happened here and work diligently and thoroughly to restructure and reorganize themselves, and weed out the root issues that are preventing Pakistan from becoming a powerful tour-de force in the cricketing world arena.

i just dont know what to say. i think kamran has said it all. there is a hadith about this i want to share. dont tie ur camels and ask allah. u have to work hard and then ask allah. i think pakistani team did just that. they asked allah to give victory without working hard.

Kamran, after following the Pakistan Cricket for more or less as long as you have nothing surprises me anymore. In fact, among my friends, who have all been Cricket crazy we used to say the only team that can do something unthinkable is Pakistan cricket team. They have proved us right over and over and most of the time, in a disastrous way. From the beating at the hands of Roberts and Murray for the last wicket 60 odd runs to loosing against Bangladesh during 1999 world cup and now to this new but nothing really new depth of shame we, including you have witnessed all. I am sure there will be some among our cricket controlling body or the players who will come up with the excuse look, India also lost to Bangladesh. Yes, they did but, it has nothing to do with Pakistan team’s shameful surrenders in above mentioned and countless other incidents. Our beloved national heroes have surrendered and lost to bring DEFEAT from the jaws of VICTORY so many times ……. That….. That…….it is useless to mention and count. Alas…..either way this latest loss still hurts BIG TIME.

Right after Pakistan’s World Cup Final loss to Australia in 1999, I was of the view that we need a High Class foreign coach. Why? For many reasons importantly, because the professionalism of foreign coaches and due to prejudice and baggage that a local coach brings to Pakistan team which in turn brings negative rivalry and jealousy among cricketers, coach and the fans.
In this blog you have suggested among many other things that Inzamam and Woolmer must go. It was going to be an end for Inzamam one way or the other as he has had his cricket career and now he can concentrate on his Road To Raiwind with all his Bearded followers in the Team (though I wonder, how many will support beard once Inzamam leaves). It would be unfair and unjust not to praise Inzamam’s great contribution as a batsman to Pakistan Cricket.

I was of the view and had mentioned to my cricket following friends many times that, Woolmer should leave Pakistan team after this World Cup as well but for the different reasons as put forth by you. Kamran and all the critics of Woolmer please go and look back when and under what circumstances Woolmer took over and also Pakistan’s ranking during his time in Test and ODI both. I have a lot of respect for Woolmer and could not believe when he accepted the offer to coach the so fragmented Pakistan team as he had once before rejected. For the respect of this man I wanted him to leave before every failure will be blamed on him. As I believe, no one can fix Pakistan team in a way that it becomes anywhere close to Australia or any other true professional outfit. I have motioned this to my friends many times and now I would tell this to all Woolmer’s critics. If Pakistan hired a local coach to replace Woolmer, compare his performance after same period (if he will be lucky to carry that long) the ranking of Pakistan team will be much lower in both format of the game provided if 20 – 20 does not become even bigger attraction. If it does, make it all three categories Pakistan will be among the bottom half most of the time. Why I say this, Because of the hate to Pakistan team? No! Because, I have followed our team days and nights passionately and have foolishly wished the best over and over only to be let down.

In the end I would like to say only this, Leaders, Sportsmen, Politicians and the followers are a mere reflection to what the majority of the Nation stands for. Therefore, Woolmer could only do so much. And I think he has done remarkably well what was given to him. Pakistan needs a major shake up at every level that affects human life. Only than we will see true improvement in CRICKET or else there will be only patch works on display like it has been since the inception of Pakistan.

They should fire the whole team except shoib malik and umar gul.

I like millions of other Pakistanis had believed that this was going to be the World Cup for Pakistan. I had been waiting for March 13th since 4 years. But if i had known that i would be witnessing such an act from the spineless Pakistani team i would have stopped supporting them like my other friends. I had defended my team in every debate, but now i realized that i was doing nothing but making a fool out of myself.

The performance by this team was the worst that i have ever seen in my 15 years. There was absolutely no spine in the team. The team played as if they were playing a charity match and were delighting the hundreds of Irish fans with throwing their wickets away.

The batsmen failed yet again. The only positive, or should i say the only light was the performance of the bowlers.

Watching the match till 4 in the morning, i had expected a fight from my team. But all i got was the brilliant Irish team kicking some Pakistani a**.

The performance was a disgrace. The only way one can even think bout forgiving the Pakistani team is that if the Irish team goes on to beat everyone and win the world cup. And we all know how high the probablity of that happening is.

The same thing happened in 2003. The authorities carried out a 're-building process'. But what happened in 4 years time? Nothing, other than the fact the team lost more self-respect. The team doesnt care for its fans, one wonders why we care bout them so much.

Kamran, r u trying to carbon copy Mr.Naeem Bokhari's open letter to the Pres. Regd the CJ??
With due respect to everyone concerned, we believe this laclustre infact shambolic display by our team is a function of bob woolmer & dr.sb. Inzi was never a leader, just a huge boulder to fill in the void,now foreseeing a tumble down the hills. Inzi should not have given those

The postmortem must be clinical. As painful as it is at the moment, we should look beyond this and dispassionately take stock of what has gone wrong in the recent past and plan for the future.

Here are the issues as I see them.

ISSUE 1 -- THE FUTURE OF DR. NASIM ASHRAF: Understandably, almost everyone in the country will call for his resignation. This is entirely justified and perhaps in another country might even happen. He needs to be fired not because of our ouster from the world cup, but because of the shambolic handling of the doping crisis, which continues to be such an embarrassment to the country and which has been important factor in undermining the morale and preparation of the team ahead of the World Cup. But he will not resign. It is against our national culture to step forward and accept responsibility when things go wrong on your watch. As a personal friend of the President, he is immune from any political pressure. So lets not waste our mental and physical energies clamouring for his removal. Perhaps dismissal of Chief Selector Wasim Bari would be a more realistic target.

ISSUE 2 -- THE FUTURE OF WOOLMER: He has been good for Pakistan cricket but has lost the plot starting with tour to England. He has failed not because team has lost, but because the players have failed to play like well coached players. It is for him to teach the players the correct technique and method for coping with green pitches and swinging deliveries in the corridor of uncertainty. It is for him to instill the physical and mental discipline. He has been given world class if erratic talent. It was for him mold this precocious if unpredictable talent into cohesive and disciplined world beaters. He has failed to do so. Perhaps he didn't have enough authority regarding enforcing discipline and team selection. But if chooses to be continue to be the coach despite such handicaps, then he must accept the responsibility for the results.

APART from his inability to address the persistent lapses on the technical front, Woolmer has also failed to motivate and inspire the team. Sports are played just as much on emotion as on technique. No issue -- doping, internal strife, bad selection -- can be an excuse for failing, especially the way we failed, against Ireland . I will bet good money that a fourth string Pakistan team will beat Ireland tomorrow, regardless of how green the wicket is. This team lost because they played with a bad technique, failed to exercise mental discipline, lacked motivation and did not have the confidence -- all areas which Woolmer is responsible for either in part in full. I cannot see him staying on, although I also dread the next choice. Miandad again? The unpalatable fact is that while us Third World countries produce great cricket players, we do not produce technically competent professional coaches. Just look at Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh -- all of them have foreign coaches from the First World. May be we are just in awe of white old men with laptops.

The FUTURE OF INZIMAM: His recent past, and perhaps near future, is tied inexorably to that of Bob Woolmer -- a cricketing odd couple if there ever was one. Pakistan had done well under Inzimam-Woolmer coupling for about a year and half until the fatal tour to England. His bland style of captaincy is tolerable as long as he is personally performing, which often means that the team is performing. However, when the chips are down, or the team otherwise needs inspiration, innovation or even just some common sense QUICK thinking, he has come up empty time after time -- with one outstanding exception, the final day of the Bangalore test in 2004-2005. How can a man who captained so brilliantly on that final day be such a lackluster skipper during the rest of his tenure? He has had nearly complete control over the team during the last couple of years and has kept people such as Naveed, Sami and Kamran Akmal in the team even when their respective form no longer justified their inclusion. He has even managed to keep his fellow mullah Mushtaq Ahmed on the payroll. No harm there....as long as the results are satisfactory, which unfortunately is no longer the case.

As one of the greatest players of Pakistan, Inzimam should be treated with respect and dignity and should be given a chance to, and privately encouraged to, resign from the captaincy. He has another year or two of cricket left in him and should be allowed to stay in the team but not as captain. One can argue that his presence would undermine the authority of the next captain, but on the balance, I feel he deserves to be allowed to continue and his batting can still be an important asset for Pakistan.

THE NEXT CAPTAIN: Younis's antics ahead of the Champion's Trophy last fall were a huge disappointment. That episode has cast serious doubts about his maturity, but with no other contenders in sight, Younis will inherit the mantle by default. Shoaib Malik does seem to have a mature cricketing brain, but his selection in the team is not guaranteed at the moment and unless you are a Mike Brearly, a captain's place in the team has to be seen as deserved and certain or he will not receive the respect of his team members. This is especially so when a young player is elevated above older and more experienced players. And Afridi is so immature and controversial that the suggestion to make him the captain is a nonstarter.

Conclusion -- Ashraf stays, Woolmer goes, Inzimam keeps playing but Younis captains.

Dear Pakistanis, I was one of the very few who is happy that (our??) team lost the match against bunch of ameutuer cricketers. This is the best thing possible for future of Pakistan Cricket.

Reason I am happy after this result,heads will roll now (hope this also doesnt prove a wishful thinking in pak cricket politics).

In my youth, Imran Khan was known to be dictator in the team but I believe Inzi is not only dictator but also he is Arrogant dictator. Who did not listen to anyone about his choice of useless cricters like rana, shoaib malik,imran nazeer, kamran akmal..most of them grew beard to be in the team

Kamran shb, you should also admit of creating the hype and false hopes. How could have you said that Pak team was capable of beating any team except australia...were you saying that about the current team? insanity...........

Thank GOD, now we can watch rest of the world cup without any further stress. And congrats to all the pakistani team for managing to lower the pakistan status. May you enjoy rest of the world cup on carribs beaches, night clubs etc.. and finally please take nasim ashraf with you as well as he likes to be present in all the team meetings...Looking forward to out next embarassement in four years time.

nothing to say u said everything

Taking nothing away from the Irish but what an absolute disgrace! I dont think it is anything to with Bob Woolmer but with the captain Inzy. This calls for Inzy's retirement slip to be handed in and for him to move on. The bowlers performed very well but again Inzy wasnt using them efficiently... why use spinners to attack when wickets are dropping and you have 2 if not 3 good fast bowlers.

Kamran touched on many of the ills afflicting Pakistan cricket. The basic problem IMO: lack of high-school level infrastructure. Both India and Pak suffer from this. In the age of professionalism we simply can't afford to have cricketers learn their trade after they join the national team.

Well first of all they got what they deserved. Congratulations to Irish for gr8 achievement and thanks for saving our times from following the fools.
Kamran, your reaction is no different than any Pakistani would have right now. But believe me I am not shocked by the poorest display against Ireland. Tone of our captain & coach was alarming right before match and the respect they already had for Ireland compared easily with fear they had for Australia or South Africa.

Though they do not deserve any appreciation or compliment yet they deserve ICC Special Award for promoting cricket by giving much wanted self belief to minnows. They did this for Bangladesh in 1999 and now its Ireland's turn to be awarded test status soon. And from now Pakistan team must play minnows only for the betterment of cricket and their own. ICC must pass this sort of regulation that teams disqualified in round robbins twice in a row must play ICC Cricket League to qualify for the mega event.

For betterment of Pakistani cricket following actions are recommended:
1. Ptivatize PCB free of any political involvement. If PCB is not purged from all the bullshit, then Pakistani fans should stop supporting this lovely game for some time.
2. Sack all old asses low of energy Inzi, Mushi, Azhar, Razzaq and so on
3. Sack all contoversial players such as Shoib & Asif
4. Hire local coach (es) only as majority of our talented cricketers are not even high school graduates. Hire both batting & bowling coaches.
5. Choose a captain who is relatively educated and has brain and fighting spirit irrespective of international experience. Do not just choose a captain who has experience and old. No more old ass....

I hope my other friends will have more ideas to clean the system even though these will fall on deaf ears only... God bless Pakistani fans.

Hey guys I got an brilliant idea. Pakistan is kicked out and India is likely to follow. Lets have an India-Pakistan series during the super 8 cos not I guess both will care a damn whats happening the WC. May I suggest India and pakistan teams with a lot of new fresh faces instead ofthe loosers we both send at WC.

Nice One Kamran Sahab, it´s Wonderful . . . I would Partially disagree with U, Even Younis Khan don´t deserve to be in the team as a CAPTAIN

I have been waiting to read your blog as soon as i saw the disastrous news. Which coupled with my own country, India, losing to Bangladesh. I had more hopes with Pakistan than India itself. Shame on Asian Tigers :-(

Mr. Abbasi,
You have a very good command of the English language and I always enjoy reading your columns. Forgive me , but I did not introduce myself. I am not Pakistani or of Asian descent. Rather, I am a West Indian (a passionate and avid cricket fan) living in the US.
As a fan of the game I feel your pain. I know the pain and frustration of experiencing the highs and lows of a team that in short could be described as a modern day Jekyll & Hyde.
What I have never understood about your country and its' cricket though, is the need for politicians to play such a significant role in the overall administration of a game I have always advocated should be administered by those who have played it and consequently understand what needs to be done.
Other than the West Indies team I follow the other Asian teams such as yours and India.
I yearn for clones of the Mohammed brothers Sadiq & Mustaq, Imran Khan, Mudassar Nazar, Javed Miandad amd the great Majid Khan.
I grew up during the time when Michael Holding Andy Roberts, Marshall and Garner to name a few gave nightmares to oppsoing batsmen and when Richards, Greenidge, Haynes and Clive Lloyd kept opposing bowlers up at night.
So it is with a great deal of meaning when I say I feel your pain. I hated to see Pakistan go out like this and I am sure there will be wanton changes. It may be time for a new breed of cricketers. I am hoping that the West indies are taking notes that these minnows should not be taken lightly.
To be in the World cup and survive you have to be relentless, unmerciful,consistent and possess a killer instinct that would make a feline proud.

In addition to changing the captain, Imran Khan should be made President of Pakistan Cricket Board, because our players only play with Danda on their head.

Yesterday by far was the worst day in pakistan cricket history. Losing to ireland showed that our team is a total mess. We are #3 side in odi rankings and we lost to the team that doesn't even play during the year. It's a total shame and PCB in my opinion should have fired woolmer right after yesterday's match was over. Woolmer has done nothing with the team at least for the last couple of years. One seems to wonder if he even prepares a team for a big match. Does he even watch videos of the opposition before the match. Ireland was obviously prepared for this game. I wish that our team could do wonders in big matches but they all suck starting from top to bottom including inzi, younis, even yousuf didn't do jack in this WC. Whats the point of having a world record when you can't perform in a WC. I was hoping when i woke up this morning that there will a headline that woolmer either got fired or resigned on cricinfo main page but there wasn't. Does woolmer have any self-respect? What is that fatso still doing in that dressing room after what happened yesterday. I have completely lost hope in our team and i can guarantee you that if we dont fill PCB with good ex pakistani players then we'll see the exact same result in 2011. For God sake please bring in young players and let them play for four years. By 2011 they will be at a point where they can at least beat teams like ireland. The present team can't even do that.

Down with inzi, woolmer, PCB

Well what can one say? It all happened and ended with our choice of captaincy. In all these past two or three years - since we gave up Aamir Sohail's renaissance or revolution, not that he way a revolutionary but at least he was trying new things with the selection - So in all this time since Inzi has been captain, we have seen it and heard it, that whenever it came to team selection and tough decisions, merit was ignored. whenver it was a crunch time and you had a cricketer who was on merit, the tried and tested and (may I add failed) were preferred. whenever we were told by Inzi or Bob that yes so and so is there and we may try them, team was always selected, with the names that you knew had been there since 2003. Nothing new was ever tried or given a chance. You would have new fast bowlers chosen in the 14 or 16 member team but never tried not even in inconsequential matches. Like when were we going to try these new players? if we were going to rely on Razzaqs or Rana Naveed ul Hassan all the time, when were the new guys going to get a chance... Whatever we are reaping today, has not happened over the course of one bad day of cricket, it has taken a lot of wrong decisions to get here.

Forget the Australian, English and South African structures. I believe that our model should be the US high school sports system. From intra-mural, city and state-level competitions, proper coaches and grounds at the school level all the way to sports scholarships in colleges and professional first-class leagues. Easier said than done, but high-school infrastructure is a no-brainer

I totally agree with your observations. However, I feel Younis Khan does not deserve to be the captain, in fact he shouldn't even be in the one day side. One big century against Hong Kong, an average in the low thirties, and an ordinary strike rate does not put him among the best eleven players of the country. Shoaib Malik seems to be the appropriate choice as Afridi will struggle to make it to the test squad. But its time for a change, and no matter how angry we all are, I have to admit that it has been a sad end to Inzimam's career. We all expected better!

Okay, so as I get over my emotions (see comments in my earlier post) I have a great idea. I was thinking about sports in Pakistan and how once we used to be great in Field Hockey, Squash and Cricket. As we sink to lows in all three we must devise a new strategy. I say we go all out and put our energy and funds in to soccer/football. I think that is the only rationale strategy. We will start as underdogs in that sport. There will be minimal expectations from our nation and from the world. Soccer is the one sport where upsets can happen much easier than other sports (you could be the European cup holder and not qualify for the World Cup). This sport is cheaper than cricket. This will help the poorer folks especially in NWFP, Quetta and Sind where soccer is especially appreciated. This sport has greater world recognition and more money for the players.
I say lets do it! We have the same amount of energy and money needed to prepare as the World Cup cricket 2011 or World Cup soccer 2010. Bottom line, it will be less dissapointing then where we are likely to be in 2011 and the 11 idiots from the current losing cricket team have spent more time playing soccer in their net sessions than cricket so even they have a chance! And finally, maybe as underdogs we can beat the Irish and take our revenge!

What a shambles this bunch of chockers have become. For the last 12 months they are repeatedly proved that theyhave no backbone and no pride in being Pakistanis. I hope to god there is a masive shake up in the PCB and all the cancerous elements (i.e. the vast majority) are thrown out into the street and we need to start afresh. they need to start from the grass root level and set up a proper structure to develop young cricketers and instill some pride and professionalism in them. I hope Imran Khan can forget about politics and take charge of Pakistani cricket as it desperately needs him.

We all thought the team was bad, but not that bad

1. We got what we deserved.
2. PCB selection committee - Made up in un-democratic way and non-merit basis
3. PCB management - Made up in un-democratic way and non-merit basis
4. Pakistani Cricket Team - Made up in un-democratic way and non-merit basis
5. Every other team has players that has received some education, some teams even have players who are hobbyist and have other professional careers - yet they still perform like dedicated professionals.
6. Pakistani players are the only exception with no reasonable education, all they've done in their life is playing Cricket - yet no professionalism.
7. Playing Cricket requires knowledge of science - specially physics - and we know where we stand when it comes to understanding physics of the environment and pitch.
8. When we had successes, all our great players were equipped with the science of Cricket.
9. Pakistani team simply depends on individual talents that sometime works while other times fails.
10. This captain (Inzi) has been a source of embarrasment whether its about press conference or team leadership. A brainless captainy with lethargic presentation.
11. This Cricket was our last hope to paint some constructive/positive picture of Pakistan to counter our extremist look in the international political stage. Yet we even lost that one.
11. Question is! Why simply blame our players when our whole society is based on non-merit and undemocratic favoritism
12. We are behind in education, we are behind in almost all sports, we are dependent on foreign aids to run our country
13. Nothing will ever change unless the whole nation wants to change its attitude towards everything
14. One of the most obvious problems is our tendency to always speak too-high of ourselves and deliver nothing.
15. Whatever topic you pick - We Pakistanis are not doing so good and not even willing to learn.
16. I'd love to say we are proud Pakistanis but don't we need something to substantiate our claim.
17. Last but not the least! All crap failure personalities are currently in the PCB management and comittee while all the greats like (Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas, Asif Iqbal, Moin Khan) are outside and can only cry out loud with advise to fix the obvious. I wish I could somehow put these sincere greats of our nation back into the control.

Saeed.

This team is an absolute disgrace. If the rest of us performed as badly in our jobs we would not last 2 seconds. How can so called professionals have a heart attack everytime they see a green wicket??

I have never seen such a lazy, incompetant bunch of players and am embarassed to call myself pakistani.

While other teams are focusing on cricket we are making issues out of nothing by arguing about language.

Pakistan would do well to learn a lesson or two from Bangledesh. They showed heart, fight, intelligence and plenty of skill to win yesterday.

But the typical arrogant pakistani attitude of thinking we have a divine right to win will come to the fore no doubt.

Thank you guys thousands in our country are starving and you guys are staying in 5* hotels and living in the life of luxury...... Thank you so much for your hardwork you truely deserve your monster salaries because evidently you work so hard for them...... Shame on you

i can feel the hurt, anger, dissapointment and disbelief by the tone of your article. however, i have been watching the pakistani cricket team for the past year and this outcome was truly not surprising. i don't mean to be rude or rub salt onto wounds. but i think the biggest problem us Asians have is that we are not realistic enough. we lack realism. when you continue to persist that this team can only be beaten by Australia and no other team, it really shows how far away you are from fact. this team has been overly distracted. and believe me, in order to win a world cup it requirers much more than just a bunch of talented players (just ask former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga or even the great Imran Khan) every team has talent. every team is good enough to beat Australia on their day, but the truth of the matter is teams don't succeed in doing so. while giving you time to recover from this shock that you are going through, i hope and pray that the pakistani team put an end to the dissapointment they are causing their legions of fans and to bring back the glory days of pakistani cricket. by the way, lets stick to being realistic, if pakistan where to get anywhere close to being that good, it would take at least a good 12-16 months. but the rebuilding proces needs to start now.

I agree with you mr abbassi our team has let us down on the biggest stage, we were embarrased by a team which last week i never heard of! they employed no stong strategy and paid the price.
How ever i think inzi shouldnt be blamed but the blame must go to the poor management of the PCB. i think the chairman must go and be replaced by a forward thinking man.
Finally if pakistan were to lose inzi and woolmer then i can guarentee you that all hell will break lose as these two men held the team together and without them it will be a really sorry sight.
i feel sorry for inzi as the pakistani media always targets the captain and with this i feel that he will be pressurised into retirement.

Inzi you were a great captain a great leader and fantastic player if you go then pakistan cricket will have a massive hole to fill as their is know batsmen like you.

best of luck in the future to inzi and woolmer!

PAKISTAN ZINDABAD!

You have not said enough. Why does Pakistan Cricket needs a Patron? I cannot recall any other national cricket outfit having a Patron. In Pakistan, the Patron in stead of patronising the game, treats PCB as his personal property and fills it up with his cronies.

The entire PCB personell should be sacked lock stock and barrel. PCB's unborn contstitution should be brought in this world by a caesarain.
The district cricket associations should be the PCB's constituent members. The future Coach should be from within Pakistan even though it has become fashionable to have a foreign coach. Invest the same amount of money on Pakistan coaches and the support staff. It should be borne in mind that Pakistan's most and highest acheivements both in one day and test cricket have been under the guidance of Pakistani coaches.
Inzi should never have been made a captain. As you said he is not leader. He is not a thinking cricketer. My choice will be Shoaib. I can understand your reasons for Afridi but he first needs get an ounce of brain and bat like a responsible player.

At last Mr Abbassi unleashed the angry man out :). Did we really need a responsible board or an appropriate bowling coach to win a match against Ireland? I hope the board chairman jumps off a cliff along with few other officials to help ease off the pain we are in as a nation.

All I can say is that this Pakistani team gave more reasons for the Irish to drink on St. Patrick's day. I guess like 4 years ago, Rashid Latif will be at the helm of this team until the nation gets over this debacle. Also, Inzy and Bob please take Akmal and Rana with you.

somebody wake me up from this nightmare!!!!
Pakistan out of the world cup after two matches.
Players like Imran Nazir and Azhar Mahmood I want to play for pakistan and when they get there what do they nothing. all our team is waste of time make afridi the captain so we can have some passion and energy in the side.

Shock! Sadness! Anger!.....

These are what every Pakistani whether they be a cricket fan or not would be feeling. You ALOOOO have hurt us with your nitty grity captaincy, Boby,just run while you have the chance.

Sending a team like this was the biggest joke PCB has ever played. As for its selection panel, well we all know in Pakistan that "jis ki lahthi us ki bhanse". They should be scrapped and shot everyone of them. To think people who havent probably scored a single run or taken a single whicket in their life is on this panel just bewilders me.

I share the pain of every Pakistani! WE SHOULD SPEAK OUT AND TAKE SOME ACTION!!

I am shocked to read that you mentioned that ireland should never beat pakistan, have you been watching the game the last 10 overs the batsmen were getting out by their shot selection you lost the last 5 overs as well. It is just basic cricket knowledge that was missing that too coming from pakistan. There is saying in cricket the game is a great leveller if you have no respect to the opposition or the game it has habit of biting you in the arse. Even if ireland play pakistan 100 times there is always a chance of beating PAkistan so there is no need of you saying ireland should never beat pakistan. Play the game first for a long time then write about it.

this was the 911 of cricketing history, as the world has changed after 911 , so should be a change in Pakistan cricket, not because they have lost the match but because they have lost the faith and trust of every pakistani. Since cricket was the only thing I and every pakistani was proud of not anymore, farewell to cricket.

i am really disapointed by pakistans performance.i dnt expect pakistan to win the world cup but atleast hoped tht dey wud make it through to the last round.and loosing is 1 thing,but loosing to a minor team like ireland is all togather a embarsment n shame for all of pakistan.ireland playing der 1st worldcup n on the other hand pakistan who r ranked at no.3!i think its high time tht the pcb shud take sum steps.1st kik out bob n inzi,dey r both usless n i think dey r responsible 4 all of dis.2nd v shud hire a bowling coach,who shud b a fast bowler,cux mushi is a spin bowler n he can only giv useful tips to spinners,n v dun hav ne spinners in our team!i dunno y he was given dis position in the first place!!waqar waz doin a f9 job n he improved all of our bowlers.batting is f9 but v need to be constant in our line up.stop experimenting.and ofcourse all the players shud b fit!fitness shud b given priority!!

Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu

Dear Brother Kamran

I think the problem lies far deeper than the rather quixotic view you are presenting of the past. Pakistan cricket fails to produce the consistency of performance due to the failings within wider society. This has been recurrent throughtout history.

Yes the performance at times has been poor over the past '6 months', however there has also been plently of good, particularly in South Africa.

Let us not forget that in 1992 when pakistan won the world cup, under Imran's inspirational captaincy we enjoyed the wonderful resilience of their batting against England when they 'amassed' 74 against the express pace of Botham, Small, Reeve and Pringle!

It's really fuuny actually as i was watching ESPN the other day watching a world cup match between Pakistan vs England in 1979, where pakistan in pursuing 170 to wim in 60 overs were reduced to rubble despite containing players of the calibre of Majid Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Raja and co.

My basic point is that the Pakistani teams, even during the 'glory days' had the propensity to collapse, as their technique, concentration and poor shot selection would let them down.

And yes, this also happened during the days of Imnran Khan as captain (Remember 1986 in sharjah against India, being bowled out for 87 in pursuit of 100-odd!)

Let's not look for scape-goats and simply assume that a change in personnel will deal with some of the inherent problems of the team. To be fair to this team, it has consistently shown more fight than most other Pakistani teams of the past over the last few years. This has especially been true in Test Cricket.

The One Day performances have been sketchy though. For this world Cup preparation was very poor, their was no established opening pair and generally the following problems made Pakistan a poor contender for this tournament.

Poor fielding
Poor running between wickets
An inability of the batsmen to manouvre the ball in the middle of the innings to keep the scorecard ticking.
A poor overall balance of the final 11

I believe that Woolmar and Inzamam have made mistakes for this World Cup (however far les than England's Duncan Fletcher who has had 8 years), and that they shoudl learn from these.

These two have done a lot of good, and i believe they need to continue the work by eradicating some of those areas where they have genuine control. For me to do this Woolmar must stay as coach. Inzamam, i believe should resign as Captain to make way for Younis Khan, however should continue to play for Pakistan for anoher couple of years, ideally batting at three, with Younis opening. There's alot more i could say, however no one else will probably read such a long post, so i'll conclude.

Shame on you Pakistan Team! You have played with the emotions of people. Upcoming time is gonna be nightmare for the all the people involved and responsible for this shameful untimely exit.

Pakistan have very nice U-19 team, I am very much surprised why they included the old peoples when they have pretty young talent in their country! They called Azhar what a shame? why they don't have a courage to give a chance to their young team, you can see the fine example of Bangladesh. It's very shameful for pakistan.

You're absolutely right. This is a plague era for Pakistan cricket. Definately the most disgraceful match Pakistan has ever played. A entire nation has waited 4 long years since the disaster in the 2003 World Cup and we get this.

They messed up in every department: The selection, the team managment, the captaincy, the strategy and most definately the overall quality of cricket.

I agree on the matter that the blame cannot be made soley on the captain or coach. The 'Doc' and the selection committee along with those responsible for team management have failed as well.

Is the passion of Shahid Afridi the antidote we all need? Sure. Younis Khan doesn't deserve captaincy, with the stupidity he showed in his batting these recent matches - how can we even consider him a captain if he can't even lead by example?

Mr Kamran,
I don't think that you have any right to call this performance of Pakistan sambolic (though it is really shambolic and disastrous one) because it was YOU who suppoerted the P.C.B's decission to lift that ban from Shaoib & Asif. When you support negative things then it is utterly stupidity to wait for positive things.

Teams get loose in matches and its NOT a new thing to get loose, Australia lost to Zimbabwe in 83, England lost to Zim in 92, same happened to West Indies in 96 and in 99 Pakistan found that how it tastes loosing to a minnow.

Most of you will start thinking that now we should remove this and this and situation will become good again but I don't think it will ever happen now.

Kamran, you only named 3 but I can see Abdul Razzaq, Muhammad Yousaf as candidates of Captaincy as well so actually there are 5 people who will fight for 1 position. Its sound familier to you? Yes its same what happened to Pakistan when Imran left Pak Cricket.

What Pakistan needs to do is:
1. Get rid of this board
2. Don't appoint ANY Pakistani as Coach please
3. Get a coach fro Autralia and Moody is the best one which I can think
4. I think Shoaib Malik is better candidate but can't think anybody will support him as Captain, if that happens then it would be great
5. Please Please Please release Pakstan from Afridis and Nazirs and Hafeezs. These should be even banned from First Class
6. This time, please dont conduct a WHOLESALE change in cricket team otherwise I can see another disastrous compaign in next world cup
7. Finally just pray to GOD for better things, not just in cricket but in every field

AT THE END OF THE DAY IT ALL CHURNS DOWN TO INTELLECT AND MENTAL STRENGTH. AND THAT COMES WITH EDUCATION AT SOME RECOGNISED LEVEL. IT GIVES YOU THE CONFIDENCE TO NURTURE YOUR PERSONALITY AND TO DEAL WITH PRESSURE SITUATIONS. IMRAN KHAN CULTIVATED HIMSELF BECAUSE OF THAT. TOUGH SITUATIONS NEED TOUGH THOUGHT PROCESSES IN ORDER TO WEATHER THE STORM. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE SOCIO ECONOMIC SITUATION IN PAKISTAN , MOST OF OUR CRICKETERS COME FROM UNDER PRIVILEGED BACKGROUND AND THEY SIMPLY DO NOT POSSESS THE PROGRAMING TO RESPOND IN AN APPROPRIATE WAY TO THESE SITUATIONS. INABILITY TO SPEAK PROPER ENGLISH DOES N'T HELP THE CONFIDENCE BUILDING PROCESS. WHEN YOU CANNOT COMMUNICATE YOU CANNOT LEARN! AND THIS IS THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM-- THE INABILITY TO BE A GOOD STUDENT OF THE GAME AND LEARN THE INTRICACIES OF THE ART OF PLAYING GOOD CRICKET.

Its black day for Pakistan Cricket, We were living in fool’s paradise by trusting them that they can bring us some joy by winning world cup in this general era of regret , in terms of both general political and Sports situation in country. We need a complete surgery of Structure of Pakistan Cricket otherwise cricket will soon meet the fate of hockey and squash. Since im not in Pakistan and defeat hurts more than ever and im in state of depression and Im sure that there would be hundreds like me. What I can say more I have no words to describe my feelings …..SHATTERED .. :(

Pertinent, emotive and insightful. Great piece Mr Abbasi. But despite all the analyses I've read today why does part of me think some things will never change? Certainly yesterdays debacle is a personification of the state of our nation from the day it was conceived. Lots of passion, talent and fervour, only one great leader and tons of misdirection, apathy, decay, failure to learn from past mistakes and unprofessionalism, in essence no system! People complain about the PCB being an ad-hoc committee, but hasn't Pakistan itself been an ad-hoc state for the past 60 years? Hmmm, 'some things will never change'.

These spineless wonders have shamed us. We have become the laughing stock of every cricket playing nation. Time to clean house, lock-stock- and barrel...and that includes you too... "Doc".
Good riddance to Bad Rubbish.

Kamran you are quick to change your views, not longer ago you had a belief this team were turn it all around, and were not elephants in the out field.

Shame.............really shame. DOOB MARO. I have nothing moro to say !!!!!!!!!!!

What a devastating loss. The Irish team deserves a lot of credit for winning so convincingly. In the end, this is what sport is all about. This is the reason we don't just pencil in the winner based on their strength on paper. You have to play it out on the field and earn it. It hurts to be out of the World Cup after only 5 days since it began. But what hurts more is the disarray in Pakistani cricket. No constitution, no discipline, no accountability and no competent administrators in sight. Corruption and incompetence are rampant. Worse, our board protects drug cheats in flagrant violation of all sporting rules, national and international. The World Cup loss pales in comparison to these bigger systemic problems. Pakistani fans deserve better.

To be honest I think there is a bigger problem then just the players and coaching. We have a board who seems not to have a clue on how to run the game and this choas filters down into the team. From the debacle in the UK ( and I for 1 support Inzi's stance) to the way we handled the doping saga with Shoaib and Asif just demonstrates my point. Until we can run the game in a professional manner we have no chance of becoming winners.

Wow Kamran - I think you could not have used better words. Its a sad day for all Pakistani's. Inzi, Woolmer, Ashraf, Altaf have all gtg, or better yet - they should be shot dead as a lesson for generations to come.

The bearded brigade needs to be grabbed firmly by the right ear and given a close shave, after which they should be frog marched off the team into oblivion, helped on by a firm kick up the backside.
And Afridi as captain? A suggestion that could only be made by someone who wrote three days ago that Pakistan would go all the way. Have you forgotten the wafted bat at a South African spectator? The little matter of a not so delicate pirouette on a pitch in Pakistan?

Kamran I am afraid your earlier article "Bakwas is Bakwas" is far more suited to Pakistan losing to Ireland. All the bakwas in Pakistan cricket starts from PCB set-up where the emperor doesn't realize that he has no clothes. Mr. President please leave the cricket to cricketers and I am sure they will make a mess out of it as well but in the long term nurturing this institute will give eventually more fruits than the utter frustration we feel today.

Inzi/Bob must go as time for a new leadership is here and is needed. A new PAID selection committe should be instituted with full power to select the 15-16 players for any given tour.

In the aftermath of Irish debacle if only players are made the scapeboat and nothing happens with PCB set-up than 4 years later we all will be writing to teh same tune....

After reading article from Kamran. I total agree with him. That total blame comes on the batsmen not on the bowlers. In absence of Shoaib, Asif and Razzaq. The available slot did well but Mr. Woolmer is the worst Coach i have seen ever. He total destroy the team. In both matches no team spirit is apeearing from the game of players. All were looked tired and un-united. Now after the cup total pressure comes on Imran Nazir, that he did not perform well and might PCB put cross upon his name for future matches. Selection of Imran Nazir responsibility comes on selection board, who selected him directly for the world cup without any home tour match. Inzi says we lose match becz of fate. I say u lose becz u do not respect ur elders Players e.g Team Mgt disrespect Zaheer Abbas, Get resign from Waqar Younus etc.

i live in australia and i love Pakistan as Pakistan is my Home Town & Always First ...
i love australia Too because of Australia i completed my Education,Aussie Teachers are so loving , caring and everything for me.Aussie always think about Australia first....that's why they r unbeatable...
Yesterday .. whateva Pakistan did .. its unbelievable for me still .. My family & we all friends shocked by Pakistani Team ..& still thinking is this the TRUTH we have to accept...

no words, nothing to say....... we totally f***d up just wanted to see some of our BIG cricketers dead!

All heads must roll and I mean all; including that of players, coach and admin. Shame! Start a new chapter. It cannot be worse!

What can I say about a team whose wicket keeper trains inside a gym with his slippers on. Winning or losing is a separate issue, they do not like to learn from previous mistakes

Kamran saheb, before I dig my teeth in to our topic at hand allow me to reserve a few breaths for your erratic reporting. The malaise that grips Pakistan cricket is typified by your flip-flopping of opinions and ideas. There seems little strategy to your work and your writing is poorly thought-out and merely reactive in nature. Please do us a favor and retire your pen.

Now, as for the debacle at the hands of the Irish. Well where do we start!

Well, for one, the Irish seemed to have our number right from the get go. They exhibited a higher level of passion and boundless energy on the field. Their commitment at the crease was admirable in the face of mounting pressure. Part-time cricketers they may be, but there was nothing part-time about their systematic dismantling of our motley crew of cricketers.

Forget the shamrock, this was more shambolic. Our cricketers showed a weakness of strength and confidence, devoid of courage and ideas out in the middle. There appeared to be no leader, no one to calm the nerves, gee up the troops and whip up some energy. No one to put an arm around a younger bastman and lead the way.

Inzi was disgraceful. For a man of such massive physical stature, the lack of body language is rather mysterious. The lack of spine even more so.

The emergence of a religious core within the team has certainly not helped. Religion has its place and that place is in the privacy of one home. Not on live tv being beamed to millions across the globe.

After our failures in 2003, we as supporters were asked to remain patient as the admnistrators worked on a 3yr strategy to build a credible team for the sport's premier competition. All we have seen in the last 3yrs is a catalogue of comedic errors, incomprehensible back-room decisions, and the penchant ability to turn Pakistan into the laughing stocks of world cricket. For that we thank you Messrs ul-Haq, Woolmer et al.

Where do we go from here? After the dust has settled, the customary tomatoes belted at our returning cricketers and the effigies duly burnt we need to rid the ad-hocness of our ad-hoc adminsitration. We need to pick a captain with class, charisma and natural leadership abilities (a Younis Khan or a Shoaib Malik). We need to have a hard look at our first-class cricket structure. We need to educate the not so sharp cricketers. We need a coach that is willing to make the hard decisions. But most of all we need 11 players who are willing to stand up and be counted - that last point is all we really ask for!

AlongwithInzi, Woolmer and PCB the scribes who thought Pakistan was going all the way and the only worthwhile opposition it was going to face was from Australia should also be removed from writing about cricket, and that includes you Mr. Abbasi. No more explanations, no more blame game. You all suck.

Hi
I am a pakistani fan more than 10 yrs.
I am totally disappointed by the pakistan 2003 and 2004 world show.Instead they gone to the dogs from 2003 to four.
If we think positive first step is inject new blood and never think of players such as Imran,Hafeez,Yasir the players who failed given so many chances.
Keep the players Yousuf,Younis,Shoaib,Afridi,Abdul Razaak,Asif may be Gul and get rid of all the players.Bring new young players right from the start and fill the vacant five palces .

If they bring Imran,YasirHafeez,Farhat they are going to do the same thing in the 2011 world cup.
Because these palyers have been given enough chances for nothing.I mentioned the above six palyers because atleast they have done something to pakistan.

disappointment, disappointment and disappointment has been the bottom line of Pakistan Cricket and for the fans too since last 6 months or so.

I think we should really give credit to Pak Cricket Fans for still bieng hopeful that pakistan would do well in the World Cup but i guess they were given the same response which they have become accustomed to.

I saw the match, didnt sleep the whole nite. And what i got in return is something soo shameful to our Country. And even more shameful is blaming it to Fate by our dear Captain. Through out the match we didnt see a single player with an attitude that i will win this match on my own for my Country, for my fans and for our dignity. Everyone was just filling his space and performing a routine task. Well i would not like to comment on the match too much as its gone and atleast we should learn something from it.

First and most important thing that should be done now is to get rid of our ad-hoc Cricket Board. It has been soo long that we are running Cricket business which has been the MAJOR sport of the country on Ad-hoc basis. We have to have a selected Cricket Board which can be accountable on such shameful feets. Regarding team i would say that once we will have a better Cricket Board, team selection and performance will improve as well. After tha Cricket Board Coach and Captain are the 2 other changes which should be done,not for next tournament but for the long future ahead. Shoaib Malik and Afridi are very good options Kamran, i do agree with you. Pakistan is the team which can only win while attacking so we need to have a captain with the hunting and killing attitude.

Well, we still are praying for our Country , our Cricket and our dignity. I wish some miracle will happen. :s

Kamran, what can I say? We are all very very upset. You're spot on - the problem runs right through from A-Z. That powers that be just don't have a clue. I agree, Bob, Inzy & that joker at the top all need to go, but the players also need to take a good look at themsleves. All 11 of them. The batsmen were wreckless, & one feels that a few players in the final line up shouldn't have been there at all (there is no justification for poor selection). From now on, I will be a norml & sane supporter. No high expectations (it's better that way - avoids disappointment), I'll just take Pakistan's cricket calendar as it comes, appreciating & applauding the team's success whilst not becoming a manic depressant when it looses. To my fellow supporters: get a grip guys: have realisitic expectations & just pray that the system improves. Enough said.

i agree that afridi would really make a good passionate captain and he is not that old either. what Pakistan cricket needs to do is to give the under 19 world cup team a try or at least include the major players from that team. they should have decide on 20 young players right NOW so that for the next four years those players can become a core group of guys, gain some experience, and learn how to win. Also Pakistan cricket needs to hire a coach that can relate with the young group of 20 or so guys (led by afridi) so the team can have some chemistry. Now the coach does not necessarily have to be a former player but someone who can coach and knows what he is doing.

Dear Kamran

Its all useless telling them about what they had done to Pakistan cricket and to the millions of diehard fans of cricket in Pakistan. I think there should be proper accountability of all the concerned namely, PCB high ups, Inzamam, Bob Woolmer and the most important Mr. Pervaiz Musharraf for this outstanding performance of the team. If Pakistan had won or even reached the Semis there had been many gifts and others to these people so why not they be accountable for the wrong doings.
But I think like the 2003 debacle once again the Board will find some scapegoats in the form of Inzamam and some others.
I totally agree with you regarding the captaincy and vote for Shoaib Malik for the post as he is young and can lead by example which the Pakistan team needs like Graeme Smith of South Africa. Inzamam, Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Rana Naveed alongwith Mr. Woolmer should be thrown out of the cricket system in Pakistan and the overall structure of PCB first of all the most awaited laws and regulations governing the game of cricket should be changed. Proper cricketing brains should be brought into the cricketing fore like Abdul Qadir and others who are out spoken and do not speak hanky panky like others.

Much to say but of what use.

Very very disappointed on the failure of the Pakistan team.

Pray for the best and hope that this can be a turning point in the history of Pakistan cricket.

Sirjee,
being frm India ,I understand your pain, but Afridias captain ??? Cmon, now!!

All my life I have been a supporter of Pakistan cricket, in the good times and the bad. After this lose I feel ashamed of being Pakistani. I can't describe the feeling after finally realizing that we're going to lose yesterday, after sitting and praying all day for a win.

i think signs of rot could be spotted in the home series against india when we produced two of the flattest wickets i have ever seen despite pak having a very good fast bowling attack. those pitches were an indication of "avoid losing at all cost mentality" which carried to the odi series which we lost 4-1. good record in the early part of woolmer/inzi leadership was a bit of a fluke because wins occurred against weak bowling attacks on flat pitches. even while winning those matches, pak's batting was spotty at best.

i also think bari also deserves huge amount of brickbats. he has been in charge of the two most disastrous w.c. campaigns in the history of pak. he clearly lacks the ability to identify new talent. i thought team made progress after last w.c. when selection was headed by amir sohail. performance improved in a fairly short time as indicated wins against s.a. at home and n.z. away. i think the same attitude should be adapted now as done after the last w.c. new selection panel should be created with the mandate to make wholesale changes. players i would retain would be moyo and yk although i would tell them their status would be evaluated year to year. would get rid of the likes of afridi and razzak. these players reached the and of their shelf life long time back. their records are below average and their place in the team has been at expense of new talent.

overall i think we have a good future. pakistan has a huge talent banks as indicated by two successive u-19 wins. challenge will be to mold this talent. we should ensure that people who have created the current mess have no influence on pak cricket going forward.

I would like to agree with everything you have said in this article but also would wanna know that what is our criteria for appointment of Chairman and chief selectors.I am still to see an actual hero of Pakistan cricket be a part of PCB.I think its about time Pakistani cricket fans start asking questions to why Imran khan cannot be a part or even chairman of PCB.I would love to read an article to what are the reasons that he has never been part of Pakistan cricket board or selection.

changaiz

Disgraceful. Pakistan cricket has had some shameful days but losing to Ireland really sets a new standard.This is THE pinnacle of international cricket calender and to be out after 5 days is frankly, a farce. The batsmen showed little technique or determination, the bowlers lacked the killer touch.We never expected to win the cup but certainly did not forsee being jettisoned in the group stage. PK cricket needs to take a good hard look at itself- it is stuck in a catch 22, these same issues were asked after 2003 and little has changed. Goodbye Inzy, thanks and enjoy retirement and Bob enjoy retirement (I wouldn't get my hopes up for a call from the ECB any time soon..)

Thanks God Pakistan team is out of world cup. We are saved from future embrassment (for third one i am mentally and emotionally prepared).

Pakistan wasn't going to make it to the semi-finals... they exit one stage earlier... so what? Inzi and Bob should and would go... time to move on habibi.

If we can keep the mullah-influence of Saeed Anwer, Mushtaq, Inzi and now Yusuf out of the team we will be ok. Religion is a personal thing and need to stay like that... Pakistan cricket team is not an exception.

You can only win pressure matches with aggressive mind-set... Woolmer/Inzi combination is too negative.... same with India... Dravid (my personal favourite) is not an aggressive captain, he is a better batsman but Ganguly was a far superior leader.

Kamran, i can't describe how i am feeling today. It was such a pethetic performance which can't be describe. So, many poor shorts we played last night and what the hell bob did sitting in the dressing room. He can't tell our batsmen that we need to stick on the pitch and try to play 50 overs. I really didn't like the way Kamran Akmal got out because before him Azhar got out in same fashion he must not tried the same short. Any how we need complete overhaul in our cricket which starts from the change of administration and i don't think it is good idea that our president should be head of this game. We need some one who understand cricket who know how to develop and how have the control and administration. We don't need these bunch of part timers. We also need to prepare more green and bouncy pitches in our own country so that we can have much of practice it. At the end i want Imran Khan to be head of the PCB.

Thanks God! The "Tableague" team has been out and on the way back home!

From Toronto

I almost did not feel like writing because for some reason, PCB does'nt reason. You extol the importance of leadership. PCB misses the point on that too. Brearley of England, and Llyod of WI, even though they were in the late 30s and into 40s (I think Brearley was) were retained due to lack of leadership benchstrength in their respective teams. Such is the importance. Imran and Richards were engaging leaders with disciplinary strenghts and could harness the value of distributed genius in the team and when best to call for it. Even Miandad (although he had some minuses in the charisma part) was an omni-present, ever calculating guy - someone who the team members need to look upto for leadership guidance. Imran used Miandad extensively for consultations on-field. We do not have anybody. Premature forced exits of Wasim and Waqar did not do us any good. The two W's should be used extensively - they are young and know the modern game well. At the cost of sounding silly, I even think that Waqar could still play and lead to groom the next captain. At such pathetic levels, we need specialist coaches for batting, bowling, fielding and fitness. ALL OF THEM. Oh my God, we are weak in all. The raw talent of our quickies is not polished by any experienced hand. Our batsmen continue with their talent gaps. We have good fielders and bad fielders and they remain good and bad, instead of improving the good. Fitness ... enough said. If Inzimam plays, why the hell is he allowed not to get fitter - he should be forced to. No excuse. Lastly cricketers with an administrative acumen should run PCB and we have tried Bari for a long time now. Nonetheless, I am terribly dissappointed, because I had hoped against hope these deficiencies will be obscured by raw passion for winning - alas it did not.

There is something very seriously wrong with the spirits of our players. With no homework, no strategy, no game plan, no team can make a name in any tournament.

I see massive rift between the Coach and the Captain. Nothing going as planned except the Warm up matches (may be because we won against a better team i.e. SAF).

No Head of Board travels with the team, as if he is a player himself. To make the matters worse, he is coming up to captain and telling him which playing 11 to be picked and deciding the batting order.

If CEO (who himself has no understanding of cricket) doesn't know that there are numerous things to do other than issuing order about the playing 11, then what can we expect from a player.

Thing are at worst in current scenario, even in WC 2003, we never lost to a minnow, but this time the earliest exit award goes to PAKISTAN.

I'll recommend

1, Find new Coach (preferably Zaheer Abbas or any Australian, because wherever Australians r coaching, thing r much better i.e. Australia, Srilanka, Bangladesh, India). Most importantly Australians are different from rest of the teams only because of their Mental Toughness.

2, Find a new CEO (this guy is very busy in enjoying himself, roaming around with the team)

3, Kick out Inzi, Hafeez, because Hafeez still averages less than 20 in ODI, is this the standard of our National team's Opener. I think Salman Butt is better as his average is over 30. Though inconsistency is not an issue as both r inconsistent). Butt has been the best among Taufeeq, Farhat, Hafeez and Nazir so he deserves a recall.

4, Bring back Yasir Hameed as a replacement of Inzi, he got experience and talent. He averages 35+ in ODIs, so he will be good addition in the team.

5, New captain Younus, but he needs to show maturity as a captain.

6, Keep Kaneria for ODIs and Rehman for ODI, Rahman need more chances in ODIs to prove his mettle as he has done outstanding on Asian pitches, needs to prove himself outside Asia, as he got hammering in SAF.

7, No blame on bowlers because it’s the batsmen because of whom WC'07 is over for Pakistan.

Ireland are playing their first world cup and they beat pakistan, pakistan create history and thats true, they were beated by bangladest in 1999 and now yesterday by ireland, Is this their world cup preparation? 4 years of preparation finished in four days,i didnt understand what inzamam did yesterday, its look like he doesn`t want to win, I am getting a feeling that what happend to pakistan hockey and squash same thing is going to happen with our cricket unless a miracle happens.

Those painful memories will be forgotten in a few months once Pakistan will winn a series against bengladesh or zimbabwe orso. Than probably the Pakistani media and the fans will start the supertalent hype again. Everyone will forget that you should winn a match on all fields (batting, bowling and fielding.

The problem is that Pakistan rely to much on a few so called talented players. For example two matches can be won with a few talented bowlers. In the third match those talented bowlers could be useless. Than the rest of the players should do their duty good batting and fielding)and win the match.

Look at the bright side, this was and will be the worst World Cup performance by Pakistan. None of the previous teams has performed like this and none of the teams to come will perform like this …………….. how much low you can get.

All the future Pakistani teams have to thank Inzamam & Co. for settings the standard so low; now when ever they play in the world cup their performance will always be better and no one can claim that this was the worst performance.

THANKS

certainly pakistan's performance in this world cup highlights far more systemic problems with the country's domestic cricketing structure, player ethos and management ignorance. But this is nothing new - we had similar criticisms in the last world cup in South Africa. Clearly not much has changed.
While not to make excuses, I would like to point out one aspect of the format to this year's world cup which I had reservations with from the start. 4 groups - which each team playing only 3 games in each group to advance to the 2nd round. Hence any team (regardless of their stature in world cricket) might have one bad day and the chances of them redeeming themselves is impossible. It might as well be a knock-out tournament from the start. Unlike the 1992 world cup where the format allowed for teams to recover from early challenges (Pakistan being a prime example) this years world cup format simply does not give that opportunity (as India are now about to experience with their loss against Bangladesh).
Having said all of this - whats going to happen now? Its a script thats been played several times sadly enough - Inzy will retire as will Mohammad Yousuf probably. Woolmer will be given a one-way ticket back to South Africa or England - wherever he so chooses. The Doc will resign as will the entire selection committee. We will begin to regroup once again only to be having this same conversation 4 years from now.
Whenever Pakistan has won big games in the past, it has typically been on the back of individual brilliance and rarely a team effort. How do you build a team when the captain, selection committee and management change hands more times than Madonna's underwear.
What a sad state of affairs.

I salute you for recommending Malik and Afridi as the future captains of Pakistan - we need a captain with zeal, obsession and fury. Unfortunately, Younis does not possess those qualities. My team:
1. Yasir Hamid
2. Salman Butt
3. Younis Khan
4. Mohammad Yousuf (VC)
5. Shoib Malik (C)
6. Shahid Afridi
7. Kamran Akmal (w)
8. Mohammad Sami
9. Iftikhar Rao
10. Umar Gul
11. Muhammad Asif

We need yousuf to be part of the leadership because of his experience - thanx to our wonderful country....he can never be captain cause he "was" xtian.

Bleakest day of Pakistion cricket, unsheltered and barren.Lost my words to explain the throbbing pain which I am suffering after the worst defeat of a cricketing history ever.From day one I have serious doubts on the leadership of Inzimamul Haq.He is not born to be a leader.The most shocking moment after the shameful knockout match defeat when Inzimam said ''Luck did not favour us'',reflects the nature of Inzimam leadership.After losing , balming luck responsible for defeat shows how poor is Inzimam in taking responsibility, doesnt it reflects his mind in making decision on the field.I remember on a TV programmw with Imran Khan recently ,Inzimam showed himself a stubborb brat not willing to take any advice of legendery Imran Khan . To listen & to take responsibilty of defeat, lead from front and select players on merit attributes of a captain .Inzimam lack all of them .Selection on merit, I am surprised , the way Inzimam kicked out Waqar yunis only to let in Mushtaq an old time pal, leaving behind a players like Yasir hameed, salmant Butt again explains the dictatorship of the captain who failed to raise to the occasion.
After the captain most important is the board & slection commette.Not to provide spare openersinthe selected squad for the world cup reflects the unprofessionalism and incompetency of the head of the selection committee.bo
As for as cricket board is concerned ,again people being selected on favouritism .The most recent example is Nasim Ashraf.Word laughs at us when board chariman sits in the world pakistan team group photo in westindies , When he captures the dressing room of the players to relax and see the match.A reflection of total unprofessionalism of the cricket chief.Another joke which cricketing world has come across is inclusion of PJ Mir as media manager ,gain favouritism .Mr.Mir has provided nation laughters in the past on network channels by showing his nervousness.
On the whole , the lack of comittment , negativity , Technique flaws all merits to say goodbye to many players of this cricket team .

The administration and the justice system needs to look into any signs of get rich quick scheme of any member being part of match fixing. A team ranked fourth in ICC ranking can not just fold unless there were some other dubious intentions by some shameless characters.

Pakistan must come forward as an honorable nation, put both Asif and Shoaib to drug testing and let them face the fiddle even it means a life time ban.

Learn from Bangladesh who developedyouth and proudly contested India and won.

I've always been a critic of Inzamam and his captainship abilities. Sure, he is one of the most prolific batsman in the world, but his past couple of years have been terrible - as a batsman and as a captain. Against Ireland, he did not attack enough. Just imagine the kind of field Ponting would set if Australia were to defend a little over 100 runs. What gave away the match was the singles the Irish took inside the circle. Most of the Irish batsmen were left-handed, and the Pakistani bowlers were swinging the ball into those left-handers. One must question why Inzamam had only 3 fielders on the leg side! Ireland pushed numerous balls on the leg side for easy singles. Inzamam should have tried something different, say taking a cover off and placing him in gully to invite the batsman to drive, or assigning Hafeez's counterpart on the offside. What now ? Inzamam should retire; Who should be the Captain ? Not Younis. He has plenty of worries regarding his batting and shot selection. That leaves us with Razzaq and Malik; although the former is more experienced and a more celebrated player for Pakistan, the latter, I believe, is the ideal man for the job.

i have never in my life felt this dissapointed, why cant they take the pressure. Yes u have a young side, yeh right 3 of pakistans top ever scorers in one day cricket a few other names in there yet the only manage 132 against a club cricket with a mixture of a few county players shame on u guysss like seriously,, they should send donkeys to receive u lot at the airport,,

Alas the worst has happened, alas the shit has hit the fan spewing all of us in disgust as we see a pakistani team falter in front of the irish spirit. I ask Inzamam, if he has any shame left after this appalling piece of unworthy cricket they have played, why is he using fate as an excuse for this dismal performance rather than making his teams temperament the scapegoat. If we are to blame Woolmer then we should learn to blame ourselves in the same way, the darkness that had descended over the pakistani cricket fraternity today is not because of a one man hiccup but a team suicide.

Yet we need to forgive and forget, is it not what we pakistani fans our all about? Over the years our skins have grown thicker and forgiveness has been like a antidote to every defeat. Forgiveness has to come, for without it we cannot move on. This defeat has shaken the roots of our pakistani pride and the need is to punish those who have helped bring this day upon us. The PCB chairman has to go without a question, the man is a lunatic and a liar, hiding his drug addicted bowlers from international scrutiny. If we can survive without a opening pair for 6 years, then we can most probably do the same with our bowling pair.

A new captain is needed who has the fire in the belly like he should, young blood is needed in the team with people like inzamam forced out. Shoaib Malik to me is the prime choice, he has the temperament, skill, coolness, attitude and performance needed from the one leading our team. Younis has to be kept in the sidelines until he shows character in his batting which has been childish to say the least. Afridi has to come back and in force rather than being made a showpiece, seeing him captain the Karachi team last Christmas has made me see him in a different light. He played like a gallant leader in the field, leading his man with precision. He has to be disciplined not by lectures but responsibilities, and I can assure you that he will uphold them.

The heart and mind are bleeding with shame over this defeat, but as the saying goes and someone needs to quote this one out to Inzamam, "God helps those who help themselves". The only question to ask is, are we helping ourselves in any way?

Everyone wants heads to roll in order to revenge for the loss against Ireland .Is it any use , we wont come back in the world cup .Mr kamran kept on providing us with hope when there was none and now the defeat has hit us harder than it should have .This is the lowest that any pakistani fan has felt since the quarterfinal of 1996 against india . Heads should roll u betcha dozens of them should and this is no emotional decision this is desperately required . Here is a list of few who should go
Inzi , bob woolmer , nasim ashraf , mushtaq ahmed , imran nazir ,shoaib akhtar ( for continuously getting Pakistan insulted ), kamran akmal , salim altaf and get rid of the ad hoc committee .The world is laughing at us ( we r out of the world cup even before any minnow team ) and that is all becoz of our supposedly extremely talented team . No loss has been greater than this and i hope there are some wholesale changes to show for it .

My day started with a healthy breakfast, a nice jog and joy of seeing Pakistan winning the game today..I put on Shoaib's jersey and Pakistan floppy on my head and asked my wife to stay from me, may be I get over excited and jump and knock u out...BUT,,,,sad story begun from the early beginning. one by one, our paki batsmen were returning to pavilion...with no resistance at all. Eventually the only good batsmen I consider among the only 11 available were Sami and Kamran Akmal. Sami was the only one with some instinct to win this game but everybody else was just out there for another outing..for god sake its IRELAND playing against Pakistan...I doubt if Ireland can even beat Quetta's team..It was a real heart breaker...problem in this team started when Rashid latif was kicked out from the team..rashid was the one who brought inzi back and inzi was the one who never wanted rashid in his side....i can surely say that no matter he is older then kamran akmal but i can gurantee you that he surely is a better wicket keeper then akmal..then comes to mushi....why the hell in the world you get rid off waqar...he is/was/will be a legend for ever...he knows how to bowl in conditions like sabaina park...i am sure everybody remember his outing against England with 7 wickets in similar conditions...mushy was helping WHO? kaneria....who plays for our one day side, once in a blue moon or he was helping us with our fielding capabilities..(himself was a worst fielder)...now lets talk about our TRIO...Inzi - yousuf - younis...Let's start with younis...did any one ever explained him that better batting technique is brining your body behind the ball first and then try to play straight in seaming conditions...i guess not..he ended up edging one..how bout Yousuf..1700 runs in a year didn't help u managing 70 in total in two games...reckless shot...i understand he is a free soul and he plays his shots like that but when you see that your team is in trouble, you better peddle your breaks not your gas..and in the end...it was Inzi....how stupid you can get after knowing very well that you don’t move your feet very well and still you are trying to cut the ball very early in the inning..and edging it to the slips...ridiculous........as inzi said that no body will come for the reception at the airport....you are really stupid if u are expecting some one to come get an autograph from you ever in future now...Once for an all, PCD should be run by beauru-creats at all. secondly there should be a URDU speaking coach, who can inject the enthusiasm in the players..all these guys know how to play cricket that’s why they were there but polishing their skills and firing their instinct was a job, could be done by javed miandad...but he is very out spoken and i m sure no one in PCD wants him around...I will end writing about all this now and say...it was a heartbreaker and inzi should pay the toll..he is the captain... and captain of the ship faces the storm first then any body else....I wish afridi was there in the game,..I couldn't see him breaking down in the balcony...I think cricket is the only thing which we are passionate about in Pakistan...Long Live Pakistan and Cricket..I have no intentions to watch and follow Pak Cricket for another...hmmm i will say 3 days...because i just love this sport and my country...please please please respect our feelings..

Call me a fool, an emotionally unstable crap, but it is true that i, along with countless other Pakistani supporters had tears in their eyes as they saw their fancied tigers flaunder infront of the irish minnows. My tears were not because we`d lost, they found out a way because i realized that 4 years of expectations and anticipations have ended in a ill fought battle. Inzamam, Doc and Woolmer are crimnals, they have played with the imaginations of 16 Crore Pakistanis. We will never forgive them. Losing and Winning are a part of a game but surrendering, is not. Meek surrenderers. The last 6 months have been a blot on our proud heritage. The people responsible should be held accountable and needless to say, they should be shown the door. Inzamam you have lost your respect, as a batsmen, as a captain. You have broken our hearts, you have blackened a chapter of our proud cricketing history. May God bless you, BUT please leave our cricket alone. You have excited us a free hitting stylish batsmen but it is difficult imagining those moments now, coz the moments have been blurred by your blunders as a leader, as a batsmen. You have failed to motivate our team. You have failed big time. Inzamam, Woolmer and Doc you have hurt us where it hurts the most. You have destroyed our dreams. You have sentenced us all to four years of painful memories. God Bless PAKISTAN team.

Pakistan,the most disgusting country(?) in the world came into being on the basis of bigotry and began its terrorist activities against minorities immediately. Best if all of you become suicide bombers instead of sports.

to everyone
I can imagine the pain that everyone feels. There are somethings that we can take out of this, however.
1.You will not succeed if you don't trust yourself.
2.cowardice breeds inability to withstand pressure. ( I have never seen smaller hearts on a field).
3. Competence is not someone looking good ( Nazir,hafeez) but actually someone that has proved themselves.
4. Last but not least.( to dull the pain). Realize that there are more important things in life. your
family, the water you drink, the air you breath, your home and most importantly you will never succumb to the pressures of everyday life ( unlike these morons) even though you make much less money. Because you are tougher.

Very well said Kamran Abbasi! They have not only shattered the bits of hope we had of them doing well in the World Cup, but they also disgraced their country and their supporters. To lose a match against Ireland only goes to show the failures in leadership and in the Pakistan cricket board itself. I think now they should concentrate more on the playing of the cricket, rather than issues of: which language to speak infront of the public and how to diarray the public from the truth of the dope issues. But most of the blame should go towards our sh*tty 'doc' who has no clue of what cricket is really about. In PCB, one thing that needs an immediate change is our chairman. On the other hand, it is also a shame to know that Inzmam's so called wonderful carrer is going to end with such a disgrace. But nonetheless, PCB needs a dramatic change to bring the Paksistan team, along with the Pakistan's pride to where it is suppose to be. The only way this can be done is if we start bringing youngsters in the team on merit, rather than relationships and money.

This is all becuase PCB constitution is not enforced, because then friends will not be able to be appointed to the second most lucritive post of PCB chairman!!!!

couldnt agree more! the fact that a Doc is sitting at the top just shows what a joke the PCB has become. The one person you forgot to mention though is Bari! his selection process is a JOKE! we picked imran nazir based on 1 good inning in the last 3 years??? what was kaneria doing in the ODI squad??? and his mix & match of openers is beyond moronic! it is time for him to leave, and it is time Salman Butt returned to us, and regained his spot as an opener.

Its shocking and am in utter disbelief!!! I was driving back home in a severe snow storm last night, it was bad. But this news is worse. I am an Indian, if it was shocking to me I wonder what every Pakistani is going through over the team out of the world cup. The other day, during the match against west indies, i was telling an american friend of mine how pakistan would pull out of an impossible situation. Thats what i love about a pakistani team, the ability to bounce back. I was telling her so proudly. Alas. What a shame, not even a fight. sighs, ironically. I can only sympathise with the pakistani fans and i hope that India learns a lesson or two from this and puts up a fight and goes down fighting. I am still pinching myself, is this the team from the same country Pakistan, who rose from the ashes to clinch the 92 world cup! to take such an early exit. I better stop, and reserve some mourning when the time comes for India's exit. I am sorry for entire pakistan fans.

So what now should be done to Pakistan cricket? It needs a complete ressurection. The cricket board is messed, they have no idea where they are taking cricket in Pakistan to. The coach ddoes not need to be replaced tho, indeed he is the best coach I have seen in Pakistan. The following players need to be completely removed from the team: Inzamam, Hafeez, Imran Nazir, RaNa Naved, and They should be replaced by: Fawad Alam, Nasir Jamshed, Salman Butt, and Jamshed Ahmed and Anwar Ali. There is so much cricket taleknt in Pakistan but the selectors are idiotic enough to keep relying on the same players. To my list, I would also remove Kamran Akmal. I would replace him by Zulqarnain Haider or Sarfraz Ahmed. Hopefully, I don't have to write these sentences in 4 years time again. Pakistan Cricket, you make us cry.

There is no hope for Pakistani cricket. There are no new players being unearthed. We are still riding on the legacy of Imran Khan, ie Inzamam Ul Haq. When he is sacked we will have no world class batsman in the middle order. Since Imran we have not had a single world class bowler or batsman unearthed, which shows a serious lack of scouting and nurturing skills in our management. Imran managed to nurture the talents of Wasim, Waqar and Inzi. He got the best out of some of the other average players. There was direction in his team. There was a fighting spirit. All this has been missing in the last 15 odd years. Under pressure the Pakistani batsman fold like a school eleven playing the Australian test side. Under pressure our bowlers fail to produce match winning spells.
Inzaman will be sacked as player and captain after this loss. I expect a very barren period for Pakistan in the next 4 years. Asif aside i can't think of a single youngster who has world class potential. The vast experience of some of our former greats are unused and unappreciated. So much so that our favorite son, Wasim Akram had to turn to our rivals for respect and recognition.
What we need in the PCB is someone like Imran. He was a strong character, a selector, a coach and a scout. Shame they make men like him only once a century.

Absolutely true. 100% agreed.

Kamran bhai this is an absolutley beautiful opportunity to rearrange the whole of pakistani cricket system. It really is no good to replace just the few players and coach and say that heads need to roll . What really needs to roll is this system that seemingly governs PCB. I am not a great fan of these various "ad hoc committees" that seem to be chosen to carry out various tasks.I am also a not a great admirer of the PCB running itself from one disaster to another. Thsi kind of atmosphere just runs right through to the player on the field.Lets start the whole process of "rolling heads" right from the top. Lets get in people who know a thing or two about cricket to run the PCB, of course iam not suggesting that we should get Wasim to do amin in the PCB but the current set up really needs to be shaken very violently. To initiate the whole process we the the fans must insist on the Constitution being approved and enacted immediatley. Then to sacjk the whole of PCB and have elected members who are able to run the board properly and professionally.The unprofessional nature of the board then carries right through into the players. The players have consistentley demostrated how unprofessional they are.I believe if we get the basics of PCB management right then everything else will fall into place.We will get rid of all the politics involved this way.

Regards

Mehmood(England)

Did anyone say cornered tigers?
This group was nothing but a bunch of PAPER TIGERS!
Nobody had the backbone or temprament to carve out an innings under difficult conditions!
It's definitely time for a SHAKE-UP !

GOOD BYE PAKISTAN....
GOOD BYE BOB WOLOOMER. PLZ DONT COME BACK
GOOD BYE INZI .. u were great player but we need a pure leader not a mullah captain.

And good bye HAFEEZ - RANA - KAMRAN

+ kick every one in PCB and bring IMRAN KHAN as leader no one else. PLZZZZZZZZ

We had only one good ting from Pakistan that was cricket and its taken away from us :(((((

This indeed is a sad day in Pakistan cricket. Some reason they seem to loose the drive for winning. One thing which i have noticed is that Pakistan should stick to one colour of clothing. From my observations Pakistan should have light colour clothing ala WC 1992, WC 1999 and ODI 2005. And if you notice those were the years they performed extremely well. So why change something that works? Also get rid of all the garbage players who are not contributing anymre. Pakistan have become crybabies and always complaining in media. First they need to change their attitude. There is not much Woolmer can do. Ultimately it is Pakistan team who has to perform.

To start with Pak needs to change admin setup add Legends who can understand what requires to push this team, Heads will role but it has to start from PCB & then to team, About captain Shoib Malik is better choice rather then Y Khan , Y Khan will do good in tests , Coach should be fro Pakistan rather then outside I am sure by seeing all politics going on & games played at PCB & with selection commit no coach will dear to put hands up .

Inzi had to say good bye to one day & try to play as batsman in test. Rest we all know what will happen.

the only players that deserve to stay in the odi team are:

shoaib malik
umar gul
mohammad yousuf
mohammad asif (even though hes a druggy)
abdur razzaq (at the end of the day his batting is crucial)
shahid afridi (for the hell of it)

the rest can have their qurbani done. Younis Khan should be dropped on his head he cant bat in Odi's and if we wanted someone to encourage the team we should put ChaCha cricket in his place.

Inzy is gone for sure...Bob Woolmer doesnt deserve to manage a side that doesnt give justice to his coaching skills.

We all have no words to describe this but Inzi sums it up by leaving it on God's will.
But rationally speaking, what went wrong, six months back we were number 2 in ranking, we were winning. The same Inzi was our fighter captain. And we did not miss Shoiab Akhtar on several occasions. We were keep on getting goods from our less known bowlers, Rana ranked in top 10, Asif was find of the year, Umer Gul destroyed India, everything seems to work like a plan.
Talking about openers, we never had good reliable openers after Saeed Anwar. All Nazirs, Taufiqs, Akmals, Farhats were same at the opening positions. Thats all we had and thats what we played with.
In short, i feel for Inzi, who will be made a scapegoat for sure and had to leave. Despite his own failure as batsman and a few mistakes in captaincy, he strived as much as he could.
Its not a blaming comment BUT the persons sitting in Gaddafi's Air conditioned offices should stand responsible. Dr. Naseem Ashraf/Saleem Altaf/Wasem Bari and co. Dr Ashraf took over 6 months back. What about Saleem Altaf,our chief selector Bari who have been there for ages now. They are the planner of this disgraceful day of pakistan cricket.
Again I am a dejected person like millions back home watching this darkest picture of Pak cricket.
And this time we will not be satisfied if PCB changes 2,3 names here and there. The whole administration should be sacked.
Thanks,
Adeel

The pain could never have been better said !

Sorry to mention about the new captain...The only person runs in my mind is undoubtly, the most passionate person in this cricket team is SHAHID KHAN AFRIDI and no one else...younis is not a good choice, it doesnt matter even if imran khan suggests him to be the successor of inzi but i will say, it should go to SA and inzi,bob,nasim ashraf and salim altaf should be sacked right away, we dont even have to wait till 31st as Nasim Ashraf just mentioned...kick their butts out of our sights right away...

What a shame and disgrace this legendary cricket team has brought on us. I will suggest to put a ban on these players to play county cricket and no appearance in any ads, no endorsements till they learn how to play cricket , how to play as a team , how to present themselves as true pakistanis. We have to get politics out this game. We need to bring our old heros back and teach us how to win wold cup.

A very sad day! The way forward is to start a new. Get rid of the dead wood - they've had they're time - that means good riddence to:

Inzy, Yousuf, Younis, et al.

Make Shoib captain, and take the young charges from the under 19's. Have a 3-4 year plan, grow as a unit who can field, run, keep, catch like the other nations.

Try and get Imran Khan involved somehow!

What a disgrace! I think Pakistani cricket team replied to Kamran Abbassi's earlier post, in which he thinks that the only team Pakistan can lose from is Australia. I firmly believe that if we had sent our U-19 team, we would have done better! From top to bottom, eveyone involved in this disastrous outcome should be sacked! But, that would have happened in a country where there is some accountability. Personally, I feel like they need ass-whooping in the center of Hassan Square.

Pakistan need to seek help from their former greats like Imran,Waisim and Javed. At this stage, Pak cricket is dying. They have not found a consistent opener in both ODIs or Tests. Hafeez,Nazir,Taufeek,Yassir are no more than ordinary cricketers who are good only in flat tracks. I cannot understand why dont they ask for help from Wasim Akram,who is helping the Indian bowlers and rest of the world, but why not Pakistan. And what about Imran khan n Javed, two of the best ever cricketing brains. I think , what Pakistan needs right now, is a new coach, a fresh captain, fresh ideas and fresh young players. Otherwise, Pakistan will be playing 2011 World cup as a minnow team.

Knowing the Pakistani team, there is one thing I can say for sure. Pakistani Cricket Team has the ability to go beyond Rock Bottom.

I think Muhammad Hafeez should be shot dead. For playing for 3 or more years and having a batting average of 19 or less. It must be found whether he has any children or not, and if there are some, then they must sign a bond, that they will never enter a cricket field, even for watching a match.

Inzamam should resign or be dropped whatever comes first. Younus Khan should be 'rested', till he finds out that its NOT only about having a good and positive attitude and smiling all day long, there is something called technique and application.

Yosuf Bhai must be made captain on basis of his performance and Shoaib Malik should be appointed Vice Captain.

Nana Naveed should be given 4 year leave with pay for looking after his children and grand children without bothering to come to the cricket field, ever.

Shoaib Akhtar should be married to a nurse that way, PCB will save a lot of money by saving on his continuous medical expenses.

PCB Chairman and the selectors should resign immediately and take the blame of the defeat, for not being able to find out a decent opening pair and not having backups. If our entire batting line up is unable to face swinging deliveries and bat on grass, then what are they doing in the top 11 ????

Based on this humiliation the contracts of all cricketers must immediately be cancelled.

Inzi's post game comment says it all " it was due to
kismet". Wow, how could could you expect such a person to lead. Were the selectors on dope? the whole world can understand his negativity except the selectors in Pakistan. Wake up and smell the coffee Mr. Bari! He should be the first one to go. The entire team except for Shoaib Malik, Umer Gul, Mohammed yousuf, and may be the keeper should be fired. Shoaib Akhtar and Asif should be sent home packing. There should be no room in cricket for egocentric players. Its good be religious, but it should not be carried on the sleeves while playing cricket.

SHAME SHAME SHAME!!!!!This is the 2nd WC in which Pak coouldnt qualify for the 2nd round......i think its better for inzy to move far far away from pakistan coz they will kill him if he gets back.....i couldnt sleep last night feeling the shame inside me that pak lost to ireland.....its just like this that if pakistan vs brazil in football n pak win by 3-0 ......OFCOURSE IT WILL BE A GR8 SHOCK!!!but i think pak cricket have a dark future jus like squash n hockey .....inzi will retire(who should have a long time ago)n yousufn younis too.......n PCB knew bout this n they should have created an experianced batsman who could take the place of these 3......im sorry to say that only shoaib malik is the 1...only 1 batsman .......where is fawad alam the best bowler ,the best batsman n the best player of the series of the 20/20 cup .......why is rana is still playin........O i know why coz he kept a beard so that inzy could take him in the team.........GOD!! seriously i am a much better player then rana......Well till mushraf is there till that time nasim ashraf is there......so bout the removal of nasim 4get it guys ........pak cricket is gone 4 ever .......way to go bangladesh!!!!

I did not expect Pakistan doing miracles and reaching to the finals or semis but at least me and every other Pakistani Cricket fan expected them to reach the super eight. If they can't beat a sub-international standard team like Ireland than which team can they beat? I think they will do a repeat performance in their last match against Zimbabwe - and they will do it. Making excuses of pitch and kismet is plain pathetic. For God sake, you were not playing against some quality team it was Ireland. What hurts is that each and every batsman of Pakistan did not even try to put up a fight. When the things are going rough and you stiving to play 50 overs, you don't play hook or pull shots to get out. You just play with the straight bat. Ireland was helping enough to give extras. Had they just hung around to complete 50 overs, they would've had 150+ runs on the board, and who knows that would've been enough to bowl out the Ireland. But it seems like that there is no brain or think tank in Pakistani squad that can layout this simple plan of playing out the 50 overs. When will they learn, this simple plan of playing the 50 overs quota.

I am deeply remorsed. I and think the top order batsman should be sacked (minus Yousuf). Hafeez and Nazir are just "mohallah type" crickets, they should go back and play in their backyards. Younis Khan is too arogant and he always sinks to the occasion. Inzy, is as always, too lazy, too old, and so unmotivated. Kamran Akmal, is a bafoon, who thinks highly of himself but yet can't produce whe n we need some scores from him.

I am so dejected! Don't have more words to explain my feelings.

Kamran you are rite..green or flat it does not matter.I have never seen or read any coach saying that I think the other team will win the world cup (ref to Bob SWOT analysis on South africa). Why not he does a SWOT analysis on Pakistan and rectify those mistakes. Then I read his match notes..if those are the notes then I dont want him to take any of my project meeting notes..For captain and VC i will go with players who has respect for eachother and has willingness to listen to others..I dont have words to describe the agony and distress which has caused by this defeat.

aoa-,

I totally disagree with your comments about asing afridi to become captain. He is also responsible for these losses. Why did he not play in these last 2 games? injury, politics no no kamram but he decided to take on a supporter on with a bat. well done but knowning pakistan cricket and its working maybe that is the passion our team need. someone with a bat threatning them ...

Kamran I agree with you whole heartedly. The shambolic scenes at the Oval, failed drug tests, successfull appeals and then convenient injuries to our pace attack, is all a result of a lack of clear and definative leadership. Whilst Inzi and Bob have have dithered in team make up, selection and strategy the Doc has gone about posing and postulating as if he is the answer to all our problems. Well Doc take a good look at yourself and this team and you will see you are part of the problem. You and all the nepotistic appointments through the decades have brought us to this lowest point. I thought that nothing would remove the memory of losing to Banglaesh in the WC, but you and your charges have surpassed themselves this time round. Every year we will get a reminder when our brave and gallant irish friends celebrate St Patricks day. They showed how a team,of limited ability and resources can show up a team ( I use this term reservedly) of highly experienced and gifted players by having a GAME PLAN. This was the difference yesterday. Green top or not, we are Pakistan, we should not be shown up by Ireland. The PCB need to sweep away all the dead wood and as you point out appoint people on merit. This will mean the end for all those who won't be around come next world cup. We need to start now to give our youngsters the exposure and experience from now and build for the future. Bob will go on to pastures new , Inzi will fade into the sunset, leaving us with a sad footnote to his awesome performances for Pakistan. I hope he will be remembered for his heroics and not his lacklustre performance over the past six months. The future captain should be a shoe in for both Test's and ODI's and your suggestions fit into this criteria. We need young, fit, athletic players who have an attitude and a burning desire to pull on the green jersey. The choice of coach will be crucial for the rebuilding process and I would suggest Dav Whatmore, he took Sri Lanka from nowhere to WC Champions and more recently has improved Bangladesh. The team have broke our hearts and extinguished our dreams once again, yet we will always support them. All we want is for the PCB to give us a team to be proud of.

Like millions of Pakistanis living in Pakistan , we are pakistanis living in the Uk are equally shattered and devasted . I think whats important here are 2 basic things .

1) saeed anwer, saqlain mushtaq, mushtaq ahmed, junaid jamshed Need to be stopped from all interaction with the pakistan team .

2) yOUNIS , YOUSAF, KAMRAN , NEED TO go back to the local circut and prove them selves again just like gangually did in india. Inzi and wolmer will say there good byes in the next 1 week , . Azhar mahmood and rana naveed need to be publically hanged kidding but should say good bye to cricket . Rana bhai a new mullah as well . wHY ARE THEY PLAYING professional cricket they all should be going for tabligh , u CAN NOT BE be a player and a full time molvi at the same time , dont get emotionAL HERE ,

I think its time for brand new faces in pakistani cricket who will go through trouble intially but will redevolp the side over time . A new captain not from the side is required , just like what south africa did with smith , at 23 he was a brand new captain for the team ,

I think pakistani cricket is at its lowest ever, may god help us and ppl who have been killed by there team ,

bOTTOM LINE

pLAY CRICKET PROFESSIONALLY OR Go on a mullah spree You can not mix the two sad but true

Agreed on Afrdi and shoaib malik as future potential caPTAINS , Not sure about younis as he seems to have got a big head after a few centuries , wE ALL REMEBER " i AM NOT A DUMMY CAPTAIN " wel you definatley proved to be a dummy player totally ussless , the hook shot u tried to pull against west indian team was just total class wasnt it .

Brilliant letter. What an utter embarassment! A team needs a leader and it is time for Inzi to say bye. what a sad way to be remembered after all his brilliant performances with the bat.

I play cricket and love wathcing cricket but what I saw on 17th March 2007 I am ashaed to support our National Team

INZI and bob woolmer should be sent to
guantanamo bay its very close to west Indies.

I totally agree with you Kamran up until the point where you have Shoaib Malik as a potential captaincy candidate. You must be joking there and that is a cruel joke as the irony is Malik does not even warrant a place in the side. How many games has he won for us? He is not an all rounder any more as his bowling is wayward and merit less, His batting is spineless and he can only bat where the cause is already lost.

Perhaps another good candidate for captaincy is Shoaib Akhtar, he sure possesses the flair, the attitude that we once saw in Imran Khan although that he is severely crippled with injuries but maybe, hoping beyond hope, just maybe he will learn to stay fit once bestowed with the responsibility. In the end we can always try with someone else as we have, how they used to say, 4 years to prepare a team for the World Cup. Sad was a day yesterday. May it rest in PEACE.

Pakistan cricket team in general and Inzamam's lethargic captaincy has caused Pakistan the world cup and ridiculed me and many other ex-pats in Ireland .We want answers and Inzi,Mr Ashraf,Saleem Altaf et al must go.

From your previous blog: "there is only team that Pakistan don't have the skill to beat and that's Australia."

I can not explain the pain and disappintment I fell but I personally think this is best think that happen to PAKISTAN CRICKET...This wil force them to make change. This team management and Captain was arrogant to say the least. People who has no cricket sense can tell you what is wrong and what the fix i but team despite knowing it all shows their stubbornes...

I am all for Afridi as a capatin...Sack every one except Salim Malik, Yousuf, younis, Afridi, M Asif and Umar Gul.

110% agree with you!
Doc has to go and selection committee hv to be replaced by people with good crickting knowlege and good experience of modern cricket, people who played like tigers in the past (you know where to look). Bob with best of his intensions have to leave...
Players who let the country down and I am talking about couple of our junkies...we don't need player like Shoaib and Asif who we can't have in the team when we want them most
and yes I know it does sound rude to the player like Inzy who has given Pakistan so much that we can not thank him enough...but I think its time!

P.S. I am sure for the Doc main reason behind the loss against Ireland was their linguistic abilities

Agreed Kamran. Just to add, another best thing the Big 3 can do is to sink themselves in the Caribbean Sea if they have any shame left in themselves. There are no words to describe the pain that we feel. 17 March 2007 marks the death of Pakistan Cricket.
R.I.P ... Pakistan Cricket 1947-2007

I agree with most of what has been said whole heartedly. This is the worst moment of my sporting life - I didnt have any expectation just hopes that Inzy's lot will go out fighting in the Semis. I think we set for even more doom !! I have made comments here in the past saying post the world cup and if, heaven forbids, Younis takes over then we are heading even in lower direction. The doc, the pathetic Salim Altaf, the corrupt Mushy must go. Bob / Inzy show came of the wheels last August and all I say is thanks for the memory. Maybe Inzy should have gone 12 months ago but why oh why we need the hot headed Younis - look at the way he threw his wickets in both games. Maybe S Malik is the one and maybe anyone else - but the bottom line is that we have been humiliated like never before and, my fear is, there is more to come unless the spinelss and corrupt people running the PCB disappear.

This Pakistan team which has players with flowing beards and conversing in urdu during press conference resemble their brothers who wrecking the world. At any point of time during the matches, the opening ceremony or prior to it they looked like gentlemen on a cricket field. Its good that they headback to where they belong to

hi im 18 and iv been watchin pakistan since i was 4. I love pak cric and have supported them through thick and thin. But this performance agaisnt irland has completely ruined my spirit and beleif in pak cric. My once loved and adored hero inzamam has shown his nothing more then an overpaid couch potatoe. Pak played like a bunch of gully cricketers. The only thing they can look forward to is a hail of stones when they land in lahore. they should be braught to justice. the pakistan cric administration is the biggest load of bull s**t iv ever had the displeasure of seeing. Sacking the great waqar younis did wonders for our bowling attack. NOT. what a complete bunch of wan**rs

Kamran, you have said absolutely right about dumping Waqar Younis as a bowling coach and taking Mushtaq in (coz Inzi and Mushtaq share the same religious intensity, its all about the beard in the Pak team now).I think we definately need a big overhauling in Pakistan Cricket from Nasim Ashraf to Bob and Inzamam.Now we need some new blood for 2011 WC and the work should start from now.It was a pathetic loss and will be remember for a long time.

I want to change my citizenship to Bangladesh. They make me proud. The represent people who are eager to work hard. I am tired of Inzi trying to make the team a islamic unit rather than true cricket players. Its quite evident if you have a beard, you are selected. Inzi needs to go, otherwise the team will become the mullahs of cricket. I think religion is important, but it should not be used to seduce hypocrisy. Inzi is a hypocrit, making everyone in the team a mullah rather than the a cricket player. I am tired of this. Cricket and religion dont go togather, we must understand, be educated enough to understand this. We have players that are eager to have stadium enclosures named after them, but after this it should be reversed. If the language of the team is not even its official language, then players, coaches and the rest of the entourage will get mixed signal. Please change, lets not be the laughing stock of the cricket nation. All cudos to B'desh - you are a true team, capable to be the champions one day.

All i can say regarding the game against Ireland was that it was a disaster waiting to happen. The difference between the two sides was professionalism. And the part timers showed more of it than the so called professionals. I dont blame the coach for any of this. He has tried his best given the situation. The board and the chairman can be blamed for the selection/ the handling of shoaib and asif and all the off pitch issues etc. But nobody said anything about them when Pakistan won the two warm ups. All views were that Pakistan looked ready to go. In my view it all comes down to the players that were representing pakistan yesterday. Nobody can argue against the fact that the Pakistan team that took the field was good enough to beat Ireland in any conditions/on any pitch in any circumstance. The batting started with complacency/the middle order, with all its experience played their normal game without sensing and adapting to the situation. It was on Inzi and also Younis and Yousuf to look at the green pitch and set a target of say 200 in their minds and play to that. There was no game plan after losing the toss. The dismissals of Imran, Akmal, Yousuf and Azhar were entirely their fault and showed that the mentality of the team was not right. This failure must also rest on Inzi for whom i have the greatest respect and admiration as a batting great but not as a captain. He is great when the team is ahead but not when the heat is on.
So i would agree with Mr Abbasi that major changes are needed. A whole new board selected on merit, consisting of people with a passion and experience of cricket. Inzamam should step down as Captain but not resign just yet. He is good enough to be in the team as a batsman alone and his presence in the team will help a young captain like Malik or Afridi settle in. For me Malik has the making of a Captain, Afridi is a possibility and it may help calm his wild side but nothing can be said for sure about him.
Yousuf and Younis dont have it in them and would only be around for another 4-5 years.
The team make up is right so i wouldnt go with drastic changes. Players like Salman Butt, Yasir Hamid and Asim Kamal should be given a proper run as they have shown that they can be good enough. Imran Nazir still hasnt learnt and the same with Hafeez. Now is a good time to Bring in younger players like Fawad Alam and Anwar Ali Khan who must now prove their talent at the highest level.
I hope for the sake of Pakistan's longstanding cricket heritage that these important transformations are made now and lessons learnt. And another thing, while the patron is the countries president, the above will not happen.

I think, the adhoc committee is responsible for the demise of Pakistan cricket. Any department run by adhoc committees do end uplike this. After destroying Hockey, the adhoc rulers of the country are ready to destroy cricket. I believe the unnecessary pressure on the players in the name of discipline was the main cause of this defeat. The players were not in a correct mental state to play the world cup and everybody have seen the results.

Pakistan should stop this drama of adhoc committees and should have a professional set up to handle cricket in Pakistan. Otherwise, cricket will end up like hockey.

Excellent. Passionate and straight from heart. Serious dearth of talent is definitely cause of concern. Suddenly the battery of fast bowlers which pakistan used to produce seem to be on the decline. I noticed a marked change in the world cup for under 19s held in Bangladesh which pakistan won about couple of years back, they have better (controversial actions though)spinners than fast bowlers. Whats brought about this change?

So first sub continent team is out!!. Guess India is next in line as well. Dont think Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will go all the way either. Bangladesh dont have that much of experience and Sri Lanka as usual will fall against quality pace as do all sub continental teams.But frankly I dont care. We are here to see some real good cricket and it doesnot matter if it comes from Ireland,Australia,South Africa or for that matter any other nation as long it comes.

So much so for the hype that sub continent teams will do in this world cup. I mean let us face it. Teams like Australia,New Zealand and South Africa have adapted to alien conditions better than any of the sub continental teams. And I think if any one of them wins this time around it will be well deserved for them.

But I am angry and disappointed the way both India and Pakistan have played. For info purposes I am an Indian and support Indian team but ever since a child have followed Pakistani fortunes(while I never wanted them to win but have truely appreciated all their great wins).

Pakistan with this exit has certainly become a laughing stock and India too will fall in the same category unless they mend their ways and really come up with something spectacular.

In a way the fall of Pakistan and India is similar.

In India all we care about is great batting line and let bowling go to hell. And in Pakistan the focus is only on fast faster and fastest bowlers without much concern for the quality of their batting.

I mean it is like asking a one legged man to compete in a 100 m dash (no disrespect intended here please).

You simplyl cannot win World Cup by being strong in just one discipline. Pakistan has ignored its baatting quality now for years and has cobbled a line up which on paper looks very look but in quality is very thin. In this team it was evident no one apart from Inzy and Mohd Yousuf were world class. Compare that with 1992. Rameez,Sohail, Imran,Miandad,Salim Malik, Ejaz; Inzy.. " genuine opening batsmen, a solid and dependable middle order and good finishers in Inzy,Moin and Akram.

Compared to that team this team was shit.

Another analogy I find is in the common obsession we have with batsmen who can make ball travel far without having basic technique.. people like Sehwag and Afridi. In pakistan this craze os even more. I mean this is stupid. A lot of people would say Inzy won the 92 semifinal against New Zealand but I strongly believed then and do it 15 years later also that had it not been Javed at the other end he never would have been able to make it.

Why Pakistan bowed out and why India will bow out is because of lack of application of common sense in our cricket.

And what does the future have in store for us. I think more disappointments though I think they will more for India than Pakistan.

Atleast Pakistan has a Asif to cherish we have none.

When Tendulkar,Dravid,Ganguly and Laxman bow out they will leave a huge vaccum to fill. Also once Inzy goes Pakistan will loose their most potent match winner with bat and they too will be in shambles.

I think the World Cup is just the beginning of end of days for Indian and Pakistani cricket.

Regards.
Ruchit.

GOODBYE PAKISTAN TEAM

Pakistan cricket is going through its worst period in the entire 60 years cricket history of this nation. The humiliation which we have recieved by loosing the match agains new comers like ireland will remain in the mind of our people for many years to come. Honestly whatever has happened was predicted way before the team went for world cup campaign. The whole squad is responsible with the people at the helm of affairs in cricket board. Inzi and bob should have the gutts to accept the responsiblity of this exit with their worthless, irresponsible, self centered bunch of fools in their playing eleven. There is no rocket-science involved in a game of cricket you have to stick to the basics if you want to perform consistently well.In batting just play every bowl on his merits, convert your starts to the big ones not for you but for the side, finish the game and not leave the work for the others to come. Now i will analyze the performance of whole unit,
BATSMEN: We have the most ordinary openers in the playing eleven right now who have no sense of responsibility, passion and confidence to give a good start to their team. Imran nazir's selection was a bolt from the blue he has so many flaws in his technique that it was a criminal move to send him directly to the world cup or to rely on him to do wonders for the team.Apart from him we were still experimenting for example with Mohammad hafizm, kamran akmal, shahid afridi. Hafeez cannot be categorized as an opener in any manner whatsoever neither by his technique nor by his approach towards the game. There is a marked differrence in the approach of kamran akmal and other good wicket keeper batsmen in the world. Every one is familiar with attitude problem of shahid afridi and how much a team can rely on him. The reason for the failure of all these gentlemen is that they stands no where in terms of their speciality we can easily call them as bits and pieces cricketers. Now in respect of younis khan his performance in one day internationls is the clear evidence of his calibre or stature as the one day cricketer. He is a good choice in test matches on the slow and dead tracks of india but he is very suspectible where the bowl is moving both ways. Muhammad yousuf suffers from the same problem i agree that he performed exceptionally well in test matches but he has his limitations in seaming tracks as well. Inzimam is in the twilight of his career and as i suggested previously the time has arrived for him to call it a day as for as the cricket is concerned. He is totally misfit in todays cricketing world. He lacks energy, motivation and interest to guide others to perform better.He cares about his own likes and dislikes rather than the future of pakistan cricket. He has tried to select those cricketers who were willing to play the role of his " YES MEN" irrespective of their performance in the team. our bowlers need education as how to bowl in the green top surface because you have to stick to the basics just put the bowl in the right areas and let the wicket do the rest for you. Cricket is a game of nerves and strategy you just have to play within your limitations and result will always be of your liking. All the leading batsmen have always given a value to their wicket and that is why bowlers tried hard out to send them to the pavilion but the wicket of every pakistani batter is very cheap.we have not seen in a single ODI that our team has a some kind of game plan to follow. The impression we gathered was that every one was going with an approach to enjoy in the field and dame cares about having productive results for the side. Long term thinking is the need of the hour now we need to start from the scratch by saying good bye to these old horses and should back the new cricketers with the new hope, energy, passion and hunger to do well for the pride of the country. The present lot is the most self centered people the one reason could be that they know the lack of back up in their place and ultimately the cricket board will again ask them to do the business.

Absolute fools. Inzy, Bob, Younis Khan, the openers and the selection board...out. And don't even think of touring England anytime soon. The fruit is ready and rotting.

The shit has truly hit the fan.

Well said, Mr Abbassi.

i am a Pakistani and a fan of the game ,i do agree with every single criticism the team and the management receives for the abysmal display in the WC . But the one thing which pakistan cricket never had in the 50 years of cricket is consitancy of performance.No matter who the captain is or the coach or the management Pakistan cricket has failed to show consistency.we were always known for our unpredictability. inzamam is a good person by heart and is a good player on his day No Doubt but from day One everyone can see he was never a good captain,there were no changes in the batting order ever ,the bowlers were never used according to their specialty on the situation given.Woolmer was an opening batsman in his career but the inability to cure the imperfections in the technique of the available openeres was mind numbingly shocking.and so on and on one can go but the damage done in this Wcup can not be undone.
.
Shame for all of us

After the match the excuse for this disaster was that they were playing on a green wicket. What kind of a excuse is that ... i mean i understand what green wickets but hell these guys are suppose to be the best in Pakistan so does this means that there is not a single batsman in Pakistan who can handle a moving ball (you've got to be kidding). I personally think that a "MUHALLAY KI TEAM" would have performed better than these idiots. This is for the President of Pakistan: STOP HIRING YOUR BITCHES FOR THE POST OF "CHAIRMAN OF PCB".

KAMRAN ABBASSI, you should have started your 'open letter' like this: "Dear Inzi, Bob and the Dog;.................

The moment Inzi lost the toss, he had an expression of DEFEAT written all over his face and he admitted to Ramiz Raja that yes we should have won the toss it is important. Toss is important but, that doesn't mean you loose the match from the outset and playing the match with a mindset that you are going to loose!. Even the school boys would have played better. In the dark, gloomy weather Pakistan's wickets were falling like the proverbial 'cats and dogs'. Now, they must take the Ferry from Kingston to Kemari.

The so-called GREAT WALL, or the middle order comprising of Younis, Yousuf and Inzi has let the team down once again. They only perform well when someone on the top scores big. Younis Khan, I have said before, HE is not a player for one day games. His average may say something else, but in crucial matches he has seldom performed and definitely he is not a player for the twenty20 version either. The later should be the next target for Pakistan and I fully endorse an overhaul in the team.

SHAHID AFRIDI, is definitely the man. Finally you too Kamran Abbassi are admitting that, "the passion of Shahid Afridi the antidote we all need?" Of course, he has the passion and the ability to do so, and he is young, he is dynamic, if he fails with the bat, he compensates with his bowling and his fielding is exceptional. IF, he is made the captain, he will know that his place is guaranteed in the playing eleven, that will boost his confidence in his batting abilities too and he might be batting with that added responsibility for being the captain! At least, he won't be standing there with his hands on his haunches or digging his nose!

The last match against Zimbabwe is only a formality, but Inzi should not play that game, he should take a time out with his buddies Mushy and Rana Nayee and go out on a Tableeghi mission in the Caribbean. In any case, whether Pakistan beats Zimbabwe or not is not important anymore. It is for occasions like these, Ghalib has written:

"Ho chukeen Ghalib bala-ayen sab tamaam,
Ek marg-e-naagahaani aur hai."

After the shameful defeat at the hands of the Shamrocks one can easily say:

Ho chukeen Shikastain sab tamaam
Ek Shikast, dast-e-Zimbawbe aur hai

PS.
India must be mourning too, but they are not totally out of this tournament, and they have to beat the strong Sri Lanka to remain in the contention or else they will be Pakistan's comrades in misery!

Hey, come on, it's only a game!! These sort of miracles have happened in favour of Pakistan before. Don't think those were because of talent and team spirit and blah blah. neither is this one because of betrayal, cowardice and all the rest of abuse being showered on the poor fellows. Ever heard of glorious uncertainties of cricket? The fact is majority of passionate fools are those who haven't held a bat in their lives nor have they faced the red cherry in a live match. Fact is, if Pakistan had batted second they would have given even a worse drubbing to Ireland. It is the so called reportes like you who give an entirely unrealistic colour to a mere game of cricket to serve your own ends. Please desist!!

Mr. Kamran Abbasi,
I have a suggestion for you. You live in Karachi. I live in the neighbourhood also.
Why don't we do one thing.
Give our team the white powder to sniff and send them in to play. I am sure that they will perform well (look at Shoaib's and Asif's eyes anybody can tell you that they are high when they perform well)
Instead of the Ghenda (Rhino) saying all the time "Allah ka Sukhar Hai" in his english "Thanks be to Allah"
What a bunch of stupid, ignorant fools who blame everything on our Prez. Thank God for Mush, we have our country or else like the US Assistant Secretary of State once said "Pakistan would have been bombed back to Stonage"
Long live Prez Mush.
And May Allah Bless You Always

Pakistani team has let millions of pakistanis down and they shouldn't be let free for that.
I think Inzy and group should give up cricket and become imams at local mosques. To say the least, their appearance, body language, physique, gesture and performance do not characterize them as world-class cricketers.

If Inzy had a tiny bit of brain in him, he should quit after the next game along with ten unnecessary officials that are traveling with the team. Mushtaq Ahmed, assistant coach, what a joke? In a team full of seamers, why in the hell Mushy is a coach? Has he ever coached in his entire life at International level before?

The worst thing is there is no hope in terms of who would take the captaincy. Everyone remembers how childishly Younis reacted when the accepted, rejected and finally accepted captainship before during an international tour. Apart from this, he has yet to prove himself as an established batsman in one day cricket. His one day record speaks for that. Yousuf would be replica of Inzamam and there is no use bringing him as a captain. Shoaib Malik has shown some guts playing under pressure. Perhaps he should be groomed to be the next captain.

Even if you fall in a bog, you will claim that your flannels are sparkling clean. This tournament has teams, good teams and better teams. Before Mar 13, I would have been tempted to classify Pakistan as one of the good teams. But now, they just have to be derated.

If to claim that Pakistan is evenly matched with SA, NZ and SL is ignorance, to stick to the claim is stupidity. Of course, I am tempted to add India to the list of three, but I am not stupid.

I feel sad for Inzamam - a great career accelerating to a bitter end.

Kamran Bhai, dont know what to write! I am really speechless and schocked!!!

With the risk of sounding blasphemous, permit me to vehemently state that if our cricketers spend less time praying together and more time in planning and calculating winning strategies, and how to become ruthleess mercenaries will they succeed. Always. Keep all your praying at home, where it belongs. You bring it out into the streets, and you will always fail. "Allah Malik" does not work, for God helps those that help themselves!! That is the unfortunately the failing of all our Ummah. We are 300 years behind the wentire world in any endeavour, be it technology, science, sports. Name it.Pray at home. Keep your religious sentiments at home. Let us work. I suppose now that some mindless idiot will 'Fatwah' my beheading. I pity them there ignorance.

Regards,

Tony Afzal
4330 E 15th Street
Long Beach, Ca 90804

This is the third time that I have attempted to leave a comment but each time I couldn't put into words how I feel.

I decided to move to Trinidad from London to work on a two year project at the end of 2005 with my wife and two young children. My major deciding factor was that it would be great to be here for the World Cup (don't tell my wife!). Why oh why did I bother???

What happened yesterday was beyond belief. I felt sick watching that game and felt like vomiting at the end. As you mentioned in your article it was a completely spineless display by Pakistan. I really am disgusted. This was bezatee of the highest order.

You are right that Inzamam needs to resign or be sacked if he doesn't do the honourable thing.

Whilst the team were in Trinidad I went to one of their practice sessions and when I got there all the players were in the nets while Inzi was sitting down by the pavilion munching on a platter of fruit. He did eventually go off for a little practice but when it ended he was the first player off the field.

Pakistan needs a captain who leads by example and shows passion, not a cross between the abominable snowman and a sloth. Afridi as captain? Interesting idea. Has he captained in any first class matches?

If anybody wants my tickets for the rest of the games all the way to the final, let me know as right now I can't face the prospect of seeing another match.

Four years in waiting...and we get this!!!! an early exit, once again, but this time on the hands of a "minnow", who were not even expected to give Pakistan a tough time!!!
I am in a state of mourning, but something inside me saw this coming, long before the WC even started.
I believe that the selection committee, & captain are to be blammed for all this, as they have failed miserabely. And some blame goes on the coach, although the coach can teach you, you as a player, have to apply that in the game. I am sure Bob Woolmer would have done better, if he was to bat for the Pakistan team.
Here are things that made me think of our team as weak, because of the stuff that was going on recently.
Inclusion of Imran Nazir......
Imran Nazir is a true talent, but he was included in the side after 2 years of wilderness. Why was he not given a chance to settle into the side, if he was to be selected for the WC?
Openers Tested.....Salman Butt, Yasir HAmeed, Imran farhat....all of these were tested during last four years, while none of them was selected for the WC. If they weren't going to play in WC why were they given prolonged stays in the tean??
AZHAR MAHMOOD......same case as imran nazir, his shock recall came just 5 games before the WC, while he hadn't played in almost 2 years.
i believe that certain changes are over due now. inzi, shoaib, younis, should be dropped from the team. Afridi should also be only included on performance, not talent asis.
Shoaib Malik seems to be a perfect fit for the captain with youth, experience and exuberance on his side.
We need a multi-dimensional leader like him, who can bowl, bat, field and initiate things on the field, not just stand there chewing his gum and rubbing his beard.
enough said..

Dear Abbasi, as a Journalist i appreciate your comments, but you lack the same vision which our leaders lack. How could you fail to see it coming, you had to wait for the Pakistan's exit from the World Cup to explode? You should have seen it coming after England/South Africa Trip. Our batsmen have been a source of embarassment, Do they not know how not to flounder with the balls that are way outside? Or may be they should learn their batting skills from Obrien. The kind of cricket they are playing on these venues is what we used to play in Gali Muhallah, Atleast we were brave enough to go after bowling, these spineless characters, they like to go back to Pavilions.

It seems easy to bash Pakistan, Inzy and woolmer. I am not a big fan of cricket and only follow the sport recreationally, so i feel i can offer the opinion of a Pakistani individual not thirsting for blood at the moment. In my neutral opinion, Pakistan had this sort of debacle coming for a long time, barring the occasional display of ridiculous talent which keeps this misguided and under-nurtured bunch of players afloat. I feel inzy and woolmer have made significant steps in the right direction. And if there is one thing Pakistan cricket can not afford to lose, it is woolmer's proffessionalism. The man is a cricketing God, and i feel he is the right person to preside over the oft-cited "grass root level" revolution which can alter the inconsistent showing of Team Pakistan. Inzy must leave, no doubt...it has been long over due anyway. At, 36 he has nothing to offer to the team which Yousuf and Younis are incapable of. It is my firm beleif that if Woolmer can stick around for a few more years and push through some much needed reforms in domestic cricket, Pakistan could yet return.

Pakistan Cricket - DNR (Do not Resuscitate)

A very touching article Kamran Abbasi. Pakistan is the laughing stock and this is indeed the darkest day for Pakistan cricket. The 1999 loss to Bangladesh was eased by the fact that the match did not matter for the standings as Pakistan reached the final. But this is beyond comprehension.

You're wrong in one thing though, Pakistan cricket WILL NOT survive this. The public support has continued to wane after the 2003 WC and the team has to big stars remaining to draw the crowd. Veritably, Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi are the most watchable players on the team and neither could play.

Yes, people will still come to watch the games, but the support will continue to wane. I can feel that the Pakistani public desperately need another sport to divert out attention from the pain cricket has provided us. This is not a one-off incident, this is just a culmination of scandals, poor leadership and management, and above all, politics.

Good bye Pakistan cricket, may you rest in peace.

I enjoyed reading this article but I must ask what could have posessed you to suggest Younis as the next captain; the same man who dropped Sarwan on 0 and seemed to find it all rather funny. If I acted like that in a school boy game I would expect to be dropped and so I find the whole idea ridiculous. For me Shoaib Malik is to anonymous, however I too think Afridid would make a great leader and urge all those who agree to say so. Pakistan needs a 'Sher' at the helm and for the first time since Imran they could have one. I just hope they don't screw it up!

A seven year old boy was at the centre of a courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him.

The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with the child custody law and regulations requiring that family unity be maintained to the highest degree possible. The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her.When the judge suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried out that they also beat him. After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him.

After two recesses to check legal references and confer with child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the Pakistan Cricket Team, whom the boy and the courts firmly believe are "not capable of beating anyone."

Nobody would blame Tony blair for woes of the english cricket. The problem in pakistan is the way cricket is micro managed by the president and his cronies.
We are enraged everytime pakistan is humiliated but I wouldnt be expecting too many changes the way cricket is run.
The day people become indifferent would mean the end of cricket in pakistan. Is it time for hockey to make a comeback?

A true picture where pakistan stand politically, in sports, and name any department in modern and civilised socities. we have been exposed and it wont change unless the entire system changes right from its roots. These dictator type people will continue to play with our emotions and will keep murdering our hopes, unless the nation wake up , and wake up fast, cuz the time is running out. But would they let us? They happened to be extremely stubborn to remove and have no shame to resign. God knows what would happen. It all looks bleak as far as pakistan cricket is concern for now. God helps us, and pakistan.

i think it is A to Z Inzi Fault bad captaincy Bad planing sorry to say it he is gr8 player and person but not a good leader

Whatever Kamran Abbasi has written in his column is riduculus. It seems he is working under instructions from Amir Sohail or other ex player who have been criticising the team according to a plan. Pakistan team has done really well since Bob and Inzi has taken over from Javed. Have you forgotten how the team wqas struggling agaist India and now Indians can't beat us. Loosing in two matches can't take anything away from the successes they have been getting for last three years. Only weakness they got is that they can't play on green wickets and it is not something Coach or Captain can train them. This comes from their techniques and everyone knows that Pakistanis have got poor technics and no coach can change it.

and fully agree wit u i think afridi can b good captain

Hi Kamran,
Good thoughts, finally from you. I guess what ever happened was good for Pakistan cricket. In a nation we are from we never know, that players like Y.khan, M Yousaf were honestly playing. But one thing for sure it time for Inzi to go.
I started thinking of Inzi being the worst capt ever since Ball tempering incident happened. Ball tempering, sports drugs, alcoholics in the team “which should be not be a problem what players do of the off the field”. But the way Inzi handled situations. Used his powers to keep his favourites players for as long as I remember. This guy inzi’s while crying about his bowling strength totally forgot he has the most messed up batting squad. After S.A tour in which thay felt home sick and complain every moment about playing to many games will be enjoying ride home.
Being realistic no matter how much I love Pakistan. There is not even one cricketer in current team who I say is admirable. Matter a fact, if some how we change the team and after 1 year you come across Inzi, Kamran Akmal, R. Naveed, Y. khan, Imran Nasir, and M Sami, we say who is that guy. I remember him from somewhere. Oh yah this is the f*** up, who made him self look like laughing stock, but he is driving BMW. He made a lot of money, that’s all it matters in Pakistan.
Bottom like is PCB should be privitized, we should have team totally on statistics system. Every player should be evaluated young players after 15 games & senior 10 games that he should be included in the team or not. We have hit the rock bottom. Thanks to Inzi. What a way to finish your career. You will be the only player in the world to go like this. I don’t even feel bad for you.
I think it time to change major section of the team,
Inzi, naveed, akmal, nazir, and yonis need to go. We should make Shoib Malik captain and Razaq the vice captain. And build the team around them. If Razzaq have a problem with that he should go as well. But one thing for sure, PCB should not be a department controlled by any power. We are the only nation where our leaders including the head of the state have so much involvement. I guess Imran was the only one is this country’s cricketing career who left with dignity.
At the end all I can think of Poor Inzi, no one will ever remember what he done, even he was the main person in world cup 2002. but he is in s*** hole. He will never recover from that. How it will feel from so much respect to the most disliked person in the country. He earned that, people used to laugh at him. Now he enjoy his time of in Multan. Wow he will never ever be called for expert comments or what are his thoughts are about any thing. He is done. He hit rock bottom. Way to go buddy.
The person who have impressed me even more then Imran Khan is Rammez Raja. He might not have stats to back up but wow what a way to handle your self. He is the main expert in the world cup TV squad. I think it time to bring him back as head of cricket board if Imran declines the position. But PCB SHOULD BE PRIVITIZE AND INZI,AKMAL,RANA,NAZIR,YONIS SHOULD BE DONE.

WE HIT ROCK BOTTOM

This happens every world cup. From 19999.. to 2007.. you guys have built up the hopes of us passionate pakistani supporters.. and thrown it horribly back in our faces and yet come every major tournament, we are right behind you, and again, you lot embrace us, disgrace us and why? Why do we deserve this when we know you guys can beat any team in the world. My support for pakistan has been great over the past decade but this is the lowest of the low. I am ashamed.

I understand the emotional outburst and state of denial. However, in this movement of anger we should not throw the baby with bath water. Many heads needs to be rolled but we have to make sure that the good talent is not wasted. I think Sami, Gul and Iftikhar did a good job in this game. However, the batsmem failed miserably and as its any ones guess,that who would have to leave the scene.

This team is a joke and nothing else. I agree that its time for Inzi, Bob and PCB chairman and selection committee to go.
Inzi has no leadership abilities and has no idea how to operate in the field. Commentators question his strategies (which usually don't make much sense) in every match.
About captain, Younis Khan isn't a good choice because of his violent attitude, which he showed during ICC champions trophy when he quit in a conference.
At this time, Shoaib Malik is a the best choice, in fact, he should be Pakistan's captain for last 2-3 years just like South Africa did when they made Smith captain to lead senior players like Pollock, Boucher and Kallis.
From current team, only players deserve a place in future Pakistan team are Shoail Malik, Umer Gul, M. Sami, M. Yousuf, Iftikhar Anjum, M. Asif and Danish Kaneria. Younis Khan only in Test matches and Abdul Razzaq only in ODIs.
Inzi, Kamran Akmal, Rana Naveed, M. Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Shoaib Akhtar, Yasir Arfat etc should be banned from cricket.
We need a new keeper, who can bat too. We need new fast bowlers and new opening batsmen or may call Yasir Hameed and Salman Butt and work on them.
Asim Kamal should be called back immediately, who can glue the middle order. Shahid Afridi isn't reliable all the time so he'll be in and out so he can't be a captain.
We need a professional coach who can work on physical and mental toughness of each player.

And then most important thing is the to make good quality pitches in all domestic grounds, with some having spin, some having grass and bounce so our players know how to bat and bowl on different types of pitches. Sialkot wicket once was green and fast but our players refused to play there and that ground I think is not in use anymore. Why not?

Pakistan yesterday lost the match as soon as they lost the toss because of the pitch green grass and moisture. This shouldn't be the case.

This defeat is really painful and hurting everyone.

Well said, I live in the USa and I have been a Pakistani Cricket Fan ever since I came to the states in 1978. I have never seen such lethargic fielding, cowardly batting and Inzy (our captain) in such a disarray. Also, Our team needs to leave the religion out of Cricket too. It is part of our lives but we do not need to bring it in to sports. When I hear that our captain wants to use Urdu as the only language for interviews and such, it disheartens me but show to the world how illiterate we are as a whole in Pakistan. I agree with what Mr. Khan has said in his blog 100%.

Dera Kamran,

My past experience IN SPORTS with this nation reminds me the failure of hockey in Pakistan. Once she was the top team in field hockey, but politics, wrong decisions and foreign coaches has doomed that game in Pakistan, so that today no one even remembers that we were a top team in this game. I see the same to happen to Cricket in Pakistan. Minnows are filling the gaps too fast and the day is not far when Pakistan will be in the bottom of ICC ranking (as we are in field hockey).

I agree with most of the content in this article but I after thinking for sometime, I can say that we can not blame Dr. Naseem Ashraf because when he took charge, he was not given the duty to look after Pakistan Cricket rather his job was to handle the dispute of Dope testing which one way or the other got settled with time. As a cricket fan of Pakistan, I would immediately call for the resignations of Bob and Inzi as both of them seem unable to keep themselves agile enough to follow cricket these days.

In my opinion, PCB must eye 2011 as long term target and series against Australia as short term target and work on potential players that can play for atleast 4 yrs from now. You are right in saying that bowlers did a good job and the only thing they were lacking was the killer instinct but in my opinion this is more the matter of confidence than ability. All of us know the preparations of Pakistan towards this worldcup which has been more an effort to settle down the dopping issue rather than to prepare for cricket.

For leadership, I would go with Younis Khan as Captain and Shoaib Malik as his vice depending on their performances under pressure and their ability to lead. Another important thing that I think PCB must do before Australia series is to prepare pitches with plenty of grass at home so that these players can get a chance to learn how to adjust under those circumstances. For Openers, many would not agree with me but I would take Salman Butt into consideration again so that we have a healthy competition to acquire a place in the team. Also same must be immediately done with Kamran Akmal. For me, he never deserved to be the part of this worldcup squad.

To summarise this, our team needs new coach (waqar + some energetic individual), new structure and a plenty of confidence. May Allah bless PCB with enough strength and honesty to make strong decisions.

Well Pakistan cricket must start a fresh, but how do they go about it, no one seems to have learnt any lesson, The doc plus a few more in the team as well as the most dumb selector we've seen in wasim bari have to be shown the door, for some reason every time paksitan has performed poorly, like yesterday or around last world cup, bari seems to be one of the men responsible for it. The doc has brought the team nothing but insecutiry, controversies and God knows what else, in 6 months he's sucessfully turned a team with potential to do well into a laughing stock.
After yesterdays loss, personally i wouldnt even like to see younis khan captaining the side, again i seem to blab about this but he's taken over the number 3 spot and managed only 3 notable performances in the last four years. 150 games and you have proved your mettle, i dont know why we should put up with it any more, in times when the averages are getting higher, younis khan seems to be content with 31, so much for pakistan's ricky ponting.
There are so many failiures to discuss that it's gonna take more than a blog to discuss but i think more than any one this the the board's responsibility, we've lost because of our system (not to justify what we witnessed yesterday). We cannot seem to find players who can play the damn moving ball, is it that so hard to find? The national academy is in place to work at the problem areas that we have, do they even know what the problem areas are? what have we done about it, what have we done about the openers or the out and out fast bowlers that we lack. Where's the aggression that the Pakistan team was known for? what are we teaching them in the academy, a couple of english courses or what? if we have an academy that hasnt identified the problems, then whats the point in having it?
All the good that inzi and bob have done untill the the tour of england has all been undone, this is what all of us were preparing for, well two games into the world cup and we are to pack our bags? just when i thought that after 2003 WC it cant get any worse, somehow pakistan manages to surprise all of us. Probably at this point shoaib malik seems a better choice than younis khan, infact i'd be content with afridi as well, maybe his maniac aggeression is what pakistan needs. May be if nothing it might set the tone in which pakistan team would play.
Obviously Inzi has to go, sad farewell, i really feel for the man, one of the best batsmen we've ever produced, but inzi as much as i have been your fan and to an extent your captaincy, you brought this upon yourself.

shame all pakistan players.you still want to write about te pakistan player to make captain this this and this.ok if you make younis khan captain then he will get woodenstil mix bat to make runs.he is no at all capable for captain.only need cick of all these player say good bye inzy.make shohib mailk captain for 4 years and give him all yong players of 17 to 20 age.just take afridi muhammad yousaf gul asif and rao along with all new faces and then we need rebuild a totlally new team.i don't think so pakistan can become worlchampion in next 100yeas.what ever we don't want to see faces such like shoib akhter inzy kamran akmal younis khan azher not at all.polititics should out of cricket .cricketboard should be indepandant.

Since my birth 46 years ago, I always supported Pakistan cricket team and Hockey team.Even though I am not from Pakistan. It took me 45 years to realize that they are nothing but IMPOSTER. Look at the country itself, A country got Independence from British same time as India did. Now look at India where they are , and look at Pakistan. In 60 plus years they could not even eastablished democracy in their country. They are always fighting between themselves. No pattriotism and no respect for their own country.I remember my father told us once no matter what, nobody will ever be able to breakup India because their patriotism is very high. It proben to be true.Same goes with Pakistan cricket. What happening for last three years is nothing but bunch of IMPOSTER's acting like Clown. Bob Woolmer should have been fired the day he said, " MY PERSONAL FAVORITE IS SOUTH AFRICA" How could Pakistan waste so much foreign exchange for foreign coaches, and what do they get? Funny thing is that I have a close friend who is from SRILANKA and a big time cricken fan. I gave my prediction to him before the world cup started. My prediction was Pakistan and India will not make it to super Eight. He laughed at me, but Today He appreciated my little Cricket sense.I have one more prediction , 20 years from now Pakistan will be seperated in 4 different countries, just because they are simply STUPID.

Defeat at the hands of Ireland is no shock - atleast to me. I even betted at my university that Pakistan would never make it to the Super Eight stage and they would also lose to Ireland. I guess I was right! Inzamam, if there is ever grace left in you, please for our nation's sake, RETIRE, for you as a captain is nothing but a joke. Sorry for such harsh words but its time we release ourselves from the clutches of "Excuses" and say the truth outrightly.

Bob, you may go to ICC and be the high profile manager as they call you. We certainly dont need you. We certainly dont need a coach who has no belief in his own team and says that Imran Nazir was forced upon him. Please Bob, take your crew and your laptops and the handsome salary that youve been paid back to England. Pakistan is much better without you.

In the end, yeah i agree with you Kamran, Afridi might just be the tonic that Pakistan needs. An angry Pathan might just do the trick.

As for Ireland, Congrats on making us realize that we are a toothless and a spineless cricket team. Ireland, go make the Semi Finals! You certainly didnt break my heart.

WE all knew before the match what kind of pitch ICC will provide to pakistan vs ireland match. there was only one way ireland can beat pakistan provide the very very grassy pitch in this match, otherwise we all know on the other pitches in the WC if ireland play 1000 times with pakistan still they can't beat pakistan. icc did the same in CT2006 in india against pak vs SA match.
ICC shame on you. you have now no more respect for asians.
M.Speed is very very very against all asian countries. look like he doesn't like any asian teams specially pakistani team.

Why M.Spead is CEO of ICC from many years? why asain can't become CEO of ICC? Spead made so many statements against pakistan.

whats wrong with him? PCB should take the same kind of action against him like they did against darrel hair one of cheater umpire in the world.

M.Speed did every possible thing to send out pakistan world cup?
my question to all those people who read this message why icc every time provide a very very grassy track to only pakistani team. ICC is just bubdle of people who hate pakistan from inner code of their hearts. they know clearly pak can beat 100 times out of 100. but icc had only one plan against pakistan to leave mountains of grass on pitch, shame icc in ur thoughts. it show icc people always hate pakistan nothing else

Though I agree with you on most of the points, the one point which makes me go mad is the notion that Indian and Pakistani players cannot play green top wickets.

Now this is just bullshit(sorry for using such a word, but can't help it). Green top wickets which has some grass is not at all sufficient to help seam bowling, to get a good swing you also need overcast conditions, particular soil characteristics and a particular weather.

Now we all know that South Africa lies in a tropical belt same as subcontinent. There is never an overcast atmosphere in South Africa, then how the hell seam bowlers have helpful conditions there?

And if this indeed is the case that the notion of Indian and Pakistani players unable to play seam bowling. Then why the hell make so much noise about it? Why dont we make noise about the inability of England Australian and South African players to play spin? Why the discrimination? Why consider only seam bowling as a benchmark? Why not consider spin bowling as a benchmark to judge a batsman?

The solution is simple....... ICC should standardise the wicket everywhere, ICC should provide the soil for pitches. ICC should maintain the pitches by appointing a Pitch inspector to make sure pitches are according to the standard.
And the standard of pitch should take into consideration every angle of cricket, the pitches should support everyone including seam bowling, spin bowling, batting etc.
Likewise I think ICC should standardise the size of ground. ICC should also standardise the kit of the players, recently there was news that Ponting had a piece of steel inside his bat.

All this policies of ICC should be formulated by the panel of experts from all Test playing countries. Not just by English and Australian experts.

English and Australian cricket should stop dominating the ICC, Why every non white cricket team has a white coach? 1983 India won without a white coach, 1992 Pakistan won without a white coach, 1996 Srilanka won without a white coach. But now Srilanka Bangladesh Pakistan India every team has a white coach, why?

Only after addressing this top level problems, it will be possible for Pakistan or Indian cricket to solve the internal problems.

I'm in a state of confusion.
I'm not sure as whether to add something to what Kamran has said or just read, close the site and go to the MLB website, and forget that there is a sport called cricket.
I'm not sure whether to advise my Pakistani cricket team to play in the Women's cricket world cup, or to compete in some wing eating contest. Unfortunately, I still don’t see their chances of winning in that feast.
I had assumed that the prize money offered by the patron of cricket would have motivated the players, but they have to be awake from their sleep in order to get motivated.
I was not a big Imran Khan fan till now, because of the egoistic attitude that I heard he possesses. But at this time, I wish he had touched the Pakistani team somehow, or influenced it. Imran, I guess you might have to come out of retirement again.
In order to clear my confusion, I refuse to believe that Pakistan has a cricket team, or they ever played cricket after 1992. They have been playing something but I refuse to believe that it was cricket.
Cricket in Pakistan died after 1992, my fault for believing in it.

Well said Kamran. I agree with you wholeheartedly. (maybe not so with the point you make about Afridi becoming captain :) )... But how many times is this going to happen, you build, you flounder, and then build again, and this comes around again and again it seems in the same time cycles as the World Cup comes around...

no words can describe this. i think the whole of cricket board , selection committee and team management should be sacked.We are shocked and yes if we are not puzzled now we can never be.The dictatorship of inzamam after the oval fiasco has sunk pak cricket to an abysmal level never seen before

Totally Gutted.

This has genuinely left a sour taste in my mouth. As for all my planning and wishfull thinking - thanks guys, you are truly the worst "team" in the international Arena bar none. I hope you are decimated by Zim, so we can rebuild from scratch.

Pakistan cricket will continue on...I would see it as a blessing in disguise...And a sign for Pakistanis, dont be hopelessly romantic...if it walks like a failure and quacks like a failure, it probably is a failure. Nothing more and nothing less. Another four more agonizing years, jeez.

Mr. Kamran
when i read all your articles, it is phenomenal how your opinion changes over time. changing opinions is not a good sign sir. it means, that u urself r confused. first u stated that australlia is the only barrier to victory and u hv nothing bad to say about our team. and then there is your most recent article, "Your fielders wander the outfield like elephants, young men grown old and old men grown arthritic. They are a blot on international cricket, a sport that now requires fitness, energy, and speed, yet your players are like the noble unbending amateurs of some bygone era." i would just like 2 say, that i believe they tried their best. yes there were issues with fitness, there always have been and yes we were missing asif and shoaib. but with the team that we had they tried the best that they could. i am sure they are just as, if not more disappointed and sad than us. sometimes u just have 2 let it go. it's the best thing to do. u have to learn 2 respect them, they r representing us. if we don't respect them, nobody will respect us as a whole nation. please don't bombard them with eggs and shoes when they come back. try and put yourselves in their shoes. maybe then u will understand that they feel much worse than we do.

There is nothing more to say. Its just a blame game. Like Inzamam did it was openers or bowlers or pitch and one match is nothing we will come back. You know what there should never be a comeback. What the heck, I m retiring myself of being a Pakistani cricket fan cause it is never going to improve as long as the incompetence, politics and blame game continues in Pakistani cricket.

Good bye forever

oh my god!!
did this really happer, pakistan knocked out of the world cup in 5 days. reall 5 days is what it took them to get knocked out after 4 years or preperation.
next time any of those 11 players on the field yesterday wear another pakistan cricket shirt should die of embarasment. they dont desirve to even touch the pakistran cricket shirt rather then wear it.
bob wolmer i cnt believe u let this happen to the team, to your own cricketing carer. its time to go!!!!
mr. inzamam
i am really disappointed in your captancy, you should have never taken this role after the ICC champions trophy in Indai. you have been an absolulte failer in becomin a pakistan captain, but you are still the best cricketer produced by pakistan. i fell you should retire now and i hope people dont blame all what has happened on you. you were a great cricketer for pakistan and i thank you sir for all the great moments you have proivded us to witness. thank you sir you are the greatest batsman out of pakistan.
i hope never again any pkaisyani will wittness a momnet like yesterday ever again for the 1st time in my life i felt ashamed of spoorting the pakistani cricket team.
there needs to be some serious shanking up in the pakistan cricket team, board and the management.
i hope never gaian i fell like i felt yesterday.

Kamran,

I am as angry as you are and as angry as rest of Pak fans are.....
I am not shocked but angry but also expected it...
We had a problum in 2003 when we kept Waqar/Wasim in the team for sentimental value...and now we have kept Inzi in the team for sentimental value again.... did we not learn a lesson in 2003...and made the same mistake again in 2007.... take an example of Australia .. their players retire before they are pushed... but here in Pakistan they stay on there sell-by-date and after they repeatedly embarrace the nation and are eventually pushed out ....why?.....

Kamran:

I am a great fan of your cricket analysis, but with due respect to you I found your article last week hilarious where you mentioned that Pakistan was an unbeatable team and only Australia could beat them.Immediately, West Indies put them in place and Ireland took care of the humiliating remains.

Good teams instantly know what it is required in a particular situation and on a particular pitch. Good players instinctively slow down, grind runs, or up the tempo when they are in a safer situation. All good players have two gears. And good teams know how recover from a collapse make the best of the situation. Yesterday, even after the horrible collapse Pakistan could painfully grind out another 50 runs, any test playing team would have done that rather playing in the air (Akmal, Azhar Mahmood). And a good Captain would have even after scoring 132 leapt around the ground and talking to his bowlers, asking them not to hurl the ball hard but maintain a good line. Inzamam is most uninspiring captain in the history of the game. Pakistan were deserving losers. And it all started in the game against West Indies which they should have won at any cost.

This is how they have always played and will continue to play. Ultimately, a national team is a reflection of the people of its country. It mirrors the national psyche and attitude. A shady country has to have a shady team.

BREAKING NEWS

Pakistani Cricket Team's plane crashes. Sami sole survivor

Sorry guys got nothing to say about these !@#$$% Losers.

As Imran Khan said in a pakistani pepsi commercial
DIL BADA RAKHO...

SPOT ON WITH YOUR OBITUARY ON PAKISTAN - I spoke to my colleagues and seriously suggested/ predicted this debacle by the cowards who claim to be batsmen. In all honesty I always felt it would have been a travesty of all that is fair and just for this so-called team to even grace the semi-final stage let alone the final! I feel you have addressed all the short comings that are evident to even the most junior of pakistan cricket fans but invisible to the scum in charge whose purpose is to fill their own pockets and rape a nations' spirit and passion. Where I strongly disagree with you is that we only had to fear Australia - we had to fear ourselves first as once again the prime enemy of muslims are the so-called muslims themselves!

I had planned out a trip to Barbados from 12th to 17th April to see my boys play. But it turns out my boys are my bastards.

Flight for 8 to Barbados 8 X $750
A van booked in Barbados $500
A 4 bedroom villa in Barbados $5000
Seeing Pakistan knocked out of the WC, priceless

And this does not include the the match tickets that I had bought.

. And for the disappointed Pakistan fans, as well as cricket lovers in general, let us remember that this is a game...som you win and some you lose for inexplicable resons so leave it that and move on. There is life beyond World Cup and cricket.At least now we will be spared of the 'Allah Bless Pakistan Poster 'on the telly.

i think your article sums it all up.....its been disgusting, pathetic n shameful....being a pakistani who is currently studying in UK my head has hung in embarrassment cause my english,irish,welsh colleagues n classmates poke fun at me, this iss the mother of all pathetic performances.

As a passionate pakistani supporter what i least expected after the match was inzi, woolmer n naseem ashraf tendering their resignations.....but as the popular pakistani culture always has been, they stick like leeches sucking blood out of the old n weary structure of cricket in this country.

Freedom of speech and existance according to president musharraf are his gifts to the nation, funnily enough he is the worst dictator we ever had and his dictatorship has destroyed our cricket too!

its high time some one like imran khan is given the charge of pcb and probably the country too, cause i beleiev he can run a clean up operation that rids us of all the corruption and corrupted people in our country once and for all....we need to set examples and some one has to pay the price....all those who are guilty and corrupted should look down their collar n self-destruct, cause a revolution doesnt distinguish between the good and the bad!!!

a very dissapointed pakistaniiii!

Firstly, I must identify myself as an Indian, though not a particularly nationalistic one (I support Australia), just in case someone wants to make an issue of that.

Now that that is out of the way - Pakistan. OK, so they lost to Ireland. It's a bit shameful, losing to one of the minnows, but it happens to all teams. India, Sri Lanka, Australia, WI, England ... all the major teams have gone down to one of the minnows at some point or the other, mostly in World Cup matches. And Ireland played pretty well.

Yes, I agree the PCB is a shambles, and many things need changing in Pakistan cricket, not least the domestic structure. But before you all go completely nuts, take a break for a few days and think about things. There's no need for death threats, throwing stones, calls for Woolmer's arrest, or for sacking the whole team and playing with the U-19 squad (all have been suggested recently). After all, just a week ago, this same "shambles" of a team beat SA in a warm-up match, and you, Kamran, were suggesting that they were good enough to win the World Cup.

Inzy will probably retire at this point, I should imagine, which would be a shame since he is still a great batsman. Woolmer will not have his contract extended - fair enough. But there is talent in this team, and one off-day is not enough to sack them all.

What Pakistan needs at this point of time is 1) a new fielding and fitness ethic, 2) a bit of strength in the bowling department (for all that they performed better than the batsmen yesterday, Pakistan's bowlers have been disappointing for the last few years), 3) a new wicket-keeper, and 4)a tightening of technique in the batting order. Other than that, the biggest requirement is for long-term stable planning for the future, with sensible selections and an improvement in domestic cricket. Stupid, emotion-driven decisions like making Afridi the captain (does he even deserve a place in the Test side?) will just continue the trends of Pakistan cricket - frequent changes of leadership, revenge droppings, silly selections and a lack of cohesiveness.

I have always been a big fan of Inzi & Bob. But even I know when its over. Inzi's got to go, Bob's goto go, Shoaib akhtar should find another job.
There is nothing the PCB, the president can do to compensate for this pain. But something's has to be done.

Dear Karman,
I am equally amazed by your comments as I am with the pakistan's performance on/off the field. There is a thin line between a die-hard optimist and day-dreamer. I guess you have crossed that line. I think it's time for you to quit too.
It's always easy to blame the failures on leaders. I don't think anyone in Pak team is as commited as Inzy. (Bob is on the other pole though). I do not think it even takes good leadership to beat a team like Ireland. Pakistan cricket is based on all things that make cricket look bad. It seems for a long while pakistan relied on the individual greatness and miraculous performance than a good process to excel in the game. Add to that the emphasis on religion and scene that pak players make even while talking after game during presentation . It's really pathetic that NOBODY is ready to acknowledge these issues. Also this team's performance is befitting to the kind of things the PAK cricket is based on. We are ready to miss your great players rather than accepting those that need drugs to perform well.
And on a general note condition of Pak crikcet reflects the anarchic nature of pakistan as a country.
-Indian

i couldn't agree with you more, we need to dump our captain and get someone who can actually motivate people. We need to have a better team, a team that is fit, we need better preparations. i don't think that the Pakistani team will be able to land safely, rightfully so, after such a performance. If i was still in Pakistan I would be the first person to show up and represent my disappointments towards the team.

Muhammad Asif should be the new captain of Team Pakistan and Aqib Javed should be the next coach. The selection committee should consist of Aqib Javed Miandad as chief selector alongside waqar younis,shoaib Muhammad and Aqib Javed. God Bless Pakistan Cricket!

mr kamran i aggree with alot of points ypu have made especially about bob, inzi and the doc resiging. put the most important of them all is that shahid khan afridi as captain. when i see al him i can fell the same self confidence as imran khan the same self believe and the same aggresion.
plssssss i requet the board to help pakistan cricket an appoint shaid khan afridi as captain of pakistan team. there is no 1 better for the role then him. he will be the second best captain after imran khan i am sure of that.
shaid khan afridi for captain let make it our mission to have him as captain by the time next time pakistan play cricket!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My mama told me not to lose hope.Not in individuals not in the group or society. Because it if one does that he is more tilted towards quiting, which is not good. I would not even look at the negatives, but only the positives here. May be it seems shameful, but these are individual and a group, which has brought joy and refreshing memory too. We just need to own them. You can't just turn your heros turn them into villains. Yes but do try to analyse the shortcomings

Your observations are well justified Kamran. Both India and Pakistan cricketers have failed to live upto their expectations. They lost not only because of their own failing and false pride, but also to some excellent cricket by countries for whom the cricket playing at this level is new.

The problem is that both in India and Pakistan these cricketers are considered stars. The popularity of Cricket has led our traditional game hockey in to disarray.

I think the players those have not performed to their potential in crunch situations should be taken to task. For most of them it is business and not the pride of playing for their country.

Very sorry for the sad state affairs of Pakistan cricket. I know the whole nation is disappointed, including Pakistanis living all over the world. However, this should be a good opportunity to revamp the side including changing of the captaincy. Inzamam is probably the most lethargic figure amongst them all. Players like Kamran Akmal should also be dropped at least temporarily to rediscover their forms. Importantly, the religiosity portrayed by cricketers should not be encouraged. Sports is an onfield event, religion should be kept at home. Good luck.
Asad Karim

Dear Kamran,
I am surprised that not even one true Pakistani fan had the heart to write. I know it is indeed unfortunate that Pakistan made its earliest exit ever from the WC 2007. But does it really help by blaming someone or everyone for the dabacle. No one can turn back the clock and say let us start all over again. India, on the other hand, are in no better position and need to have a solid wins in the next two games and hope that they qualify for the next stage atleast on run rate quotient.
Take the case of Bangladesh. The three teenagers scored half centuries to lift them past India. And I am sure there are better players in the Pakistan under 19 side which has done remarkably well in the last two world tournaments. I am surprised why none of them figured in this event. Instead they tried with more or less the same people who had not done well in the previous WC in 2003, less the quartet of Asif, Shoaib, Razzaq and Afridi (suspension).
All that Pakistan needs is to completely overhaul the entire squad. What is needed here is that the players have ample experience on different playing surfaces. Why blame the pitch?? If you are a player of international standard then you should be comfortable in any playing surface, like the Tennis players.
Good luck Pakistan in your future games and I know for a fact that should India also fail to make to the next stage, the majority of cricket fans in the sub-continent would be reluctant to follow this WC.
Reginald Andrews

These idiots should be fired. This relegious crap and Urdu speaking BS shows the idiots running the show. You Stupid Inzi, God only helps who help themselves, Younis and Yousaf kings of flat tracks. Through Wollmer out too, see what is happening to both Pak and India run by White coaches. We got independent. Give the board to Imran Khan and see what happens. Inzi should be forced to retire. Its about time. Get some educated players. These idiots should be received with Jotu Ka Har.

Sir, I agree 100% with you. But i want to add something that Mullah's can't win the match or worldcup.

Well, Kamran, you have certainly provided a dictionary reference for the term volte face. A few days ago, you were making outlandish statements such as Pakistan being unbeatable on skill by anyone save Australia and here you are today berating Inzamam and co for the St Patrick's day debacle.

I am an Indian and was more than gutted by India's defeat yesterday but could only imagine what was brewing inside a Paksitani fan. So-called experts from India were toeing a line similar to the one you adopted, i.e India had only Australia to fear.

The subcontinent generates astonishing revenues from this game primarily due to the cult status our cricketers enjoy. A status the media, cricket administrators & commentators like you have helped cultivate.

The fans have made the game what it is today and it is about time, they got an honest answer from someone. India's and Pakistan problems were there for all to see before the cup. Yet the media continues to insult the intelligence of the fans, by hyping up these undeserving cricketers, rather than painting a picture, with due patriotic fervour, which was closer to the truth. Frankly, that is what you and a lot of the so called "experts" have being doing.

Kamran, as you said the entire team needs to be revamped...get rid of everyone and bring in the previous U-19 winners and train them until the next world cup. As for the captain, Shoaib Malik or Younis Khan are the right choices. Even though Afridi has that fire inside of him, i think the other two bring some composure with themselves.
Well 2007 is gone, lets hope the next one is any better.

Dear Kamran,

This is exacly what every cricket lover in Pakistan would like to say - however many other sentiments will emerge in a few days and weeks ahead as well. My overall impression is that you were a bit soft in your comments.

My suggestion to the President of Pakistan is (if he is REALLY sincere to the country, wheteher he knows about cricket or not...), that management of any system or an organization starts from the top level which should not ONLY understand cricket BUT ... BUT should also posses "Management" and "Leadership" qualities. It is absolutely wrong to assume that if you are a world class cricketer you should be captain or then become Manager of the team or if you ar really lucky in your life should also become chairman of the selection committee or cricket board and so on...

We have an example from the past Mike Brearly as captain of English team in late seventies... Imran Khan for Pakistan leading from the front. For those of you who remember, Brearly was in the team just as a captain.

Zaheer Abbass on the other hand was no doubt was an Asian Bradman in his time but when he was the captain of the team in eighties ... even the matches with Pakistan's strong winning prospects ended in tame draws. We made him Manager last summer and the result was Oval test match fiasco --- our all management including captain were responsible for that -- to add an insult to the injury they all were in the ground over there...

Another short suggestion -- we lost many good playes in past just beacause of our pitches -- what's wrong with Pakistan in having green top wickets - I have abosultely no clue.

Dr. Asim Maqbool
Ottawa, Canada

A loss is a loss no matter who inflicts it. We just need to regroup and keep trying. May be I am just satisfying my own disturbed self, but I thought I should share that with others judge them right or wrong as you may.

To be honest, i am not surprised one tad bit. I was 99% sure that Pakistan was gonna be out of the cup before reaching the super 8's and they are. I say fire Inzimam RIGHT NOW, make 2 different teams for ODIS and Test & put the oldies in test matches. Get an energetic, young but skillfll captain for ODi's. Fix you 1st class level and get the corruption out.
I dont think i know of Pakistani cricketer/captain whose name has not been ruined towards the liimelight years.
Alas, this is all that we can always dream of when it comes to Pakistani anything, and not just cricket.
May the better team win the World Cup.

Some one has to take the responsibility.. who? we pakistani have to decide it. I spoke with my friends and we all the demanding the following changes coz this loss is really very embarassing for us..
Bob Wollmer: show him the exit doors...bring back a coack some one who can communicate with our players in their own language.. coz if kaneria wasnt able to comment properly during a press conference then how well they have been communicating with woolmer in the past , we all can now imagine that... then who will be our ext coach...
1st choice: waqar younis.
2nd choice: aqib javed
3rd choice: muhtaq muhamed
4th choice: sarfraz nawaz

captain needs to be chnages... who would succeed him is the serious question..

we need some one to lead from the front..some one agressive ..some one who has hunger ... some one with no brain but just madness... yes your guess is right.. its Afrid.. (i know u all must be laughing at me ) but try to understand , at this stage we are not looking for a great player or a talented player like yousuf or younis to captain us but a player like Greame Smith who has age n agression under is belly...

now discuss about our team.. show doors to Rana ( thanks for being a big relief not for us but for the opponents) emergency exit door to Akmal.. who says catching cant win matches... coz we have few many players waitingfor their chances to get picked from our reserve bench.. who else.... ohhhh Mushy... who was their to train Kaneria for the Westindies match only.. But i can hear some one saying Kaneria is a better spinner than Mushy.. no offence to Mushy but i am surprised , rashid latif is surprised and ofcourse waqr younis i surprised ... how could a legspinner be given a charge of being a coach of pace bowlers.. are then now expecting from them to bowl googlys :) to be honest u never know

i saw pics of rana naveed and yasir arafat holding mushy on their shoulders during their (county) match whoich they won..no wonder why , Rana is the permanant memeber of pakistan team.. i m just waiting for my turn to hold him on my shoulders to play for pakistan.. i guess i can keep wickets better than akmal.. hmm can perform better feilding .. n could be lil agressive when my country needs me...

Doctor Naseem ashraf... please visit ur patients in the operation theater who needs u more than us ..coz we really love our cricket.. crazy about it.. please we dont need no advils or panadols ..i guess...
saleem altaf..u r a good speaker..we all saw u in the interview with waqar n fakir.. please halp supre crt as our cheif justice is having a bad time.. n they need u more as they are interviewing these dayz for dual personality personals.. u must be the best fit..
Imran khan.. we all know.. u wont accept the job.. but we all request u to email them daily on how to run PCB...

i am ashmed .. embarassed .. thanks to our team

Kamrab bahi nothing will happen we all know, after this defeat only the faces will change because like our country politics, the institutions are nothing, our leaders use these deptts for their families and friends, president did the same thing by appointing Mr Dr. Naseem Ashraf Sahib and your captain did the same thing by throwing out Legend Waqar (the only non controversial player and captain in PAK as he always used to be at the receiving end) throwing out Yasir and Asim bringing in Mushi MULA so this was inevitable. Inzi did nothing wrong as he is the dictator of the team he can do anything he want like everybody else is doing ( THIS IS OUR CULTURE)

Nothing will change you are suggesting what should happen in the future nothing will happen younis will be the captain, for me he shouldn’t be in the team 31.00 avg he got in the last 6 yrs wow and the shots he played to get out NAAAA any way I don’t care because in the two months from now they will start playing well, same players will play shots will deliver good balls and we will forget the humiliating defeat like 2003

I don’t know what I am writing I am pissed off with the performance of the team. There are two many things to blame. For me is their captain body language, lethargic approach should be blame. Our national academy for making flat tracks and when they get exposed to green pitches the same thing will happen and because of these pitches we are not getting the bowlers like 2w’s because they are too afraid to pitch the ball up in the business area.

For me ideally every thing should start from scratch none of these players deserve a place in the team, sack selection committee, sack the chairman haha I am lost I should remember its Pakistan nothing will change we have to face the same shit as I want the same thing with political system (from scratch) if nothing happened there nothing will happen here

But we the nation will show some resistance and reaction this is what we can do and we used to do. Inzi should not forget what happen after Chief justice is sacked nation will show their reaction BACHAY TUM LOG AIK BAR GHAR TOU AAO

Inzi is totally wrong that there will nobody at the air port. If inzi eleven got the courage they should come as a team not in the form of 1’s and 2’s then they will see the reception of their life time. Whatever the reasons were this was the darkest day of Pakistan cricket and it was my birthday 17th

Well, Kami dude, you did turn out to be one of the complaining mom's who expects a miracle to beg the life of it's child suffereing from the last stage cancer. The condition in the team is no different than that what we face in our routine lives. The two times we have seen our team prosper were the times when it was the rule of the Sharif's.
Leadership not just in the field but the geo-political scenario's affect as well.
We as a nation are cancerous in every walk of life; and trust me no miracle is going to save us lest we address things at their roots.
Leadership! Leadership! Leadership! the key to all evils.Inzi's reign has been more of a dada geer feudal kind. Things don't survive in such scenarios.
I did write a formula to win in my earlier comments! But! Alas, it's no use crying over spilt milk!!
N.B. First of all thanx to Allah! Hamari aaj kismet Kharab thi! The boyzz iz played poorly! But thanx Allah the boyz is now iz get time for prayerz! Now the boyz and team iz go to is Raiwind! And I am a 'Aloooooooo"--Inzamam 17th March,2007.

As a job application for the post of England coach (which he apparently fancies when Fletcher gets round to falling on his sword), Bob Woolmer's custodianship of the Pakistan team is less than convincing. This is okay as I never fancied the prospect of him anyway.

Flat track bullies is the best description I have of this team.

Well said but are you surprised? I am not. I wrote in my comments in your last 'blog' that Pakistan should start preparing for 2011. It was not a joke or an emotional statement. From what I have observed,read and the body language of the skipper, it was written all over the place.
A lap-top trotting coach trying to make players play in an english fashion is not on with a bunch of non-english speaking players who play with a flair and instinct. In more than 2 years,
he has not been able to unearth even 1 batsmen.!!
He and the selectors should have known that Pakistan thrives in throwing up untrained youths in tests: Several examples: Waqar Younis from a local match to Sharjah. Tausif Ahmed from street cricket to the nets and in test against New Zealand. A nation which produced the genius of 'reverse swing' and the 'doosra' and mastered the inside-out strokes should be left alone from the pressures of modern computerised training.The only training they should do is fitness and fielding and that can be handled by any local trainer.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrups absolutely. PCB has no one to answer and what they come up with:appoint a spinner to coach medium pacers.Throw out one of the best exponents of reverse swing. Appoint Jonty Rhodes for 2 weeks to train Pakistan fielders!!!, Call Boycott to give tips to Pakistan batsmen!! when you have the likes of Miandad,Zaheer,Asif Iqbal,Mudassar Nazar,Hanif Mohamed,Imran Khan and many others. Then their appointees mess up the 'oval' fiasco,
doping issue, and the latest comedy is the 'urdu'
at press conference issue.What next...only God knows.
Inzy should have risen above personal 'hurt' and should have paid a befitting tribute to the Irish. Instead he says: God did not want Pakistan to win.! I cannot believe it. That is sacriledge.
It shows a very narrow outlook.
So Pakistan cannot play on: (a) Bouncy wickets,
(b) Green tops (c) Big turners. So what's left?
Belters. A talented side must be able to adapt to any conditions and turn it to it's advantage.
Crisis produce saviours and heroes.....and therein lies the hope for the future.

Well said Kamran. Indeed it is the politics within the PCB that have made us fan see this day. Inzi

Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi as the national team captains? If my memory serves me right, these fellas have shown their lack of maturity and judgment on several occasions. Blabber mouth, cheerleader? oh yeah! One of these guys have been banned from international cricket on so many occasions. I wonder if you were serious when you mentioned these names. I agree with you on Shoaib Malik though. Or how about the fighter called Asim Kamal, who has been sitting on the sidelines because of who knows whom. Lets make decisions on the basis of merit, experience and not gut feeling. Younis may not even deserve a place in the team. As far as I am concerned he is also the "Allah kee marzi nahin thee" sort of guy.

My congratulations to Ireland,
As far as we are concerned, we have been match fixers, drug abusers, politicians of highest class, illetrate bunch of criketers. What else to expect then this shame...A cricket loving nation where cricketor turn politicians and cricket is discussed in parliments( those who have played GALI DANDA) during their atheletic days.
Solution well we have struggled in every aspect of life and every game, we need a revolution,i believe each and every one of us need to change, stop this hypocratic life style let only the specilist ran the concerned fields, We used to be world champions of hockey, cricket, squash and snooker.........in 1994, now we finish 5th in a six team tournament in hockey, and cricket is even worst, we read about our players urine samples but not about their performances.

kamran,
I hope they read this blog and it inspires them to do what you said in here. Don't agree with the third name for leader od this team since he is not that consistent on his own if you want someone to lead with example. I was hoping atleast pakistan have had made to semis.But like you said pakistani fans are sentenced of painful memories for next atleast 4 years.

Kamran sb, I too believed that miracle will happen but miracles like 1992, by definition, happen once in a lifetime and we have already gone past that. Working hard, anathema to all our stars and administrators, is the only way out.
As we start anew, one thing that should change is the low importance of commitment and hardwork in our selection. As every professional knows, talent is important but it will always be beaten hands down by commitment and hardwork.
I would like selection committee give importance to such things as commitment in the field, hardwork between tours, fitness and above all getting out of your comfort zone when the team requires. This means becoming a mudassar nazir or shahid afridi according to the situation. I accept that nobody can do it but atleast our cricketers should show us that they are trying. When there is batting collapse, even shahid afridi should try to prolong his innings and if he cannot do this, I'm sorry he will have to go.

Inzi should retire and leave rather than being pushed out, right time has come.
Bob should quit and head back to coach english men, we need local coach who can put passion, desire to win in our players. I don't see any desire to win in any of our players. They play not to loose, while great teams play to WIN.

I am afraid to say if there's no Major Major Major changes there will be new lows in future, and we thought 2003 was the lowest part and tournament in Pakistan Cricket.

I like the game very much, but our cricket system is pushing all of its die hard follower on brink of letting go of cricket! I hoped we had other sports like basketball, soccer to turn our attention away from miserable cricket that we have

Yes.. n I think that Hafeez is the best option as the captian....

Some one has to take the responsibility.. Who? We Pakistanis have to decide it. I spoke with my friends and we all demanding the following changes …coz this loss is really very embarrassing for us..
Bob Wollmer: show him the exit doors...bring back a coach some one who can communicate with our players in their own language.. coz if kaneria wasn’t able to comment properly during a press conference then how well they have been communicating with woolmer in the past , we all can now imagine that... then who will be our ext coach...
1st choice: waqar younis.
2nd choice: aqib javed
3rd choice: muhtaq muhamed
4th choice: sarfraz nawaz

captain needs to be change... who would succeed him is the serious question..

We need some one to lead from the front. Some one aggressive...some one who has hunger ... some one with no brain but just madness... yes your guess is right.. its Afrid.. (i know u all must be laughing at me ) but try to understand , at this stage we are not looking for a great player or a talented player like yousuf or younis to captain us but a player like Greame Smith who has age n aggression under is belly...

now discuss about our team.. show doors to Rana ( thanks for being a big relief not for us but for the opponents) emergency exit door to Akmal.. who says catching cant win matches... coz we have few many players waiting for their chances to get picked from our reserve bench.. who else.... ohhhh Mushy... who was their to train Kaneria for the Westindies match only.. But i can hear some one saying Kaneria is a better spinner than Mushy.. no offence to Mushy but i am surprised , rashid latif is surprised and ofcourse waqr younis i surprised ... how could a legspinner be given a charge of being a coach of pace bowlers.. are then now expecting from them to bowl googlys :) to be honest u never know

i am ashmed .. embarassed .. thanks to our team

The fate of our beloved country PAKISTAN has been marred by the fact that we always appoint unworthy for the job, so why cricket should be left alone, May this shame brings the jolt we need

I am a student from Germany. Within last year Germany organized 3 world cups and they won 2 of them and for Foot Ball they reached Semi Finals. It is repeatidly said in Germany that elder People are getting over the young population due to low birth rate. But even than they produce amazing resulta in Sports.
It is surprising for me that we are nation of 160 million people with a big young population. We play a single Sport of Cricket and we can not produce good team. With all due Respect when I see Inzamam The Captain what a example for athleteism and Heroics he is...wow. I do not know why ,what or these all type of bull shits. Pakistan is out from tournament within 5 days tounament started.
We make people Heros and than Heros become God they do not need any training but just luck to win. But it is what system works in Pakistan. We had a good team in 90s. Did someone notice what we have good in 90s what we do not have now. I hope for good and I will always try for good of Pakistan but now I am really feeling like looser. Luck favors the Braves not loosers. People make system, system does not make people. I hope someday we can understand these golden rules.

what a performance kamran. we spend millions of dollars in our institutions of cricket and coaches and equipment, etc. all this money is used in this poor country of ours only to lose to Ireland. im not taking anything from their win, but honestly, they never should have beat us. i dont care anymore though, pak cricket never has been reliable or consistent, we woulda been creamed in the super8s anyway. thank you pakistan cricket team, for the worst shitty performance i have ever witnessed.

Well Kamran we are all shocked and cant express any thing much as what we seen from our eyes at Sabina Park. I have only one request to the Presedent either put a 5 Year "BAN" on Pakistan or as to your word's

"the first job that meritocracy should do is sack its selection committee and replace it with some real champions of Pakistan cricket"

and rebuild the team from scratch,players should be selected on merit basis not experience, as we have seen what experience can do. Regarding the coach we should have someone like Imran Khan, Javaid Miandad, Waseem Akran, or Waqar Younis. As we have seen the laptop coaches spending most of there time on making plan's unless implementing them.

Mr Kamran, you are still living in fools paradise.You are talking about shahid afridi, younis khan and Shoaib malik!!! Can I ask you what comitment they have shown at all.When they field on the ground they only do what they want not even thinking for a second that they are representing Pakistan and the kind of responsibility.If anybody says Younis will be a good captain!!! I can only laugh on him. He should have prooved himself worthy there was som much in offer to become a hero but what they did? As such it is not the management it is as a common Pakistani we are not reponsible at all.I am living in Dubai, and always wonder that the same Pakistani lot behaves so well here and they become animals as soon as they land in Pakistan,Why?.Simple here in UAE they are treated as second or third class citizens and they get hit on their asses.I am really sorry for my whole nation. We talk about Musharraf but we don't see everytime we bring culprits and goons again and again to the goverment!!! so what we want for us??? I really don't know.

No body is willing to comment on this, cause we are emotionally distoried we dont have any words, what ever has happened made us look STUPID.

No more cricket shame on shame and there is no shame at all

Good article Kamran. However, you should have said all this BEFORE the Ireland game, or indeed the start of the world cup. However, I like the idea of Afridi as caption. He has passion, and I am sure he will be willing to kick ass. However, he has been a partner with Shohaib Akther in some "evening entertainment" over the years.
I am sure that can be sorted out if all the bad apples are replaced.

Regards,

Hi Kamran, each and every word in that letter was so true, I have supported Pakistan cricket all my life, from its best times to the worst possible times but have never have I felt this disappointed and hurt in my life, Pakistan team have let us down really bad that it is so hard to say that I still support them.
I do not think blaming Bob Woolmer is the right thing, he did what he could off the field, to put things right on the field was Inzamam's job and players to follow his suit. Inzamam should step down and leave cricket and may be coach some county sides, Doctor Ashraf should go back to wherever he came from, he has destroyed us, nothing right has happened since he was appointed PCB Chairman. Our selection committee should resign. We need people who are honest to Pakistan and are will choose players on their merit not on how big a name are they.
I hope Allah gives Pakistan some honest people and players who dont take their place for granted, who will fight for their country until the last ounce of energy they have, May Allah bless Pakistan and bless its players, Aameen!

what agame cricket!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i broke whole day to watch cricket nothing to loss
bang beat india
but what is this ireland beat pakistan
pakistan become first team to out this worls cup
1 when bangladesh required test staues how they pakistan and pakistan ask they are like us small brother and we help them
2.Now they ireland need they are us like Big brother
WWWWWWWWWHat AAAAAAA JJJJJJJJJoke
HHHHHHHHHOOOOOWWWWWWWWWZZZZZAAAAAATTTTTTT

Salam
The cancer of Pakistan cricket is still there ! It seems it morphs forms from 1 thing to another and it's time we kick it out once and for all ! Inzamam has to go, such a shame to say after the man who rid the cancer was also the same man to pick Inzy ! O how I would love to hear Uncle Imran Khan but why is it we depend on the one man ? Such a shame to see Imran Khan's students all fail in one way or another. Wasim ... Match-fixing and has now moved onto Irfan Pathan ! After all that Imran Khan did, threated to lose the captaincy and life just to get Wasim Akram into the team. Waqar Younis played well but fell in 2003. Inzy ... need I say anything ? All have played well Inzy Waqar n Wasim but everyone forgets the man behind the 'stars'! Imran Khan! He said to take Yasir Hameed and Salman Butt ! This has been a failure we are so used to. The PCB never listen always going on big headed ! Why do we never listen ! Everyone in the team has been slyly saying its not going to work, Imran Khan said it had to change but nope !
I just give up now, too much for me to say and its worthless after i read the line 'Why do we never listen !'
Salam
tc

The defeat is not that big of a surprise anyway kamran, coz it was always on the cards. The team we had and when i say team it includes each and every one who is involoved with our cricket was simply pathetic and i never believed in our chances in this world cup and those who did are too are probably too much of an optimist than realist. it came earlier than expected but it was on its way anyway.Well its all done now, and we have nowhere to go from here but up. I firmly believe that our downfall started when all our major players were forced to leave after the loss of 2003 world cup and it created a space that is yet to be filled. A decision that was taken in the heat of the moment and we are still paying for it coz honestly, we don't have too many players now that we can be proud of and if the senior players were around they could have groomed the young ones and we would have been a much better force.
some of the names need to be changed of course, especialy the coach, captain and the managment and some other players who have been around but aint worth of crap anymore, like rana, mohammad hafeez imran nazir and all who probably had one or two good seasons and nothing since than. Inzimam is like George bush right now, anyone can beat him in the race of captaincy, afridi or yasir hameed it doesnt matter, but what we need is a strong coach who has the influence on the team,coz the current team is too young and hot at the moment that none of them is good enough to run a team like a unit so an efficient coach is a must at the moment. The religion factor has to go and they should just play cricket, thats what they get paid for. whatever happens from here can't be worse than whatever is been happening. we ned true profesionals than friends who know whatthey are doing. Men of actions than words and lets hope like we always do that our cricket will get back its grace and respect again. lets not be too hopeless coz it can only get better from here.

Get rid off inzi, younis is a garbage player , he only gives the opposition players slip catch practice and i dont know why is he considered a backbone of pak..
Get rid off these players
inzi
younis(keep him only in tests only if he performs)
yousuf(keep him for tests)
akmal
hafeez
imran nazir
and bob woolmer( instead of supporting pak he would go out from time to time on cricinfo to who his fav teams are for this cup(southafrica))traitor

make afridi the future captain and oh yah get rid of that biggest idiot of all NASEEm ashraf..afterall he was the one who flunked the whole cricketeing system in pakistan since he took over

I am disappointed and I still do not believe it. Ruins all my enthusiasm. This side was weak from the day we learnt that Asif and Shoeb and Razzaque are out of the squad due to injury. Arrogance and indiscipline are some existing problems with this side though agaisnst the very basic of their faith that they believe in. I hope Pakistan can solve the miseries of their recent batting and find consistent openers. We lost the series in SA and in England due to some these problems. We should take this defeat sportingly and move forward.

anser

Dont know what to say...This has been a sad day.... very sad day..we are all gutted. But i would say to my country fellows..Lets take a deep breath. Lets just not rush to throw stones. Lets try to be more mature. I thought the worst cricketing days were such as 1987 semi final loss, betting days when Basit and Rashid left Zimbabwe, Marijuana days when Wasim and Co was caught, banglore night, world cup final lost in 99 or may be early exit in 2003 cup. But this is huge. HUGE. But then again, we should not be so immature not to expect it. Every thing that was happening since England tour was more or less pointing towards this direction. With that being said, we are not the first ones or last ones who are humbled like this. We should not be so disappointed. We have had many great moments. I dont even need to count those since those are the reasons you are here reading my post and agonising. Lets be hopefull. Lets keep our hopes alive. As a nation thats all we got, HOPE.

At this moment i have tears in my eyes and cant comment on anything. I only want to say that Pakistanis are not cowards and there is no room for cowards in Pakistan cricket. Responsible authorities and players should be kicked out.

Why not you have written a letter to Wasim Bari, he is the one who has selected team for WC2003, WC2007. Look PIA, how many flights have been banned. Mr Bari has refused to resign beacuse he is the agent of our enemies and he wants to destroy PIA and PCB.
Bob knew that what Pakistan team can accompolish so he has already transported his belongings to Cape town.
Inzi has blamed luck for his failur, what a shameful excuse, how bout your 14000 runs. When you cant make it then it is luck otherwise it is your own effort.
Inzi should return all the money to people of pakistan which he recieved during this period.He never listened to anyone except himself.
Bob should refund all the money to people of pakistn which he got to get World Cup

Pakistani Cricket has really hit rock bottom with this humiliating defeat at Ireland's hands. Victories and Losses are part of the game but not often one sees a team like Pakistan capitulating without a fight and in such despirited fashion. It would not be wrong to say that the writing was on the wall. No team can really hope (well, they can but that's it, they can only hope!) to win a major tournament without a set opening pair, penetrative bowlers and most importantly good attacking leadership. Unfortunately, Pakistan has been lacking on all these fronts recently, and looking at Inzimam one is forced to question his attitude towards fitness and the game itself and sadly these things flow from the top., so it's no surprise that the others too caved into the pressure.

I love the way that you keep saying that, on paper, the only team that should be able to beat Pakistan is Australia.

South Africa, on paper, are a better team.

In reality it has now been proven that the Pakistan cricket team of a few years ago is a thing of the past. It's time to take stock of the situation and make some difficult choices.

A cricket captain should be aggressive, ipirational, and lead from the front. Then only he can infuse fighting spirit in the team. Inzi doesn't fall in this category of captains. He is a great player, not finished yet I believe. Just remove him from captaincy, let him concentrate only on his batting. Shoeb Malik is a soft guy much like Inzi. I would rather pick Hafeez as my first choice captain ahead of Younis and Afridi. I have no doubt about the quality of any players in the team, they just need a motivational captain. I put little value on coaches, just pick a suitable Pakistani for this position, no need at all for a foreign coach.

Kamran

It was a pathetic performance by Pakistan, by all means perhaps even worse than the 59 & 52 all out massacare in Sharjah against Australia in 2002 test series. Pakistan cricket needs a complete revamp, promote youngsters with passion and more importantly those who can work with team spirit.
However, I still feel surprised by 2 of your comments.
1. Your judgement that Australia is the only team that could have upset pakistan. Clearly you seem to feel that South Africa & NZ are someway inferior to pakistan. Apart from Australia, they could have comfortably beaten pakistan any time.
2. Your statement that Ireland should not have won whatever be the conditions. That borders on arrogance if not downright stupidity. Ireland played better than Pakistan in every facet of this game and why shouldn't they deserve to win? Pl. don't think of past performances any more just as my own country's team players like Sehwag, sachin and Agarkar (can't even say any performance for him) are living on borrowed time.

What a fall for Pakistan from the glory days of Miandad, Imran, Akram & Waqar? Even Yousuf' 2006 test record seems so unreal & so far looking at the way he got out y'day against Ireland.
It is hoped that Pakistan comes out of this crisis (both in political sphere and cricket as well).

Kamran,
First of all, commiserations... Hope it is not our turn next Friday, but, Pakistan well and truly deserved to be in this shambles... Listless, rudderless and clueless are the adjectives that describe most of what Pakistan portrays to the outside world... I am sure, life is a lot different in the country with normal people trying to make a difference to their loved ones' lives striving hard to make it better..... but, politically motivated decisions with no clarity of vision have hampered your nation's passion, and I hope this is an eye opener for not only the cricket team but the leadership as a whole in Pakistan.... Religious priorities have given the region an excuse to explain some of the atrocious decisions and happennings over the years, and it is engulfing the cricketing spirit of Pakistan as well... Hope your country can see the light at the end of the tunnel soon.... Again, commiserations for the ingominous defeat and hope it is never so deserved again....
Respectfully,
A Well Wisher

I agree, flat track bullies indeed. Afridi would make a good one day captain. Perhaps its time for different squads for Tests and one days. Why lay the blame on domestice cricket, dont forget we won the 20/20 cup with the wolves, and last two U-19 world cups. Where are those forgotten heroes? The PCB needs to make a concrete effort to provide green and bouncy tracks at the first class level.

After all the drama at oval I was expecting that Pakistan cricket team will show off some spirit and discipline but it turned out just thought like other cricket lovers in Pakistan and across the world.

As it happened quite a few times in the past every one will blame each other and after a period of time all will be over. That’s the only thing every one think of especially who ever is sitting in management either its PCB or authorities running the system in Pakistan if there is any exists?

Our cricket team has same problem as our country is going through. Why this is happening with Pakistan no one is there to think off. Bunch of monkeys trying to do with the nation what ever they want to.

In our cricket team no one is fit as we all saw in two world cup matches team played so far. Inzamam is always standing in the ground like he came for a walk. No enthusiasm, no role which prove that he is leading from the front. Even Mohammad Yousaf has gained weight who should be the most responsible player as every one knows the fragility of out batting line but no one cares and it’s a feeling that most of senior players think they have achieved what ever they were suppose to.

Whole country needs a big culture change.

I cant understand why are we still trying the failed players like Imran nazir, the biggest loser pakistan cricket ever had. Players like Shoaib wants things in the way they want. Cant PCB fired that sort of players to make a lesson for coming players??? What so special about Yonis Khan? I never saw him giving performance in a match where it is needed, he always plays where everybody else scores aswell. The only genuine batsman I can find is Muhammad Yosaf. The best thing PCB can do now is to fire Inzi, Younas, Imran nazir and bob wolmer and the PCB chairman. We dont want US imported chairmen for our cricket. One more thing, what is the purpose of army in cricket?? Are they going to run the cricket in the same way they are running the cricket? Every retired army officer, who cant do anything, they put him in the top of some organization from Wapda to cricket. For God sake keep cricket cleen from army.

Hello to all my pakistani supporters out there,

After watching the game i was in understandably in shock. The meaning of the word shock found new meaning that day for me and my family and it was only the other day when i returned back to my university that i came out of it only to be laughed at and made fun of...even by Indians who casted their loss as...hey bangladesh beat australia and newzealand; ireland anyone?

Now i dont know what to think anymore. I could be as insulting as i want, hurl abuses at the players, give advices of kinds like fire everyone in charge, but it will do me no good. What we should remember however, and this is where i am the best at giving a conspiracy theory, that the seniour players like inzamam were retiring and woolmer's extension was done. Maybe they betted against themselves to win and exit the world cup and their career with high notes...monetary ofcourse. Well whatever it was all i know is i have lost faith in cricket. I was the biggest fan of Pakistani cricket and wore pride on my heart and sleeve but my sleeve has been torn and heart is not there nomore. Poetic yes but true nonetheless.

It's really strange that nobody posted any comment even after more than 9 hours elapsed after this letter was posted.

I think Bob Woolmer is wholely and solely responsible for this debacle. What has he been doing ever since he took over the charge ?
There is no need of foreign coaches.There r enough great players in our country who can coach the National team. We can also question the dedication of these foreign coaches. How can they put in everything for a foreign team's cause. Only a Pakistani by heart and soul can do this job.

I'm pakistani, proud pakistani, Hockey is our national game, cricket NOT!!! but as being a patriot we have more hopes on cricket. and as yesterday i think i'm not couraged to get my lift my head infront of anyone.
And it's not because that IRELAND beated Pakistan, it's only because Pakistan was being beaten by them,
Ireland played really well...and that's the spirit , that's the lesson which others teams should learn. since 1999 world cup , Pakistan was world cup winner before that, when faced Australia the ALMIGHTY of cricket, fall like wall of sand. although the difference wasn't much, but the way how IRELAND ( a new comer ) faced n won the former WORLDCHAMPION (Pakistan) they should be awarded by the biggest honor in pakistan Nishan-e-Haider...
no hopes for pakistani teams. we are too much depressed that we can't say it out
I Sabir hUSSAIN Shah declares that i've no relationship with my national cricket team i-e Pakistan in teh future. and i won't even throw eggs on there coming back to Pakistan, coz that's the disgrace to eggs.
Allah Hafiz.
hope Pakistan to have good future in SKIING(coz pakistan could be the last one to qualify for super eights in skiing competition but it would be understandable coz no snow(much ) in pakistan) but cricket, world cup...not insuper eights in two world cups in a row...
Allah Hafiz
and Irish...i wish u much better in the future...
yours
Sabir Shah

Well written Kamran.An absolute pathetic display by so called professional cricketers on highly prized central contracts .

" aslama-lekum, bismillah hira man nira heem, first of all thanks to allah ".... yes the boys did their best but kismet was not with us " please please some body confine this buffoon of a captain to the tabligee jamat because it is quite clear Inzy has lost his marbles and goes around thinking no one can touch me. I agree the almighty allah should always be thanked, but allah also says " work hard, give 110% , mehnat karo with halal intent and I will help you my human "

This sorry state of affairs is mostly down to Inzy as a pathetic captain, a coward who would not bat further up the order to lead by example, yet send other lambs to slaughter, then trot in pricking his beard, perform badly and then blame on divine intervention.

He should have been sacked after the oval fiasco, but our beloved Doc who had time to use his mobile on the oval balcony did not have the mettle to sort Inzy out when took power with the help of our president. Our president ? if he has time to hold an investigation on the Geo office should also hold a candid investigation of the Pcb board and team performance.... all linked.

Salim Altaf will again wriggle out because there ia no accountability, just the same for that other champion Wasim Bari.

Youngsters are desperate to play for their country pakistan but are not being selected due to cronisim and nepotism.

Why recall Shahid Nazir after a 7 year absence from Test cricket? why not select a bowler from the world cup winning under 19 team instead ? This is all down to that dictator like captain Inzy having all selection matters.

I am convinced Bob Woolmer was doing good things for Pakistan cricket but eventually he got fed up with the board politics and that brilliant tactician Inzy !!

I am sure all will be revealed by Mamoo Bob in due course.

Pakistan is the laughing stock of world cricket due to incompetence of hand picked cricket administrators who only have a vested interest to promote their own ( political ) goal.

It is high time ad hocisim stopped and a transparent elected board with experience of the game is quickly brought in. Alas i do not think this will happen, true democracy in Pakistan ? please do not offend the public.

Oh yes where is our hand picked media manager now ? May be he has realised now " bakhawas is bakhawas whether in Urdu or English, and it is better to stay under ground.

Inzy please retire now and " play with the boys at home " as kismet is not with you.

All other cricket countries have made so much progress... look at 17 , 18 years old winning matches for Bangladesh and yet Pakistan with so much more talent cannot do the same anymore.

I just dont know what the future holds for Pakistan cricket ... i know one thing that it surely cannot get worse than this !!

I think the performance of Pakistan in this world cup is a disgrace to Pakistani fans all over the world. The true colors of the country and its people are finally being shown, even on the level of a sport like cricket. With so much politics in their selection, they decide to neglect the players who are deserving, yet rather select those with decent talent and no brains. It is common theme with Pakistan, a country with all the talent, but with the wrong people in power. They neglect all the talent from Karachi, and roam the streets of punjab looking to find any individual who has heard of the sport known as cricket and place him on the national team. In the past it was the great Pakistani batmsan from Karachi that helped Pakistan win. From the legendary Hanif Mohammad, to Zaheer Abbas, Asif Iqbal, Javed Miandad, and Saeed Anwar, there have been many that covered the fruitless talent of the Pakistan team. Scratch out Javed Miandad and his brilliance as a batsman and fieldsman, and Pakistan does not win the world cup in 1992. Yet all that is portrayed in Imran Khan's dedication and leaded as a captain. However, they fail to see how Imran Khan pushed Miandad out of captaincy, yet still asked for his help and begged for his advice on and off the field. It is a shameful punishment and I feel for the fans of Pakistan. Majority of these current players should never be allowed to play the sport of cricket again. You can start with Inzamam, add Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf, and there is still plenty of room left for Imran Nazir. As a Pakistani myself, who lives in the United States of America, I am ashamed at my country and embarassed to claim myself as originally being from a country run by animals. As-Salaam-Walaikum.

Well the joke that was Pakistan's World Cup campaign was over quite quickly - a blessing in disguise maybe ? Bob and Inzi had a good partnership to start out with and they were on the right track and arguably as osman indicated in his article after the oval fiasco they lost sight of the eventual goal ...

Well lot of questions that have arisen out of this :
1) Who is going to be the next Captain ?
2) Next Coach - local or foreign ?
3) Fielding Coach ?
4) Bowling Coach - yes or no ?
5) Openers ?
6) Inzi's Replacement - Asim Kamal ?
7) Fawad Alam - Is it time to induct him ?

As far as captain is concerned i think that our only choice is malik he is the only one who has justified his place in the side ... we should look at the aussie model choose your best 11 and then choose a captain from it not choose 10 players and then add the captain ... afridi doesnt justify his place in the side IMHO ... younis khan leaves a lot of questions in the one day arena ?

For coach - I still think foreign coach is not a bad idea but we need someone who is willing to take more risks and is ready to fight with the administration ala chapell ... Woolmer it seems went into a shell after the oval thing ... on the local scene Aqib Javed seems a nice option ...

When SA chose their 1992 worldcup team kepler wessels had asked for an energetic bunch who can throw themselves here and there and save runs in the field ... this has never been Pakistan's forte and uptil now no coach local or foreign has been able to correct this folly ? I think this indicates the main difference towards our approach to the game ... While for other teams it is a must that the player no matter how good in bowling or batting he should be able to save runs in the field ... how many do we have only one - imran nazir and unfortunately for all you imran nazir fans he just cant BAT !!!

This was the most spineless group of individuals to have ever represented Pakistan on the cricket field. And the PCB? Well for an organization that has been on a downhill roll ever since the Oval test, it is a stunning retribution for the incompetence of all its officials. Please, if there is any decency and a shred of honour in any of you, resign and disappear.
As for the Irish, what a terrifc spunky performance, and don't anyone believe that they were lucky to win the toss: they were champions, and deserved to win, like the Pakistan team used to be in the distant past.

Hello to all my pakistani supporters out there,

We came to Jamaica from Los Angeles to cheer on our Team, but most importantly to watch good cricket. We cheered, but our team gave us the most nightmarish, spineless surrender.
Your letter captures our views and emotions completely.

It was evident. Actions speak louder than words. They must join politics to make more money. The more words you have in your pocket, more money you can make in politics. Best of luck to your new role.

The most disgraceful display ever seen on a sports field. The so called athletes from Pakistan are an embarrassment for the country. They are supposed to be young and fit but the idiots can’t even bend down to field. What the blody hell have they been doing, the image of Molvee inzy standing with hands on hips scratching his beard is pathetic, the whole world is laughing inzy, at us and the loyal passionate Pakistan supporters are in distress, do us a favour, just go. Bob, no need for you to go back to Pakistan, the team has gone backwards from the shambles of 2003, iam sure you have made enough money now and you have enough material for a biography. Get rid of all the STUPID FOOLS who are disgracing us. Its not just cricket that’s a laughing stock, our KING MR MUSH is the biggest joke in the world, has he not got enough to do, why the HELL is he the patron of PCB. How much money can one man snatch and get away with it? Why doesn’t he just become the coach of Pakistan cricket team, he’s running everything else. They are so stupid that they think the world is laughing with us, open your eyes buffoons they are laughing at us. Most of these Fc3K*RS don’t give a shit anyway, they are in it for the money.

Whole country needs a big culture change.

Well done pakistan. No matter what people say i am sure no one can take away the losers tag away from you. Kamran said we didnt fight? i wonder what match he was seeing, i mean cumon kamran didnt you see how we fought to lose this match or how we tried our damndest to make sure we dont win anything. Well done pakistan and inshallah we will make sure we lose the next match. Cumon we are losers afterall arent we?...

Well , Its a great shock for me and everyone ,the way Pakistan team lost to Irish .It was our last hope.
I dont have anything to say to Pakistan cricket team or officials , because this team itself has become victim to politics since oval test .
A big disappointment , i waited for this worldcup four year , and didnt expect such a thing from Pakistan .Well , still Worldcup is over for Pakistan , Now i can get back to my studies !!!

Thank you for a beautifully written piece of anger and mourning. It is not just a sad day for Pakistan, it is a humiliating one. I have taken off my Pakistan jersey today, and I believe, retired it for the time being.

I have no words to describe my feelings at this early exit of pakistan. I am devastated, destroyed and most of all ashamed. I live in toronto and the people all aoround us will not make us forget this loss. I wonder how painful these fours year will be leave aside these six weeks of world cup where u will see every team playing except yours and you have no one to look for.Pain Pain and more Pain Shame Shame and more Shame.

the only person to be blamed for this situation is Inzamam, he is not performing for last 1 year and is still in the team while other players who do not perform in one match are out of the team. He is playing on the bases of his records rather than performance even then he says that it has become normal to hear such rude comments. Inzamam must retire or sent out of team so that team can improve and can shave.

The only solution to prevent such shameful occurrences again is for the PCB to issue a statement saying that the Pakistani Cricket team has been disbanded due to the lack of funds. Call me crazy, but at least we wont ever lose to a team like Ireland. It's better not to have a team at all than to lose to the minnows and blacken the face of the once mighty Pakistani Cricket team!!! Thank you Bob Woolmer and Inzi...I'll be telling my grandchildren exactly why we don't even have a cricket team 40 years from now!!

Ireland played with a passion Pakistan can't even dream of. Every single was vital yet I struggle to recall any Pakistan player diving in the field. Inzi captained as if it was a test match....keeping the same field and remaining impassive throughout.

Defending such a low total cried out for aggression in the field from Pakistan. They should have been hurling the ball into the keeper right under the batsmen's nose, chirping at them and screaming encouragement. What did we get? Akmal collecting the ball on the half-volley thirty yards from the crease, Inzi stroking his beard in the slips and the occaisional 'well bowled Gully' from the covers.

Long gone are the days when we had the ability to defend almost any score. The two W's are gone and Inzi's links with the past have meant they have been pretty much ignored. I can't believe the lack of passion amongst the current rabble compared to what those two had.

At least now, Inzi will go and a new coach will come in. It needs a tough man who won't tolerate the lazy attitude that many of the players clearly have. Players like Yousaf are a luxury....if he doesn't score runs, what use is he? He can't field and that in itself should embarrass him. What is worse for me is that he doesn't seem to be making any attempt to improve! The players don't look as if they are busting their b*lls to win and that must be a minimum requirement.

I could go on for hours....congratulations to Ireland as they were fantastic and Pakistan should be ashamed of themselves. Sadly, I don't think they will be.

the worst day in my life of pakistan cricket. however it was expected as the team have been performing very poorly over past few months. spineless, poorly led,lethargic and unimaginative., very very sad day for pakistan cricket. goodbye inzamam, woolmer . i agree shoab malik should be made captain and pick young FIT,AND ABLE MINDED AS WELL AS PHYSICALLY fit cricketers. we need to build future and hopefully MOhammed ASIF can come back and lead attack in future..

Yeah this loss for Pakistan was truly a sad one. Players like Inzamam should feel "stupid" because of how they had been outplayed by a nation who is not even known for their cricket, with all due respect to Ireland, who played an excellent match. In this Pakistan side, we need to get our players more fit. In other sports around the world, such as basketball and baseball, players are well fit. The Pakistan cricket team is a professional team and we need to show this professionalism. So far, there has been no professionalism shown by these Pakistani players. We need to get younger players on the team. Look at Bangladesh, they are such a young team, but they have the poise to win. Few years ago the team was not that good, but the younger players have developed and look at the results, beating New Zealand in the warm up match, and now India. This is what the Pakistan cricket team needs to do, get younger players on the side and let them develop. We shouldn't change the roster every series, such as how sometimes Salmaan Butt opens an ODI and some series he doesn't, this will just disrupt the confidence of many players if this happens to them on a regular basis. As a Pakistani, I am not proud with our cricket team.

A shocking truth that seemed to have dawned with this defeat is that on a green pitch, if our under 19 team bowls to the current National Team, it may get them out in a similar fashion as Ireland. I also disagree with your pick for future captains. Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan showed a total lack of thought, courage and even teqnique (and I prefer not to comment about Afridi). How can such people lead a team? It is sad but true that the only elements of success that have been a part of Pakistan cricket are Imran Khan and the players that took from him as his apprentices. At the moment, the only World Class players in our team are Shoaib Akhter, Mohammed Asif and Mohammad Yusuf. I would have included Inzamam but as e is is also captain, that aspect excludes him. Sami though has the potential to become a great player. Fortunately, with this perfromance, players like Yasir Hameed and Asim Kamal may get a chance now and I hope that they are trained well. If not, then there is nothing to hope for. And it is possible that no significant change is made. I say this becasue after the last World Cup, Wasim Bari was removed but guess what he was put back again later. I fial to comprehend why a sincere managemen would commit such acts.

Where to I start !!! Where do I end !!!

This was probably the worst and the lowest point pakistani team and the hardcore pakistani fans have seen for a while. I don't blame the players or captain but I blame the administration that has no knowledge and plan in tackling cricket in Pakistan. The team is compromised of players from cities like LAHORE and KARACHI while talent has no home and should not be circumscribed. Look further in small towns and villages as real HEREOS and Talent is hinden in the clay villages and remote mountains and terrain. Don't blame INZI as he should never been a captain. You need Imran Khan type of a leader. When a leader dies so does the army. You need an Alexander, a Mohammed Bin Qasim type of leaders. So start searching abundant playgrouds in pakistan rather that the backyards of landlords and former lousy players. Cricket is not inheritance and should not be treated as such. Playing for Pakistan should be a privilege and not taken as a gift. Bring democracy in this country, if not in the political system, then at least in the cricketing infrastructure. I hope this disastrous world cup will bring a new era, an era filled with heroes like Wasim, Waqar and Imran. The ramifications and cosequences of giving cricketing responsibilities to doctor's adn general is proven. We need a specialist who is not biased and is a true pakistani to search the abundance of talent in pakistan.

THANKS FOR READING AOA !!!

Pakistan lost because they were too much depending on God. Inzi stopblaming the fate and look at your team preparations. God only helps if you have spirit and telent. This pakistani team is a bunch of Molanas who think just because they are five time prayers they can win anything. If you are praying good for you and I m sure you will go to heavan. Compare this team with the previous ones ... Imran , wasim , waqar , Miadad they were all aggressive cricketers ... to win a game you have to be aggressive not tabligi !!!

I am very glad Pakistan lost to Ireland. This was going to happen. we could all see it coming. Without the hunger to win it is never possible to put up a show. Inzy bhai with 17yrs+ career can never be hungery. Jail bob before sacking him. He is reponsible for taking the spine out of our team. Jail Doc too. If he was good enough, he would have sticked with his profession. Ask Imran Khan to help. He known exactly how to set them RIGHT.

Yup, u r rite mate :( This pakistan team has cut a very sorry figure and hurt all of us to no ends...I am sooo very hurt that nobody except me can feel the extent and the humiliation within...
Sorry guyz, v definitely need a change plzzz. We need to implement couple of things in a hurry like:
1. Show the door to Bob n Inzi (Offcourse)
2. Bring back Waqar as bowling coach(Offcourse)

Now, last but not least, we paki cricketers were distinguished and recognised as "FIGHTERS" IF NOT "TIGERS", were feared in cricketing cirlces around the world by our mercurial talent and LIONHEARTED approach to the game....."PLZ BRING THAT LIONHEARTED (KILLER) APPROACH BACK TO YOUR GAME AND M SURE THATS THE ONLY MEDICINE FOR US AT THIS POINT OF TIME HENCE BRING IT BACK"

you will see how this team will beat ZM without any pressure. if they beat ZM easily then i am will be right to say from many months this team is very very under pressure by two person stupid coach woolmer and worst captain inzi. winning next match from ZM will prove it coz players will play without any pressure. but i pray to god pakistan lost that match badly and ZM go to next round instead of ireland.

Well written. Spoken from the heart and soul of a true Pakistan fan. I will go over the top and say that a lot of this is due to our culture and also our religion (I am sorry if I offend someone, I am one of you). There is only one thing I don't agree with you on, that Afridi can captain Pakistan. Think about what you said.

An admirable article Kamran, this Pakistani team has disgraced its fans on every level - from the chief selector to the coach to the so called "big three", they should hang there heads in shame.

A hallmark of great players is to be great on great occasions, not to buckle under the pressure like little dogs.

Deline of Pakistan cricket team started when they appointed Inzamam ul Haq as a captain. I won't blame players,they have talent and they are capable to upset anyother team. The problem is with Captain, coach, selection committe and Board adminstration. Board administration and selection comittee don't want a strong captain and coach. They like dummies. Due do these dummies we have seen day like March 17 2007.

Chairman of board was saying in an interview they action will be taken against players. Who will take action against him and selection comittee? He is such an arrogant person with no knowledge of cricket management.

Following actions are required immediately

(1) Fire Inzamam
(2) Fire Bob Woolmer
(3) Make changes in selection committee
(4) Appoint a non-political chairman of cricket board

Introduce many young players from under 17 and 19. First two years will be hard but then team will settle down for next world cup.

I agree Afridi should be made the captain for ODI team and Razzaq vice captian.

first ICC made plan and they got success in their plan to give pak very very grassy wicket. now i think pakistan should make plan and should lost heavly from ZM and they didn't show they lost theirself. its just another bad day in their cricket. in this way icc can't say anything about their lost and ZM will go to next round. this is only answer of icc's racist against pakistan.

Dear Kamran:

The Blackest day of Pakistan's cricket history is over. I really wonder at courage that you still like to talk about cricket. After yesterdays horrible defeat of Pakistan in the hands of Irish, decided to never talk or follow cricket. But when i read your reactions I could not resist to say nothing.
For a long time that I have been of the opinion that Pakstan's captain is under the most incapable captain. The captain who lacks, aggression, intelligence, motivation, inspiration, presence of mind and so on. It was a great unfortunate for Pak to have inzi the captain. In fact, the captains appointment in this world cup and in the last one were wrong. In the last WC, the selection of Waqar as a captain was wrong because of players rivalries against each other. There were a lot sr. players would not get along with waqar, that costed dealry the last WC. This time it was inzi as captain, who has no brain or sense of leadership.
Now I would suggest, that Inzi, Nasim and Bob should have been sacked. I nzi could stay in the team as player not as a captain provided he plays for Pakistan with no conspiracy. Shoiab sould be sacked as he is the most irresponsible person.
I would vote Shoaib for Shoaib Malik as our new captain and Abdul Razzaq be his vice. As Younis Khan has only aggression with brain.
All players should go to some sort of academy where they can be gormmed professionaly to make better startegy, decision making, analytical approach, handle pressure and problem soltuions.
Regarding coach, we should reinstate Waqar as a bowling coach or Wasim akram if possible. No one else could be a great bowling coach than these. Mushi should be kicked out, such a rubbish decision to have him to coach fast bowlers.
For batting coach, we can have great pakistani batsman like Saeed Anwar, Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas. These batting coaches should also be trained to use modern technologies for coaching techniques.
No more today. I guess I wrote too much for my indeigetion of yesterdays results.

No more for today.

maybe the players where thinking more about the pakistan tourist season!!!!! and trying to figure out how to say LBW in Urdu.

I cannot believe this team lost, but honestly the fault lies clearly with the team management, how they can let someone like shoaib malik come so late down the order is baffling....these guys lost not because they dont have talent they lost because they dont have brains!!

BEST THING FOR INZY IS "NOT" TO RETIRE BUT SIT IN A MASJID AND PRAY FOR THE TEAM AS 17TH PLAYER.

I HPOE EVERYBODY SAY BOB WOOLMER YANING DURING THE MATCH.

WHAT A SHAME

cornerd tigers? more like meek little kittens....this is the worst pakistani team i have ever seen, no balls at all...this is pathetic, disgraceful, shameful, embarrassing pakistani team ever...this team is only good for chucking, cheating, drugs, ball tampering, pitch dancing, moaning etc. its time for inzi to move on...i have been saying for a year now that inzi's time is up and he needs to take his freind mushy with him, useless people, useless team.

I feel so much embarssment, that I cant Comment anything. I hope you get the message. I think its high time that you 3 should leave this team for good. We fans cant take anymore embarssments.

Kamran. Thank you putting it succinctly some of what we feel. I am too shocked and disappointed to be negative in this post. Though I will end with, "WE SHALL BE BACK!".

Salamz!
I hope the torture ends here and now. And the people who caused it, themselves resign and just go away. But I dont expect such wisdom from niether PCB officials nor the senior Pak Cricket team players. But most probably, we all will soon see them playing a blame game. Someone need to tell them, "Dude, its time to go! Its not your thing anymore ... "

We need a complete revampt from the top to the bottom. Get Bob out!! Inzy should retire. Nazir and Hafeez out aswell they've had there chances and haven't done anything. Younis Khan scored 9 runs in champions trophy, about 3 so far in the world cup, he can't handle pressure get him out for a few months. And theres loads more things I could say but don't want to waste my time on them idiots.

Shame ….
But remember every disgrace brings an opportunity. Its time to get rid of garbage that is in PCB, & btw start of with Doc himself!

I hope this will bring freshness and new approach in the team and new cricketing setup in the country which former greats like Imran Khan are asking for.

People should not only blame players … team management needs to get punish.
--They made our players miss practice session to attend basant show organized by Doc just before the WC.
--they embarrassed our players by asking them to speak Urdu so that PJ Mir has something to do in WI
--Mr Doc was in WI, in dressing room just to make things even worse
-- AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, two of the 15 players where not even included in the fist 30 squad.
What worse can the players ask for team management …
I just hope Pakistan make the most out of this opportunity to make cricket setup better in the country.
==> greatness is not in never falling but rising everything one falls.

Mayhem. Disaster. Death.

Did we see it coming? I was one of the romantics who was in full agreement with Mr Abbasi that Pakistan had the potential to take on Australia.
God knows that I stand by my assertion. Where I was wrong, however, was that I trusted our captain to lead from the front. Why this debacle occurred is due to plentiful reasons; we can state them for donkey’s years. Just by looking at what Inzi said in the match ceremony clearly evidenced that he got it all wrong; it is because of Allah’s will that Pakistan lost and fate was not on their side! The only reason Allah chose that outcome was because of Inzi’s poor decisions, if you ask me.
The dictionary of the wise and enlightened Pakistani defines the paindu in many shades. One of the facets of painduism is that paindus are overly conservative, non conformist and fail to adapt to changing times and circumstances. The consequences of painduism are disastrous for communal prosperity and efficient and competent running of any system/administration. That is what we have seen from Inzi, much like how we see that from most persons with authority in Pakistan. Pakistan and Pakistani cricket will not succeed unless paindus are removed from authoritative posts.
Some encouragement has to be taken from the way Gul, Rao and Sami bowled. Sami for me was a reborn bowler. He performed when he was given the requisite importance and confidence to perform. I do believe with that mindset he can take on the world’s best batsmen. Somehow I felt that the partnership of Gul, Sami and Rao might be more fruitful in the long run than one of Akhtar, Asif and Rana.
People will blame the openers and I suppose I can’t blame those critics. I know I am in the minority when I state that the concept of opening in Pakistani cricket is flawed and that the notion should be obliterated altogether. Forget “branding”. International cricket is a different environment to domestic cricket and successful “brands” in domestic cricket may not necessarily work in international cricket. Open with those batsmen who are capable of absorbing pressure and staying at the crease, not with those who are only there because they can give you “flying starts.” Use those batsmen who can absorb pressure and keep the strike rotating. Get Asim Kamal and Fawad Alam in.
Your coach must be one who can communicate with you effectively. The only thing similar about Inzi and Woolmer is the size of their bellies. Miandad has proved to be a better coach than Woolmer. That is not to say that Woolmer could have done any better. With a paindu captain and paindu players you can’t expect anymore. Someone with maturity, insight and reasonableness cannot thrive in a paindu environment.
There are no excuses. Just plain pathetic captaincy. Right from to player selection, to fielding, to bowling selection. The list is endless really.
Yes you can blame the PCB and the system. But those are really the causes of long-term failure. Let us confine ourselves to the match vs Ireland. Why send Hafeez again at no.2? Why send Younis at no.3 when he has failed so often recently? Why not send Yousuf at no.3 when he averages 55 at that position? Heck, why not open with him even? What is wrong with sending your best batsman at the top? Why not play Kaneria instead of Azhar Mahmood against a side with a weakness against spin?

The solution is as follows. I know that because of the painduness of our country, we won’t see these solutions being implemented. But this is what Pakistan needs to do in order to train for WC 2011:
1) Younis should be made captain with Yousuf or Malik as vice captain. What a pity that Malik still hasn’t properly cemented his place in the Test side owing to erratic form and partly owing to the team management fiddling about with his batting position, but it seems that Pakistan will be desperate for change. Please note that I am no fan of Younis’s captaincy but the team needs a change of leadership. Younis should be told that if he does not make himself more aggressive and assertive over his players in order to get the best out of them, Yousuf will replace him.
2) Inzi should bat at no. 3 or no. 4. If he is physically incapable of doing so, he should be axed.
3) Razzaq and Akmal should be sacked. Any good keeper should be groomed at domestic level and Rashid Latif should coach potential keepers at domestic level. PCB will consider it a waste of money to employ Latif as a keeping coach just to coach a struggling keeper. But they can afford paying him to do some work domestically in grooming 2 or 3 potential keepers.
4) Yousuf and Younis should open and Asim Kamal and Fawad Alam should be brought into both the ODI and Test sides.
5) Selection Committee should be sacked. I am really sorry if I sound biased but provincial quotas for national-level player selection should now be implemented for the success of the team. At least two players each from Sindh and NWFP should always feature in a Pakistani line-up. Meaning- get out Razzaq/Hafeez/Nazir/Farhat/Butt, and get in Kamal, Hameed, Anwar Ali, Alam etc.
6) I can only pray that the system gets free of corruption but I know there is no chance of that occurring. Players with potential like Misbah-ul-Haq and Asim Kamal who apparently don’t have sources will benefit from that move.
7) Openers should be specialist batsmen who can absorb pressure, not batsmen who open the batting and give flying starts to the team (and “fly away” the team’s chances of victory!).
8) If Farhat, Butt, Nazir and Hafeez HAVE TO BE played because of the paindu connection, then they should bat after Yousuf, Younis and Inzi, even if that means say, Farhat batting at no.7.
9) The idea of “keep playing inconsistent players because only then they will learn how to perform at international level” is flawed and should be permanently discarded. If someone who has demonstrated consistency and temperament fails for a few innings (eg Asim Kamal) then he should be given chances. But someone who has consistently been inconsistent (Farhat, Razzaq, Nazir) should be immediately axed.
10) Mature players must be included into the squad. We are looking generally for 25+ players. In the case of rare prodigies like Fawad Alam, that point can be excused.

If these 10 points are implemented, I guarantee you that Pakistan will be victorious in the 2011 World Cup. The realistic side of me tells me that they will never be implemented. I defined “paindu” above. The paindu does not learn from his mistakes and is non conformist. Expect a similar shambles in 2011. As Inzi would say, “Success is not in your kismet; it is not God’s will.”

I think this moulvi-ism has played its part too just like in any other profession. Inzi has'nt moved around actively till only 20 runs were needed and this as a common observor is unfathomable to me. He has such a laid back personality that it is contagious due to the lack of education and lack of respect for the game among the rest of team members. Inzi should be fired asap and not younis but either malik or afridi should be make captain. And waqar younis should be reinstated as a bowling coach as we are tired of seeing these losers and need some old champion's sight in the dressing room. This might motivate the team too. And this Doc should be fired for good from this post atleast. He has made pakistan a laughing stock. Bob woolmer tried his best but i guess he too is stunned by this lowness of our team. Every player tried to follow the ball rather than playing inside the line of the bowl and no one seems to have the head to access the situation and play accordingly. akmal should also be replaced as he is a player of muhallas.

I Think the Author suggested the best out of him. But in my opinion, they should be sentenced to death as they already sentenced us last night.

It is time for the knives to come out. Inzi the great cricketer found out on the judgement day that he was just an ordinary leader, with a below par batting in the last whole year, who rode the wave of religion in the game of cricket. So, Inzi, the question today to you and to your cronies is---you brought God to the game of cricket "So who's God is stronger today. The irish God---"!!!
I don't blame Bob Woolmer one bit. He will remain a great coach. It is a shame that the pakistani team captain and its players didnot have the ability to retain the quality training after they walked of the training ground to the playing field.
In today's game, it is also a fact that the team captain is a very strong and inspiring leader during all stages of the tour. The coach can only bring out whatever is the best inside of the player. If it is only a defeatist attitude, then shame to the player because the coach can only do so much.
It is a black day in the history of pakistani cricket. The shame will stay for a long long time.

the thing is we are senseless nation nothing will happen and we will see same faces .One thing Kamran you did not mention MR Bari what to do with his personal grudges against certain players like Moin khan and yasir hameed .He destroyed their careers to promote Kamran Akmal for prepration of world cup while the whole world was asking to change the keeper.Before anyone Bari must go

What a disgusting and unforgiveable performance by Pakistan! from the very beginning i knew that this would happen especially when Rana Naveed and Kamran Akmal were chosen for the team despite their amateurish skills becoming self evident in the series against South Africa! In my opinion Inzamam should be sacked along with the above two cretins and Afridi should be given the captaincy! bring back some old soldiers like Moin Khan and employ a strict fitness and diet regime ASAP! If i were a selector i would sack Inzamam, Akmal and Rana immediately as an example to show the rest of the players that lacklustre performances will never ever be tolerated again! Shame on you Inzamam you were a great player but now you are an old overweight person who can only play pitter patter shots, a mockery of a once great cricketing nation!

HI Kamran Bhai,
I am devastated by the dead act by pakistani crickters, what the hell they wre upto !!! they went there to play cricket but I just noticed they they were more keen to enjoy a sunny beach day.
They all acted as dead ducks. All seniors should be exiled, we dont need these players.
I want to ask Inzi, Bob , Nasim Ashraf is there any system on which pakistan cricket is bases?? I think it doesnt have any roots to stand on.
Azhar Mahmood comes after 4 years and he is in the team , why not before that ??? Why do u always considers him at the 12th hour !!!!
Why was Rana given chance in the first match , was that due to his growing resemblence with the catain !!!! For God sake give the deserving the chance not ur freinds. This is not the freinds game, You are representing ur whole country, do u not fear any shame if u let us down ??
Why was Waqar thrown out , only because of Mr Ashraf !!!! Who the hell is he to make all decisions by his own , its like communism going on in our cricket system, and we want democracy , ''INQILAAB''.
Its been four years , and we are not able find any new openers !!! rotating all those what we had before, Hafeez, Salman , Hameed,Farhat, did we find any new faces ?? Why not , dont we have any system , where is the system, all youth in country are playing cricket , is there no one capable to come forward and bat , we had 16 million of population, and 10 million playing cricket !!!!
The reason is you dont let deserving players to come forward , its always based on references for the dead players !!!
Imran Nazir out for four years coming back at the penultimate time !! Is this what you call starategy?????

Find some bloody new players !! Why didnt u , you had bloody four years to operate !!!

I think Shoaib Malik should be made the captain like Greame Smith was made the South African captain, and like him Shoaib should open the batting and lead the team from front , all baba's in cricket should be sacked, we want Bob , Inzi , Rana, Azhar, Hafeez, Kaneria, Rao Iftikhaar, and Kamran Akmal out of the team, we want new quality players,
Please Please Please dont let us downm , dont make us cry , abahsed, ashamed.

I am filled with disgust and feels as if someone has punched me in the stomach pit.I never knew such a day would come in Pakistan cricket.My hopes are shattered as cricket is more than a game for us.This whole team should be replaced by the under 19 and built from scrap.I have nothing else to say.

We are in state of shock, can't write any thing.

I mean no disrespect but I think the biggest problem with Pakistani cricket is the Pakistani's themselves. Why must every-one be so fanatical? Yes, by all means be upset by your teams performance, but to call for them to die or be arrested, Is your whole country INSANE? WOW man, it is a flippin game, there are a hell of a lot more important things in this world than cricket. You lot seem to have no self control and get caught up in MOB mentallity every day. If anything angers you, or any-one disagrees with you you want to kill them.

How can you expect anything good when you have no balance? You blow from hot to cold and are double minded in all your ways. I hope Pakistan are actually banned until the people of Pakistan learn how to handle adversity without resorting to death threats.

It is an absolute disgrace, no wonder so many people are biased against you. Learn how to be gracious in defeat.

The less that is said, the better it is....you bunch of idiots couldn't bring more shame and ignominy to this great nation...you guys should stay on in the West Indies and each one of you should join the remaining teams and serve them as water boys....we dont want you back home.

Inzy...you are the one who brought great fame to our country in 1992....but I fail to gather your inability to think beyond the obvious...the world had asked you to bat up the order but you didnt have the brain to think. What was the point in playing Rana Naveed against West Indies when you knew he had been thrashed even by Canada in the warm up games. Moreover, you failed to inspire anyone by your lack luster performance and drooping shoulders.

As for Bob...its about time you leave now. You've miserably failed. we've tried 7 batsmed in opening positions and still you haven't been able to carve out any openers.

PLease dont torture this nation anymore by bringing any more disgrace to Paksitan.

Well! It is indeed the time when some serious discussion is required. What happened in Sabina Park, brought great shock and melancholy in the hearts of poor masses, the ardent fans of the great game of cricket in Pakistan We are just feeling that somebody from our blood relation have been brutally assassinated. The pain of this assassination will last for a long time. The sad demise of Pakistan cricket in Sabina Park, might bring some changes cricket administration in near future. But I am not much hoping so. It is just a mere reflection of our national character of past few years in particular and on the whole in general. The national character, I mean, the values of our high ups that are greater than the institutions. Due apology to the few honest, who are a rear breed in the present set up. The poor masses, that consist of more than 80 percent of our nation, have one specific character, the love of country and to see her on sublime heights. For the remaining, the cause of the country is only important until it suits their needs. A great number of our high ups belong to the same breed. The cricket board is running on ad hoc basis for quite long time. The Chairman, the Chief selector and his subordinates, the coach and the captain has their specific agendas. They don’t bother what the other sane community is saying. The tissues of their necks are so stiff that they are unable to see around. The coach and the captain are the epitome of this breed.

As far our foreign coach is concerned, he acted like a vampire who has not only eaten up a bulk of our tax payers money but the very soul of the ardent lover of Pakistan cricket. Some people say that he is the most accomplished cricket coach but the final result shows that he is great destroyer of the very spirit of the cricket teams. I personally, feel that he has an agenda of spoiling the spirit of Pakistan cricket tigers and to wax the non entities. The defeat against Ireland is a clear example of this notion. Mr. Coach, your resignation has not yet arrived, perhaps you are still waiting to finish your contract … Shame on you.

As far captain is concerned, his neck muscles are stiffer than the rock. He is a sublime stupid. A sublime batsman of the past but a most stupid captain of the present era. At the twilight of his career he has wasted all the honour whatever, he earned during his life time. Mr. Captain, Better, you leave now, before you are kicked out of the team by someone else.

As far Chairman and selectors are concerned, they are by products of our national character of high ups which I narrated above. They have dead and shameless conscience, they will not leave until a revolution takes place.

What will be the future of Pakistan cricket, the dark clouds are prevailing everywhere. However, the concept of life time authority might not work anymore. If, it happens like this, we might see a ray of hope oozing out from a distant corner.

Well it was a bad day for Indian and Pakistani fans. We got humbled by Bangladesh (although Bangladesh is a much stronger team and they have beaten us once) and you guys were humbled by Ireland. Let me tell you this...do not feel disappointed, your team is extremely talented. The Asian giants will definitely bounce back!

I am shocked, at this early exit by our boys in green. I fully expected them to thrash the Irish.
My main is concern is that the team was put under pressure and they capitulated like a bunch scared school boys engulfed with child like errors. This defeat is so hard to take, I would not have minded if they put some sort of fight but that did not even materialise. The Pakistanis have made the same mistakes as the last world cup. Clearly shows that all the planning that has gone on, they have not learnt a single iota.

The PCB and the Pakistani cricket team are run like a bunch of amateurs. I stress that we as fans should not blame Bob Woolmer. He has tried his best with these players, but they simply do not want to listen. Inzi and the PCB run this cricket team, and this is personified by having Mushtaq Ahmed as fast bowling coach. I nothing against Mustaq but come on he is a spinner for god’s sake. Where is the logic in that? Please some one tell me. True the conditions were tough for the side batting first which evened up the contest, but this is against the Ireland, who really have no one who is world class in their team. My uncle Javed who has a grocery store and is 61 could get into that team. However may be I am being to harsh and I should give credit where credit is due they played well, and fielded superbly. We were simply very poor and this has to stop. Pakistani cricket is in a state of shambles and the main blame has to go to the PCB and the chairman of selectors Wasim Bari. He has been sacked and reinstated more times I have had roti in my entire life, he is a joke. What the hell where the Pakistani talking about speaking Urdu in their press conference’s when a team should have been talking about their match plans, batting in pairs, bowling a good line and WINNING etc!
The ‘Ho Ha ‘surrounding the team has not helped, with Akthar, Asif, Razzaq and Afridi all out but a team has to show some courage when the chips are down.
The players have let the nation down and their fans worldwide. All we needed was roughly 160 to 170 and that would have been enough. Ireland bowled well and the pitch was doing a lot but the Pakistani should have the technique to deal with this! I feel betrayed by the lack of fight, courage, hunger and the mental willingness to win shown by the Pakistani players. Pakistani cricket has to sort it self out. Enough is enough, the PCB has to put it foot down, and sort this one out. There so many problems:

• Get rid of politics within the PCB/Pakistani cricket and run it like a board is meant to be run!
• PICK THE BEST PLAYERS: why wasn't Hameed playing? Why was he not even in the squad. He has much better technique than the current crop of openers.
• Get rid of Wasim Bari. What I don't understand about this guy, is that, he has been sacked and reinstated more times than I can count. I am sure he got sacked in 2003 after another poor showing by the boys in green.
• Fitness. All I have to say is that look at INZI & Mahmood.
• PLAN. For god sake every match has to have a plan of some sort. Against the WI and Irish, we looked liked we had no idea how we were going to set a target or chase down a score. For example, If the PAKS were 5 down on 50 runs, what would we need to do!
• Work on Weak areas. The hook Shot! How Akaml & Mahmod got out. These two had to push the score on but they did not realise the importance of the game. Truly shocking and dreadful shots.
• First class cricket.! PCB has to make this one of urgent priorities.....It is simply a joke
• Pitches in Pakistani. Please have some variety so we know how to deal with seaming and bouncing wicket’s

(This list is getting really Long)

• Have a captain, who is captaincy material. Being a good player is not the only ingredient for a captain. Inzi take note.
• Why is a spinner a fast bowling coach? Is he teaching our fast bowlers how to throw googlies?
• Make me the CHAIRMAN OF THE PCB, and I GURANTEE I WILL SORT OUT THE SAMBOLIC AND PATHETIC NATURE OF PAKISTNAI CRICKET!

This list can get very long, but I do not want to waste any more my time. The Pakistani I feel will never truly fulfil their potential if some of the points are not taken seriously. We know that they are I feel the most talented team in world but with no hard work, dedication, commitment, hunger, TECHNIQUE, Mental toughness, talent will get you no where!

Kamran, is shame the word?does these pakistani cricketers have any shame left in them, most of the players are religiously inspired tableeghis led by inzi, they believe that just by praying they can win, i find it strange that in the post match interviews, even after loosing a match inzi says," first of all thanks to Allah" that we lost the game.by doing this he tries to say that it was destiny.I do not want to see faces of these cricketers at least for a long time.they should leave cricket and go for tableegh somewhere, may be they are better off there.
we knew they can not make to semis of the world cup but exiting just after two games..........,lossing to ireland....i m emotional at the moment, can not express my feelings,they have let the whole nation down.
u may remember well that once a spectator called inzi "aallu"........,and there was a big fuss, the spectator was right.

to b honest I do not see a future of pakistani cricket, there is no one who can lead, i m not convinced that either younis or Afridi can be appointed as new captains, there individual performances and cricketing sense is not good enough.these two first need to proof that they should be in the team on the first hand.

For Gods sake!!!! where is Imran Khan

well Kamran, Now we see what the "Laptop" coach brought to the team. Well like the timne when we lost to Bangladesh in world cup, many accused Pakisatn team of doing that on purpose. I had a thought, given the trouble Govt is facing at the hand of SC judge Iftikhar Chaudry, Is this a way to divert people attention away? It is simply unbelivable that they can perfon that bad...

Thanks to God this time around I am quite happy at what happened, did happen. I started watching cricket from the 1992 world cup. So I had a very good start with the sport they used to call cricket. But what our current cricket team plays, I just fail to recognize that sport. It reminds me of a boxing bout where one of the boxers is just there to take the punches. Rather, I have no words to describe the way our so called cricket team plays the sport.

There was a time when we changed captains with every third match, but continuing with such a joke of a cricketer is merely mocking at the whole of the nation. The have truly done away with the hearts of 160 million Pakistanis.
Enough for the emotinal bantar, but I predicted this to happen and I am quite happy that it did. The way Pakistani cricket has been run since the 1992 world cup is on totally unprofessional grounds. But I still dont see any improvements coming, as our dear doc is saying that we should not be hasty and should look for continuity. Give me a break man........
If somebody asks me to pinpoint one thing which went wrong I would say "attitude". For me more than 50% of the game is played in the minds of the individuals. If you dont believe you can beat Australia, I guarantee you that you can never beat them. If you are going to the world cup, one should believe that they can beat the best, but this team was not sure of beating even the Irish.....