Pakistan are on the verge of withdrawing their invitation to Zimbabwe to play seven ODIs. The Pakistan Cricket Board are reported by Reuters to be unwilling to host the weakened Zimbabwe side for just a one-day series.
The tour itinerary originally involved Tests as well as ODIs, but Zimbabwe’s self-imposed suspension from Test cricket, which will run through to February 2007, has meant that only a one-day series can he held.
A PCB official told Reuters that the board had written to Zimbabwe Cricket requesting that the tour be rescheduled to a time when they are able to fulfill Test commitments.
“It is not feasible for us to host them only for one-dayers this year,” the official was quoted as saying. “We have told them it would be better if they come next year for a full series. They were due to play Tests in Pakistan in 2004 but toured only for the one-day games after the ICC suspended their Test status. We want this backlog of Tests cleared because of the new Future Tours Programme.”
The official added that Zimbabwe had asked for the decision to be reconsidered. “We are in the process of having discussions with them and one possibility is that we might end up having a triangular one-day series with Zimbabwe and the West Indies.”
At least one way to look at it is it will provide much-needed rest for the team during the 'post-poned' season (between the ICC Champions Trophy and the home series against West Indies). Better to play the entire series rather than off-seasoned matches.
Thats a shame, they could have used the opprtunity to improve the averages of the entire team on the dead and flat pitches of Pakistan and get the fans excited again as to how brillant some of the players are .........
To dhobi bhai: ^ or they could send 2nd string players like M Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Naved Latif, Faisal Iqbal (who is still not full time ODI player), M Sami (ur bhatija :p), Arshad etc.
I think it's a good move from PCB. It won't really hurt Pak players and they will definitely get the much needed rest before the WC.
On the other side, in my opinion, PCB won't be affected a great deal financially since Pak-Zimbabwe doesn't have any real attraction to pull the crowd to the stadiums. So, overall, I think it's worth to cancel the Zimbabweans tour of Pak.
Umer
Aur Bhai Sahab mujhe daant-tay hain kay run-on sentences ki baarish laga deta hai Dhobi Bhai jazbaati ho kar. Sahih jaa rahey hain aap.
Arshad kay aagey Taaya to laga diya hota.
Although you are right from the financial standpoint Umer Bhai, if I am not mistaken, I do believe PCB is waiting on the status of Zimbabwe to be approved as a test-playing nation, which would be by the time the next World Cup rolls around. After the approval, they will go ahead and schedule an entire series at home soil (3 Tests + 3 ODI’s, is it?)
Dang it, so PCB doesn't want Zimbabwe to play in Pakistan???? Oh man! what a disaster! How will our Pakistani team get their much needed game practice before the all-important World Cup. They will be so underprepared with only the following series to play before WC.
June-Aug.......Pakistan in England
Oct-Nov........Champions trophy in India (Eng, Aus, India, Pak, SA, NZ, SL, WI)
Dec..............West Indies in Pakistan
Jan...............Asian Test Championship in India
Feb..............Pakistan in South Africa
Mar..............World cup
Where did they actually squeeze the time to put Zimbabwe series in this schedule? Also, buy stocks of companies making stretchers, guys! With this fantastic schedule, I fear that a lot of Pak players will end up using their products before WC.
Ullooh ke dash PCB should have cancelled it last fall. Zimbz could have stopped by BD at the end of ICCCT if they are qualified for it. I think Zimbz should play to BD, WI and Kenya only until they are cleared for Tests by ICC, notanki saalay! And plz some one ask them to hire our 'grass root' coach Abdul Qadir as their Academy coach. Not that he needs job, but they need atleast a coach like him to bring them to BD level.
Pakistan does not need to play these useless ODI series before WC. They already have enough injured players who must be rotated in the already bz schedule.
if Pak team doesnt start using their so called "rotation policy" soon ... with this schedule we are definitly going to miss few key players with injuries...with so much cricket , its bound to happen ...
Dhobi bhai,
I am not sure about the exact time when Zim tours Pak but I just saw the schedule provided by Faisal and it seems like we have plenty of Cricket to play before the WC.:D
To be honest with you, I think the time we can save from not playing Zim can be used for players to rest a little before the WC and get their gears together.
Also, as far as practice is concerned, the schedule speaks for itself. Cancelling the visit By Zims won't hurt any Pak practice before WC as West Indies tour to Pak should be more than enough plus most of Pak team members have already visited WI in 2005 and we got 2 great coaches to help us thru all match practice stuff.
If you look @ the schedule, Pak is due in SA before the WC and I don't see how the players goin to manage all the stress of flying from one part of the world to 2nd half of the world. So in essence, the proposal of cacelling Zim tour to me seems like a sensible idea and no, our players won't be short of match practice.
To be honest with you, I think the time we can save from not playing Zim can be used for players to rest a little before the WC and get their gears together.
Also, as far as practice is concerned, the schedule speaks for itself. Cancelling the visit By Zims won't hurt any Pak practice before WC as West Indies tour to Pak should be more than enough plus most of Pak team members have already visited WI in 2005 and we got 2 great coaches to help us thru all match practice stuff.
If you look @ the schedule, Pak is due in SA before the WC and I don't see how the players goin to manage all the stress of flying from one part of the world to 2nd half of the world. So in essence, the proposal of cacelling Zim tour to me seems like a sensible idea and no, our players won't be short of match practice.
Umer
I agree with you, Umer Bhai.
I guess you were in hibernation since Australia Pakistan series back in 2004-05.
FYI, Pakistan has not lost a test series since than. They have won 3 series against India, Srilanka and England and drawn 2 with India and Windies and in both the series they came from behind winning the final tests.
They have won 4 out of 6 ODI series, lost 1 and drawn 1. They only time they lost was against India.
FYI, Pakistan has not lost a test series since than. They have won 3 series against India, Srilanka and England and drawn 2 with India and Windies and in both the series they came from behind winning the final tests.
They have won 4 out of 6 ODI series, lost 1 and drawn 1. They only time they lost was against India.
What more do you want?
Talk when they win a series against a top side away from home.
The drawn series against India in India to draw the series was a good achievement, however other the series against Sri Lanka can we really see as a great success? Some of their Sri Lankan leading players were not playing in that series and also the fact that Sri Lanka is not as strong as it used to be.
They drew with West Indies - that series was their best opportunity to win their first ever series against them away from home. West Indies we all know are a weak and declining side and couldnot defeat them in that series.
So I will regard it as a great success or achievement only when they they win against a top nation away from home. I know Pakistan has won away from home against England in the past - but is the current team good enough to win in the upcoming series? Pakistan even in the past with their best team has never won a sries away from home against South Africa, Australia and West Indies and don't see this happenig for sometime.
^ I am sure if paksitan wins in England this summer you will come out with something else to put them down. There is no pleasing some people. Your analogy can apply to any team. England proved to be lions at home and got whopped abroad. India have trouble winning abroad as well.
Arshad kay aagey Taaya to laga diya hota.