The ban on Shoaib is an outrage

The Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to ban Shoaib Akhtar for five years is yet another step on what has been a long and winding road to oblivion. Once one of the top drawcards in the game - no other team stretched the West Indies at much as they did when the men from the Caribbean were at their peak - the Pakistanis are now in danger of becoming a sideshow, with hardly any proper cricket on the itinerary for the next two years. On top of that, they've just decided to dispense with one of the few potent pace bowlers they have, a man who also happens to be a maverick and entertainer from the old Pakistani school.

"The board has lost confidence in Shoaib Akhtar and therefore felt his presence in the field was damaging to the Pakistan team, for Pakistan players and for the image of Pakistan cricket," said Nasim Ashraf, the board chairman. "The committee has recommended a five-year ban for Shoaib Akhtar. He will be ineligible to play in Pakistan or to play for Pakistan anywhere else in the world. [It is] a sad day for me and for Shoaib Akhtar. He is such a talented player."

If he's so talented, why have you thrown him to the wolves? Incidentally, Shoaib's crime was merely to query the decision to deny him a national contract. He didn't do a runner to the Indian Cricket League like some of his compatriots did, nor did he call the selectors or the board a "bunch of jokers" or a "bunch of jokers headed by a muppet" in the great tradition established by Mohinder Amarnath and Marvan Atapattu.

Given that these are tumultuous times in Pakistan, no one knows how long Ashraf and his cronies will hold on to the reins of cricket power. Regardless of that, Shoaib should head straight to the courts and do his utmost to bring them to their knees. If he does so, he will certainly have the support of many. As Kamran Abbasi wrote on Cricinfo, "A five-year ban for breaching the code of conduct of a cricket board that fails to demonstrate any high standards of its own is farcical. Pakistan's cricket board has lost all perspective if it believes this ban to be reasonable. A five-year ban will certainly end Shoaib's international career and, if it does that, the blame will rest as much with the cricket board's mismanagement as it does with Shoaib's unprofessionalism."

The man himself pooh-poohs any suggestions that he wasn't committed enough to the cause. Despite being ill and unfit for vast stretches of the tour of India late last year, he still roused himself to bowl some thrilling spells. There was certainly no throwing in of the towel. "Ask the captain [Shoaib Malik], ask coach Geoff Lawson and they would vouch for me," he said. "I had played with high fever on the India tour, which proved my commitment. I bowl fast so I am prone to injuries, but I have given my heart, soul and body to this team. I know some vested interest did not want me to be the part of the team, but I will be back."

Famous last words?

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Comments

[david brightley]

i`m not completely understanding the politics of the pcb. However even as an England fan, this ban means a loss of one the finest sights in world cricket, on a personnel level i hope he plays test cricket again.

[Xan]

I can believe absolutely anything of the PCB, except that they might behave in a moderate, considered and professional fashion and put the game ahead of the carnival of politics and rhetoric. Would I rather watch Shoaib Akhtar bowl or listen to one of them spout platitudes? It's not a difficult question to answer, really, is it?

[virenMK]

What I don't understand why is ICC governing body saying anything.

Don't the ICC have any guidelines to offences committed by cricket players and how they should be punished whether the offences take at home or away ie Harbhajan/Symmonds incident ICC was reacted quickly and matter was put to rest.

And what about the Pakistan Coach or manager. Doesn't he have any say in this matter!

If you look at football ie Alex Fergusion of Manchester United would defend his players to the last(remember Eric Cantona!)

And 5 years! Even in Drink & driving accident where someone is killed here gets a few months suspended sentence!

God help Cricket!

[oldasiahand]

The game needs mavericks and the various cricket boards need a good kick up the backside.

[James Roberts]

Pakistani cricket is a bizzare place. You can take drugs, whack your teammate with a cricket bat, igonore the coach's instructions and tamper with the ball and everyone will defend you to the hilt and insist that it's all a racist/imperialist conspiracy. Criticise the Board's contracts policy though and it's a five year ban!

Whatever his merits as a person, and a teammate, Shoaib was a hugely watchable cricketer - in full flight in his early days and as a more thinking bowler as he got older (he developed a lovely slower delivery that caused huge problems against England a few years back). The ban is excessive, why not just drop him if that's what his egocentric behaviour merits?

As a spectator, I'll miss him.

[Mudassar Rana]

once again the board have shown that they lack the manhood to take proper decisions. Shoaib criticsed the board fairly in my view for not offering him a contract because others less deserving did get one. someone who played whilst he had fever and bowled his heart out in india is not guilty of showing a lack of committment. this shows that because shoaib was at the fag end of his career the board thought it would be the easiest way to get rid of him. The offence did not merit such serious action. i hope he does get to court and have this decision overturned. pakistan will soon get another regime change at the pcb and these wannabe administrators and the traitor mushy's boys will get the sack

[Shaikh]

I am getting really tired of all you so called experts saying how the crime doesn't justify the punishment.

It has to be taken in context of what has happened in the recent past (drug cheat, hitting a teammate with a cricket bat!).

Despite your lovefest with Mr. Abbasi, a very pretentious blogger, I still appreciate MOST of your analyses.

[S]

Dileep,
I find it hard to understand why you think this ban is "an outrage".
Let me give you an example-
John McEnroe dazzled and infuriated people with his tennis and tantrums. He got away with a lot of nonsense only because he was so talented and charismatic. However, he got defaulted from the Australian Open 13 years after playing pro tennis. The offense was relatively mild (by his standards), but it really was the straw that broke the camel's back. My point is- there is only so far your talent and charisma can take you; everyone has a limit to their patience and tolerance.
Btw, nothing personal against Johnny Mac. I remain one of his biggest fans. However, a true fan is one that is honest about the object of his/her admiration.

[tony]

WHO GOD IS CAREER IS FINISHED. PLEASE ASK HIM TO CONTINUE HIS FIGHT FOR JUSTICE AS WE DONT WANT HIS ANTICS IN ENGLAND. HIS DRUGS THING WAS DUE TO HIM NOT KNOWING WHAT DRUGS HE WAS TAKING AS HIS DOCTORS WERE SIMPLE VILLAGE DWELLERS HE SAID. PITY HE DIDNT ASK THE SURGEONS IN NOTTINGHAM HOSPITAL WHERE HE HAD A LEG OPPERATION. PROVIDING HE STICKS TO HITTING HIS OWN TEAM MATES WITH A BAT I REALLY DONT CARE-- HE'S A FOOL AND HAS BEEN FOR YEARS-- CRICKET IS JUST A GAME FELLA-- ITS NOT REAL LIFE-- SO GO GET ONE-- AND PLEASE MAY THE COURT CASE LAST AT LEAST 5 YEARS WHEN YOU CAN TAKE DRUGS AND BOWL SPINNERS FOR A CLUB SIDE--ON THE SUB-CONTINENT PLEASE

[Som]

Well, just because he is "talented", "maverick" and "entertainer" does not licence Shoaib to trample team interest and gun for individual milestones only.

Till his death, poor Woolmer could not convince Shoaib truncate that criminally spectacular run-up that inevitably invited slow over-rates in ODIs.

Pampered to the hilt first by the Tauqir Zia-led PCB, the narcissist in Shoaib developed a self-destructive streak. For him, cricket was never Pakistan vs Opponents. It always was Shoaib vs Speedgun.

I'm afraid he would go down in the game's history as the exciting prospect who was ruined by the growing gym culture. A potential history-maker who preferred to remain history-sheeter.

[The Pav]

Arham Karim,

Last time Pakistan were in Asutralia. His team needed him. He wasn't there.

178 wickets in 46 tests over 10 years @25.7 is hardly the stuff of legends.

Nor is the two ball tampering offences, suspect action, positive drug test, hitting a team mate, getting sent home from tours and so on.

A run up so long you fell asleep between balls.

Bad hair.

Endless self promotion. If he was as good as he kept telling us then Pakistan would rule the world

Sorry mate, a short spell when he knocked a few over don't signify.

How many World Cups has he won?

One good thing is on , I think, his first tour of Australia he saved a little kid from being run over.

He's exciting if you like saop operas not cricket

[Arif]

The action taken against him for the offense is not proportional. If his history is used as justification then it becomes a personal matter, not a decision taken on the merits of the action.

If this were up to me, I'd fine him big time but not ban him for 5 years.... The board had opened the door for this themselves when they denied to offer him a central contract. Shoaib just fell for the bait... yes... no one accused him of having gobs of tact.

[Suresh]

I hope he goes to court and make these people pay. Suspending for a series or a few matches is understandable. Though I am not a big fan of his antics, literally shutting down his future career is not justified.

[Arham Karim]

Interesting post above by THE PAV..

I wonder where he was during the 99 world cup, chennai, sharjah when shoaib demolished the aussies and truckloads of games in between.

Shoaib is singlehandedly the most exciting fast bowler the world has seen since Wasim,Waqar and Alan Donald were in their prime.

The Pakistan board is, just like the countries politicians- inept,corrupt and hopelessly inept.
They are unable to make decisions, seek out problems and are only good at minting money for themselves.

Shoaib has once again been made a scapegoat, and perhaps this explains why so many talented pakistanis, be they doctors, professional sportsmen or singers (many have migrated to india) walk out on the country as the talent they possess is simply not recognised.

What a complete tragedy.

Bigger tragedy is that these fools refuse to learn from the mistakes they make.

[Abrar Ahmed]

Dear Dhaval

Thank you for non-partisan and objective views!

[JackMaz]

Cricket is such a messed up sport, i can't see how it is entertaining anymore when you see all the farces that go on nowadays. Cricket's days are numbered.............

[b.kris]

Good,
Bring the Rawalpindi express to India. India never had a true fast bowler. Shoaib will be a great asset to Indian cricket.

[Dhaval Brahmbhatt]

Dear Dileep,
I wonder why you sympathize with a man like Shoaib. If someone has a track record like him, you should praise the PCB rather than sympathize with Shoaib. Agreed the PCB did not pick the right offense to ban him, but they can only take so much.

Everyone keeps saying that he is talented, I don't even buy that. For the most part he has been a chucker. The two deliveries with which he bowled Sachin and Rahul in the Kolkatta test, were both throw balls - take a look at them at your leisure and you will know what I mean. The man can't bowl a single delivery over 90mph without chucking. I am sure there are many more in Pakistan who can be genuinely good bowlers - I would much rather they play for Pakistan than a person like Shoaib.

I am glad the PCB has banned him rather than bear the brunt of his tantrums.

[Abrar Ahmed]

It seems easy to knock the guy but I agree that if the ban has been served on account of his comments about the national contracts this hardly ranks in the same league as Attapatu's comments to the Sri Lanka Board. A 5 year ban is a travesty. The guy has come back and proved his worth at various times and I specifically remember his contribution in home test matches on unhelpful tracks. It's typical of the Board to want to make an example of him in the most draconian manner and shoot themselves in the foot in the process. PCB- a bunch of lemmings with no clear direction or agenda and a propensity to knee-jerk reactions to protect their own sense of their exalted position.

[klimt]

Pakistan wants (and deserves) to be taken seriously on the international cricket stage. Pakistan wants respect, so much so that it was prepared to throw a test series when it felt disrespected by the umpire Daryll Hair.

Yet, with this undemocratic ban of one Pakistan's star performers - and not for breaking the rules of the game, nor for bringing the game into disrepute or for breaking the rule of law off the field, the PCC is behaving in an hysterical, power-crazed and incompetent manner.

It is the current PCC who should be swept out of power as they are damaging a fine cricketing nation's reputation in the eyes of their peers around the world.

[Al]

Quite clearly there has never been a Pakistani cricketer truly guilty of anything, whether it be ball-tampering, umpire victimization or drug abuse. Why do people keep picking on them..........

[Dileep]

Ah yes, the Indian tour is there, provided the BCCI doesn't manage to create an IPL window for earlier next year. As for Australia touring, I'll believe it when I see it. But seriously, three Test series in two years? What has the PCB been doing to protect Pakistan cricket's interests? Trying to arrange one rubbish tri-series after another?

[Adeel Azhar]

Dileep, "no serious cricket for pakistan for the next two years"??? I thought the series with India and australia were "serious". Being a part of media in pakistan i can tell you that most people are happy to see the back of Shoaib Akhtar.

[Dryden Liddle]

The ban is outrageous! Shoaib should head straight to court and fight it tooth and nail. If he successfully appeals the decision and is reinstated, this would have the added benefit of undermining the small-minded officials of the Pakistani Cricket Board.

[The Pav]

Whilst I think the ban is unfair a big part of me goes so what.

I've never seen Shoaib deliver

He's played 46 tests in a million years because of injury or whatever plus didn't he have an issue with drugs

If he was any good he would be more durable.

As far as I'm concerned he's all pants and no trousers