Cricket's governance crisis

It's very tempting to categorize the News of the World "exposé" as a problem endemic to Pakistan cricket. After all, less than 6 months ago, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced what was essentially a purge of players who were alleged / proved to have not been on their best behaviour during the thrashing in Australia.

The recommendations were:

After careful and detailed analysis of the events, the personal accounts of the team management and players and examination of record, videos and statistics, the unanimous recommendations of the Committee were as follows:

1. Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan keeping in view their infighting which resulted in bringing down the whole team, their attitude has a trickledown effect which is a bad influence for the whole team should not be part of national team in any format.

2. For the shameful act of Shahid Khan Afridi, which has brought the game and country into disrepute, he be fined Rupees Three Million. A warning be issued to him by the Chairman PCB and he be put on probation for 06 months, during which his conduct be strictly monitored.

3. Kamran Akamal be fined Rupees Three Million. A warning be issued to him by the Chairman PCB and he be put on probation for 06 months, during which his conduct be strictly monitored.

4. Umar Akmal be fined Rupees Two Million. A warning be issued to him by the Chairman PCB and he be put on probation for 06 months, during which his conduct be strictly monitored.

5. Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Shoaib Malik be fined Rupees Two Million. They should not be part of national team in any format for a period of one year.

Recommendations of the Inquiry Committee have been accepted by PCB in totality.

The recommendations of the Committee will go a long way to arrest the continuing decline Pakistan cricket and improve the state of cricket in Pakistan. It is a landmark exercise which is an outcome of labor and hard work of the members of the Committee.

The punishments lasted less than 3 months. Only Rana Naved-ul-Hasan has not been 'pardoned'. Younis' ban was lifted although he has not been picked yet. Mohd. Yousuf was recalled for the last 2 tests of the series against England. Shahid Afridi was even made captain after revoking his fine. Kamran and Umar Akmal were let off with lower monetary fines. Shoaib Malik's one year ban was over-turned and his fine was slashed by 50%.

The ICC definitely has little jurisdiction over the PCB's player-handling procedures. Maybe, that's why it did not raise a red flag. Neither did any of the other members of the ICC Executive Board. However, if it was so obvious that the PCB's administration was effectively cocking-a-snoop at all those who were for stronger punishments and a cleaner game, was it not even talked about at the board meeting in July?

Just as the IPL's governing council was culpable of sleeping when Lalit Modi & co. ran rings around it, the ICC's board is equally to blame for not asking the PCB tough questions.

Questions are being asked about why the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) of the ICC was blissfully unaware of what was going on. A couple of months ago, it confirmed that Mohammad Aamer was not using a mobile phone while waiting for his turn to bat. In hindsight, that clean chit seems so premature!

From a player management perspective, I have serious doubts over whether some of Pakistan's players even want to play international cricket. Pakistan didn't play a single test in 2008 and have not played at home since the terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009.

Under these circumstances, I'd assume that they'd be raring to go, make an impression and show the positive side of Pakistan cricket. The emergence of Umar Akmal, Mohd. Aamir, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, etc. gave cricket fans some hope. No more.

Now, as was the case for around 5-6 years in the 1990s and 2000, every single collapse will be viewed with suspicion. Every single recovery by an opponent will generate debate. The worst part is that the suspicion will not be about Pakistan alone. All fans, across the world, will wonder about events in a game.

Did Pakistan 'throw' the Sydney test against Australia earlier this year? If so, how did Mohammad Sami, among Pakistan's crappiest and most inconsistent quicks in the last decade, just turn up 3 years after playing a test and rip through Australia's top order? Why has he not been picked again since that game?

Other countries are hardly above board.

It's hard to not laugh when Hayden says "I believe it is a shock to cricket and if I can talk on behalf of Australian cricket and the playing group, it's just not even in our DNA to accept any kind of skulduggery when it comes to the game of cricket". He's just suffering from a little amnesia. Heard of John, Mark and Shane, Matty?!

This year, Danish Kaneria and Mervyn Westfield, who play for Essex, were arrested on spot fixing charges.

There's hardly a major cricket playing country which hasn't been touched by match fixing or spot fixing allegations.

This is yet another opportunity to get things right. The last 10 years have certainly been better from a control over 'fixing in cricket' compared to the 1990s, but the events in the last 2 days have clearly shown that there's a long way to go!

There's a leadership crisis and the ICC must step in. So far, it hasn't said anything. The first thing it must do is to stop the ODI series between England and Pakistan. It is unfair & ridiculous to expect fans, and players, to turn up, knowing in advance that specific events in the game have already been agreed to in lieu of money, or even worse, that the result has been fixed.

Secondly, the ICC must demand that countries stop revoking bans or penalties without a proper appeals process being adhered to. The appeal should only be heard by a group of eminent leagles (legal eagles!) and well-respected cricketers. National jurisdiction makes no sense unless the ban / penalty was applied for events in domestic cricket.

Thirdly, the ICC and the ECB must demand that Pakistan not do something stupid every time they land up in the country to play a test series. In 2010, it is about no-balls. In 2006, it was over changing the condition of the ball. In 2001, it was again about no-balls. In 1996, it was a libel case. In 1992, it was about ball tampering and snatched sweaters.

Labels: ban, crisis, governance, icc, leadership, match fixing, pakistan

Thus spake Jagadish @ 12:00 AM | Sledge/Read 8 sledge(s) | Related posts
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Spirit of cricket spoils Sehwag century?

Predictably enough, Suraj Randiv's no-ball to Virender Sehwag, preventing Sehwag from reaching his century with a six, is making the news on the extremely vitriolic TV channels. Did he bowl it deliberately, to ensure that Sehwag didn't reach a well-deserved 100? Who cares?

Sehwag changed his opinion from not taking it too seriously ("It happens in cricket. The other team doesn't want anybody to score a hundred against them. They tried their best. Doesn't matter to me, 99 or 100.") to claiming it was deliberate in the span of a few minutes.

Besides, Sehwag did play out a couple of dot balls. So there's no real basis for him to whine.

Is there anything in the rules that prevents a bowler from doing so? No! Even if it is there in the 'spirit of cricket', it means nothing. Captains and players have acted totally in violation of the spirit defined and no action has been taken.

Did anything prevent India from declaring & setting Sri Lanka around 70 to win immediately after VVS Laxman got out in India's 2nd innings at Galle? There was charity being doled out to Murali in the form of his 800th wicket. VVS perhaps was trying to get the message across by getting run out? Why didn't any of the other batsmen get dismissed timed out, handling the ball, obstructing the field or hitting the ball twice?

Labels: india, murali, spirit of cricket, sri lanka

Thus spake Jagadish @ 11:14 PM | Sledge/Read 14 sledge(s) | Related posts
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BCCI's planning for the 2011 World Cup

The Indian squad selected for the totally meaningless tri-series in Sri Lanka gives us a good idea of what the BCCI's plan for the 2011 World Cup is.

There does not seem to be any semblance of planning. The only aspect of the selection which makes sense is that Sachin Tendulkar isn't playing.

Harsha Bhogle points out that India have 8 or 9 ODIs in home-like conditions before the World Cup - 3 (or 4 if qualifying for the final) in Sri Lanka, 3 ODIs v Australia and 2 v New Zealand.

There are multiple gaps to be filled, especially when it comes to backup resources. This tournament, and the next 3 ODI series (including a one-off ODI v/s South Africa) would have been great opportunities to give the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha, Jaidev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni and Abhinav Mukund a go. A total of 18 players played at most 10 matches since the 2007 World Cup.

There is no dearth of bench strength. Those players are performing at the under-19 and India 'A' levels. But how do you find out how good they are at the ODI level unless they're given an opportunity to succeed (or fail)?

Dhoni, Sehwag & Nehra didn't need to play this tournament. Yuvraj is at #6 on the wicket takers & overs bowled lists since the previous World Cup. That tells you how successful the hunt for bowlers has been.

44 players selected for 103 ODIs, in July tells a story.

Labels: 2011, 2011 world cup, bcci, india, selection

Thus spake Jagadish @ 1:07 AM | Sledge/Read 2 sledge(s) | Related posts
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