Imran hits out at Pakistan Cricket
Urges President Asif Ali Zardari to reform the
national game:
Shahid HASHMI
Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan on Wednesday urged President Asif
Ali Zardari to reform the national game of cricket, which he said was in
a mess.
"If Zardari really wants to help Pakistan cricket then he must allow
it to be an institution. It should be constitution-based and have an
elected chairman with elected representatives," Khan told AFP.
Pakistan's cricketing woes saw Shoaib Malik replaced as captain by
Younus Khan following the team's humiliating 234-run loss their worst
one-day defeat handing visitors Sri Lanka a 2-1 series win last week.
It was the third major reshuffle in as many months. In October,
Zadari appointed Ijaz Butt chairman of the cricket board, after Nasim
Ashraf resigned. Butt then sacked Australian coach Geoff Lawson for poor
team performance.
Further chaos followed later on Wednesday when batting legend Javed
Miandad quit his post as Pakistan Cricket Board director general
following disagreements within the crisis-hit governing body of the
national sport.
"The PCB wanted to restrict me to domestic affairs and I don't want
any interference in my work. I have therefore resigned," Miandad told
AFP.
PCB chairman Ijaz Butt refused to comment on Miandad's decision until
talking to him or returning from Perth, Australia where he is due to
attend an International Cricket Council's Executive Board meeting.
Khan, who led Pakistan to their only World Cup triumph, in Australia
in 1992, and is now in politics, said the country's head of state
appointing the cricket board chairman was the bane of Pakistan cricket.
"No way should the president of the country appoint the cricket
chief," said Khan.
"The president of Pakistan is patron of the cricket board and
appoints its chairman, unlike in most countries where the chairman is
elected.
Khan said in a country obsessed with the game, cricket needed to be
organised properly.
"Why can't Pakistan cricket be based on successful models like
Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, where the talent is
concentrated in six regional teams set up by nurseries below?" said
Khan, who played 88 Tests for Pakistan.
Khan, who retired from cricket in 1992, now heads his own political
party Movement for Justice (Tehrik-e-Insaaf) and has never held a post
on the cricket board.
Khan ridiculed a proposal from Zardari, who suggested holding a
round-table conference to resolve cricketing matters.
"Cricket is run on an ad hoc basis in the country, so the president
is now suggesting a round-table conference without knowing that the
previous regime of Nasim Ashraf wasted millions on such conferences to
no avail."
Khan said the saddest aspect was that the team was going from bad to
worse.
"Ever since the 1992 World Cup win and the 1999 runner-up finish, the
performance graph is having a downhill trajectory. In 2003 and 2007, we
were ousted in the first rounds," he said.
Khan, regarded as one of the top four all-rounders of his time, said
the country's entire cricket structure needed an overhaul.
"Our domestic cricket is incapable of polishing a talented youngster,
so it needs an overhaul and we should do it quickly otherwise time will
run out."
KARACHI, Thursday, AFP
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