LAHORE, July 2:** Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also extended an invitation to former captain Waqar Younis to play his last international match along with Wasim Akram before the home crowd **during the forthcoming series against either South Africa or Bangladesh.
A PCB spokesman said that the board desired to have the two famous Ws play together in the final match of their illustrious careers.
Wasim has already announced his retirement from international cricket a couple of months ago but he has accepted the PCB offer to turn out for one last time.
**Waqar, however, has not yet called it a day so far after being sacked as captain following Pakistan’s abysmal World Cup showing in southern Africa. **
The spokesman further said that PCB would invite open bidding for the sale of TV rights for the forthcoming one-day home series against New Zealand.
He said that as the New Zealand series was decided after PCB had sold out TV rights to a private channel for US$43 million for ten years, therefore, another open bidding would be staged for the coverage of five-match series.
Meanwhile, PCB has written a letter to the ICC seeking its advice whether a national captain can directly contact the game’s governing body over the issue of match-fixing.
Pakistan skipper Rashid Latif wrote directly to the ICC, claiming that match-fixing still exists.
After receiving a clarification, PCB will then decide whether to take an action against Rashid or otherwise
Is this an indication by PCB that they will not consider Waqar for future matches as a regualr member of the team. I personally think this is pathetic. After all the heroics from Waqar this is how PCB pays him back. If he wants to play and proves his fitness and form then let him play. He was good enough to be the captain of the world cup squad but now all of a sudden he has no future. Though I dont know if there is any place in the team for Waqar but atleat dont insult him by making this kind of offer. If he hasnt reited whats the point of asking him to play a farewell game.
Waqar is still a good bowler no doubt but what people fail to realise is that he has now been overtaken by younger bowlers at their peak like Brett Lee, Shane Bond and others. Only the likes of Sami, Gul and hopefully others yet to emerge can hope to take up the challenge in the coming years and they won't be able to do it if they aren't allowed to develop because Waqar is still there.
*Do we really want to see a guy who used to lord it over the rest along with Akram now being second fiddle to other countries fast bowlers? *
The PCB is offering a compassionate and fitting end to a great (international) career and Waqar should follow Wasim's example and accept it with good grace.
I agree with Xtreme's views above. Waqar has served Paksitani cricket well and will always be remembered as one of the greats the game has produced. He should now bow out of International arena with grace and dignity and accept PCB's invitation.
PCB should have made this proposal to him in private in order that he could first publicly announce his retirement.
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*Originally posted by ehsan: *
PCB should have made this proposal to him in private in order that he could first publicly announce his retirement.
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yep ... as soon as i read the name of the thread i was like ooooo thats a slap on the face of waqar..... typical tho i mean the saying think b4 u leap hasnt been heard by pcb officials obviously
Waqar has been a great patron of cricket. His time has come now to wave goodbye to Cricket, I hope he realises it..... and like Wasim plays in their tribute match against South Africa. Won't it be great if they take 5 wickets a piece in that. I am sure the PCB could arrange something in a black breifcase ??
This is pure stupidity by PCB - Waqar is still good enough and way better than Akhtar, Sami, Gul and the new lot. He is not even 32 and people are asking him to retire with Wasim who is 37 now.
It's a tradition in South Asia to treat our heros as sh!t and I am not surprised at all. Anyways Pak's loss is someone else's gain. Like many other Pakistani players Waqar will continue to play for counties.
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*Originally posted by Asif_k: *
This is pure stupidity by PCB - Waqar is still good enough and way better than Akhtar, Sami, Gul and the new lot. He is not even 32 and people are asking him to retire with Wasim who is 37 now.
It's a tradition in South Asia to treat our heros as sh!t and I am not surprised at all. Anyways Pak's loss is someone else's gain. Like many other Pakistani players Waqar will continue to play for counties.
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Umair316 - Looks like you have some inside information that Cricinfo and others dont. Waqar is not even 32. If you look at his and Wasim Akram’s careers you will notice that Wasim came to the International scene about 4-5 years before Waqar.
Or are you telling us that Wasim and Waqar of same age ?
Wasim is 37 and Waqar is in his mid 30s, ask any Pakistani cricket fan and he will tell you Waqar's real age.
If you are not familiar with Pakistani cricketers by now, they tend to lower their age when they enter international cricket, specially playing in U-19 competition, i even remember Waqar having a big mustach in his early years.
It doesn't make any difference if Wasim made his debut 4 or 5 years before Waqar, both are very close age wise.
No not all Pakistanis are that old. :rolleyes:
U are useless to argue with, anyways, here are some articles to prove his age. Who’s afraid of aging?
Link
*The board officials admitted that Younis was only 26 years of age but said ``only on paper. We doubt if he has told his real age. We suspect he is 30 as his bowling shows. His body has refused to take further strain and that may be one of the prime reasons for decline in his strike-rate.‘’ *
the problem with great sportsmen is that they dont know when to stop and call it a day.
I agree with Xtreme, we dont really want to see the great waqar playing second fiddle to all these other bowlers when we all know what he was capable off.
I use M.ali as an example. The guy was great at boxing and thought he could carry on and on and on. At the end he got beat by guys he would have trodden all over in his hay day.
So waqar should end it now with grace rather than be wacked around by some low class batsman,
That’s just pathetic!! ……it’s just so funny seeing PCB writing out this sort of BullSH!!T … how could you just force someone to retire? I honestly don’t understand? If the guy wants to play let him play.. You cant just offer the person retirement….totally substandard behaviour….
It’s understandable that he might not get another chance to play for Pakistan but it’s absolutely ridiculous to make early assumptions about someone’s future and pretty much tell the person to retire with the big slap on his face!
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*Originally posted by Mr Xtreme: *
It's hardly a slap in the face but it's true that he should have been approached privately first - assuming he wasn't.
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I myself believe that Waqar still has couple of more years of cricket. But looks like our objective is hovering around WC'07, for that purpose Waqar is no good, he'll be like 37. Waqar's main arsenal used to be speed just like Shoaib, he doesn't have as many tricks in his hat as Wasim Akram.
It is a slap on Waqar's face, perhaps you are forgetting that right after WC'03 when 8 members were axed out of team, PCB said that those players can come back. Now PCB is telling Waqar that he can't come back and his days are over.
I agree with the PCB that Waqar's international career is over. I don't think we can afford to start looking backwards, that's partly the reason we did so badly in the WC. Sorry but watching Waqar bowl at half the speed he used to and being over-shadowed by guys like Bond and Lee is not my cup of tea.
I personally feel Waqar has atleast one year of cricket left in him. But bringing him back will raise the age-old issue of 'too many former captains' in the team. If we look at this current team, there is NO FORMER captain besides Rashid and that underlines the Authority issue.
WC team had some 5-6 former captains and this always gives way to differences.
But he should have been approached in private first and i think he was.
What a great career he has had. Many bowlers come and go, only few deserve a bow :) Waqar is surely one of them.
