PCB hawk-eye to be on Inzamam when he returns
By Khalid Hussain
KARACHI: When Inzamam-ul-Haq returns for the home series against the West Indies next month he would find life different from the one he has been used to as Pakistan captain in recent seasons.
The experienced batsman was given almost all possible powers by the previous top officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to become perhaps the most influential Pakistan skipper since Imran Khan but the Board’s new chief is unlikely to follow suit.
And Dr Nasim Ashraf, the man who replaced Shaharyar Khan as the PCB chairman earlier this month, has his reasons to clip Inzamam’s wings.
He saw for himself how the regular Pakistan captain behaved during The Oval Test standoff and played a role in its forfeiture that later resulted in a four-match ODI ban for Inzamam.
The incident was the lowest point of a disappointing tour of England where Pakistan lost the Test series 0-3 and finished 2-2 in the ODI rubber against an average home team. Inzamam called all the shots during the tour as coach Bob Woolmer took the back seat while tour manager Zaheer Abbas was kept at an arm’s distance from the team’s decision-making process.
It all happened because the previous PCB chief Shaharyar Khan allowed Inzamam sweeping powers to the point that the Pakistan captain dictated terms in squad selection as well as formation of playing line-up for the team’s matches.
But Nasim seems to have a different agenda, something that became evident on the very first day of his term as the PCB chairman.
He came in as Shaharyar’s replacement in the midst of a major turmoil that was triggered by Younis Khan’s refusal to become Pakistan’s ‘dummy captain’ earlier this month. Nasim, however, brought back Younis as captain for the ICC Champions Trophy, clearly showing that he has a soft corner for the player considered by many to be Pakistan’s best choice for long-term captaincy.
Inzamam, however, has received a different treatment. The new PCB chief has openly blamed him for The Oval forfeiture, an indicator for things to come for the maestro from Multan.
Sources close to Inzamam say that Nasim’s comments have left him seething as the player was spared any criticism by the previous PCB officials following The Oval Test forfeiture.
But there is little he can say or do in the current circumstances. Two months of turmoil capped by the recent doping scandal involving the team’s new-ball pair of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif has left Pakistan cricket in a sorry state and its officials are currently carrying out a drive to control the damage.
It is an open secret in the world of Pakistan cricket that a battle has been brewing up within the Pakistan team over its captaincy.
He may be saying otherwise but Younis believes he should get the job on a long-term basis preferably ahead of next spring’s World Cup in West Indies.
Inzamam, on the other hand, thinks he has earned his place as a regular Pakistan captain and wants to continue till the World Cup or even beyond the spectacle.
Then there are other contenders like all-rounders Shahid Afridi and Andul Razzaq and seasoned batsman Mohammad Yousuf — who all fancy their chances of taking over from Inzamam.
The PCB, in the meantime, is taking its time before a final decision on what is one of the important pre-World Cup issues for the officials.
The Board has already appointed Inzamam as captain for the home series against the West Indies that includes three Tests and five ODIs during November-December. But it has kept its options open for the team’s next international assignment — a tour of South Africa that would be followed by the World Cup.
In the meantime, the Board has decided in principle to clip the sort of powers Inzamam has been enjoying in recent times. The team management is to have a bigger say while the selectors are also expected to rise from their puppet-like roles.
The PCB hawk-eye would be on Inzamam when he returns to the field. His performance, both as a batsman and captain, would come under the microscope. In a nutshell, life would not be the same again for Inzamam.
Source: http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=29025