DUBAI, 14 March 2003 — The Pakistan Cricket Board is expected to make sweeping changes to the team and its management. In the new order, the captain, coach, manager and even the team for the triangular series in Sharjah are expected to be changed and all will be unveiled on March 19.
“Arab News” has learned that the PCB Chairman Lt. Gen. Tauqir Zia, before leaving for South Africa on the March 19 to attend the World Cup final, will finalize the new set-up after holding a series of meetings with the selectors, players and his aides during a weeklong stay in Lahore. What the future shape of the Pakistan team and management will be, nobody knows. But the names of Wasim Akram and Moin Khan are under consideration for captaincy and that of Javed Miandad, Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas and Mushtaq Muhammad for the posts of coach and manager.
“Nothing has been finalized as yet but yes in his initial discussions the general has discussed bringing back Wasim as captain for an interim period and appoint a new vice captain who can be groomed for the next one year under a senior player. But he has been advised against appointing Wasim as captain because the feeling is that the board would then come under fire for having not taken this crucial decision before the World Cup,” a source said.
“Gen. Zia has also been told that the biggest disadvantage of bringing back Wasim as captain is that he cannot play any longer for more than a year and secondly he has been averse to playing Test cricket,” the source added. Also some of the players have conveyed to the general that they were not in favor of bringing back Wasim as captain as it was not a long term solution and in the best interests of Pakistan cricket.
“The problem Tauqir is facing is that he was expecting most of the senior players to announce their retirements after the failed World Cup campaign but this has not happened and the seniors have in fact ganged up for a common interest which is to continue playing for another six months or year,” the source said.
“That makes the task of the chairman that much difficult as he will then have to take all the hard decisions,” the source said.
The source confided that some of the players had even written to the chairman outlining their future plans and making it clear they should not be made scapegoats for the failed World Cup campaign.
As expected neither Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram or Inzamam-ul Haq announced their retirements at a press conference in Lahore. A clear indication they are hoping for a reprieve before the Sharjah tournament.
“But one thing is clear Tauqir is determined to have a clean up operation in the team which is why the thinking also is that Moin at the age of 31 would be the best choice at present to lead the team as he can continue playing for year and more.”
“And most importantly the feedback the general has got is that Moin and Javed Miandad have now patched up and are very close to each other these days,” the source said. It was after the 2000 tour of New Zealand that Tauqir had sacked Moin as captain and asked Miandad to step down after both failed to hit it off on that tour and there were problems in the team.
It was after that tour that the Board appointed Waqar Younis as captain and brought back Rashid Latif as the senior wicketkeeper. “The one hurdle in the way of bringing back Moin as captain is that Rashid says he is keen to continue at the international level and logically speaking on the basis of his recent performances the Board and selectors would not be able to justify dropping him unless he announces his retirement himself,” the source said.
The one very positive thinking going on in the board is to ask former Test captain Majid Khan to make himself available as manager of the national team. The feeling is that with his no-nonsense approach and the respect he has in cricketing circles, he would be the best choice to manage a new team and ensure strict discipline among the young players.
The source said that the selectors have already started drawing up a list of players to be considered for future selection for the Sharjah tournament and a shortlist of players would be prepared in consultation with the new captain and coach while the general is in Lahore. The Pakistan board has to send in a list of at least 20 players for visa requirements to the organizers of the Sharjah tournament by the March 20.
Cricket greats pick Wasim
in all-time one-day teams
The PCB might be having second thoughts about Akram’s future in the Pakistan team, but nine former greats have all picked him in their all-time One-Day teams. Barry Richards, Asif Iqbal, Sir Richard Hadlee, Tony Greig, S. Venkatraghavan, Greg Chappell, Clive Lloyd, Arjuna Ranatunga, Dennis Lillee have all listed Wasim down in their all-time one-day teams given in the latest edition of Wisden Asia.
The interesting thing is that Wasim Akram and Sachin Tendulkar are the only two players who have been selected in all the teams while all the remaining greats including Sir Gary Sobers, Brian Lara, Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Sir Vivian Richards, Adam Gilchrist, Imran Khan, Ian Botham to quote a few examples are not automatic choices in all these teams. Something which clearly reflects just how high Wasim and Tendulkar are rated all over the world and by former greats. Ironically the future of Wasim who completed 500 one-day wickets in the World Cup in the Pakistan team is under close scrutiny after the failed World Cup campaign in South Africa.
Barry Richards makes an interesting observation on Wasim while picking him in his team and which should serve as some sort of a indicator for the PCB in making its future plans. “At his peak Wasim was awesome. He had great variety with his left armers and was a handy batsman lower down,” writes Richards. Note all his observations about Wasim are in the past tense.
CBFS Sees No Threat in
Triangular One-Day Series
The Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) see no threat to their triangular one-day series being hit by a possible US-led attack on Iraq this month.
The CBFS is holding its triangular series featuring Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka from April 1 at the Sharjah stadium, the venue of many memorable one-day matches.
“I don’t think we should have any problems with hosting our event on schedule even if there is war in Iraq. That is unless we get directives to do otherwise,” Zahid Noorani chief executive of the CBFS said. “Even if something happens in Iraq I don’t think it will affect the transportation and stay of the teams in Sharjah which is one of the safest places in the world.”
“South Africa has reiterated its commitment to play the tournament, while we don’t foresee any problems from Pakistan and Sri Lanka. We are in the process of finalizing their travel plans,” Noorani said.
For South Africa and Pakistan the triangular series is very significant given their early exit from the World Cup in South Africa earlier this month. For both teams the tournament represents the first opportunity at the international level to start their rebuilding process possibly under new captains.
“As always we will be awarding major benefit purses to players from Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka and the respective boards have to send in their nominations,” he said.
According to details, Pakistan has nominated former opener and captain Aamer Sohail as its major beneficiary for the April tournament, while South Africa have nominated Mike Procter.
