At some point during his first day as chairman of the PCB, Chaudhry Zaka Ashraf came upon a letter placed on the desk of the office he inherited from his predecessor. The letter was addressed to him and was written by Ijaz Butt during his last day as chairman of the PCB.
Well, for all you know, it was.
This is what it would have said.
Dear Zaka sahib,
A great man once said: “Judge not your achievements by the scales of others but through the yardstick of thyself”.
The man who said that is none other than me.
Within this originality, Zaka sahib, lies the first lesson I wish to impart upon you as you embark upon the most challenging but potentially rewarding endeavor of your life: be your own man and let your individuality shine through in your words and actions. That is the path to true creativity and it is the course I have strived to follow. Now, I can look back at my tenure and confidently state that no one other than me would have done any of the things that I have.
Like you, the mantle of chairman was thrust upon me at a time when Pakistan cricket was in turmoil. True, both of us have worked hard to gain the exacting qualification required to meet the eligibility for this post (i.e. presence on the speed dial list of whoever is running the country. Yet, what do we know about running the country’s cricketing infrastructure?
The simple answer, Zaka sahib, is absolutely nothing. Therein lies our greatest strength and the unique charm of this job. It allows those, such as ourselves to put our own special stamp on Pakistan cricket.
I will give you my own example. I authorised multiple captaincy shifts and oversaw numerous policy redirections. Many called my regime inconsistent. I, however, would term it as “fluid”.
In any case, I make no apologies for the way I ran things. Yes, I have about-faced on certain policy decisions. Yes, I have changed my mind on repeated occasions. However, in our complex and nuanced system, it is unreasonable to expect a sustained application of principles. Isn’t rigidity the consequence of consistency in the face of adversity? And isn’t rigidity normatively considered to be a vice. To avoid rigidity, one should be prepared to question one’s own actions and be willing to reverse them at a moment’s notice. After all, isn’t indecisiveness really just another word for flexibility?
A key aspect of your duties will be your relationship with the ICC and you can expect a warm welcome whenever you visit the MCC. The ICC has been telling me for years that they cannot wait to meet my successor and this is no doubt thanks to my fantastic interpersonal skills and diligent diplomacy which has created an expectation of excellence. Be prepared to be challenged at their meetings. Oftentimes, while they examined banal rules and regulations, I was given crayons and a coloring book to express my creativity to inspire others.
Although you are singularly autonomous in running the PCB, it does not hurt to surround yourself with suitable personnel. I opted for a very cost effective approach towards staff. Given rising overheads and a crumbling economy, I appointed officers who offer multiple utility to Pakistan cricket. For example, by hiring Muhammad Ilyas I gained a selector, part-time chief selector and the services of his son-in-law Imran Farhat, a fine opening batsman. Mr. Ilyas also serves as my unofficial liaison with banned cricketers such as Salman Butt. Mohsin Khan moonlights as the national coach when not performing his duties as chief selector. In this manner, I was able to reduce expenses while promoting hierarchical continuity.
Just as important as being careful regarding who you appoint is being unrelenting about who you discipline. My philosophy towards punishment and redemption is very elementary. And by that I mean it is a philosophy originating from the elementary school level. I refuse to reach a compromise with an offending party unless he grovels and publicly apologises to me and admits to my being right and him being wrong. This tried and tested philosophy worked with Younis and would have worked with Shahid too if I had a few more months.
You will face a lot of criticism as you attempt to make your own mark, as I frequently did. Unstable they called me. Capricious. Incompetent. Senile. Foolish. Petty. Egotistical. Confrontational. Arrogant. Power mad. Just plain mad. All that was very helpful feedback and it made me realise that whatever I was doing was making a difference to people. And since “making a difference” is usually construed as a positive phrase I knew I was on the right track.
To conclude Zaka sahib, the terrain ahead of you is treacherous but manageable so long as you administrate from the heart like I always have. It is widely recognised that Pakistan play their best cricket when they are riding a wave of emotion and pouring their hearts onto the field. I take my cue from them and allow my emotions to dictate my actions since that always brings the team good fortune. Sometimes, I too feel like a cornered tiger when sitting at my desk surrounded by tedious paperwork. This is when you must lash out to disturb the status quo like Imran and his men did.
I envy you Zaka sahib. The heights you can soar in this position are potentially limitless. When I took office, my predecessor was a certain Mr. Nasim Ashraf and everyone told me that there was nothing I could do that would ever surpass his legacy.
Yet, look at me now.
Yours faithfully,
Mohammed Ijaz Butt.
p.s. Attached is my resume for a consulting position.
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