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Dear PCB,
I have been a passionate Pakistan cricket fan for over 20 years, and I have seen this team go through a million ups and (a billion) downs. I have stood by this team and extended unconditional support through thick and thin; despite all the match-fixing allegations, corruption and nepotism accusations and spot-fixing convictions, I continued to ‘bleed green’.
But the downfall we are experiencing lately has me, along with many others, close to losing all interest and hope in our team.
Your inept management might choose to ignore my letter (after all, what's a fan's plea worth in this lucrative, corrupt, money-milking setup that is cricket in this country), but I will exercise the right to voice my frustration anyway.
See: Top PCB officials missing in action as key decisions begin to backfire
I remember growing up in the '90s when this country produced untameable heroes, who were fighters and warriors in their own unique ways. Sure, we had a few downslides here and there and occasionally embarrassed ourselves against formidable sides, but we still had the ability and more importantly, the power of will to bounce back strong. I don’t remember seeing arch-rivals India as a big threat up until the mid-2000s, when their long term investment in cricketing infrastructure started to yield prosperous dividends.
Meanwhile the officials at PCB were busy looking for ways to increase their take-home salary.
I am not frustrated with another defeat by our unquestionably superior neighbours, but rather the way we have lost, again. We have shown absolutely no improvement in the last four years. In fact, I believe we are worst now than we were four years ago.
It is all becoming too predictable now and that is very frustrating for die hard fans like me.
Also read: Dear PCB, not all surprises are pleasant
In the last decade, whenever we have played India, our players looked timid and under a great deal of pressure while the Indian side maintained their cool and treated us like just another weak subcontinental side. Even if we had bowled out India for 200 (wishful thinking given their robust batting factory), there is no doubt in my mind that we would have rolled over for 160; or if we somehow would managed to miraculously chase down the target with them maaon aur behnon ki duayen, it would have been with four balls to spare and one wicket in hand. This has been the trend in the last decade and I, for one, have had enough of it.
You, PCB, are turning away hundreds of thousands of fans like myself who used to get up at 4 am just to watch a game of cricket.
You continue to appoint your friends on multiple positions in the board and team management; continue with your shenanigans in player management; continue to butt your head into places you don't belong; continue to order selections and omissions of players to represent us on the grand stage; and continue to impede help from genuine patrons as if Pakistan cricket is your family business, meant to be run as per your personal whims.
Barring the Indo-Pak match yesterday, I truly cannot remember the last time I sat in front of the screen to watch this team live. A few score updates online usually suffice.
I live in Brisbane where Pakistan plays Zimbabwe in a couple of weeks, and I regret to admit that I have no intentions of purchasing even an inexpensive ticket to go and cheer for the team.
Maybe life is just busier now, or maybe I have just snapped out of it altogether. Either way, it is Pakistan cricket that suffers.
The gloomy faces and the angry Facebook statuses I have been seeing since yesterday are all on you, PCB. You are responsible for taking away the only good thing we had – our cricket – and slowly turning its glory into something whose dreadful state is all too familiar – our hockey.
Read on: Miandad baffled by decision to open with beleaguered Younis
There was a time not too long ago when, despite all the chaos and scandals, we were proud of our brilliance on the field. That time is now receding, painfully, one nerve at a time. I have heard from my father many stories of our glorious past in hockey, and I truly hope I do not have to share similar stories of cricket with my children some day.
I sincerely hope that you do something to reignite the flame that is slowly being snuffed out with every new miserable loss.
Thank you,
Just another Pakistani cricket fan.
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (105) Closed
Feb 17, 2015 01:59pm
Well said. The Imrans, Miandads, Akrams were all gifted players who stood well above the cricketing governance in Pakistan. They were so damn good, they just had to get ready and go to the field. But their greatness, knowledge and expertise cannot be passed on without a solid cricketing infrastructure.
And as Zeeshan rightly pointed out India improved the infrastructure dramatically. And India was not the first nation to do this. We saw something similar in WI and Australia. The Aussies invested in Infrastructure while WI relied on their greats. But now see the gap between Aussies and WI teams. The same is repeating with India and Pak.
And the blame for not investing in cricket squarely lies with the Boards.
We may have corrupt folks in BCCI but surely a good part of the money also goes into infrastructure.
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Feb 17, 2015 02:01pm
Well written, I share the same kind of feeling like you and I started doing on our defeat in ladtcworld cup semi final.
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Feb 17, 2015 02:03pm
Too much politics of self-interest and too little cricket.
We should keep the politicians away from PCB. They have a reverse-Midas touch. Any gold they touch will turn in to dust.
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Feb 17, 2015 02:04pm
The story line of Pakistani batting since the 92 world cup has been the following:
One quality top order performance, followed by a half-hearted middle order performance followed by a heroic rescue performance by the likes of Wasim, Moin, Abdur Razaq, Rashid Latif.
And then there was Wasim, Waqar, Shoaib, Mushtaq, Saqlain, Asif, Aamir and Ajmal to bowl us to victory. Now even the bowling isn't there.
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Feb 17, 2015 02:11pm
I am much agreed to writer. On match day, I observed Pakistani players were under unseen and undesirable pressure. I think Pakistani team lost their buoyancy. When our selectors will select the team on basis of friendships, relations, personal interest and some other reasons (parchi and undertable money) then same results will rise. Our Pakistani cricket team players, selectors and coaches are just enjoying their handsome salaries and earnings; they damn care the honor and prestige of Pakistan. They don’t care how the Pakistani people were hurt from this defeat; they will go to some clubs and will enjoy their “defeat” in jovial manner.
Shame to "great" coaches, "star" players and to "an old head" exhausted chairman.
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Feb 17, 2015 02:15pm
It's just a loss man. It can be overcome and pakistan may even go on to win the cup. They cannot keep losing to India in world cups and sooner or later they may win. Why are you so upset
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Feb 17, 2015 02:18pm
The sentence which precisely capture the whole situation. "It is all becoming too predictable now".
I am worried only because of above issue. Pakistani team is no more "unpredictable". It has become predictable (in bad way).
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Feb 17, 2015 02:19pm
Damn! Such an honest piece. While you are right about the rot in Pak cricket, you are way off the mark about Indian cricket. India hardly gets to beat anyone outside Asia and this is the result of the same nepotism you are talking about where players chosen by Srinivasan (corrupt to the core) and MSD, who are a part of CSK team get to play. have a look - Rohit sharma worst batsman to grace Indian colors, playing only because of so-called Mumbai tradition, Jadeja, Ashwin, Mohit Sharma - in team because of CSK connection, Stuart Binny - father is a selector, no utility otherwise. Pak lost to India more than India beat them simply because Pak plays the game more on an emotional level than on physical and rational. all the best for your future games! May we meat in the finals!
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Feb 17, 2015 02:20pm
thanks for sharing, very well written piece.
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Feb 17, 2015 02:24pm
Voice of every Pakistani cricket fan out there...
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Feb 17, 2015 02:24pm
Story of every Pakistan cricket fan from 90ies. Where do you tweet Zeeshan? In the 90ies, it was watching cricket n hockey all day long, in 2000s, watching cricket and following pakistan hockey, since 2007, its following cricket n nothing of hockey. I hope in another five years, fan from the 90ies would not stop following cricket as well.
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Feb 17, 2015 02:25pm
I stopped watching cricket 4yrs back was a dire hard fan. had to watch every test match at work listen to the commentary @ school but not anymore. not because i am extremely busy or occupied but only that i feel we are not the same anymore on the field as we used to be.
the flame that the writer is talking about for me it is long long gone
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Feb 17, 2015 02:26pm
Very simple but well written account of situation
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Feb 17, 2015 02:39pm
With all due respect, don't call yourself a passionate, die hard fan if you don't remember the last time you saw your team play live. Buy a ticket, watch the match, support your team if you feel the board is responsible for this mess (and not the team) since they are two separate entities. India has a better team and we were completely outplayed. Let's just accept that fact and move on to the next matches where our team needs our support. You're spot on about the problems with the board but that doesn't mean you stop supporting your team.
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Feb 17, 2015 02:40pm
@Vijai Murugan: Vijai, it is not about defeat. It is about defeat without a fight. I think you understand what i want to say.
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Feb 17, 2015 02:40pm
Aakhir Kab Phodoge Pathakhe ?
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Feb 17, 2015 02:41pm
Well Mr. Zeeshan, you guys are not alone. We in India have the same misfortune of having shameless guys run the BCCI. Had it been a civilised western country, Srinivasan would have resigned long ago especially after the way in which the Supreme Court took him apart. But guess what ? We share the same genes and culture of shamelessly hanging on the perks unless dragged away by the judicial system.
I have been reading about how Pak fans think that MS Dhoni is a better captain. Believe me at this point of time he is the biggest liability around. He is woefully out of form, has forgotten how to finish a match and (the greatest disservice he could do to the nation) he conspired against an inform Yuvraj Singh (the hero of 2011) so that he could get his cronies in the team. He is the same person who was caught lying in the IPL betting scandal.
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Feb 17, 2015 02:45pm
bleed green copied from bleed blue does not rhymes
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Feb 17, 2015 02:45pm
I was watching Pakistani cricket since 90's and will keep watching it just to see the end of corruption in PCB/ Najam Sethi.
For Misbah - Even a club cricketer knows that fielders on boundary line should be tall enough to save 4's and 6's. But you keep fielding with tiny 5'ft Yasir Shah at boundaries.
Was it fixed?????????????? If not then you should feel shame and resign from captaincy.
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Feb 17, 2015 02:46pm
Its just a game. Being an Indian, I too want Pakistan to be a competetive side. Looks Pakistanis and Indians crazy cricket fans take it more seriously than required. Chill, forget wait for next win..... Simple....
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Feb 17, 2015 02:49pm
The main reason for cricket down fall in Pakistan is its non competent management. Time & again appointment of ageing & non professional chairman has added to its woes. In house chamcha giri & politics practiced in PCB has further aggravated the situation. Corruption is yet another factor causing cancer in PCB. The one thing PCB is good at is issuing show cause notices to poor players & junior staff members for expressing their views or talking to press. Only an honest & aggressive ex cricketer of comparatively young age can help salvage the sinking ship of cricket in Pakistan.
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Feb 17, 2015 02:55pm
problem lies ... when we select non professionals for a professional job. it runs in our veins.
look at the entire structure of PCB, you will see messy affairs from audit, selection, coaching, COO selection, Chairman, tour managers and their credibility etc.... none of them knows the job. but again, what to say more when in our ministries farmers are running petroleum ministry and businessmen are running public ministries and swelling their wealth... this is our mind-set not our shortcomings. we need to changes this clandestine mind set to get better results in every field... else we are a hapless nation ready to pounce on every event but would never try to rectify core issue or root cause... I will not blame any player in the team for loss....
if a country full of cricket talent cannot find suitable replacements for Misbah, Umar, Younis etc... we should not cry over such embarrassing losses. it will continue... and PCB's manners for ducking the problem is not different to our governmental styles, after all PCB Chairman is selected by our govt head...
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Feb 17, 2015 02:59pm
I think we should be thankful to PCB and the current lot of cricketers who make up the 'National Cricket team' for they have really made it possible for us to detach our feelings from the current cricket team. When I was growing up cricket was my favourite sport but now I take more pleasure in watching EPL and La Liga and occassionlay try to play soccer whenever possible.
With time we will all realize that a slow game like cricket is not worth our time and effort and we should instead be focusing on sports such as Football, Rugby, etc.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:01pm
Cricket like Pakistan is managed by inept, corrupt people....so what do you expect.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:02pm
~~~ "don’t remember seeing arch-rivals India as a big threat up until the mid-2000s, when their long term investment" ~~~
The difference between today and 1990s (when India used to lose to Pak) is not bec of India's long term investment. The difference is because nowadays there are not matches in Sharjah, and there are only neutral umpires. You can understand what I am saying!
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Feb 17, 2015 03:09pm
We should not grumble on teams performance, it only replicates national performance. one only needs to follow the sports and civil society and government going hand in hand north or south. its psychological phenomena. improve your society every thin else shall come by. dont blame any one except yourself.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:11pm
Here Here....perfectly sums up my feelings. We are witnessing the decline of cricket like we have of Squash and Hockey. Eventually we will all blame the goras for changing the rules and having a conspiracy against us. We won't realize that the game has changed and we are still playing the 80s and 90s game.
Our players are more interested in selfies than working hard. They care more about the name on the back of the jersey rather than the one on the front. We are too afraid of losing to try new things. It is pathetic. Our cricketers used to inspire our nation. Now they only ridicule it.
What good is it to support players who care more about their paychecks, who gave us match fixing, who corrupt the talent they are supposed to nurture, who cheat, who scuff the pitch thinking no one is looking, who don't apply themselves and try to finish every match in the first 30 overs, who deliberately run out their team mates.
We only have primadonnas on the team, an inept management who believes old is gold, and fans who forget and forgive all too quickly.
I for one have had enough. I would rather watch a South Africa, England, Australia and even India play...they have heart and passion.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:20pm
anyone who was thinking pakistan had any chance of winning the match against india, clearly doesn't know anything about pakistan cricket.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:22pm
Well said, i am so properly disappointed with our team and PCB. We all have to agree that the PCB and our team are replete with incompetent, egoistic and useless officials who don't give a toss for where Pakistan stands in World cricket.
Sometimes i think with the kind of decisions we see in the matches, it's like the game plan is orchestrated by people who don't even know what a bat and ball or a pitch is. Even a layman and when i say this, i mean it, even a layman knows that someone like Younis Khan who isn't even that solid in the middle order, how is he able to open the innings?!
I mean what is this?. What are you? a local cricket club?. I really, really hope that ALL our responsible senior ex players gather and criticize this PCB. Wasim Akram, the fantastic bowler, how come he's giving tips to all the top players in the World and especially Indians and he can't train our bowlers?. How come?. Because PCB ignores him and doesn't even ask him to come and train our bowlers, because of their over inflated egos.
And it's not only about the match with India, why criticize India? Indian team has one of the best, world class Batsmen in their lineup, and recently i have noticed a marginal improvement in their bowling as well. Yes, they're a world class team, you are not a world class team. They played well and they won, they deserved it.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:24pm
Absolutely right.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:29pm
Keeping deserving players out and defending garbage selection is a norm of PCB. Najam Sethi is responsible for one more puncture in our life.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:31pm
Ups and downs in any sports are part of the game. Talent reserves vary from time to time. We had a better side in 90s. India has a better side now so get over it. Brazil was invincible in 70s football and today they cant touch European teams. Pak came 2nd last in 1986 hockey world cup and then 8 years later with a new generation of players, they won it in 1994. Stop looking for heads to chop at every defeat that you dont like. If you are a true fan, then dont have same expectations from every Pak team and be always ready to swallow that bitter old pill that your team might throw at you. Talk about the english fans at the end of the last Ashes series (even if you have seen it).
Also, keep into account the lose of Junaid Khan, Saeed Ajmal and M. Hafeez. And what about the fact that Pak manages a Test No. 4 rating despite no home cricket for 6 years. So give the guys a break. This bullying culture from the fans needs to stop.
Also, stop pretending that you are a true fan because you are not. A true fan loves the sport, loves the battle of bat and ball, loves the mind games, loves the atmosphere (which was awesome in Adelaide) and then accept the result even if his team loses.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:32pm
Mr Ahmad; "Doston ki dosti say sadmay Uthaey jan par; Dushmano Ki Dushmani ka sub gila jata Raha".
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Feb 17, 2015 03:32pm
The fish rot from the very top. When the political leaders are gifting away the coveted positions within PCB as a favours (read 35 punctures) to those who might not have held bat and ball in their entire lives, what else one can expect? Cricket is not suffering because of PCB but its the political leadership corruption which is having the trickle down effect on all our institutions including PCB. Sort the top out, everything will fall in line.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:35pm
@Vijai Murugan Yes, its just a loss but the way it has been lost, that's intriguing.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:42pm
Why not claim we won?
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Feb 17, 2015 03:45pm
@Rajat Before commenting, do a proper search. Do not act like a judge based on hearsay. N Srinivasan, which court or SIT has convicted him in corruption charges for you to decide him as corrupt to the core. He is successful top industrialist and owns profitable company India Cements. Pl check the Q3 financial results.I am not his defender, but i have to correct you for wrong info you feeding here. Supreme court has only observed clash of interest due his ownership of CSK and directed him to relinquish the position. Secondly, your comments on selection is total joke. The selection committee consists experts from all the zones.No doubt Roger is a member, but selection is not done on one man diktat while assuming others as mere spectators. Thirdly, Dhoni influencing selection just he shared CSK dressing room with mohit, jadeja and ashwin.Ridiculous man.You have no reason to doubt Dhoni credibility when he has own 2 world cup. Think before u leap.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:47pm
There are 3 problems: -
1. Nepotism, corruption and a heavy does of ineptitude of the Board.
2. Lack of infrastructure in which to nurture and bring on new talent (linked to ineptitude of the Board).
3. Lack of international matches at home. In truth touring is tough for all players especially you players. Therefore it is really hard to bring on new exciting young players away from home which to a large extent Pakistan are having to do. In many ways the failure of Pakistani cricket is linked inexorably to the war on terror, lack of security and the reluctance of international sides to tour. This is not one for the Board but for the Patron of the PCCB - Mr Nawaz Sharif.
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Feb 17, 2015 03:49pm
@Rajat i hope not, cant bear another emotional torture where we lose
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Feb 17, 2015 03:55pm
@Rajat ....continued from earlier post.....you conclude with sympathetic note to pak commentor...."hope we meet in finals".........This cannot get better than this joke....That means, you still believe N Srinivasan selected, Dhoni influenced, Roger binny love for his son included india team reaches finals on oversea tournament.Total contradiction to your own assessment. You are total confused and in your eagerness to motivate our pak friend you are loosing the logic.
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Feb 17, 2015 04:03pm
All of us fans want to see: a fighting spirit; an aggression to win; to not lose hope easily...
However, the issue with PCB and Pakistan Team is the same: Economics and Greed. The Spirit and the Love to play for our country, to be in field wearing greens, is not visible anymore.
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Feb 17, 2015 04:07pm
Beautifully said.
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Feb 17, 2015 04:34pm
pcb is clueless........ just like our government.
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Feb 17, 2015 04:36pm
Can PCB responds to Wasim Akram's comments on the video above! Its a bizarre behavior of the PCB!
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Feb 17, 2015 04:46pm
I agree with Zeeshan. The PCB has a lot to answer to its supporters in Pakistan and fans of Cricket from across the border where I live. A strong Pakistan team can only be great for the game. Come on and pull up your socks PCB.
I have written my bit in my Facebook site Willow Sounds. You can access it on my Facebook page Virinchipuram Srikanth. All the best to the Pakistani team. The tournament is by no means over as yet.
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Feb 17, 2015 04:46pm
@Guru jee Imran Khan's team won one day (5-1) series in India. Wasim Akram's team won tri-series in India. Inzamam's team won one day series 4-2 in India.
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Feb 17, 2015 04:48pm
@desi_mani Proper investment of money and time pay off.
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Feb 17, 2015 05:03pm
The main reason for cricket down fall in Pakistan is its non competent management. Time & again appointment of ageing & non professional chairman has added to its woes. In house chamcha giri & politics practiced in PCB has further aggravated the situation. Corruption is yet another factor causing cancer in PCB. The one thing PCB is good at is issuing show cause notices to poor players & junior staff members for expressing their views or talking to press. Only an honest & aggressive ex cricketer of comparatively young age can help salvage the sinking ship of cricket in Pakistan.
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Feb 17, 2015 05:07pm
Its much needed to re-arrange the PCB.
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Feb 17, 2015 05:07pm
I was watching Pakistani cricket since 90's and will keep watching it just to see the end of corruption in PCB/ Najam Sethi. For Misbah - Even a club cricketer knows that fielders on boundary line should be tall enough to save 4's and 6's. But you keep fielding with tiny 5'ft Yasir Shah at boundaries. Was it fixed?????????????? If not then you should feel shame and resign from captaincy.
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Feb 17, 2015 05:12pm
From very start we all knew that Pakistani Side is weak, so why fuss.
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Feb 17, 2015 05:20pm
we will rise again
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Feb 17, 2015 05:47pm
we are all sick and tired of the corrupt and incompetent players at the helm of the pcbs -
i am a british pakistani and can tell you the pride and passion we in england had for the pak team of yesteryear and how aggressively we played against all the teams (spitting fire and hatred on the pitch) and arrogance we showed to one and all in our ability rightly or wrongly but we had a great team that played hard, won hard and partied hard !!
now we have the hypocritic religious zealots in the team like those mentioned in the judges qayyam report - all we get are excuses after excuses - we will learn from our mistakes - that was 8 years ago !! keep religion out of cricket it is personal matter and is what is now destroying pakistan nationally .... so keep it personal
i would ask all pakistani to vote for imran khan in the elections - he is the only one who has disdain and contempt for the pcb and other ex cricketers all of whom are more interested in the prestige and glamour of being abroad and feted !!
imran will broom out all these corrupt and incompetents out of office, so people of pakistan it is in your vote to get the changes in pcb and pak cricket structure for the last 20years
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Feb 17, 2015 06:14pm
The entire PCB needs to be fired due to qualifying as the worst management team in any sports. They seem to go out of their way to make completely idiotic selections or lack of it, confirming again and again their incapability and psychotic mental state, raising the very question, "What have you been inhaling"? Do the revenues taste that much better, paid by the bookies compared to the revenue paid by the fans?
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Feb 17, 2015 06:18pm
Wasim has a great mind but he was corrupt. How can you bring him in??
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Feb 17, 2015 06:54pm
The rott started with induction of Gen Tauqeer Zia , Shahryar Khan (1st tenor ), & then Dr Naseem Ashraf all of whom got proactively involved in the player selections, used the chairman position to project themselves. In doing so they took favoritism to extremes. This was also the mark of Gen Pervaiz Musharaf's team in almost every other department. Then came Zardari who also thought that its a post to reward friends.All this has created unprofessional behavior both in board and the team. Now look what is this sethi Or Shehryar has to do with this very athletic sport?
The solution now is very simple Just make those Budha Babas stay away from this glamorous game. I'm sure this will bring back professionalism & we may once again start producing players like Imran, Majid, Miandad & many others.
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Feb 17, 2015 06:55pm
@Zeeshan Ahmad, our team plays by politics not competence and it is very sad. Unless this board is completely independent from ruling pressure we can not make our place on world ladder.
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Feb 17, 2015 07:04pm
PCB should have raised its voice against ICC's late decision to clear Saeed Ajmal. There should be a law that whatever decision ICC wants to take against or in favour of any player it should be well in advance of any mega event, this is what any board's duty is.
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Feb 17, 2015 07:15pm
Corruption in the country is now seeping into this sport as well. This will only get worse and yes this is a bottomless pit so we will not hit rock bottom. The gap between us and other teams will only widen with time. This is no different than what is happening in politics, government offices and in the daily lives and businesses in Pakistan. Why are we now surprised? I guess it only hurts as this is a sport that we have learnt to love and cherish from our past performances. Give it time and our children will never know what it was like to be a die-hard pakistan cricket fan.
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Feb 17, 2015 07:24pm
I fully agree that PCB is responsible for deteriorating cricket standard in Pakistan. Individuals are making money and nation is suffering badly. Hoping to have the honest and competent govt. in Pakistan who can start investing in sports and we may have better team for cricket, hockey and others.
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Feb 17, 2015 07:25pm
@Ahmed maybe, but 72-51 score was not bec of one or two series held in India. That way india used to beat Pak in Toronto cups 4-1 or so. The main difference comes from games in Sharjah in 1980s - the umpires in those games were so incredibly biased
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Feb 17, 2015 07:33pm
We want Inzmam ul Haq, Javed Miandad, And Waseem Akram as PCB Management Team.
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Feb 17, 2015 07:37pm
Love the game and don't hate the players. Past glories are just that, in the past.
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Feb 17, 2015 07:44pm
We all remember his and Sethi's tour to India? Why?
There is No other country in the World, you have Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, by the Afghan Team is better than Sethi and Sheryar's team now.
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Feb 17, 2015 07:55pm
I live in Houston, Texas. I was very excited about World Cup 2015 and Pak vs. India match. I ordered the ICC World cup 2015 through Dish Network and paid about $100.00. After watching a first hour of Pak\India game where our team drop 3 valuable catches. I turn off my TV, call dish network and request them to cancel this order and thank God got my money back. Not planning to watch any more games with this kind of performance.
There are no place of Umar Akmal in any format of cricket.
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Feb 17, 2015 08:27pm
Up to you Zeeshan but regardless of personal feelings, getting the thrill of watching a Worldcup match is a memory worthwhile. Try to catch the game, bud.
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Feb 17, 2015 08:32pm
Musical chair , Zaka appointee of Zardari replaced by Sethi appointee of Nawaz Sharif, add to it the circus in pir courts, accepting, rejecting appeals by Zaka & Sethi, ever heard of porridge ? Here you have it.
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Feb 17, 2015 08:48pm
We all know why the likes of Akmals, Farhats are/were in the team.
Nepotism has been so prevalent that good players choose other careers.
Add to that corruption, mismanagement of the PCB higher ups. We just had a merry go round between Najam Sethi and Zakah Ashraf trading PCB chief positions. Tells you alot about the state of Pakistan cricket.
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Feb 17, 2015 08:49pm
Corruption and political parties have destroyed everything.
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Feb 17, 2015 09:54pm
What a great article. Spot on, like all the other sports cricket is also taking its last breaths..and no one can do anything about it except corruption
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Feb 17, 2015 10:00pm
I share the author's feelings. Cricket in Pakistan is on an irreversible slide, thanks to PCB, its petty policitics, corruption and incompetence.
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Feb 17, 2015 10:40pm
one of the finest article in recent times. shows exactly how fans experience the series of losses without fight.
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Feb 17, 2015 11:28pm
From the chief pattern (Nawaz Shareef) to PCB officials, selectors, coaches Iss hamaam mein sub nangay hein. Go figure.
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Feb 17, 2015 11:32pm
Dear Zeeshan,
Nice article but PCB chairperson don't read cricticism. Paksiatni p[layers like Shoaib Malik and Sohail Tanvir are in demand in WI & Australia, but they cannot find a place in the team. remember the time when Pakistan cricket peaked was when Air-Marshall Nur Khan was the chairman of PCCB. Nur Khan revived the fortunes of PIA and Pakistan cricket. It was then when Miandad was selected in the team, if palyers like Miandad cannot even find a place in the A team.
Unless there is damage control Pakistan will not qualify for the next round.
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Feb 18, 2015 12:28am
You are absolutely right.it is P.C.B who is responsible for this defeat not the team itself. Every blame should be diverted toward its top management and its selectors . They are just minting money , they don't have clear and defined strategy to improve quality of domestic cricket, stadiums condition , players academy. If this the best players we have got, then , it is useless to even play this game in this country . it is a waste of time.
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Feb 18, 2015 12:41am
Corruption on all levels. Pakistan lost squash and hockey on the world forum now it seems like cricket is on its way out.
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Feb 18, 2015 12:51am
In spite of all the protests Najam Sethi is still in charge of cricket. He heads behind the scenes. Chair of the PCB managing committee or something and tops all personnel. His appointment is obviously for the punctures he pulled for the PM otherwise he has no cricket or sporting background to qualify him for the position he holds.
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Feb 18, 2015 01:09am
Well written article that represent feelings of so many fans. I have seen couple od die hard friennds keeping themselves away from live watching of match. But they couldn't resist the temptation of checking the score at the end of the game. Looks like very soon that temptation would also just fade away and cricket would become an other tragedy like hickey and squash.
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Feb 18, 2015 01:18am
@ There are 3 problems: - 1. Nepotism, corruption and a heavy does of ineptitude of the Board. 2. Lack of infrastructure in which to nurture and bring on new talent 3. Lack of interest of player in ground there main interest in advertisement business and make money today incident with fielding couch, shows these senior players never learn any lesson first punishment is that next match younus vs Jamshed and akmal vs sarfarz. replacement, and if Afridi did not play well in his 2nd match we should not believe in china mobile, replace him also. this way u build a team.
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Feb 18, 2015 03:26am
I live in America and just added a channel to my programming package for $100.00 to watch Pakistan Games, but I guess I should not have done that.
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Feb 18, 2015 03:30am
religiosity has destroyed this country and all institutions - mullaism has taken over the mindset. Separate religion from state
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Feb 18, 2015 03:55am
@Guru jee
Who demanded strongly impartial umpires from 3rd countries? Imran Khan.
Biased umpiring was the norm in those days. I can't forget how Pak bowlers, Waseem, Waqar and Imran, used to break stumps just to be sure of a wicket. LBW was mostly not given... while paying against India.
But as I said the problem existed surely on both sides.
Nevertheless, we had some sort of fair selection of players. Current team is full of mediocre players with a long list of more deserving ones not being in the team
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Feb 18, 2015 04:00am
@Vijai Murugan Not upset on losing, the better team won on the day. Upset at the endemic corruption and consequential mismanagement of cricket in Pakistan.
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Feb 18, 2015 05:17am
I don't remember the last time I watched pakistan play live for all the reasons mentioned above. I have met a number of Pakistani players playing in overseas leagues and the stories you hear are just shocking.
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Feb 18, 2015 05:24am
@Guru jee Really then why is India loosing to the rest of the world still
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Feb 18, 2015 06:00am
I am surprised why no one is talking about bringing professional cricket back to Pak soil.
It's the price Pak cricket lovers pay for the inability of Govt combating Terrorism.
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Feb 18, 2015 06:16am
Waiting for Imran farhat to be reslected and all issues resolved
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Feb 18, 2015 07:16am
While I agree with everything you said I disagree with you being a die hard fan.
With all due respect, die hard fans sit through a humiliating defeat, until the last ball... preferably live.
The problems with the PCB are the same problems that the nation as whole faces, corrupt leadership with feudal attitudes--a combination of arrogance and entitlement. Self interests dominate over doing what's good for the nation, this attitude is prevalent across the country regardless of the level of wealth.
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Feb 18, 2015 07:23am
Well expressed. Havent watched a single match live on TV after 2011 semifinal. Just casual score updates occasionally.
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Feb 18, 2015 07:43am
..just analyse the state of the country & where it stands in the world on corruption, law & order , justice & economy and over all performance on the global scene & you will see a mirror image in the PCB & the Pak cricket team.
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Feb 18, 2015 08:14am
U need to forget kashmir ..work for stable and safe pakiatan so that u host other countries home. Lack of international matches is the result what we are seeing. U may soon lose tp ireland..watch out.
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Feb 18, 2015 08:50am
Zeeshan, great article. I share your sentiments and emotions. Thank you for writing this and getting it online. I have had it with this management myself. India deserves all the praise they can get. They have worked hard and the results are in front of us.
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Feb 18, 2015 08:51am
Please go watch the game. The very Least you can do, as a fan. Yes we all hate the PCB but that's all the more reason to have a little more compassion for "our Boys" who have been thrust into the big, mean world of real cricket without adequate preparation/training. The state of the team is hardly their fault, they are horded around by an inept PCB, they haven't gotten to play for fans at home in over 12 years, and they at the very least deserve to have Pakistanis abroad go watch their games and cheer them on.
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Feb 18, 2015 09:49am
Amazingly, Pakistan is the only country where no one is accountable to their deeds.
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Feb 18, 2015 10:29am
What Waqar and Mushtaq are doing with bowlers than...?
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Feb 18, 2015 11:00am
Such a great piece. You put every Pakistani's feelings in this one. But nobody at PCB will care about this nor about any Pakistani. All they care about is Quaid e Azam.
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Feb 18, 2015 11:19am
I think that Pakistan team has be away from International cricket for atleast for 2 years . Make a new team during this team and try to have them trained till the time they are mentally mature and physicaly tough to play international cricket. We all know that we have abundance of talent, however we are not able to convert this talent into a success.
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Feb 18, 2015 11:42am
Very true, voice of every passionate cricket lover, very disappointed with the entire team, no more enthusiasm to watch further WC matches. Waiting to win against India since 92, many Pakistanis left watching cricket.
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Feb 18, 2015 11:43am
For four years we heard the rhetoric that we are preparing for the World Cup. And here is our preparation, dressing room looks like emergency ward, players violating curfew, talent sitting at home watching matches on TV, no regular wicket keeper. Did ICC announce the venue of the WC in late January 2015? Before that PCB thought it would be played in UAE!
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Feb 18, 2015 12:18pm
@Rajat What do you mean? In the history of ODI cricket there have only been 4 double centuries scored....out of that 2 have been scored by Rohit Sharma!! You want to drop him ???
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Feb 18, 2015 12:23pm
@PREM Full marks to you Prem...
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Feb 18, 2015 12:49pm
Reunification will solve this problem. LETS UNIFY.
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Feb 18, 2015 04:13pm
very well written & very very truly written.......... during these political conditions in the country where voilence is all over , crimes are on the top we just have one thing common to celebrate is winning of our cricket team which is also influenced by corrupt officials & board members.... & poor selections.... plzz plzzz do not take away this happiness from us. because cricket is only the thing were we all think as Pakistani not as pathan,mahajir,panjabi,sindhi etc.....
this bring all the nation together.
thankx
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Feb 18, 2015 09:53pm
I agree. Cricket has lost its charm for me. I continue to wonder why big brands continue to endorse these players despite their performance in the national team. They possibly believe that one stunning victory over many heart breaks will heal wounds. I miss inzi, moin khan , wasim waqar etc.
I am sure we have talented and passionate cricketers in Pakistan but they aren't able to penetrate the system
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Feb 19, 2015 09:51am
Pakistani friends, please don't take it too hard. Truth be told, Indians were as nervous as Pakistanis before the match and many media channels and newspapers had started preparing the ground to defend this stance if India lost. Kohli scored because he got lucky rather than his brilliance and in the process India got lucky too. Rohit, Ajinkya Rahane, Dhoni and many others did not score either. Generally speaking, our teams are equally good, a shade better or worse. India went through similar depression when Miandad hit Chetan Sharma for a six on the last ball. You guys have suffered no such fate. You would reconcile more easily if you had lost to another team. This team of yours beat England just last week and it was normal. Please celebrate your excellent players like Misbah, Younis, Umar, Afridi and several others. Also remember that International teams have not visited to play in Pakistan for quite a few years and that has cost your cricket precious practice. As for never beating India, it will come and go and life will be the same with equal bragging rights.
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