Miandad brings an attitude that will put Pakistan cricket on the offensive © AFP

If you believe Pakistan cricket has recently failed to stand up for itself, expect all that to change. While you might question the CVs of Javed Miandad, Abdul Qadir, and Aamer Sohail for their respective roles, you cannot doubt their passion for the success of Pakistan cricket. In these troubled times, a little passion might go a long way towards breathing some fire into the bellies of Pakistan's cricketers.

Miandad's selection as Director-General is an unexpected one. Apart from some uncertainty about the role itself, Miandad could never be classified as an administrator. Yet he brings an attitude that will put Pakistan cricket on the offensive. He has already suggested that the ban on ICL players is unacceptable--a typical Miandad skirmish. Expect more.

Now that Pakistan cricket has a viable neutral venue to host international cricket--and the possibility of adding England to its list of hosts--the PCB can afford to be more bullish in negotiations with other cricket boards, the ICC, and broadcasters.

This means that the new chairman of selectors will have sufficient international fixtures to implement his strategy. Abdul Qadir is a fascinating choice for this position. I have no doubt that it is a role that he has wished for. Qadir has strong opinions and a fiery temperament but he is a man of integrity and independent minded.

I expect a turn for the better in Pakistan's selection policy. Call it misplaced optimisim but Qadir will only do what he believes to be right for Pakistan cricket, and if he makes mistakes they will be honest ones.

Aamer Sohail, as head of the National Academy, completes a trio of belligerent stalwarts. Sohail made some mistakes in his stint as chairman of selectors, most notably continuing his commentating job and selecting the son of the cricket board chairman. But he will have learned from those errors of judgement and he deserves another opportunity to demonstrate his genuine commitment to Pakistan cricket.

Putting Sohail in charge of the National Academy may turn out to be an inspired move, as he can begin to shape Pakistan's emerging and future international cricketers, and instil a sense of pride and familiarity with discipline.

It is easy to be optimistic in the beginning but successful change will take months, if not years. Yet I prefer three fighters to further the cause of Pakistan cricket than of some of the insipid characters we have had to endure in the recent past. The two biggest challenges they will face, however, are finding a captain who will match their combativeness, and making sure that they don't end up fighting each other.

Can they do it?

	The thrill of Imran Nazir's century for the Lahore Badshahs in the third final of the ICL was hard to match © ICL

Two small ripples in world cricket were earth shaking in this solemn year for Pakistan cricket. The prospect of seeing one Pakistan team in action has been unlikely enough but like Lahore rickshaws on Mall Road, two came along at once.

In the end, it was tough to decide which victory was more satisfying? A three-nil sweep of West Indies signalled that the official Pakistan team might have some fight in it yet, even if that fight is on foreign shores. Meanwhile, Pakistan's administrative exiles, the Lahore Badshahs, reminded us why Pakistan cricket had become known for its random brilliance.

For me, the thrill of Imran Nazir's century was hard to match, and the joy on his face tipped the balance in favour of the Badshahs. Nazir was once predicted a bright future by Viv Richards. That future never materialised but his record-breaking innings reminded us why King Viv was fooled like the rest of us.

Indeed, Nazir looked a different player, determined to make the most of his opportunity. An observation that mirrored the mood of his former teammates in Abu Dhabi. All of this, led me to two conclusions. First, that the exclusion of the ICL from offiicial cricket and the punishment of cricketers is an international disgrace and evidence of moral bankruptcy in cricket administration. But that's always been my view on the ICL. Second, that Pakistan's poverty of cricket in 2008 might have reminded its cricketers to make the most of every opportunity. Now, that was unexpected.

It's been a barren few months. While India has stormed to the top of world cricket, Pakistan has almost been blasted out of it. In the course of those mad months, Pakistan has not only lost any hope of hosting regular international cricket, but it has also lost two of its most precious stars, Mohammads Yousuf and Asif.

These are deep, perhaps irreperable wounds, made more painful by a self-destructing start from Pakistan's new cricket administration. Ejaz Butt and Intikhab Alam might excite the sweet sellers of Pakistan but they do little to sweeten the vast majority of Pakistan cricket fans.

Yet, where there is life there is hope. And Pakistan meander back onto the international stage today, forced to relaunch their international programme on neutral territory. I don't care. It's great to see Pakistan's team back in proper international competition. They will thrill and disappoint in equal measure. They will lose as much as they will win. But we can gladly return to some cricketing drama because we've had our fill of the political and administrative catastrophe.

Pakistan's cricketers often play like millionaires, rash strokes and wild deliveries produced with such regularity that they might have been practising them. In this tournament they will be rusty, and the verdict may depend on the hunger of the newly-made millionaires in the West Indian team.

For once, though, the result matters less than the symbolism. Welcome back boys.

	Pak Spin: 'He [Saleem Malik] should have no part to play in international cricket' © PA Photos

It seems there is no limit to the wonky logic that pervades Pakistan's cricket administration. The decision to lift the ban on Saleem Malik was barely supported by a whisper of reasonable argument. If that wasn't unprincipled enough, the Pakistan Cricket Board looks to have endorsed his redemption by appointing him head coach of the national academy.

Malik was a magical cricketer, sublime wrists and an eagle's eye made him a joy to watch. Imran Khan labelled him a flat-track bully but Malik outgrew those jibes to become a batsmen for a crisis. Yet he became the biggest victim of Pakistan's match-fixing inquiry, a career ended prematurely in disgrace.

The Pakistan Cricket Board's decision, if indeed it is that, is a moment of genuine sadness. Any semblance of ethical or moral responsibility has been discarded by the PCB. An appointment of this kind could only be made by an organisation devoid of integrity.

Indeed, the PCB is not the only organisation to muddle its principles. The England and Wales Cricket Board made the silly decision of hiring Mushtaq Ahmed as its spin bowling advisor. Mushtaq, for all his Sussex excellence and born-again piety, is another cricketer tainted by Pakistan's match-fixing controversy.

Mushtaq may argue that he has a stronger case for clemency than Malik. But Malik's case looks clear cut to me: he should have no part to play in international cricket. The tragedy is that Ejaz Butt's PCB seems to have done the unthinkable with unthinking, indecent haste.