Who is responsible for this debacle?

Pakistan's failure to progress through to the Super Six phase of the World Cup in southern Africa comes as no surprise. There were several reasons behind the team's worst ever showing at cricket's quadrennial showpiece.

To be honest, Pakistan never stood a chance of going beyond the preliminary round, given their one-day performances since August last year.

Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Tuesday appointed a three-man inquiry committee to review the team's performance in detail.

According to a PCB press release, the committee - which evidently is not impartial and independentwill also give its recommendations regarding penalties to be imposed on those found responsible for the poor performance.

It's simple and clear that the PCB chairman is adamant that the players are to be held responsible for whatever went wrong in recent weeks.

Former captain Intikhab Alam rightly hinted several months ago unless the PCB set its priorities in order, Pakistan stood no chance in the World Cup.

On that occasion, Intikhab cited PCB's wrong policies, bad management and groups within the squad as the causes of all the ills.

Tauqir, who quit his post after Pakistan were annihilated by Steve Waugh's Australians during the offshore Test series in October last year before being asked to continue by President Pervez Musharraf, wields powers in all matters of the PCB, even in team selection.

Deliberately or otherwise, the PCB chairman wants to rule the board all by himself because he cannot tolerate interference from anyone. That's why he has failed to implement the new constitution of the PCB.

One would like to ask the general, why give more emphasis to programmes like Vision 2005, national and regional cricket academies and infrastructure development of the grounds?

Perhaps the biggest mistake PCB chairman committed was when he stripped Moin Khan of the Pakistan captaincy over a petty issue 22 months ago and appointed Waqar Younis in his place. At the same instance, Javed Miandad was dumped as the coach. The results are obvious to everybody now. The crisis which Pakistan cricket is facing now is all because of that one decision.

As usual, the PCB paid no heed and chose to rejoice while Pakistan romped to Test victories over England, Bangladesh, West Indies and New Zealand. Even when things started to go wrong eight months ago, PCB chairman kept on saying that Pakistan had not done that badly and would bounce back with a vengeance.

Making tall claims in the public was never going to win the World Cup. But the PCB officials and some of the players, day in and day out, kept on issuing statements in the media that this team will do Pakistan proud by clinching the coveted trophy that means so much to everyone.

An unprecedented extravagant send-off - on which something like Rs14 million was spent - was arranged at Gaddafi Stadium. That function never saw its proper end as the free ceremony for all was baton-charged, leaving several people badly injured.

Worst of all, Tauqir himself promised that the entire team will be honoured with handsome cash awards, a cool Rs20 million per individual, even before the tournament started on Feb 8.

The general wanted this team of no-hopers to win the World Cup so that nobody could challenge his authority and question his integrity as the PCB supremo.

The PCB chairman's love for the white-skinned foreigners is another obsession and that's why he chose to rely on Richard Pybus, Dennis Waight and Daryl Foster as part of the World Cup campaign.

The induction of Foster was to ensure that enigmatic fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, the so-called most favourite cricketer of the PCB boss, would succeed in dodging the umpires and match referees or anyone else who questions his diabolical bowling action.

Shoaib, who it seems is suffering from a mental disorder syndrome, was put in his place emphatically by Sachin Tendulkar's broad bat in the much hyped but one-sided clash between Pakistan and India last Saturday.

If the players are to be blamed for the shameful display in the World Cup, then at the same time, the PCB chairman can't absolve himself of all the wrongdoings.

When Tauqir took over as the PCB chief, he perhaps did not imagine that whatever he does would come under microscopic attention. But some of his moves are open to question despite the fact that his efforts are aimed at improving the country's cricket and making Pakistan a top side again.

One agrees that thanks to Tauqir, cricket is flourishing at the grassroots level because that is where the back up would eventually come from.

President Musharraf may have averted a major crisis last October when he chose not to accept Tauqir's resignation. But judging by the sentiments of the general public, one can't expect Tauqir clinging onto the PCB chairman's seat for long.