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Dropping Inzamam in the first place was a mistake THE countdown has begun for what will be a busy, international cricket season for Pakistan and though alas, it does not as yet include the resumption of cricket ties between Pakistan and India, fans in Pakistan will be able to see, once again international cricket on their own grounds and in their own conditions. The Bangladesh team will be the first to arrive, followed by South Africa and New Zealand. The selectors have announced the probables, the most important among them being Inzamam-ul-Haq. One must take at face-value the statement that he had not been dropped but had been ‘rested.’ Inzamam himself is very gung-ho and for a man who normally is not garrulous, in the past, he has allowed his bat to do the talking, he is making no secret of his joy at being recalled and is even promising a deluge of runs. Dropping him in the first place was a mistake and it goes to the credit of the selectors that the mistake has been rectified. Inzamam’s form had completely deserted him during the World Cup. He was, as the phrase goes, ‘dead out of luck.’ He was and is Pakistan’s best batsman, a fact that cannot be disputed. But his confidence was shattered and I am not sure whether the best way of restoring his confidence was to drop him. May be he did need rest and in that case he should have been taken into confidence and been reassured. All the more because Pakistan’s batting had a deep hole and there was no one available who was even remotely able to take his place, and who was half as good. Inzamam’s return will make the Pakistan team more balanced but more than that it will be a big boost for the younger players who will find that they will be under less pressure. Yousuf Youhana too has not been among the runs and he seemed to be distracted, as if, fretting about his loss of form. One hopes that the matches against Bangladesh, a lesser opposition, will allow him to find his form. He needs some big scores under his belt, making runs is a habit for a quality batsman. Pakistan’s batting can now be built around Inzamam and Youhana, the strong fulcrum that has been missing. According to news reports, Saeed Anwar is due to announce his retirement. His name does not figure in the list of probables and it seems that the curtain is about to come down on a distinguished career. He can at least claim that he went out on a high note. His was the only hundred scored by a Pakistani batsman in the World Cup and that too against India. Saeed was the most dazzling batsman in the world in his best form and gave millions immense joy when he was flaying the bowling to all sides of the park. He is slight of built and the power came from timing. The South African, Graeme Smith, also a left-hander, is something of a blacksmith. Saeed had the delicacy of a goldsmith and the sixes he hit, routinely, seemed only like touches applied on a piece of jewellery. It will always be argued whether he still had a year or two of cricket left in him. I was with the Pakistan cricket team in Australia in 1983 when, before the start of a Test match, Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rodney Marsh announced their retirement. In that particular Test match, Chappell made a double century and Lillee picked up a packet of wickets, most of them caught by Marsh. Like great stage-actors they had timed their exits to perfection. The timing of Saeed’s retirement seems somewhat unfortunate, as if he was waiting to see if he would be picked. None of this takes away from the contribution he made to Pakistan cricket and we have not had too many super-stars but he was certainly one of them. In the meanwhile Darren Gough has announced his retirement from Test cricket. Plagued by injuries, he had bravely soldiered on but while the spirit may have been willing, his body was not. Nasser Hussain quickly announced his availability in case the selectors had other ideas. He remains in the England team but is now in that precarious position that he will be judged on a match to match basis, rather like Steve Waugh, not his captaincy under inspection but his batting. There is no room for Graham Thorpe and England’s cricket establishment seems unforgiving. Thorpe went through a harrowing time during the break-up of his marriage and his availability for tours became uncertain. He is over his matrimonial difficulties and eager and willing to be back in the England team but seems to be getting no joy from the selectors. The selectors can sometimes be hard-hearted but cricket is a hard game. I have only media reports to go on and go by but efforts of the PCB to streamline domestic cricket by forming provincial associations is running into some troubled waters in Karachi. All changes bring some upheavals but I am sure that the troubles will be overcome. The bottom-line is: are the changes good for cricket? I don’t think personalities should come into it. It will have to be demonstrated whether the new format is a step forward or backward. And the only way of knowing this is to try it out. The game of cricket itself has seen its stubborn orthodoxy undergo radical modifications but its fundamental character has not changed. It’s a good thing that there should be a lively discussion but consider the cliche: we should not throw out the baby with the bath-water. Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)
