PCB in catch-22 situation after Colombo debacle

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was left in a catch-22 situation as the team's consistent poor performance has opened up a debate and has led to severe public outcry.

The PCB chairman Lt Gen Tauqir Zia summoned his cabinet in Rawalpindi Saturday morning for an emergency meeting "to analyze the recent performance of the team and management".

The meeting will be attended by chairman of selectors Wasim Bari, general manager cricket operations Zakir Khan and director Chisty Mujahid.

The pundits of the game were anticipating sweeping changes and their predictions were being vehemently supported by the cricket crazy followers.

A survey conducted revealed that nearly 84 per cent of the cricket enthusiasts wanted the team management and the top notches to be fired. However, 11 per cent demanded the sacking of the team management and retaining the side while the rest were not bothered.

The initial feedback from the PCB quarters was that changes would be made in the Pakistan team setup with the management and some players likely to get the axe. However, the changes at this time might prove disastrous as despite being all but eliminated from the ICC Champions Trophy, the team is still on tour andunlikely to return.

"The Pakistan team will remain the guest of the ICC until Sept 24 because it is committed to attend several official functions. And with the first Test against Australia beginning from Oct 3, there is a possibility that the team might not return to Pakistan at all," Chisty Mujahid said from Lahore.

In this background, it would be unwise if the PCB goes for an overhaul and make the team management and senior boys face further humiliation by sacking them while they are on tour.

Secondly, the PCB has not yet managed to get hold of a foreign coach but Chisty said he would be much better placed to answer this question only Saturday evening. He, nevertheless, maintained that the PCB had not contacted anyforeigners.

Thirdly, skipper Waqar Younis was being tipped to be replaced as search for a scapegoat continues. But fact of the matter is that Waqar holds an excellent record as captain. He has an impressive 63.8% success rate in 47 one-day games while he has an 80% success rate in Tests.

Even if the PCB is contemplating a change, there seems to be no available choice available, except recalling Moin Khan. But then recalling the wicketkeeper would mean dismissal of Rashid Latif who has done a brilliant job since his return last May.

Nevertheless, the followers of the game were not in a compromising mood and have demanded that heads should roll.

"If we have to lose by 224 runs, then by eight wickets and again by eight wickets, why play with aging and veteran cricketers. Why not inject new blood and lose," argued 28-year-old Fawad Mustafa.

Mustafa Kamal, a banker working in Kuwait, sent an email saying: "Our big guns are now working on ad hoc basis."

Another 23-year-old fan Nauman-ul-Haq slammedthe team saying: "If the cricketers have any grace left,they should start packing their bags and plan to do something else."

Khawaja Fariduddin, a cricket fanatic, believed it was a conspiracy against Waqar. He said he couldn't understand why a winning team turned into the whipping boys, adding he was sensing something serious was boiling in the dressing room.

If there was harsh criticism on the team, some took a more sympathetic course.

"I believe, the PCB are to be blamed for the scenario because they made the players to compete in avoidable off-shore venues. Instead of curtailing their schedule, they made the players play all over the world," Aftab Ahmad, 48-year-old engineer, said.

"The boys are clearly drained, mentally and physically, and that's showing in their performance. They need a well deserved rest so that they can recharge their batteries and get back to business," Raheel Shamsi, an automobile engineer, observed.

Fawad Lodhi, a merchant Navy officer, said: "I don't think there is any need to press the panic button because when you play non-stop cricket, the performance of the team and the players is bound to slump and that's what has happened to the Pakistan team."

Ali Ahmad, a businessman, noted: "The worst part was that all the players were out of form at the same time. But I still have confidence in these players and only minor problems need to be tackled instead of making sweeping changes."