The first question that Malcolm Speed, the CEO of ICC, must answer is how a confidential letter to Wasim Bari was made public? Did he or the ICC itself release the confidential letter to the media?
If so, it is in violation of the trust that a confidential document carries. If not, then there is someone in the ICC who is up to no good and who wants to embarrass Pakistan. The ICC must put its own house in order.
By Speed's own admission there is a loophole in the regulation and there is some doubt about whether the definition of team official is wide enough to encompass a selector. That being the case what gives him the right to thunder against Wasim Bari?
Who is responsible that there should have been a loophole in the regulation'. Certainly not Bari. As CEO, Speed must be held responsible, Speed bears a resemblance to Stephen Leacock' Lord Roland who "flung himself upon his horse and rode madly off in all directions".
There is not even a rap on the knuckles for David Shepherd. Indeed he was rewarded by getting to umpire Pakistan's ODI against Australia. He also umpired one of the India-England ODIs and was instrumental in Steve Harmison getting a hat trick when he gave Lakshmipathy Balaji out - caught off his arm guard! Incidentally, the umpiring in the ODIs was very poor.
The ICC must stop hiding under the cover of a code of conduct. The umpires must not be molly coddled. Their mistakes can cost a player his career. They should get the same 'stick' that players get when they perform badly.
There have been a few who have muttered that Bari should not have criticised Shepherd because it is not the done thing. Someone has to stand up for Pakistan. We can't always be ji huzoors.
Foreign teams have refused to play in Pakistan, citing wholly bogus security concerns and we have taken it lying down. The cricketing world sees us as a soft touch. Shepherd made mistakes that cost us the final in Holland.
Selector or not, Bari gave vent to the anger that was widely felt. By Speed's own admission, he did not violate any regulation. What's all the fuss about? At least he showed that he had a spine much in the way A.H. Kardar and Haseeb Ahsan did.
At each outing Pakistan is looking better but still has not got into the rhythm of winning. Pakistan should have beaten Australia at Lord's. There were some critical failings including giving Andrew Symonds two lives.
There was some untidy bowling in the slog overs and Inzamamul Haq (and Bob Woolmer) must decide what are their main options bowling at the death. Shoaib Akhtar is not one of them. The pace has to be taken off the ball not put on it.
Injuries have depleted Pakistan's attack. First Umar Gul and now Shabbir Ahmed. Azhar Mahmood is not the ideal replacement but he's the best we have at the moment. Pakistan could have got off to a good start for Yasir Hameed looked in form. But once again there was a rush to blood from Imran Farhat. It seemed to be a pre-planned shot which proved to be a wild swing.
I was surprised to see Shahid Afridi one-down. It was one gamble too many. There was no need to change the batting order and Shoaib Malik coming at No 4 made even less sense. Inzamam should have come in himself.
Inzamam and Yousuf Youhana are in the team as 'pure' batsmen. They don't bowl and the less said about their fielding the better. All the more reason that they should be batting higher up.
Even so, Pakistan could have won, Yasir was caught off a blinder and Abdul Razzaq was caught and bowled and the ball just stuck in the bowler's hand when he appeared to be taking evasive action. Having hit a splendid six, Mohammad Sami should have known that bowler wouldn't just drop the ball in the same spot. The Australians know their cricket.
Pakistan need not feel too discouraged. The team is shaping up well and Woolmer is bringing discipline, which is a healthy sign because it shows that the players are responding. But we have a long way to go in reaching the fitness levels of other teams.
India was able to avoid a whitewash and some self-belief would have been retrieved. But the news about Sachin Tendulkar is a shattering blow and one cannot say for sure how long he will be out of cricket.
The Indians were able to win matches without any notable contribution from him. But he was in the team, chipping in with a few wickets but most of all as the team's guru. He was the indispensable member of India's think-tank.
The cricket world knows no national boundaries and I wish him all the best and a speedy recovery. A tennis-elbow is not a career threatening injury but he may need an operation.
England on its part is looking like a good team. In Andy Flintoff and Harmison they have two world-class players. If they carry their form into the Champions Trophy, other teams, including Australia better look out.
Hard work has certainly paid off and even Ashley Giles is beginning to look like a respectable spinner and whenever he comes on to bowl, the commentators seem obliged to say that he has had a good summer. And about summers let us hope that sun will continue to shine during the Champions Trophy.
