I think Miandad is spot on here. Group bandi (on the basis of ethnicity, life-style preferences, religion, region (Lahore Karachi rivalry) etc.) has been for too long the scourge of our cricket and must go and if any player is unwilling to play under Younis Khan (strongest candidate still) they should be shown the door. Equally if Younis Khan resorts to nepotism and cronyism like his predecessor, then he should be sacked as captain. Favouritism has no place in team selection be it between captain and players or between selectors and players. Whoever is good enough to play for the country whether or not he’s in the good books of the captain, team management and selectors SHOULD play. This kind of cronyism has hurt our cricket badly in the recent past.
http://content-www.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/story/290102.html
Javed Miandad believes the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) needs to change its attitude towards players if the national side is to get itself back on track after a tumultuous last few months. Miandad, who coached Pakistan on three different occasions, felt that players had too much power and took their places for granted.
“Unless steps are taken to curb player-power and they are given the message they don’t have automatic places in the team, nothing will change,” he told Reuters. “Pakistan cricket’s biggest challenge is discouraging groupings and players should be allowed to play according to their performances.”
Pakistan, hit by the loss of Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar, suffered their second consecutive World Cup first-round elimination and also had to cope with the death of coach Bob Woolmer. Inzamam-ul-Haq, after announcing his retirement from one-day cricket, has faced much criticism from the local media. Inzamam told a parliamentary committee the World Cup defeats were part of cricket and he was “hurt” by match-fixing allegations.
Miandad, who was replaced by Woolmer in 2004, said the selectors needed to be given more say in team selection. “There is nothing wrong if the board starts planning for the future. The next captain must be strong but not allowed to dictate to the selectors or board.”
Last week the PCB suspended all central contracts and said it would appoint a new captain and coach before May 7. Saleem Altaf, the advisor to the board chairman on cricket affairs, said that players would now be given performance-related central contracts. “Contracts would revolve around performances and due rewards. There is also a proposal to scrap the categorisation in the contracts.”
Re: 'Pakistan cricket's biggest challenge is discouraging groupings' - Miandad
Groupings and favoritism are not only seen from captains, but also from Board members. Remember Tauqeer Zia son, Junaid Zia and the incident where Imran Farhat's father-in-law got in to altercation with late Bob Woolmer? It is a disease that has really stopped Pakistani Cricket from progressing. Key word is; "Pakistan Cricket Board need to change its attitude...."
Re: 'Pakistan cricket's biggest challenge is discouraging groupings' - Miandad
^ I know GA. But the funny thing is, and I don't want to drag political talk into this, but Miandad is like MQM, accusing others of racism while being guilty of the same them selves. Miandad always played karachi politics and player power cutlure himself. So he sounds like the muazzin (caller of prayer) who is watching movies when the jammat (congregational prayer) is held in the mosque.
Heard it before. Nothing new.
Re: 'Pakistan cricket's biggest challenge is discouraging groupings' - Miandad
MWP: agree with you 100%
AA: Yes Miandad is no angel in that sense and I remember him seeking MQM's support (thereby trying to politicise the whole thing) when he was overlooked for selection during Akram's reign in 1994-5
Re: 'Pakistan cricket's biggest challenge is discouraging groupings' - Miandad
Miandad is the last person to talk about groupings...he did them himself throughout his playing career and even when he was the coach....funny how people change their tune at the drop of a hat.
Re: 'Pakistan cricket's biggest challenge is discouraging groupings' - Miandad
MWP: agree with you 100%
AA: Yes Miandad is no angel in that sense and I remember him seeking MQM's support (thereby trying to politicise the whole thing) when he was overlooked for selection during Akram's reign in 1994-5
I thought it was Basit Ali who was seeking political pressure, I think Miandad was the victim of grouping by Wasim Akram, Saleem Malik.
Re: 'Pakistan cricket's biggest challenge is discouraging groupings' - Miandad
I don't think Miandad has ever been a part of any grouping. Indeed he was a victim of the Senior Player Revolt of 1980-81 when Zaheer, Majid, Imran and Company decided to refuse to play under his captaincy. Miandad decided to step down from the role and played under the very same players who wanted him out. So I will have to give Miandad that much. He has many times put the team and country above his ego.
Re: 'Pakistan cricket's biggest challenge is discouraging groupings' - Miandad
Instead òf shooting the messenger we sud try to understand the message.
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"Unless steps are taken to curb player-power and they are given the message they don't have automatic places in the team, nothing will change,"
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Nothing wrong with this statement.
[QUOTE]
"Pakistan cricket's biggest challenge is discouraging groupings and players should be allowed to play according to their performances."
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Nothing wrong here either. Groupings based on ethnicity or religious beliefs or old friendships that hinder team performance and lead to victimization of deserving players must be discouraged and strongly dealt with.
If Akram, Waqar or Imran Khan practiced personal likes and dislikes then were they indulging in Punjabi chauvinism? Or when Inzimam imposed his religious favorites wud it be fair to say that he was imposing a particular religious view on the entire team? If all of the above are correct then Miandad can also be blamed for pushong the Karachi card.
Re: 'Pakistan cricket's biggest challenge is discouraging groupings' - Miandad
And don't any body get the wrong idea, I absolutely LOVED Miandad, in his batting, and his team motivation tactics. An absollute class act of unequalled status in days gone by world of cricket. He had his faults like any player and human being.
Also, I am from Karachi as well. :)
Re: 'Pakistan cricket's biggest challenge is discouraging groupings' - Miandad
I don't think Miandad has ever been a part of any grouping. Indeed he was a victim of the Senior Player Revolt of 1980-81 when Zaheer, Majid, Imran and Company decided to refuse to play under his captaincy. Miandad decided to step down from the role and played under the very same players who wanted him out. So I will have to give Miandad that much. He has many times put the team and country above his ego.
Yes Miandad would always step down as captain whenever Imran Khan came back into the team/made himself available for selection. Not that he had to like after he had just led Pakistan to victories over SLA (2-0), Australia (1-0) and NZ (3-0) in 1986, 1989 and 1989 respectively. I salute him for that. That said he did approach MQM and even Benazir once when he was not selected for some series under Wasim Akram in 1994-5
Re: 'Pakistan cricket's biggest challenge is discouraging groupings' - Miandad
Imran Khan was the responsible person(indirectly) for the groupism.After the World cup 92 ,Miandad was doing a fine job as the captain .For an unknown reason PCB decided to change the captaincy .many believe that It was Imran who directed the board to give the captaincy to his pet Wasim.Any way a group which includes Wasim,Waqar ,Malik ,,,,started a campaign agianst Miandad and they successfully displaced him from the captaincy .Later Wasim enjoyed the taste of the "same" medicine from Waqar and Co while he was the captain .