Miandad humiliated for second time

Javed Miandad has fallen prey to the players power for the second time in three years when he was unceremoniously shown the door without being allowed to complete his specified term.

Miandad, appointed in March 2000, was given the mandate until the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. But his ouster means that either Mudassar Nazar or Geoffrey Boycott might be given the task to prepare the team for the ultimate challenge.

Mudassar, who also coached the team on the 1993 tour to the West Indies, is incharge of the National Cricket Academy while Boycott will be arriving here on May 21 for his second visit to coach the youngsters.

There is also a proposal to utilize the Yorkshireman's services in helping the team with ground and pitch conditions besides other assistance to counter England in the two Tests to be played in May.

But as regards Miandad, country's most successful batsman, he had faced similar problems in April 1999 when he quit after just seven months as coach.

The similarity on both the occasions was players unhappiness against his style, approach and working method. If the players complained to deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in April 1999 that the coach was making false and unsubstantiated allegations of their involvement in corruption, this time the players alleged that he was wrongly getting share from the prize money and logo deals.

To add insult to injury, Miandad's coached team lost the five-match series in New Zealand 3-2 and then had to suffer the embarrassment of suffering their heaviest defeat at Hamilton where they lost by an innings and 185 runs after winning at Auckland by 299 runs.

Whatever may be the case, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) went full distance in defending Miandad before being left with no other option but to either sack the senior players or Miandad, as recommended by Faqir Aizazuddin in his tour report.

While one can feel sorry for Miandad, it would be unjustified to rest all the blame on the PCB officials. Any establishment probably would have done the same. However, the PCB cannot be absolved of criticizm for appointing Miandad in the first place when only a year earlier, he had problems with the same set of players.

The chairman of the PCB, Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, told reporters that he didn't agree that Miandad was a victim of players power. "You and I are looking at the issue from a different angle," he told mediamen.

"I know Miandad is hurt but I will pamper him like a kid," the general told reporters.

While Miandad's contribution in helping Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana and Faisal Iqbal can't be denied, the fact that he had a controversial career ever-since he was first appointed captain in 1979-80 can't be forgotten. His appointment had led to a players rebellion after the Australia tour in 1981-82 an on the eve of the home series against Sri Lanka.

Besides, his performance as coach was below-par as under his reign, Pakistan lost three out of four home series in the last two years. However, Miandad can take pride in saying that he was the architect behind Pakistan's successful tour to India in 1999 and then an equally good tour to the West Indies last year where Pakistan won the triangular series and lost the Antigua Test in controversial circumstances.

According to the PCB chairman, Miandad has been pulled out because his services were required at the cricket headquarters. But he has yet to be given any assignment. The PCB further claims that in Miandad's absence, there were not enough technocrats to handle day-to-day affairs at home.

But while saying this, the PCB officials forgot that they had appointed another "indispensable individual" in Pakistan cricket's musical chair Yawar Saeed as manager for Sharjah who is also a technocrat and a member of the advisory council.

Yawar, who has previously managed cricket teams, was also a candidate for the ICC chief executive's office but failed to impress the committee who opted for Australian Malcolm Speed. He had been replaced as PCB director on Nov 21 by Brig Munawwar Rana.

Nevertheless, Miandad, despite being humiliated for the second time, is optimistic that he might stage a comeback. "You never know. I might be back for the England tour," he commented.

In a surprise move, the PCB didn't name a coach for the Sharjah tour because of the shortage of time. The explanation is hollow and void of any logic because the PCB were mentally prepared to sack Miandad and had hinted that quite a few times.

Waqar Younis was appointed captain for the Sharjah series even though Inzamam-ul-Haq looked a certainty after having served as vice-captain to an indisposed Moin Khan. But the decision appears wise and sensible if the fast bowlers command and authority in the Singapore tri-nation tournament last July is taken into consideration.

But at the same time, Younis' appointment would surely provide a lease of life for a struggling Moin whose captaincy and place in the team is under serious threat. If Inzamam would have been the candidate to replace Moin, he would have been the incharge of the team in Sharjah and not Younis who will have to battle for a place in the Test squad when Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Wasim Akram and allrounder Abdur Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood regain complete fitness.

However, the most mind-boggling decision is the recall of injured trio of Saeed Anwar, Abdur Razzaq and Mohammad Sami. Saeed and Razzaq didn't participate in the Test series after appearing in the one-day rubber, while a shin injury had sidelined Sami from the Hamilton humiliation.

It is unknown on what grounds the three regained their places. They neither appeared in any first-class matches nor played in any practice match of note. On the face of it, they have secured medical clearance on paper. Whether it is enough for the selectors to pick a player? Your guess in the same as mine.