Kamran Abbasi
Debate for the future 1: Big Brother lend a dime
India is Pakistan's lifeline to regaining a full international itinerary
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
Pak Spin has been quiet. I make no apology for the present melancholy that I feel for Pakistan cricket. Yes, there are bigger issues gripping Pakistan but our brief here is to discuss and debate cricket. There has never been a more threatening time for the game in Pakistan, and the Marriott bombing has changed the whole complexion of the crisis.
Over the next few weeks, I propose to cover the main issues that Pakistan cricket must grapple with, allowing Pakistan cricket lovers to suggest their solutions to the critical problems that Pakistan's politicians, administrators, and cricketers are facing. We may not win the hearts and minds of suicide bombers or international cricketers. We may not change the future of Pakistan cricket. But we will be heard, as Cricinfo offers the most visible forum in the world of cricket.
Full postThe murder of Pakistan cricket, a fan writes
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
I have received a plea: “Dr Abbasi, please do something for Pakistan cricket!!!” I thought I was playing my part but clearly not forcefully enough for Fahad Khan from Oklahoma.
I guess his sentiments will chime with those of many Pakistan fans. This edited extract of his email letter speaks for itself. Do you agree?
Full postThanks for the memories, Mushy
Mushtaq Ahmed does leave behind unparalleled memories for fans of his country and fans of his county—and there can be no bigger compliment
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
Mushtaq Ahmed will have bid a sad farewell to county cricket. It was an arena that saw him achieve great personal and team success at a time when his international career had run into the sand. Indeed, county cricket rescued his career when the Pakistan Cricket Board had churned him up and abandoned him.
There were, of course, brief flirtations with an international recall and an attempt by Bob Woolmer and Inzamam-ul Haq to create a role for Mushtaq as assistant coach of Pakistan, but his career summary would fit any number of Pakistan players of his era: a talent part fulfilled but somehow unfulfilling.
Full postOld powers bomb a soft target
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
Let's be clear: the chances of the next edition of the Champions Trophy taking place in Pakistan are next to nothing. The political compromise crafted in words by the ICC is a cover for the international blockade of Pakistan as a venue by cricket's traditional powers. The rift in international cricket, between old and new, is alive and well. India's economic might protects it from any possible backlash from the ancient powers of Australia and England, but Pakistan is a softer, easier target.
Indeed, the rise of money in international cricket means that cricketers and cricket boards can turn their noses up at an inconvenient tour of Pakistan, knowing that it will little damage their careers or their bank accounts. The campaign against touring Pakistan has been a cynical and hysterical drama based on spook stories and vivid imaginations.
Full postHe came, he saw, he floundered
Dr Ashraf has divided opinion in Pakistan
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
You may find this hard to believe but Dr Ashraf has divided opinion in Pakistan. His numerous critics have encountered a plentiful supply of advocates. The central argument of the advocates of Ashraf is that he talks much sense. Nurtured in medical and human development environments, Ashraf has a soothing tone that pulls together jargon and management rhetoric to create an aura of competence.
Yet talking a good strategy is only one element of the role of the head of an organisation. The ultimate benchmark is the quality of decision making, and this is where Ashraf's record is lamentable.
Full postA tournament of the willing
I'll keep this short, the general arguments have been rehearsed many times.
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
I'll keep this short, the general arguments have been rehearsed many times.
1 The ICC was right to support Pakistan's hosting of the Champions Trophy. Cricket should not be held hostage to unrelated incidents. As Haroon Lorgat pointed out, the reality is different to the perception.
2 It is also right that players concerned about their own security should be able to decline any tour or tournament without penalty other than the risk that their place might be taken by somebody else.
Full postInternational chancers ridicule the sport
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
Should a cricketer be denied an international career by the inconvenience of birth or upbringing? Last week brought us the differing cases of Danish Kaneria and Darren Pattinson. Both are disturbing.
Kaneria is flirting with the idea of qualifying for England if Pakistan continue to ignore him. He denies any immediate intent, of course, but the fact that the thought lives with him betrays the mentality of an opportunist.
Full post Asif's tragedy is an indictment of Pakistan cricket
It is something of a fantasy to expect the Pakistan Cricket Board to be ranked with the world’s leading national sporting bodies
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
It is something of a fantasy to expect the Pakistan Cricket Board to be ranked with the world’s leading national sporting bodies. But it is entirely reasonable to expect competence.
The reign of Dr Nasim Ashraf has been filled with grand intentions and destroyed by grand misjudgements. The recent farce of leaked emails and bugged phone conversations is symptomatic of an organisation crippled by a critical breakdown in relationships between senior management.
All this unwelcome controversy, however, fails to distract from the PCB’s greatest mistake under Dr Ashraf, which is its mishandling of the drugs problem. The issue of drugs in sport cuts to the heart of sporting professionalism and administrative excellence. It is a marker of integrity and an examination of the robustness of a cricket system.
Full postAsia must choose morals over race
Asia must show its leadership can be based on values, and this is the easiest test of leadership it could face
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
Zimbabwe has always enjoyed the support of Asian cricket boards. I have also argued in the past that cricket links should be maintained despite Robert Mugabe's regime. But the Zimbabwe political crisis is at a point which makes the decision a clear one for cricket boards in all countries. England were among the most likely to pursue a boycott but the South African decision - as well as statements from political leaders in South Africa - is the most significant turning point.
The political situation in Zimbabwe and the actions of the other cricket boards should be a sufficient steer for Asia's cricket administrators. This is not a time to play out a race game in the ICC or worry about accusations of hypocrisy. Asia, and in particular India, must show that its aspirations to lead international cricket into a new world are propped up by substance. And this substance is not one of populations or finances. It is the substance of integrity and morals.
Full postA cup that suddenly matters
When the 2008 edition of the Asia Cup was scheduled it ranked amongst the most meaningless tournaments in an increasingly meaningless schedule of 50-over cricket
Kamran Abbasi
25-Feb-2013
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Pakistan's surprise victory in the Kitply Cup brought a shallow sigh of relief and a brief inhalation of oxygen. Angry emails, drug scandals, and terrorist threats have all, however, hinted at further suffocation for Pakistan cricket.
While the world kicks on to a Twenty20 Nirvana, Pakistan cricket is struggling for quality, allies, and a seat at the Champions League table. The cricketers and their fans need a break from misfortune and the Asia Cup offers a perfect opportunity, even though it is timed for the murderous heat of Pakistan's summer
Today's statement that Pakistan may take England's place in the tournament typically serves to confuse as much as it clarifies. The Pakistan Cricket Board chairman has been claiming that Pakistan has a certain spot in the Champions League but today's announcement suggests significant uncertainty. It is hard to understand how Pakistan has come to be disenfranchised when it had been one of the countries initially pencilled in to participate in the Champions League?
Full post