| February 04, 2009 | Wednesday | Safar 08, 1430 |
A good turn by capital police that citizens will hope to spread
After a disastrous few years of mismanagement Pakistan cricket is now plagued by events which does not seem to go away. To add to the sudden change of command — from Shoaib Malik to Younis Khan — the resignation of Director General Javed Miandad, fast bowler Mohammad Asif’s ban and the financial irregularities of some of the board’s former officials, we are now lumbered with the ICC’s decision to take the Champions Trophy away and to once again award the Oval Test match to England.
We can understand Younis replacing Malik because the young all-rounder was not the right choice in the first place. He had not played the whole series in England and in South Africa because of injury and did not deserve then to be named the captain.
Miandad’s exit was even more alarming for the fact that he knew what he was going into. He should have learnt from his past involvement as captain and coach. Every time he had to quit or resign and should have known, therefore, the nitty-gritty of the whole situation before taking up the assignment.
He did take a wrong foot forward to join the corridors of the headquarters without signing a proper contract. To me it seems there is a lot more to it than the eyes can see which should better be left to the imagination of the readers who have been following the recent events. I will not be too surprised though if he is back in the fold once again on Ijaz Butt’s return from Australia.
This whole scenario is not really alien to us. Conflict, controversy, rebellions and resignation have all been a part of our cricket set-up and it has a rather embarrassing history. Therefore, let us for a moment ignore all that and concentrate on whatever has been decided at the ICC meeting at Perth.
Zimbabwe, as expected, still remains out of Test cricket. And Pakistan not only lost its rightful allocation of holding the ICC Champions Trophy but also was dealt a heavy blow for not being able to retain the forfeited Oval Test result, reversed earlier by the ICC.
There is no doubt though that in this whole saga, the countries not willing to tour Pakistan are guilty of double standard, but that is besides our own shortcomings. The MCC instead succeeded in convincing the ICC that it was not in their jurisdiction to change the result in the first place. Whatever the argument of the case and its merit, a major portion of blame must go to Darrell Hair the umpire and also to Pakistan team and its officials led by their chairman at the time.
This whole episode I shall deal with in some other column.
What is even a lot more disappointing after Perth’s meeting is the decision to defer the ICL application for recognition so that their players are able to play at least in domestic cricket of their respective countries. The previous Sri Lankan board had already allowed their five players to play domestically last year but the 19 Pakistanis remain banned by the PCB, depriving them thus their livelihood and the opportunity to play for the country.
The PCB, I am sure, is in mood of lifting the ban but only with the blessing of the ICC who, I suppose, now should come to an understanding with BCCI — the promoters of IPL — before their boat is rocked.
The PCB already have a legal notice served by the Pakistani ICL players to consider lifting the ban and if the ICC and BCCI fail to understand the situation, then I shall not be surprised if they are dragged in the court for justice.
As I write this I have been informed by Moin Khan, the former captain of Pakistan and ICL’s representative of Pakistan players that a Sindh High Court ruling has passed its ruling allowing the ICL Pakistan players to play domestic cricket. Surely, the PCB will respect that and stop supporting BCCI’s stand on their rivals.
In a similar situation many years ago, the ICC and TCCB (then Test and County Cricket Board and now ECB) had lost the court action against Kerry Packer when he started World Series Cricket in 1977 by signing top players of the time. Once his company, which controlled Channel Nine TV in Australia, was refused the TV rights by the Australian Cricket Board despite a bumper A$1.5 million offer to show games in Australia, Packer had decided to start the rebel series. And so did the Zee TV who created the ICL when refused the televising rights by the BCCI.
When the TCCB and ICC announced that they will ban Packer players, Packer sued them in the London High Court and won the case for the players to set a precedence. Justice Slade, giving verdict in the Aussies tycoon’s favour, had said, “professional cricketers need to make a living and ICC should not stand in the way just because their own interest may be damaged.”
The ICC and TCCB had to share the cost of the case. I am sure the ICC remembers that and will take a leaf out of Justice Slade’s verdict. The case was more so interesting for the fact that Mushtaq Mohammad and I used to sit in the gallery of the London High Court to listen to the argument by Lord Alexander QC hired by Packer during September 1977. At the end of one of the day’s proceedings, Mushtaq offered me to accompany him to meet Packer.
A fleet of eight black Jaguar cars waited behind the court as Tony Greig, Asif Iqbal, Mushtaq and Packer’s entourage were taken to Dorchester Hotel where Kings and Presidents stayed. Packer had booked the whole of the top floor.
When Mushtaq introduced me to Packer, a man of massive frame, he said that I was a BBC reporter and his friend. Packer’s reaction was not friendly as he reacted by saying, “Oh no, not another journalist.” Mushtaq immediately then told him that I was his friend first and a journalist second. “You are welcome now,” Packer replied.
Moments later a tea-trolley with a huge cake was brought into the lounge and Packer pointing his finger at Greig shouted, “you did not tell me it is your birthday today, now that I know here is a surprise for you.” He was that kind of a man.
Within two years of his starting the WSC in Australia, a compromise was struck with ABC and ICC and Packer in 1978-79 was awarded the rights which his company holds to this day. World Series Cricket stopped after that but not before he introduced coloured clothing, white ball, black screen and floodlit cricket.
What was seen as a rebellion league at the time, in fact, came as a blessing in disguise for future generation cricketers as their earnings became respectable while the game got a new lease of life.
Time’s now to read the writing on the wall for PCB, BCCI and the ICC. There is no harm in coming to terms with the reality of ICL. A compromise could be a better solution which should allow the ICL participants to play domestic cricket or else, a big surprise await them too in the court of law which may well charge them with ‘restraint of trade’ (that is depriving professionals to earn their living).
For all involved it could be tough and embarrassing too.
ISLAMABAD POLICE on Monday handed over the long-locked private house that it had occupied, and opened the office of its Senior Superintendent of Police (East) there, to the Capital Development Authority. That it would bring great relief to the legal heir of the dead owner is beyond doubt. One only hopes that the good turn taken by the police not only lasts but also spreads to wash away its stigmas.
This was not the first house taken over by the Islamabad police. Earlier, another house in F-7/1 was occupied and used for the office of the inspector general (IGP) and deputy inspector general of police some years ago. However, the police legalized it and started paying its rent, to the government. Does the police have the right to occupy private property if found abandoned by the owners? This is the question.
It is painful to recall the perception of corruption and abuse of power associated with the police – a force tasked with protecting the lives and property of the citizens. Honest police officers admit privately that ethics and adherence to law had been going down in the force. They blame the moral deterioration on the lust for money in the society. It is lust for money that makes policemen commit sins to their own benefit or to oblige the powers that be. This is adding to their bad name as in public image they are already seen as bullies and as protectors of criminals.
Disregard for law is not restricted to police. The evil permeates the society at all levels. People of all walks of life at all levels break laws. Only the severity of the foul act varies according to their status. A simple, ordinary person would dare to jump the red light while the men with wealth and influence do not flinch from violating the biggest law of the country – the Constitution.The rise in crime in the federal capital is worrying citizens with the fall in the graph of police competence. The more police officers are seen in the city the more citizens wonder what and who they are protecting.
Their duties and deployments make it obvious that they are here for the protection of the high and the mighty, the VIPs and other influential people while the common man is insecure and faces dangers at every step.
Laws and authority are being misused freely and in some cases, the custodians of law not only break the law and force the victim to settle the issue for a consideration.
Though all men are equal before law, ordinary citizens face discriminatory treatment at the hands of law enforcers on a daily basis across the country. Some recent cases, however, show Islamabad’s model police force in its true light.
On January 28, federal minister for housing, Rehmatullah Kakar, while answering a question in the Senate revealed that police topped the list of unauthorized occupants of government accommodation in the federal capital by grabbing 167 out of 377 flats found to be illegally occupied.
The upper house was told that the record of government houses was burnt during the Lal Masjid disturbances and was being prepared afresh.
According to the record compiled so far, 167 flats were under illegal possession of employees of the Islamabad police, 118 by employees of non-entitled departments and 92 by retired employees including senior bureaucrats and officials of Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Among illegal police occupants, nine were deputy superintendents of police.
