Which brings us back to the debate of the moment. You might make the case that an experienced captain with an experienced team could do without a coach, or tolerate one in the supportive role that Intikhab and Mushtaq played.

But this Pakistan team is full of players with plenty of learning to do. Pakistan's domestic cricket delivers raw talent not the finely-honed final product. Indeed many of the players' techniques require work and it isn't clear that they have the capacity to be self-motivated learners or even appreciate good advice when it looks them in the mouth. Woolmer became increasingly frustrated with the inability of this crop of players to improve through experience and advice.

So not only do Pakistan require a coach--or a team of coaches--but the players need to open up their minds and be willing to learn from others. With fewer big name stars to interfere and block the role of the coach, a situation that both Miandad and Woolmer encountered to some degree, Pakistan have an ideal opportunity to appoint somebody who can nurture the talent available and work in partnership with the captain.

In many ways, with few megastars to rub up the wrong way, the time for Woolmer or Miandad in their differing styles was now. Dav Whatmore, a proven team-builder with vast international coaching experience, could have been a sensible choice if a foreign coach was required. But the early chatter about Aaqib Javed has given way to whispers about Tim Boon, a good English coach with unproven international credentials.

The easy decision is that Pakistan require a coach. The harder one is working out who that should be in a country that has a poor tradition of working constructively with coaches. More importantly still, Ramiz Raja and Shahid Afridi will be proven right if the players are unable or unwilling to learn - and that is the biggest challenge Shoaib Malik and his new coach will now face.

I am not sure if anyone would like to coach the Pakistani cricket team. Its a job you can´t get out of alive.

Mr Abbasi,

I agree with you; the team needs a coach. It is a headache as to who that coach should be. My greatest concern is that the coach will be able to familiarise the youngsters as to foreign playing conditions and train them in that regard. The importance of this cannot be undermined, considering the fact that our openers struggle anywhere outside the Subcontinent and that our best batsmen, Yousuf, Inzi and Younis do not have amazing records outside of the Subcontinent too. Something which worries me even more is that Woolmer was one of the best coaches of his era but even he could not capitalise on that weakness of the Pakistanis. It is ridiculous because we see many players around the globe who have a set weakness but they work on it constructively with their coaches and overcome those errors. Why can the Pakistanis not learn?

Ashaq Bhai,

Thank you for your message. I emulate Javed Bhai’s style because he is very original in his approach and he has a sound sense of humour. I do it in a light-hearted way. Perhaps you have overlooked it but Javed Bhai and I disagree over some issues too and when I am being myself I don’t think I sound like Javed Bhai. He is a decent person at heart despite his occasional condescending attitude. Since he is my elder and a very educated person, I don’t mind his occasional mocking comments.

Rauf,

3 out of my best 5 friends in my unhappy 20 year old life have been Punjabis (the other two were Memon and Baluchi). But they never spoke Punjabi so being brought up in Karachi as well as not having any Punjabi-speaking Punjabi friends, my Punjabi is very poor. I really didn’t understand that phrase of yours so I just came out with that Nach Punjaban joke.

Awas,

I don’t want my age to be promulgated any further but I don’t lie about it. I only have a go at posters’ language or spelling errors when they post their comments in a cocky and sarcastic style, or when they have the guts to challenge Javed Bhai or me. There are some people on this blog who make me burst out in laughter when they write, “Yes Kamran I *AM AGREE* with you” but I don’t mock them because they don’t challenge Javed Bhai or myself. Like that silly “Jamjar” was being sarcastic and saying Mr Abbasi would be jealous of me; this is not to butter Mr Abbasi but he obviously has some status as a cricket writer and you can see from the way he writes that he isn’t your run-of-the-mill blog owner.

Salaam O Alaikum!
yup, that is so true that Pakistan do need a coach. Shahid Afrid does not need a coach because what he does, Even Miandad could not teach him not to do. Afridi could so much better if he had learnt anything from Miandad. But now that ship has sailed. Ramiz Raja, his time has gone, if he says "no coach", give him a benefit of doubt and ignore. OK now. Pakistan Team. My advice to Malik, boast the confidence boy. You are the CAPTAIN of TEAM. Don't be a joker no more, get serious buddy. It is an International team. You are such a good player, inspire other too. Team does need a coach. 4 years are still ahead. Imran Nazir, Salman Butt, Imran Frahat and ither new kids need to learn a lot. If they listen to Afridi then "GOD IS WITH US". I won't mind Aqib Javed, heck I won't mind Miandad back. Whoever the coach is, he should teach kids to fight, make their technique flawless. So Tim Boon is fit for the job, call him. But, Malik should watch some old matches of Imran and Wasim to learn captaincy skills or even talk to them. I am a hardcore Pakistan team fan so make me proud and make the Whole nation proud. Fight like champions. Don't ever lose like a wuss.

i think aqib javed will be the best coach for pakistan.we dont need forein coach,because they love only money,they cant understand our mental level.but a pakistani coach can understand our players.and plezse dont change opening pair.because after a long time we got partnership more then 50 runs and i was so sad to see this change in third match against sri lanka.so please shoaib malik and all board member try to give them chance

Ramiz Raja and Afridi are making a mistake.Of all international teams we have urgent need of an experienced and flexible coach.Our players DO need someone to bring them down to earth and reality and to improvise their undoubted talents.Pakistan has always had talent and potential,we just don't have the disciplined domestic system required to build upon the raw material.We are also ages behind the rest of the world in promoting coaching and playing facilities for the average youth;our players should forget their egotism and accept the simple truth that 'practise make perfect'.

The biggest problem of pakis player is they have a echogistic problem that they are so experienced they dont require anybody's teaching technique like afridi commented recently, this afridi stupid he himself does not have consistency in his international carrier and advising not to hire a coach. In my view they need a coach but a national coach as mostly pakis are illiterate and never understand proper english "like essa likha moosa padha" so it would be better to be a urdu speaking coach rather than english.

without a doubt a coach or a guide is required.may be dean jones who has a tremendous knowledge about the game is a good option.pak players are naturally talented, so then the need is for somebody who can guide them on the technical side.

The game has become so professional that whether one likes it or not ,you need a coach.Infact the game is so compartmentalised that we now talk of seperate bowling coach, a fielding coach oher than the main coach.In the bowling you may need a spinner coach & a pace bowling coach as well.Iam surprised that rameez raja has advocated against the concept.It will be like a bus without a conductor or a classroom without a monitor.Gone are those days when players used to be self disciplined & went about playing the game with passion & purpose.Iam for a foreign coach for pakistan as they take it very easy with the local coach as has been evidenced when javed miandad was the coach even though he is equally capable like any other foreign coach.The use of hightech.gadgets like laptap has become inevitable & our local coaches are not adept in this area.As you have rightly pointed out,the players should be keen to learn & also respet the coach otherwise the whole process becomes reduntant.We can quote bangladesh where young players learnt a lot from whatmore & they reached super 8 stage where as both india & pakistan despite having best of coaches got eliminated in the firstround itself.YES PCB SHOULD APPOINT A FOREIGN COACH & EMPOWER HIM AS FOR AS ENFORCING DISCIPLINE IS CONCERNED SANS POLITICS.CAPTAIN SHOULD BE AT COACH'S PLACE DISCUSSING GAME & NOT THE COACH AT CAPTAIN'S HOME REQUESTING FOR A DAYS LEAVE.THEN THINGS WILL DEFINITELY GO WELL FOR PAK.CRICKET.

The article more or less stresses on the point whether the post of coach should exist in cricket or not. This applies to any team and not only Pakistan. As fas as Pakistan are concerned, it won't be a bad idea to try a series without a full fledged coach for the team. May be a manager cum coach could do.It may work in their favour as international players know very well that to perform on the field, you need only the captain who can take charge fully. Off the field, the strategies nowadays are prety open as all the players' strenghths and weaknesses are well known the world around. I think it is worth a try. If it does not click, you may any way go back to the policy of having full time coach. At least it will clarify at the end, whether a full time specialized coach makes a difference or not?

I personally think that the role of coach is over rated. A player can only improve if he chooses to do so.

This requires a great deal of dedication on the part of the athlete himself and strong desire and Will to be the best.Improvement requires hours of repetitive practice.Countless more hours of watching videos and analysing the technique of cricketers from the past,and then trying to emulate their technique in practice.Video taping your own practise sessions to see where your going wrong,and then trying to rectify your technical deficiencies in training.

Ultimately its about repetition,repetition,repetition.That is the only way an athlete can improve,its dull its boring its mundane.Only few have the patience to persevere.

As for the candidate for coach I would like to put forward the name of our resident intellectual and expert on everything Javed.A.Khan. I remember watching an old movie were the lead character Walter.A.Hopkins was standing for election.Some one asked him what his middle name was he said I dont have one.So what does the 'A' stand for "oh I just added that one to make myself look more 'sophisticated'.Only thing missing is the title of 'Sir' however I think that the title of 'Colonel' can be added for effect.Colonel Javed.A.Khan coach extraordinaire this way our team will achieve the 2 most essential ingredients for success,Proper grammar and spelling.Who cares about cricketing strategy,fitness, technique e.t.c. these things are all overrated.What we need is players with good command of English,and perfection in grammar.The Australians will not be able to compete with us.The 'Colonel' will also be able to indulge in his favourite hobby in the diamond market.The poor old chap may never enjoy the pleasures of a "Nihari" but atleast he can indulge in " Bazaari dhal Saag" to his hearts content:-)For those who doubt the Colonel sahibs qualifications for coach I suggest they read my post on the previous thread,were I have listed all the strong qualitys of Colonel Javed sahib:-)

You are absolutely right. The team definitely needs a coach. Cricket has become a very high fitness and skill level sport. The role of coaches has evolved over time and today is a specialised field. The cricket itinerary has become so busy now that players and captains dont have the time for small details. Players frequently develop chinks in their techniques which they dont get time to correct unless they get professional help from a coach. And it is a fact that our team does not lack in cricketing ability. It lacks in the more finer points of the game like fitness, agility, fielding and running between the wickets. As far as the selection of coach is concerned we need a professionally trained coach. I would prefer it to be a foreign coach as our local coaches who are ex-players get embroiled in team politics. Miandad should not even be considered. As a player and a coach he has always been involved in politics. Additionally he wants complete control of the team and undermines the role of the captain which creates conflicts. I am hoping we manage to rope in Whatmore.

On this one I agree with RAaja & Afridi no point spending foreign exchane on foreign coaches our country have enough talent to do the job. Inisted money should be spent on making sporting pitches and grounds more money can be saved by not sending the PCB yoyo chairman every time the team goes out to play matches abroad, that money should be utilized for some other useful puposes inside the country. for batting techniques eg: Miandad, Zaheer Abbas, Inzi etc. For allrounders Muddasar Nazar, Intikhab Alam or Majid Khan and for fast bowling Wasim akram, Waqar Younis and Aquib Javed though these are some stalwarts that can be used. My point we want to win without any foreign help that is pure victory it can be done if only our corrupt PCB wants to do it may Allah give them the wisdom. All the best for our team.

Kamran, I completely agree with you that a coach is required however; I disagree with you slightly on the role of a coach.

A coach must possess sound and basic cricket techniques to groom the players but more importantly, he should be able to make the team (superstar or not) play as a team according to a set game plan. Bob was perhaps the best person to see this to maturity if it was not for his untimely demise.

Basic skill set of the players should be mostly left to the batting/bowling/fielding coaches who can work with each player on an individual basis. These coaches should be experienced in their respective fields who have proven track records of playing domestic and international cricket on varying surfaces. We have plenty of talent in Pakistan from retired players who can fill this gap.

While these "assistant coaches" work on the individual techniques, a coach can concentrate on building a team, setting a game plan and achievable goals. A coach must not become the "rock star" of the team and neither should any of the individual players because of their talent. Cricket is a team sport and players must learn to play as a team. To make them play as a team according to a game plan is perhaps the most important job of a coach and captain to a lesser degree.

I give you example of Phil Jackson, who was Chicago Bulls basketball team coach in the 1990's. Prior to his arrival, Michael Jordan proved himself to be the best player on the planet however; Bulls did not win anything other then some of Jordan's heroics in some games. Phil braught with him a game plan but most importantly, he was able to convince the superstars to buy his game plan and play as a team. Same can be seen in the Aussies cricket team. Love them or hate them, they have their share of superstars but when the game is on, they are all part of it, superstar or not.

This is what's been lacking in Pakistan team. We have talent, no doubt, we have larger then life superstars, yes and when they all get togather to play as a team, which happens only when hell is close to freezing over, then we win.

Why Raja and Afridi are content with not having a coach? Only they can answer the logic behind it.

I dont think this pakistan team need a coach. Most of the Pakistan players are very natural players. So they play according to their birth telent.

Kamran Abbassi, finally its good to see a new thread on the subject which is hot - but not as hot as a dancing Pun....N. As usual your caption and the contents misleads the readers or creates a controversy. The caption says: this team needs a coach and somewhere in the thread you have said:an experienced captain with an experienced team could do without a coach. Well, the team is still full of experienced players unless you mean 30 plus is experienced and the rest are inexperienced. I would say Fawad Alam and Najaf Shah are inexperienced players but, the rest of them have enough experience. Age is not always the criteria in judging a person or his abilities and, experience is also nothing if the person does not have the ability or the desire to learn.

Whether we all agree or disagree on this issue, the PCB won't stop in hiring a foreign coach and I am one hundred percent sure they have already decided to hire a foreign coach and very soon we will know the name. I have always been against a foreign coach, if at all the Pakistan team needs a coach then, he must be from one of the ex-players. And, imo Javed Miandad has the experience and the ability to handle the team better than any other person available at the moment. W&W can remain as one of the bowling coaches not only with the team but, with the NCA. I also believe that Aaquib Javed will not be the right choice, because he does not have those qualities which Miandad has and also lacking the respect that a coach needs to command over his team. Besides, W&W may not like to work under Aaquib due to very obvious reasons, Waqar has clearly spelled it out in one of his interviews with Saleem Altaf. So, the team will not have the advantage if he is appointed as a full time coach.

Considering the pros and cons of this matter, I think Rameez Raja has very wisely aired his views and Shahid Afridi backed it, because he is very vocal and blunt and others may not have the courage to speak up. In my previous post, I have mentioned that I am with this suggestion of "no-coach" and cited the example of how Imran Khan persuaded and convinced Inzi to play. Although Intikhab Alam was also there as a coach and, he was there like Qatar, people know where it is but, no one likes to go there. So, whats the point of having a coach only for namesake? If Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Yousuf and Mohammad Asif can create the same camaraderie which they demonstrated in Abu Dhabi during the 2nd ODI, then you don't need an Imran Khan in every situation.

I do agree with this notion that, the players have to open up their minds and be willing to learn from others. I think the only Khalifa in the team who would refuse to take any advice from others is, Shoaib Akhtar and that shouldn't be the worry for any captain, 'coz he is so frequently in and out of the team besides, he is a lonely wanderer who is over the vales and hills and his hey days are over and soon will be forgotten. As regards your comment, this Pakistan team is full of players with plenty of learning to do. Which team doesn't need learning or improving their techniques? The process of learning is unending and it never ceases, every time you have to deal with a new situation and adapt to it and change your approach and your technique accordingly, if you don't then you fail. So, the important thing is "attitude and adaptability" if they have the right attitude and are willing to be flexible and adaptable, they can do a lot better.

In my earlier post on this thread I have maintained my views about a foreign coach and also the prediction that the PCB will definitely go for a foreign coach and its only a matter of time that we will all come to hear a name. So, the discussion of having a desi coach or NO coach would be a futile one, so lets divert our energies about the needs and expectations that we have and what we would like to see in a foreign coach!

In today's world of sports, the role of a coach is not just about coaching! Coaches are supposed to help and assist the players in developing to their full potential. And they are responsible for training the players not only by analyzing their past and present performances and by instructing them and, in honing and developing the relevant skills and, by providing them encouragement and, by sharing their own expertise, knowledge and experience. Also, he is responsible for providing the guidance to the players in life, not so much as in personal matters but, in updating them with the new laws, rules and regulations, about the usage of any banned substances and drugs or medication they may take it unknowingly, ignorantly and "paindooingly". Also, in controlling a regimen to keep the desired level of physical fitness.

Therefore, the role of a coach is not restricted to coaching only but, it varies from a coach to an instructor, assessor, mentor, adviser, supporter, fact finder (by using technology - or others can help him in collecting data base), teacher, counselor etc. In relation to cricket in Pakistan, the coach may not need to create the motivation factor to instill energy in them, 'coz most of the players are already very highly motivated due to the cultural demand and the passion for the game. Therefore, the task of a coach is to maintain that level of motivation and also to generate excitement and enthusiasm through encouragement.

The coach should be able to: communicate effectively with his team and, assist them to develop new skills, use evaluation methods to monitor training programmes and progress and, predict evaluation and performance. Therefore, you can see that it is a very difficult task and it requires a very special person who must understand the needs of the players, also understand the cultural background and the language of communication to understand the psyche of the players better.

People keep saying that Bob Woolmer was a fast learner and he was able to communicate effectively with the players. I think its a bit of an exaggeration, the improvement in his communication was more in terms of his needs like, "ek chai doodh patti chahiyeh." Most of the time he must have been blank on the players grievances or when the Captain or a senior player may have shunned or snubbed one of the players by asking him not to raise an unnecessary issue in front of the coach. I think before hiring a foreign coach the PCB should also ask the coach to learn Urdu or may be Punjabi to have an effective level of communication between him and the players rather than using body language and isharay baazi.

I have already expressed my views in detail about the subject in the previous thread. However, I would like to add a few lines again.

Kamran, in 1992 if I am not, mistaken Intikhab was the manager and not the coach, but in those days the Idea of having a full time professional coach in international cricket was relatively new, and Pakistan's team manager was some times given the additional title of a coach also, but in reality the coaching of new players was done by Imran, Javed and Mudassar nazar. All three of them knew exactly how to nurture young players.
The present team does not have any player who can match the stature of these three, and cricket has also changed a lot over the years it is becoming faster and more professional, requiring more Physical fitness more aggressiveness and the “era of individual brilliance” where one or two individuals in the team used to carry the whole team is over
and is replaced by “Team cricket” where each player plays according to the role assigned to him and the whole team plays like a unit, in order to be an effective role player, a player must possess the requisite skills, a coach can only teach, but the burden of execution is completely on the player.

Pakistan’s team is under the process of rebuilding and we have so many new and young players who do not have enough experience at the International level, the only way these players can get experience
is either by BORROWING or by continuous TRIAL AND ERROR. As a nation we do not have any patience, we want instant results and in the past so many young players were given a chance or two and then they were discarded forever as they didn’t lived up to the expectations so I guess that the need for a coach is absolutely imperative.

Pakistan’s team does not need a coach but a Coaching staff or a team of specialized coaches or assistant coaches.

I think Wasim Akram, Aqib Javed should be the bowling coach PCB should also hire a leg spinner
as an assistant coach,(certainly not Mushtaq Ahmed) these coaches should be rotated between the academy, National team and the U-19 team.

As far as the batting coach is concerned In my opinion if Miandad cannot be hired Zaheer Abbas and Saeed Anwar should be hired, PCB is already planning to hire a foreign fielding coach and new fitness coach.

I know a lot of people will advocate for a foreign
Coach I think Pakistan should go for a local coaching staff and they should develop their Own Knowledge management software, training manual and Performance analysis software, we do have the technical expertise to do that so just for the sake of computer literacy we do not have to go for a foreign coach.

If we will not hire a full time coach then it means that we will give more powers to the senior players
and we will bring that KHALIFA CULTURE back, these players are known to exploit young players for their own advantage. PCB should distribute power and responsibility through segregation of duties, it will create less burden on the captain and he will perform better and as a team we will get better results.

Interesting perspective. My view of a coach at the highest level is one who is a manager first, who can thread every player together into a team. The, he must be astute enough to notice deficiencies and provide the remedy. It also helps if he understands newer developments in the game and can expose his charges to these new ideas.

A captain is the boss, a coach is his counsel.

For a coach to have effect the players have to be responsive, as you have correctly observed, Also, a good captain must be able to see the coach as a supplementary, sometimes complimentary, asset rather than an interference.

Dav Whatmore's success with Sri Lanka in the mid-90's was because of these very aspects that existed in their team. The team, players and captain, and the board, all wanted a change in direction. An improvement.

Arjuna was the boss, the players were keen students, and Whatmore was the wise counsel who supplemented and complemented Arjuna Ranatunga.

i think we don't need a coach. why...becoz when woolmer was coach he couldn't produce a world class opener even he couldn't fix the problem of some players. Opener Butt had a tendency to play a pull shot but he wasn't perfect he got out several times playing that wrong shot woolmer was there but he couldn't fix it same thing hameed had a tendency to play out side of the stump and he got out too several times but woolmer didn't do anything and when you talk about inzi, yousaf, and younas they have already been playing very good and they were super star before woolmer what did woolmer add in their ability ......i think nothing. so i think pakistan doesn't need a coach its just a waist of money.

The question posed by Mr Kamran Abbassi to answer is not hard its a simple one and it is 'no'. The best thing for Mr Kamran Abbassi would be to have a referendum with a yes & no vote on this blog. I agree with the views of Ramiz and Afridi that Pakistan team does not need a coach. There was a time not only the Pakistan team used to play without a foreign coach but no country had any foreign coach either and a local coach was just a formality to comply with. I think its a new fad that started with this new millennium and I dont know why is it so important now to have a foreign coach? I have been reading the previous thread and I was totally amused and entertained, as usual JAVED A. KHAN was the entertainer. Man you are hilarious if it wasn't for you on this blog it would have been a very boring blog like all other blogs. Ashaq its a shame that last time when I wrote in support of Javed Khan you backed me up for standing for him and now just because he pulled a faster one on you you've started nagging and whining. Come on be a Man just take his sarcasm with a pinch of salt instead of whining sobbing and digging out the old graves of who said what against him man just laugh over it. Whether you like it or not lemme tell you the fact, may be with your boxing background you try to punch him hard but you cannot match his wits and he always outwits you with a TKO. He is very creative and observant and presents his thoughts very well which makes his posts extremely hilarious and whenever I read his post I always laugh even in his very serious posts you'll always find something which makes you smile. I am definitely a fan of his writing style and I think he does that in a very light mood even you once acknowledged that he does it in jest and people should not take it seriously so why are you getting so charged up and nagging like an old lady now? I am still laughing on those punjaban comments of khansahab and Javed Khan especially the last line is so hilarious.

The true question is why was the doctor saying we are only going to employ a Pakistani.Now he is saying we are only going to employ a foreign coach.As for Tim Boon we can expect another Richard Pybus.If we are going for a coach then they should go Rashid Latif the brother dont take crap from nobody,has a strong coaching background with his academy.

To Shuja Kidwai my remarks were also made in jest I dont Know whether they do sattire in the middle east or not thats what my post was.

so how about you coming on this blog and expressing your own view.It seems the only time we here from you is when your beloved Javed is beseiged.

As for your question as to why I am behaving like a nagging old lady? Perhaps you can explain as to why you are behaving like a Lovestruck Pre-Pubescent schoolgirl.

If the great Javed.A.Khan can dish out and make jest of other people.Then surely he should be able to take it in the same spirit when his on the receiving end.Instead of acting like a School yard bully and crying victamisation.

Yes Shuja I agree with you that Javed Bhai is very observant.He is so observant that even my references to him as "LaLa" have failed to register with him that I am not Punjabi.You see the brother went to a missionary school in Lahore being a Khan he got mercilessly bullied by the locals hence his phobia about Punjabis.

As for the Punjaban thing.Well sure the brother stands on the sidelines and shouts Naach Punjabaan,Naach,Naach,Naach". With always the same response "come on Javed cant we just be friends". She then responds by saying that "Main Nachoon ki sari raat apnay Ashaq de Naal".You see the brothers with street macho Ishtyle always win, this battle.While the nice intellectual sahibs hear nothing but the Expression "cant we just be friends".lol

On this thread, I have written enough from my side about coaching, the needs of a coach, his expectations from the team, the team's expectations from the coach, desi coach, foreign coach, no coach woteva! Outta 20 odd posts on this blog right now, some are not sure about the need of a coach, a few think it is necessary and some don't, some say desi is better than foreign and vice versa. But, my fellow blogger Rash May 28, 2007 11:22 AM, has been a tad rash on Pakistanis in general and he says: "mostly pakis are illiterate and never understand proper english." I am really glad to hear this comment from a literate Pakistani who has identified the real problems of literacy and highlighted it by saying: "The biggest problem of pakis player is they have a echogistic problem. And another good point that he has made by saying: this afridi stupid he himself does not have consistency in his international carrier and advising not to hire a coach. Wow, I must say that I am really impressed by this new version of ego and, how it creates a 'gist' (the essence) with a 'tic' and leaves an 'echo' behind which makes it 'echogistic'. Also, I am very pleased to know that Afridi has an International bi-cycle carrier or, is it the Carrier brand air-conditioner? My bad, I am a slow learner.

In our religion Islam, there is a lot of emphasis on learning and acquiring knowledge. There are a couple of Al-hadiths that I know, I cannot confirm its authenticity but, I know they are often quoted in books and by scholars. One is, "Seek knowledge though it be in China" and the other one is, "Acquire knowledge from the cradle to the grave." It doesn't mean one really needs to go to China, but in those days going to China was considered as a very difficult task or like next to impossible. I guess these are just expressions, meaning no matter how difficult it may be one should not hesitate to acquire knowledge and there is no time limit or age limit in acquiring it. There is also a quote in the history books that, our Prophet Mohammad s.a.s. after the conquest of Mecca asked the non-Muslims who were captured as prisoners to either pay (Jizya) tax or they would be released and set free if they teach or educate one Muslim child or an adult for a certain period of time. This is another fine example of how flexible and how positive our religion is that it did not forbid Muslims from acquiring knowledge and education from non-Muslims au contraire, it encourages them to acquire knowledge from any source. Now, the point that I am trying to make is; why is that we see so much resistance from people on this blog when I, or khansahab or anyone for that matter ask them to improve their English or any language or the level of education? Is it a raw nerve that we touch or what?

I believe that education creates refinement, finesse and openness in understanding many things in one's life and sport is a part of our life. Most of these people who oppose this idea of refining or improving their language skills or getting educated, always talk about winning a game. And winning comes from improving one's skills and capabilities in the sports arena. If that is right for sports, then how can it be wrong when it comes to education? Ignorance is bliss, but having a blister at the wrong spot will always make some people cry, whine and complain. Never mind, I do not want to stoop that low to be at par with him. I'll ignore him for a while and give him some breathing space to improve his own attitude.

But, I would like to tell the inquisitive and curious cat that, my middle name is not "A" for Ashaq and "B" for Bulbul-e-Punjab, its not fictitious or imaginary, it is real, and it is one of the greatest names, a name that the son-in-law of our Prophet had, a name that one of the greatest boxers in the history of boxing has, and the reason I don't use it here is because, I don't like that great name to be abused or insulted by some petty lance corporal na-muraad.... tsk, tsk, tsk @ your 'disgustipatingly' pathetic taste and the choice of crappy movies another tsk, tsk, tsk for the time you spend in seeing such oldy goldy movies which has "echogistic" problems etc., etc., in it and btw, the abbreviation or acronym of the Latin word etcetera is, etc. and not e.t.c. which means so on; and so forth ..... what a duddoo! Now go on and put a squash ball in your boxing glove to pull a right hook or a left jab on me and you'll miss it again. ;-) Baba ji, wear your reading glasses rather than using your impulse, 'coz this is not a boxing ring, also this is 2007 and not 1907. The new name of Alzheimer is 'Oldtimerz' and there is no cure. :-)

ASHAQ- Your last post was hillarious,you knocked him out, this guy picks on everybody on this blog and apparently he cannot stand criticism or difference of opinion.
Colonel Javed khan the self appointed moderator of this blog, the reason he uses the term Pay&do so often is may be he was (paid and done) by somebody in his earlier life (referred as ziyaditti by Mr.Durrani)we all know he is peechoo sey pathan so its quite a possibility.

What he calls good humor or sarcasm is just plain "PHAKAR PUN". His favorite past time besides taking care of the "Bateras" is watching Musarat Shaheen urf "jahanum ki raqasa" videos and writing on this blog.

Ashaq, I agree with u he should be made the next coach of Team Pakistan,PCb should look no further they can find a foreign/desi coach 2 in 1, right here at Pakspin.He will not only Improve the Grammatik & linguistic skills of the team and make them world beaters but his special social skills will keep Shahid Afridi, younis Khan,yasir Hameed and Umar gul exteremely happy.May be some of the Pay&do players may also join the club.

Godspeed colonel Javed.

Kamran,

I take it that the basic thrust of your argument is that this team needs a coach because the players need to learn. Now, for that theory to hold, it would be reasonable to argue that the players need to spend some time with the coach so the coach can help them improve their skills. This reminds me of the mockery known as "the camp" held before every series, supposedly for training purposes. The duration of this "camp", by the way, is getting shorter and shorter with each passing year.

The question then is, how much wisdom a coach is supposed to impart to players in a twenty day camp? And, how much do the players actually benefit from this waste of an exercise? Essentially, this means on-the-job training which would be acceptable for smaller problems. But we're talking fundamental technical flaws here. In the backdrop of players willing to forego their international careers (Younus Khan and many others) to play county cricket for more foreign exchange, and corporate sponsors paying more and more for flamboyance than for technique, I think we have a real predicament here.

The solution, it appears, lies in the team staying together not only during the playing season but also during the off-season. The camp has to go, and the off-season must be used for eradicating technical flaws, for building team unity, and to improve mental and physical strength.

Shuja Kidwai you steal my idea and my lines. I was thinking of a simple "yes and no" system instead of going through long debates on such issues. I grew up with my older brothers who have always been debating and I seldom see them agreeing or making a valid point on any decision on team selection or who is better, there is a cricket culture in our house. I have been reading this blog from the beginning and posted my views a few times. But this is the first time I am responding to a post as I quite agree with you that Ashaq with his nagging sounds like a khoosat old lady. He claims to be a macho by always stuffing his boxing in cricket and at the same time he nags like an old frustrated woman, this is quite a contrasting personality and I wonder why? I also like Javed Khan's views and the way he expresses 'em also of khansahab, Euceph Ahmed, wasim saqib and a few others.

Javed a khan- Its true that our religion emphasize
on the need of aquiring knowledge and education, but knowledge or education is not just limited to English language,if thats the case then 80% of the world's population is uneducated,knowledge is infinite,People need to acquire knowledge which should help advance their particular career or trade,a doctor has to learn medical science,an accountant has to learn accounting,business and tax laws,now a japanese doctor who cant utter a single word in English cant be regarded as uneducated. similarly, just because Australians or English cricketers speak fluent english because its their mother tongue doesnt mean that they are more educated may be some of them dropped out of high school,the requisite knowledge for a sports person is mainly the knowledge and skill related to his sport,although academic knowledge and the ability to speak several languages is an added bonus for any sportsman as it makes thier personality more refined.
But to discriminate or humiliate some body just because of their accent is a shame,I think you need to learn and understand the problems which stem out of Multilingualism.
Although I donot believe that your criticism of Waqar in the last thread or your insults of Punjabis in general has any thing to with your desire to see them more educated or refined,bcz if that is so then Your beloved Afridi is also not a PHD, javed Miandad we all know how educated he was, Rashid latif,Sami,and the list goes on, we never see you writing anything about their education why are you so concerned about Punjabis,I think this blog is only for cricket and we should not use it to spread hatred against any ethnicity.And please dont say that it was sarcasm or pun,it was not.

Ashaq what makes you think that I didn't write before on this blog? I did and sometimes my posts were not posted on the blog for whatever reason Mr. Kamran Abbassi knows and the other times when they appeared they got lost in the hundreds of other posts on this blog and no one took any attention of what my views are. You only noticed my post when I wrote something about Javed Khan. In fact I also wrote about you and khansahab that I like to read your posts too. But lately you have turned bitter and perhaps thats due to your boxing background that you have to respond punches with punches which is fine but the way you have been behaving now is not like a boxer but like an old nagging lady. And your last post is in real bad taste and I am sorry if that hurts you, but its a fact and your recent responses are reflecting your true colours like you say you are a street guy. I would say you are more of a street tart and you are confirming what Javed Khan wrote about you "lot lizard mimbo" its a true reflection of what you are appearing to everyone on this blog now. I would advise Javed Khan as well not to respond to your cheap street humour to keep this blog clean from street swaggers.

Recently Inzi said in his interview that the coach should be someone who “has a good nature”. I think what this means is that he wants someone malleable and tolerant like Woolmer who can allow the Tableegh. Shaharyar Khan has recently said that Woolmer complained he had trouble consulting the players because during intervals and breaks they would be busy offering namaz in Jamaat. Of course, for someone like Inzi and Mushtaq, attempting to influence non Muslims like Bob and converting him to Islam would be more important than winning matches and justifying the faith imposed on them by millions of Pakistanis worldwide.

Hence whoever the coach should be, he should be strict and must keep a no-nonsense attitude with his players. The coach should also be someone who has good ties with the PCB so that he can insinuate the selection of fit players. I have stated repeatedly that this team has the talent to remain the no 3 or no 4 team in the world despite its fielding and opening problems but what we really want is Pakistan being the no 1 or no 2 side. So we really do need a coach.

Sami is not amongst the best bowlers in Pakistan but look how he maintains his fitness. He is available to play for every series. There is not a huge difference in his and Shoaib Akhtar’s pace and yet the latter is only available half the times. I remember when Shoaib was a newcomer he controlled his fitness but the glamour and money has blinded him. He has achieved what he wanted to achieve; the tag of the world’s fastest bowler and now he doesn’t care about winning matches for Pakistan. I know Shoaib isn’t a young man any more but he has suffered from this fitness bug for a long time.

For the sake of trying out something different maybe Pakistan should go with a local coach. Wasim Bhai, I think Zaheer Abbas may be a worthwhile coach but I will not support Saeed Anwar as coach firstly because his batting, until his retirement, suffered from the same flaws as many of the Pakistani openers. The reason he was a successful opener was that he was just an unusually gifted player who was naturally excellent at finding the gaps. That was a natural quality and I don’t think he could teach that to the openers with practicality. You may disagree with my second reason but I don’t want any Tableeghi to be associated with the PCB because this is the time we have to try something different and Inzi’s experience has shown that Tableegh has no place in international cricket.

Kamran You said:

Woolmer was the most successful helping Pakistan gain high positions in the Test and One-day rankings, although the last year of his charge was a disaster.

My Comments:
Sorry to say we were miserable under Woolmer & Inzi.
We lost against England after 26 years, we lost against SA and we lost cheaply against Ireland & Wes Indies in the world cup.
Yes, we won against the weak team at home grounds.
We develop the attitude to win against weaker team at home and lose against all team outside Pakistan.
All credit goes to Inzamam and Bob.
Inzi batting also reflect this kind of attitude.
His highest batting average is against Bangladesh and lowest avergae against Austrlia.
He could be better fit for Indian batting line up.

Best person for the Coach is Javed Miandad with full authority.
Nothing can be done without power & authority.

Other good options are Rashid Latif, Waqar Yonius & Aqib Javed.

Dawar
LA, USA

pakistan has more talent than india at this moment. they should consider beating bcci in the
pay to whatmore to lure him!
i can see the next world champions in pakistan.

India has a hapless bowling compared to other teams.they still cant produce an express fast bowler. there is a kashmiri fast bowler named
abid nabi who can bowl over 145 consistently but
will anyone spot him?
all top teams have a tearaway fast bowler now.
aussies got tait and lee
kiwis got bond
england have the mahmood factor
pakis got akthar
lanka have malinga

where is indias answers to the fastest bowlers??

I am not in favor of domestic coach, as it will bring favorism and relatives into the team, either there should be a foreigh coach or no coach.

This blog has become so boring due to irrelevant, long and boring posts.
Few people are talking to each other by mentioning names just for the sake of getting noticed, kindly stop those personal conversations or there will be only 10 people on this blog talking to each other instead of talking about cricket or topic.

Sorry Kamran I know I might be of topic,but this will be my last post for quite sometime so hope you will forgive me for taking liberties .I am going to Pakistan this saturday, from now on I will be deviding my time between the U.K. and my "Pind".First of all I would like to thank you Kamran for creating the most interesting and inclusive blog on the net.Where else would you find a former street Gang member, from innercity Birmingham.And a scholarly intellectual Banker engaging in a battle of wits.

To my 'Brudda' Javed out there in montreal.It has been quite an interesting experience.You are one strange fish,but anyways dont take things to heart bro,I was just winding you up thats all.

So I would like to leave you all with some general observations and musings.As my 'brudda' colonel Javed Sahib has stated previously.We are all products of our environment.Our view point and even our way of thinking is formed by our experiences,and background.

So when I started participating on this blog.I noticed that a certain 'Brudda' was creating waves. Realising that he and I were sooner and later gonna clash.I started keenly observing his comments for signs of weakness whilst at times throwing in some snide comments about "Brown Sahibs" e.t.c. to see what would get the 'Bruddas' goat, for future reference.

Now you may call it paranoia derived from the fact that I was from the ages of 17 to 19 a member of a notorious street gang(which is now defunct).I would like to call it strategic thinking. You look for signs of weakness in an opponent,once you find it you never let up.Rather like the Australian cricket team and their infamous sledging,which I think is brilliant strategically.for example when a Batsman comes to the crease you look for anything you can use to rile him,be it his lack of height,weight,size of his ears etc.You may have a player who has a complex about the size of his ears,so you start calling him 'floppy',dumbo Elephant ears.If the player gets upset he is gonna lose concentration, if he loses concentration he loses his wicket. If it works the first time you continue to use the same "sledge" against that batsman .

Similarly on this blog I was impressed most by Kiran Ahmed(Not just for her Feisty disposition:) Because she employed a very effective strategy.Whilst the 'colonel' may have been wittier in his responses she won every round by simply calling him a "nutter" at every opportunity.The brother was left completely dazzled.

Anyways I realised that Javed in his manner of speaking,most likely had his primary education at a missionary school in Pakistan. He mentioned that he Knew Imran Khans family from zaman park in Lahore.So therefore his early education was in Lahore explaining his constant references to paindoos,and a general phobia of punjabis the experience was clearly a bad one the emotional scars are still there.Hell I think every time the brother has an argument with some ghora in Montreal he probably calls them Paindoo and punjabi as well.

The brother mentioned he intially started a course in medicine before switching to Finance,he also mentioned he did a CEGEP course.So therefore the second phase of his education was in Canada.Upon graduation he went to work in the U.A.E. another bad experience resulting in a phobia of Arabs.He clearly like myself has a passion for cricket,but very little knowledge concerning the technical intrecacies.So he has chosen to conceal his lack of knowledge by hiding behind the mask of intellectualism.Sure his read a few books on cricket like myself but I very much doubt he has ever played cricket at any level,other then galli cricket:-)

Winning CONSISTENTLY needs coaching, period! Simply put a coach is the teacher, the father figure and one to provide direction and drive to win.
Vince Lombardi the great American Football coach has an oft repeated quotation, "Winning isn't everything, its the ONLY thing".
Good coaches in any sport provide encouragement, team building, direction, sense of purpose and strategy.
To play at the professional level without a proper coach is to field a team of talented but wild amateurs.
I am astonished that there can be any argument at all about the need for a coach. We need a coach to get the job done, how he does it should be up to him. Let the results be the only measure of success or failure.
We need a coach that can teach our boys to take the field with the conviction and attitude that they CAN and WILL win everytime they take the field.

The point that I had raised in my previous post that the PCB has already decided to choose a foreign coach is on the news today. Apart from Nasim Ashraf's interview, one of his chamchas has talked about it on cricinfo announcing the short listing of 13 probable candidates to coach Team Pakistan. He also said that, it is very likely that the coach will not be a local to avoid internal politics and grouping within the team. I think if the nation cannot be united in choosing the right candidate from within then, they deserve someone else's domination over them. Based on this analogy President Musharaf must hand over the country to the UK or the USA.

Good to see Euceph Ahmed coming back to the blog after a vacation and making some valuable contribution. The camp which he talked about in his post, imo it is just like the education system in Pakistan where most people enjoy a year long holiday and a festive life style and just before the exams they wake up and pretend to be serious and, a few try to indulge in group studies just like a camp. Similarly in Pakistan cricket, whenever there is a series to be played at home or abroad there is a camp. The recent report on Wasim Akram's presence in the camp while the whole team was in Abu Dhabi and when the players are back (some are still playing county cricket in the UK) now Wasim Akram has gone! In the days of Bob Woolmer, on quite a few occasions he took vacation while the camp was on and went off to S.A. only to join the team later in the UK and the Caribbean where the matches were to be played and he did the same thing in the recently concluded SA series, went ahead of the team before the camp was concluded.

As regards the players spending "some-time" with the coach. I reckon seeing on TV some of the players sitting all day next to the coach during a 5 day test match and the reason was, they were not in the playing XI and by sitting next to the coach they have a good chance not to learn something from him, but to butter him and get a place in the team and they were definitely rewarded. And those who had a fight with him were sent back home.

I reckon it wasn't me who first called Ashaq a paindoo, it was Euceph Ahmed who shunned him for his simpleton like remarks. It seems like the word pay&doo has become a taboo. It does not necessarily mean only Punjabis are pay&dooz. Anyone who happens to be a simpleton is a paindoo - it is as simple as that. But, who are the people who say Ashaq for Aashiq and Victamisation for victimization and definately for definitely e.t.c.? :-) Btw, I have no connection with "La 'hore" so, I wonder where this cun-foo-yen crept in the empty skull of a retired boxer? Now, its obvious who was victimized at the tender age of 13 and received so many blows everywhere that the gray matter drained out and highlighted the bottom line. Et Pra, where I come from, we don't dance with the kuri all night, we do something else! So, it proves what Ashaq is NOT capable of doing...LOL.

Hi Kamran I know the previous post was supposed to be my last one.But unfortunately it got a bit long so I have to extend considering I missed out all the interesting stuff.Plus I am sure that by now everyone thinks i'm a total nutter which of course I am.

Now were was I oh yes strategic thinking and my analysis of the 'Colonel'sahib.Well brother javed made 2 very strong strategic mistakes.(1) Never under estimate your opponent and (2)Never expose your weaknesses.

Weakness no 1 exposed.
In his debate with Kiran Ahmed he mentioned that he was (Looking for someone with finesse).So in my debates I started throwing in snide remarks about his lack of prowess with "niswanis". Considering he was in his fiftys and still looking.The brothers response had malice clearly showing I struck a raw nerve:-)

Weakness no:2)
I started then targetting the brothers age.Telling him how sad it was that he being in his fiftys was living on his own.Clearly touched another raw nerve engendering another harsh response from the brother.Thats why he keeps mentioning 1907 he is clearly going through a midlife crisis wandering were all the years went:)

Weakness no:3)
Of course last but not least.The word "BrownSahib" clearly touches a raw nerve with the "Colonel".Every time you make a mention it he has to comeback with a quotation of a Hadith,or a statement to justify that he is not ashamed of his roots.

So in summary if any of you are targeted by Brudda Javed on this blog.Just mention his lack of success with women,his age,or the word Brown sahib:-)

To put everybodys minds at ease I am just trying show the importance of having a strategy in cricket and the importance of being able to analyse your opposition .Hope brother Javed you will be a good sport about it.

Oh yeah Javed I am Kashmiri paindoo my dear Lala and not punjabi.Plus you was right about my "tharrak" for the "Rays of the sun" I definitely prefer feisty.so to the 'Warrior Queen' out there in Toronto you missed your chance:-)

The post would not be complete without a quote from the greatest sportsman of them all.

"True success originates from a strong sense of belief,A burning passion to succeed,to believe in yourself when no one else does.A character of a man can only be judged in defeat and failure it his how he rises from the abyss of despair that proves his true worth.Self belief is everything and impossible is nothing"....Muhammad Ali.

Yes, I do agree with rameej & Afridi,Team doesn't need coach but need psycologist, who have cricketing brain,I m fully agree that pak team doesn't need coach and i want to ask all the blogger who have said that coach is necesay what has done by all the coaches to pakistan!!! Even I would like to say that a psycologist should be there instead of coach who have cricketing brain and point out the mistake and should give some speech and other thnign to boost the confidence ........Not Coaches at all.............Coach can not teach how to play the cricket is full of example that eveery player have bad time so what coaches do nothing man if a person is playing international cricket he had played a lot of cricket that , that can not be altered, only point out what player have the sprit of playing for nation of himself not more than this..................

Ashaq/JAVED A. KHAN, MONTREAL, CANADA

I thought Ashaq’s satirical analysis on JAVED A. KHAN, MONTREAL, CANADA were brilliant, funny and thought provoking. As I mentioned earlier, I was waiting for a long riposte and when it came it was equally punchy. Ashaq didn’t “miss a punch” for him to land another one because in my view he wins on points. Definitely, with contributors like these makes Pak Spin the best.

Khansahab:

Your point is well taken actually I also dont want any religious hypocrite to be associated with the team anymore,I forgot about Saeed. I was recently on a Vacation and I met a Pakistani Doctor who
told me he himself delivered vine to Mushy several times.So my views about these religious Hypocrites have changed.I will not use the term Tableeghi as I have no problem with Tableegh but hypocrisy is one thing which I cannot stand.

Wasim Bhai,

I would like to clarify a few things. We all have our biases, some based on personal observations and others based on what our families have imposed upon us. I admit I have used the term “paindu” to describe specific Punjabis but I have also used it in a general way, where it is applicable to anyone. I have some irritating cousins I detest and I call them “paindu” underneath by breath but they are not Punjabi.
“Paindu” is a term which was invented by Punjabis for Punjabis. Contrast it with terms like “matarwa” and “keera makora” which are primarily a Punjabi construct. These terms are especially offensive and more serious than “paindu”.

As far as ridiculing accents is concerned, the problem is not really with accents. I expressed my disapproval for Waqar’s accent because he changes it every so often. Why can he not speak in his natural accent? I did not ridicule his accent because he is a Punjabi. I am Pathan by origin and I used to mimic Pathan bus drivers’ accents too when I was in Karachi.
However when it comes to his English speaking prowess he definitely deserves condemnation. You mentioned that the command of English is not a prerequisite to one’s educational attainment, citing the example of a Japanese doctor who cannot speak a word of English. Waqar was an “English commentator”, not just “a commentator”. ENGLISH was a part of his role as a commentator and hence it becomes justifiable to criticise his command over the language. Here I can mention some British agents who are trained in Urdu and Punjabi, who work for the secret services and monitor potential extremist messages/conversations between Muslims. If they miss out some words or do not understand everything what good is their job? You can say that their job is serious and hence failure is not an option but Waqar is also commentating internationally and being heard across the globe. I think that factor is serious enough. We must also not forget that it is Pakistan’s image we are talking about.
When I was joking about Mushtaq Ahmed, my focus was on his unnecessary use of English words although his Urdu is poor. But I don’t have a problem with Waqar or Mushtaq speaking Urdu because they are not from particularly educated backgrounds so you cannot expect their Urdu to be flawless and also because Urdu commentators are not being heard by non Pakistanis, so the image is protected there. If Waqar was a coach and he was interviewed in English I would not mind because he is primarily speaking as a coach not as an English commentator.

Although Ramiz Raja (a Punjabi) pronounces some words strangely, I respect him as a commentator because he doesn’t make mistakes. I don’t really care how his accent is, what really matters is that he does not commit grammatical errors.

I know you didn’t directly complain to me about this; your criticism was of Javed Bhai but since I have supported a few of Javed Bhai’s recent posts, I thought I should present my side of the story.
In any event this regionalism problem is a scourge and the most important thing is that we are Pakistani, not Punjabi or Urdu Speakers. If we can seriously, from within our heart, accept that our country is more important than our province or mother tongue, then there is nothing to worry about. But for that we have to be tolerant and start feeling happy meeting people from other provinces/marrying into other cultures/eradicating this Shia Sunni nonsense etc. I recently read an interview of a Baluchi tribal leader who said that if people from Punjab want to buy land in Baluchistan, he will not let that happen. That is the sort of thing we need to eradicate.

Kamran Abassi, you should start a vote on who is won the debate, Ashaq or Javed Khan. Methinks Ashaq knocked Khan over in one blow (this last one) despite receiving continous jabs thruout the debate.

I know I was gonna leave things as they are but I got a couple of days to go before I board my flight to the proud land of the pakistan. So I would like to make my peace with everyone.Besides life is too short,Zindagi ka koi pataa nahin hai.So to everybody whose feelings I may have hurt or offended,I would like to offer my sincere apologys.Hopefully I will return early next year.

First of all to my Lala Javed,dont get stressed out my My "Brudda".I still hold you in high esteem. To be perfectly frank and all jokes aside every time Kamran Abbasi posted a new thread,I would scroll down and the first person whose,comments I would read were yours.

What Puzzles me anyway is why you suddenly got so worked up.Only a few months ago you said "I dont get annoyed at whats said about me in the virtual world". Clearly street humour dont go down to well with some people. So my brudda once again I apologise if I hurt your feelings.

Shuja Kidwai, and Saima thanks alot, the wife was looking over my shoulder as I was reading your posts. She thought they were hilarious, and keeps shouting "Khoosat Bhuddi" and instead of "Lot lizard mimbo" she has renamed me as "Elizabeth Bimbo".I dont think i'm going to hear the end of that anytime soon.

I will leave you with a story from Jalaludeen Rumi.A certain man noted for his knowledge boarded a boat for a voyage.The captain of the boat asked him "sir in which subject are you an expert?" He replied:"I am an expert in the knowledge of grammar.It is a great pity you have spent your whole life learning how to sail a boat but did not learn anything about grammar."

At this reply,the boatsman remained silent.It so happened that according to the decree of ALLAH,the boat was caught up in a storm in the middle of the ocean.The captain told the grammarian"Sir,make use of your knowledge of grammar and save yourself from drowning.The boat is in danger of sinking."

The Grammarian remained silent.Of what use was grammar in such a situation?The sailor also said.
"This is not a time for grammar.It is time to be a swimmer.Expert knowledge of grammar is of no use at this time.It is time to swim your way out of trouble."

However I do believe that knowledge of grammar will help the Batsmen score more centurys.Help the Bowlers take more wickets.Also help us all unfortunate Paindoos become more refined,and cultured:-)

i was going through the news on cricinfo and the most exciting topics are all about coaches - england's coach, pakistan's coach, india's coach, sri lanka's coach, bangladesh's coach etc etc. Seems like the teams/cricket boards are putting way too much stress on having a coach - the point being that these are professional cricketers coming into the sport to play professionally with the understanding of responsibilities and recognizing the goals to be achieved. National teams are not academies. Yes, the players need feedback and suggestions, but they should be professional and mature enough to analyze themselves and each other. If a bowler balls 7 no-balls and 10 wides in an innings and continues to do that, it is not really coach's job that bowler proves himself to be stupid and not able to adjust his line. Or if the bowler keeps balling on the leg, the coach is not supposed to give him lessons on how to bowl. If a batsman keeps hitting in air every ball that comes to him (e.g. Afridi!!!), is it coach's problem to teach him how to bat. No - in all these cases, it is the selector's job to get rid of such players after giving them enough chances.

Having said it all, the teams need coaches for particular area e.g. a bowling coach or consultant, similarly fielding, batting and fitness consultants. If Inzi runs around with one of the biggest tummies hanging around, then it is a clear indication of lack of seriousness and professionalism. At this level, and at any level, the players should know how to stay fit and effective. The real job of the coach is to consult with the team and the captain to devise strategies. He should help the team prepare for playing strategies against other teams. A test/professional cricketer should know by observation that Chris Gayle can't play over-pitched in-swinging balls because he doesn't move his feet. The coach should help him/team identify this and make it part of overall match strategy against West Indies but the bowler should know it by using his brains.

So to conclude, I am sure Rameez and Afridi will gladly accept coaching jobs whenever offered. They have proved to just too dumb to use their own brains in their own times - and should avoid giving such suggestions. I would strongly recommend having multiple consultants for each functional area and a strategist aka coach.

Wasim Saqib: After writing so much in your post on the subject of language, you have negated your own statement by saying: " the ability to speak several languages is an added bonus for any sportsman as it makes their personality more refined." And that is exactly my point. I am saying the same thing very bluntly and openly and citing the examples by emulating not just the accent, (which is not important) but, the pathetic use of language by those people on TV. Haven't you ever realize that in your every day life people respect you more because of the way you speak? The moment they see the way you speak they assess you and judge you and talk to you accordingly, be it English, French, Urdu or any language for that matter. That is exactly what khansahab, Awas and I have been saying and naming some of the good commentators like Boycott, Nasir Hussain, Dean Jones even Ramiz is good except, for his flat vowels. Waqar is a laughingstock and he is ruining his own image.

And pls. don't be offended if you are a Punjabi, you can ridicule us Pathans as much as you wish and I will join you in that pun fun. As regards Afridi, Younis Khan, Miandad or Rashid Latif or whoever else you have mentioned the names, they are neither my cousins, relatives nor friends. I have said this b4 to someone else, and telling you again to go ahead and ridicule them. In fact I have made a lot of pun of Javed Miandad and called him a "totla". During one of the interviews on TV when a Karachi player named Basit Ali was interviewed by Tony Greig and he asked Basit Ali to comment on the general perception of the people that he is being talked about as "a budding Javed Miandad!" He replied: "Yes, Javed Bhai is my ideal hero and he give me tip to play and I take his tip when I play." Tony Greig was amused, he then asked Javed Miandad about the tips that he has been giving to Basit Ali and the "totla" replied: "aaan yethss eye give him a teep hear and a teep there and whenever he needs a teep, I give him a teep, you thsee that as a senior player I have to take care of them and give them teeps." As a player, Javed Miandad is great and Pakistan has not yet produced a fighter player like Javed Miandad, he is a naturally gifted player and he also has the ability to coach and in my opinion he qualifies for that post, he is just right for the Paindoos 'coz he speaks their language and that doesn't mean Punjabi and a paindoo doesn't mean Punjabi either.

As regards Rashid Latif, I don't like him because, he creates too much jingoism and regionalism and to me he sounds bitter in his criticism. Younis Khan the less you talk about that dummy the better it is. Its good that he is not the captain 'coz he has an attitude problem but, he is a good player to be in the test side for Pakistan. As regards Afridi, his English is better among the current lot of paindoos and that is not the point, right now we are judging him on the basis of his game as a player and not as a commentator, which he is not.

As a player Afridi is one of the best entertainers of the game, can you deny it? If so then you are lying to yourself. Or may be you love him so much that when he fails you feel very bad and thats why the utterance in disappointment. And Waqar Younis as a bowler, he was great and as a commentator, he is pathetic and should not be ruining his image. No one is forcing him to take up the job of a commentator or an expert critic, its his desperation to either earn more money, or to remain in the pubic eye as a former hero. Likewise, Inzamam as a batsman is (was) very good but as a captain, he is lousy. Do you think he can be a good commentator? For some it might be pure entertainment so, I reserve my comments on Inzi as a "com-tator."

You are right about the percentage of English speaking people in the world. BUT, I never said that those who cannot speak English are not educated, why are you trying to put words in my mouth? The fact is, the spread of English cannot be halted. The globalization of the world mostly driven by economics is inevitable. The world needs a unified language of trade, politics, culture and for communication, information, technology etc. Reportedly, 75% of the world's mail is in English and 80% of the electronic information is stored in English. Its a shame that we are going to lose a lot of languages around the world, but if its not English, its something else. So which language are we gonna swtich? Chinese, Japanese, Punjabi? About 110 million people speak Punjabi, so do you think Punjabi will take over English one day? In Pakistan alone there are roughly 80 million Punjabi language speakers how many of them can speak English or make use of the electronic mail or information that is there on the Internet? In Kerala, India they all speak Malyalam and they ALL speak, read and write English and use the technology, same is the case in Sri Lanka they speak English fluently besides their native Tamil and Sinhalese. So, why are the Pakistanis so ashamed of learning? And why do they keep dodging this issue of improving or refining their educational skills and capabilities? When they take it seriously they are brilliant and they excel in anything they wanna achieve but, those are isolated cases and the numbers are very few. IMO, those who are educated must do something in this respect and spread the word, improve or you will perish, rather than spreading complacency. Remember it was Dr. Iqbal from Punjab who said, "na samjho gay tou mitt jao gay ...... tumharee dastaan tak bhee na hogi daastano may!" Anyways, this is my perception if you see it differently then, its your prerogative.

When Ashaq wrote, "this is my LAST POST" and was almost begging to Kamran Abbassi to accept his irrelevant blab, I knew there will be one more after that very soon and it wasn't long for people to see the rooster coming home for another "kukar koon koon" .... lol, he is so predictable and thats his main weakness and despite being over 55 he thinks that he is still a good boxer. Btw, I know you'll be reading my posts, so lemme correct you but, first with a big LOL .... it is dividing and not deviding it sounds like Devi ji ki ding dong bell and that too from a ghissa pita Devdass. Btw, nice try in using your imagination about my education and the places I have worked or been to, but its ALL wrong, after all a gangster street swagger can always limit his imagination to putlee galeez thats why you assume that I have played galee cricket. Even if I have played college or uni level cricket it doesn't matter, it has no relevance, significance or importance because, we all criticize players who have played at the international level and those who have been recognized as classy players, so who am I or you or anyone else on this blog to say, we have played cricket at such and such level? Does it give you more authority to talk about cricket? Assuming that you have gone, I am closing your chapter. Have a nice Mirpuri vacation Asshaq. :-)

Ps. Shuja Kidwai and Saima bibi, thanks for the words of support but I can handle mediocre boxers. Besides, I do my hunting alone:

"Shikaar e murdaa saza vaar e shahbaaz nahee"
Jo kabootar pur jhaptnay may muzza hai --
Vo muzaa kabootar kay lahoo may bhee nahee ! :-)

Now that Pak Cricket is quiet for some time, the excitement is on this blog. I thought, for some reason, I missed the fun but reading those fantastic analyses of Mr. Ashaq, I am sure I did not miss a thing.

Mr. Ashaq, simply putting, Tusee Great Ho.

I mean you have silenced or rather, with a few heavyweight punches, smashed the face of the biggest ‘bully’, starting with an L, on this blog. And Ashaq, you did all this with such simplicity and diplomacy that (Saamp Bhi Mar Gaya, Aur Lathi Bhi Nahi Tooti). Just to mention a few ‘Alkaabs’ given to king Javed A. Khan are The Nutter, Colonel, Brudda, Brown Sahib, Hopeless Lova, Middle aged, Retired, and now the Coach ..... as in ‘couch’. As if Mr. Ashaq’s furious punches were not enough, we also see some more shots from Waqar-USA, which was like beating the dead, but it was worth it. The guy dearly deserved each and every hit and some more. Although, we saw his ‘pet’ Shuja Kidwai (where did he get such name from) trying to take side with the beaten colonel, but without any real fight. I doubt that Mr. Javed is using the name Shuja Kidwai to praise and appreciate himself, because someone with a name like that can not be stupid enough to praise him.

Oh and about the pandoo thing, I am sure they have (Paid and Done) to Mr. Javed, or rather seems like they all have Done without even Paying for it !!

The only reason I and several others on this blog loathe Mr. Javed is that, by sitting in Montreal and being a immigrant and a Muhajir, he forgot about his true identity and is betraying his own roots and countrymen by calling them with bad names and making a mockery of their accent, language, culture and thinking that this is bloody funny. If paindoo means simpleton and rugged persons, as described in one of his earlier posts, then, with all due respect to all pathans brothers, the largest number of paindoos are in the NWFP in Pakistan, because there is no one more simpleton and rugged then the pathans.

So by this definition, Mr. Javed A. Khan himself is the biggest “paindoo”, no matter where he stays and whatever he tries to be, which he actually is NOT.

AOA

Mr khan sahab why you always write about religion when you are here only to discuss cricketing matters. If some players follow their religion that is their personal matter don’t try to interfere in some ones personal matters.

ALLAH HAFIZ

Kamran,

The very fact that we are having this debate on the basis of comments from Ramiz and Boom Boom clearly shows the slightly ‘backward’ psyche of the Pakistan cricket set up. It is precisely this frame of mind which will prevent us from becoming the world’s best in both forms of the game chaps.

Australia, the most polished unit in cricket today is probably one team that could conceivably play without a coach due to their talent, professionalism and mentality to defeat opponents. Yet I’d be extremely surprised to hear such rhetoric from the Australia camp.

Pakistan clearly need a coach or preferably, coaches. Players such as Afridi, Asif and even Malik to some extent demonstrated the benefits of having a good international coach in the form of Bob Woolmer by bettering their own respective performances on the pitch. Additionally, there was also talk of ‘steel’ and fighting spirit showed by the team when odds where against them during the tenure of Bob. Whilst it is true the captain should take some credit for this, one cannot discount the influence of the coach in the set up.

Khansahab -

Ouch!! Sounds like I touched a raw nerve in your previous thread!! :) But in terms of amusement, I thing we have set a precedent here chaps. I think this blog is fast descending into one of comedy and humour! I guess we could have done with some these posts after the gloom of the world cup to help lift some downed spirits.

I could write an equally amusing response and ridicule you further, but I’ll attempt to be the ‘bigger’ man here and try to be ‘mature’ about this. You see, maturity may not be very forthcoming to one who has just seen off his teenage years, where there might be some loose hormones kicking around creating unease. Additionally, as a chap who has just barely seen off the transition from a ‘boy’ to a ‘man’ (I think its inappropriate to use to the actual term of description here, but im sure you know what I mean) I would have thought Page 3 from The Sun would be more up your street! :)

I will put two points to you, which relate your most amusing points from your riposte:

First, achievements clearly come with age. After all, you don’t see many people with university degrees at the age of 15, or FA Cup winners at the age of 10 or QCs at 20 do you?? Or try finding a FTSE CEO aged below 30!

Secondly, one would have thought writing a book on cricket strategy (the subject you excel at) would be an intellectual achievement. I guess you are too busy on working on drafting a constitution for the UK at the request of a fellow Scotsman, Gordon Brown.

For the third time of asking, can we concentrate on Pak crick please ‘bhai’ :)

Wasim Bhai,

You mentioned the point about hypocrisy which has made me recall an enlightening incident in my life. There was this chap who used to work for my father. When we went to New York for a trip my family stayed in his house for a couple of days. We were awe struck to see that his wife is none other than the daughter of the founder of a religious political party and now he is one of the leaders of the “opposition” religious party in Pakistan. You must have guessed his name. His daughter is gaining federal income support benefits in USA whilst her father is a millionaire. The point is that I have seen this man giving speeches many times and he is always anti-American and says that he has no link with the USA. I don’t see the point of these lies.

That is why we have to be cautious that we should not judge people on the basis of their apparent piety or the length of their beard. It is good to be religious but only if you do it in a non-hypocritical way. Religion is useless unless you adopt tolerance, discipline, honesty and reason.

When I say Tableegh has no place in cricket, what I am trying to say is that in their personal capacity the Tableeghis can do whatever they want and I guess they should actually engage in “fikr” and spread the “deen” but during a cricket series they should forget about that and only concentrate on cricket. There is such a huge emphasis as displaying yourself as a pious and righteous individual who remembers God in everything, so that non-Muslims can get influenced but non-Muslims will also look at other things. Does Inzamam really do that in real life or is it only important to him when he is on camera? I can tell you non-Muslims will not be impressed by the team losing so badly in the WC and their leader blaming his “kismet” for the disaster. That will put them off Islam.

Ashaq -

Just have to say you're first entry on this thread (re:your comments on Javed.A.Khan) were simply hilarious. Especially your line on two essential ingredients of success. May i add that there could be three essential ingredients of success - the third being a decent accent for speaking English!

I totally agree with Dawar above.

Farooq

Best options for COACHES are as follows:

1) Rashid Latif (ex captain running cricket academy plus he is a coach of Port Qasim cricket team and he is the honest man with great principals)

2) Waqaq Yonius (Ex Captain, Ex bowling Coach, one of great fast bowler Pakistan produced, he has good communication skills)

3) Aqib Javed (Coach of under 19 team cricket team, twice under 19 cricket team won world cup under his guide Nance as a coach, involved with cricket academy, same personality like Rashid Latif)

4) Javed Miandad (One of the great batsman produced by Pakistan, Ex Captain, Ex Coach of Pakistan cricket team, Match winner, Some famous cricketers believes that Javed Miandad has more understanding of cricket than any one else in or outside field)

Saima Khan
Islamabad

ha ha ha so he has a wifey and she peeps over his shoulders? yet he tries to flirts on the net with girls less than half his age by encouraging them to stand up against a so-called bully even if it was an impromptu it was in a bad taste 'coz he himself doesn't have the guts or the skills to stand up like a maan to respond like a man and yet he considers himself a macho boxer and a street swagger and still instigating a girl to do the job for him is a real shame for a man. Yes peeps i am talking about the mirpuri ASHAQ who had finally thrown his towel in the ring and waving a good bye to his supporters after a TKO. It wasn't Javed A. Khan who knocked him off, but it was my punch on his KHOOSAT nosey that knocked him off on the floor where he laid for a long time thinking where am i and what am i doing here? thats why he is running away to mirpur after getting blows upon blows from Javed A. Khan that made him half dead and frustrated. Ashaq ankle ji, what you did was nothing creative u've just picked up the lines of other frustrated people who wrote against Javed A. Khan and u call it as ur analysis, you know what? ne kid half ur age could do that and u are not half as good as Javed A. Khan or khansahab and others and its so obvious and shows from your writings that you are not just a street swagger but a cheap one too. And u call him a bully actually you are a backseat bully urself and no wonder your wifey has renamed you from a mimbo to a bimbo 'coz after that defeat you needed that title plus she should also buy you a few glass bangles, jhumkay and paranday and we all know you will be coming back to make a tinkling, khannak channak of your glass bangles with another ghissy pitty post of urs and u know when the so called macho men wear those bangles what we call them? go ask your wifey she would tell you!

Kamran abbasi sahib, your blog has finally created some interest for both genders now - in fact for the third gender too; and thats Ashaq - 'coz the discussion now is not just about cricket its also about chooriyaan, jhumkay, paranday, poetry and street 'swaggery'. Occasionally Javed sahib and a few others have used poetry on this blog and some verses were altered to add humour innit, lafz bhi kamal makhlooq hai...is ka istemal kar sakna ya kar pa na is stupendous catharsis and i am a gonner for poetry that expresses issues and realities of life yehi faraq hai ghalib aur iqbal ki poetry main for me ik waqt ata hai ki when ultimately one gets over ghalib ki aashiq mizagi jab ke iqbal ki poetry opens and explores issues that have to be tackled sooner or later in life its like an invitation to quit delaying facing up to facts and confusions, sort them out as is best possible.....and move beyond them....and sometimes to break the monotony when poetry is genetically altered to instill satire innit, it makes one laff especially that serious verse of Iqbal's poetry on Uqaab, instead of 'ye to chalti hai tujay oncha uranay kay liye', he altered it to 'meno khota kali keraday mai nachaan sari raat' it was sooooooo was hilarious, i laffed a lot, and must say that he has got a great sense of humour so, Kamran aap say ilteja hai kay you pls carry on this diversity on your blog or else it would be a dead blog.

1. paindoo

1) A person who comes from the village(of India or Pakistan).
Usually used in a derogatory connotation

The paindoo doesn't know how to use the phone!

There is not doubt about the need of a coach for Pakistani team! It’s a must. An individual has a right to his opinion! At least one of them i.e. Afridi or Rameez made their opinions public because he must have been asked about it, further then that no importance should be attached to it.

What is moot here is whether this coach be a foreigner or a Pakistani?

Kamran, when these cricketers get to the point of playing for the national team they have been through at least three to four phases of playing cricket. Street cricket, hardball cricket, club cricket and departmental cricket and not at any stage exists a culture of speaking/understanding English, so much so that those who attempt (few exceptions) are laughed at. A game normally takes about five to six hours of a day to complete and all these players are constantly out there playing. At first it was the passion and later it becomes the bread and butter. Point is, they don’t have time to study! Let alone improve English and obviously becomes very intimidating to them if spoken to. Examples of this are laughed at constantly in this blog so no point in elaborating it here.

So, there is this big communication barrier to think about. Bob was an exception, but do you think if a coach speaks to Asif in his cockney or Aussie accented English in front of his peers how do you think he is going to respond. Definitely not humiliate himself, he will bob his head up and down as if he understood when in reality he didn’t at all. Right there it kills the purpose of having a foreign coach.

This is the situation on the ground, board knows all about it, its functionaries know all about it but I honestly can’t think of a reason why they are still pushing for a foreigner. India, Sri Lanka even may be Bangladesh may not have the same problem as we do. In my humble opinion we need to get them a coach who they can relate to, may be look up to or be purely impressed by. I am not saying who that coach should be because whosoever is chosen to do this job will have his hands full right at the get go.

Wasim Akram Fund for Fast bowlers! This is another fast bowler's coaching antics. I wonder if anyone has read Wasim Akram's recent interview? He is back again to the camp only to tell the BOYZ that I will be going soon as I have my media commitments in India and, I will be outta country every now and then. Since I am not charging any fees, I need an off-shore account to raise that fund - actually you raise the fund and I'll use it - obviously Wasim didn't say that I am adding it from my side to make it look like a lucrative business proposition. I think Waqar Younus should get the full time job of a bowling coach, he is good where he belongs to and not as a commentator. He is the only bowler who has taken 14 ti