Lateef Jafri: Why this vacillation by the PCB Council? (20 Jul 1998)

20 July 1998

Why this vacillation by the PCB Council?

By Lateef Jafri

In what was billed as a meeting with a heavy agenda the Council of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the higher tier of the organisation, deferred some important items to its next month's sitting while it put an end to the guessing game by nominating a three-member selection committee.

Under the constitution only the Council has the mandatory power to name the selectors, the captain and the coach.

It is still not known why the decision on the coach was held back for the news was floating for more than a month that former captain and star batsman Javed Miandad was a strong candidate for the post now that his Brunei contract has run its course. He had earlier reportedly had a detailed one-to-one meeting with the PCB Chief Executive, Majid Khan, and sports scribes had noted that there was hardly any divergence of opinion on any issue relating to the former's reappearance on the cricket scene. As one of the most skillful and hard-hitting batsmen that Pakistan has produced there is little doubt that there may have been any difference of views in the Council. The veterans and cricket observers too have been backing his appointment for he knows the game from A to Z, had been a quick and agile fielder and had made his mark as a batsman of the vintage class in the English counties. A more suitable person can hardly be picked for such an onerous assignment now that he is prepared to serve the country's cricket.

It is possible some other name may have surfaced at the Council caucus at the eleventh hour and so the deferment. But considering the tight programme during the coming cricket season, the Indo-Pakistan tussles in Canada and India itself, the mini World Cup in Dhaka and next year's World Cup in England; the PCB officialdom should try its level best to convince the Council members -now slated to assemble next month - to make the right and the best possible choice, not a person like the previous appointee who failed to handle the players, provide guidance to the team and deliver the goods.

Presumably there may have been many opinions on the appointment of the captain for the mainstream team. There may have been several candidates for the slot of the skipper, apart from Aamir Sohail, who was tipped by the media to take over the leadership. Since the board panel is still busy going through the process of questioning a large number of former and present Test cricketers on betting and match-fixing charges it is possible the Council was not in a position to come to a decision, which may have been called hasty. Though Wasim had recently expressed his desire to keep himself away from captaincy it is possible many may be pleading his case. As a senior cricketer Salim Malik's claims cannot be flung to the winds. However, both will have to wait for the report of the inquiry committee to get a verdict in their favour. In any case the evidence will have to be iron-cast otherwise many eye-brows may be raised on the nature of the investigation and the followers of the game may call for benefit of doubt to be given to them.

A fit captain to set an example of quality performance before his team-mates is necessary if the end-result is to be positive and satisfying. This is not to be taken as a stricture on any particular player. Like the experienced cricket manager, whose guidance helps the conglomerate, the captain's advice on the field and his own laudable show as a player lift the morale of each member of the playing lineup. He should also be popular with the full entourage, the party treating itself as one homogeneous unit. The captain's choice is a ticklish one, considering that the names day by day have been short-listed. Still a wrong selection may prove counterproductive and harm the cause of the national team and the country's cricket. Since the selectorial panel will have no part in showing its preference toward a player the Councillors have a difficult issue on hand at their August get-together.

The important decision taken by the Council, and keenly awaited by the followers of the game, was the appointment of a new selection committee. Under the constitution its term is to last for three years. Though no clarification has been made on the subject, the board officials have given the impression that performances of the committee will be reviewed after a season and their tenure will be extended as of necessity. This means the selected team has to put up an impressive show and there is no criticism of any undue favouritism to players.

The names of the selectors may have caused some ripples in the cricket circles for media reports had tipped Zaheer Abbas's elevation to the post of chief of the panel. Anyway as a person of disarming nature cricket circles and city organisations would welcome the nomination of Wasim Bari as head of the selection committee. Nobody can question his cricket credentials, being one of the leading wicket-keepers during his playing days. He came to the rescue of the team and the board setup when Packer's recruitment drive had depleted the strength of the side and took over the helmsmanship of the national outfit twice in the late seventies. He had been a successful batsman as well and had set up the 10th wicket record of 133 with Wasim Raja for Pakistan against the West Indies. He was an alert and acrobatic wicket-keeper, having many creditable marks to his credit.

The selectorial assignment is his second one and this time as head of the committee for just four years back he was an associate of Javed Burki in his committee.

Salahuddin's re-emergence as a selector will considerably help the country's cricket for in the choice of a national team he always lays stress on merit and merit alone. He will scour all the venues of the country to see for himself the form and fitness of the probables. Only the cricketers giving the best possible performances can expect to be recommended by him. He has the courage of his convictions to give his viewpoint on the selection and collection of the best possible resources in the country, the most talented hands to measure strength with the cricket-playing countries.

One hopes there is no interference from the Board side to make the pack imbalanced and Shafiq Papa, who has retained his position, does not follow a policy of striking a discordant note during the panel meetings.

Source:: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)