The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has caught both the BCCI and the ICC off guard by naming three ICL players in its list of 30 probables for the ICC World Twenty20 in June. It marks an official breaking of ranks with the BCCI, a traditional ally, and it has put the ICC, the organisers of the tournament, in a tricky position.
ICC officials are now hoping to persuade the PCB during a board meeting in Dubai next week to drop Abdul Razzaq, Rana Naved-ul Hasan and Imran Nazir, the ICL trio, from that list.
Just like the country (PAKISTAN), the cricket board (PCB) does not have too many friends.
And ironically, the supposed enemy (INDIA) had emerged as Pakistan's (and PCB's) biggest friend until the Mumbai attacks happened.
By including the ICL players in the national team, PCB may have shown the finger to the BCCI, but PCB needs BCCI more than BCCI needs PCB and this will hurt PCB in the long run.
When you appoint people like Miandad and Ranatunga as board chiefs, there is more swagger in decision making than deliberate diplomacy.
The above said, I am a supporter of ICL and from a personal standpoint I like the fact that the BCCI monopoly is being challenged.
Dropping Yousuf is a folly IMO. He is once again the victim of this recent over-obsession with fielding and fitness. While no one disputes the importance of fielding, it alone seldom accounts for defeats even in a format such as twenty-20. You need runs on the board first and foremost in any limited overs format ==> fielding comes into the equation. You can easily hide 1 or 2 of your less agile fielders in the slip/gully region. Admittedly it is tulla tulla cricket but a team needs atleast 2 or 3 players who can both stay at the wicket and accelerate by playing proper cricketing shots. A score of 160-180 is a must against top sides in order to be competitive IMO
you milk what you can. im sure the ICL back and forth didnt come free, and i dont really care about the issue enough to prefer principles over expedience in this case.
