Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
AOA WRWB Afridi!
Whd up bro..
where've u been man!!
Eid Mubarak!
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
becuase for some reason everyone thinks he is a ONE day player...not very good in test matches.
dats vy!
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
He's not suited to be bowling in subcontinental conditions but in foreign conditions he could be a handful, look at sreesanth he is crap in india in first class matches, and i personally think that rana is much better than him.
And the last thing I wanna see is Shoaib steaming in at 82 mph and being whacked around.
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
^ so you don't even return salams now...
is that polite?
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
Look at Shaoib and compare him with all other great bowlers in the world, no one will act so selfish when its come to playing for their countries. If he is serious about his country, he should keep his fitness, health, night life, glamour etc is extreme order.
I will be in total support of taking him to SA, and then keeping him as a 12th man, and make him bring the drinks for playing 11. Look at Andrew Flintof, he carrys drinks and towels for his team mates even as a skipper of the team Look at Glen McGrath how he behave for his team, look at Shaun Pollock. Shoaib deserved to be taught but Inzi and Nasim should not use their personal likes and dislikes.
Couldn't have put it any better myself. Captain1 I think the refusal to wear sponsor logo is less than a month old. He will never learn, still lets hope Paksitan benefits out of his recall and not the SA disco clubs.
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
Shoaib's faults notwithstanding, this kind of flip-flop puts our cricketing authority (and by default our country) in unflaterring light. PCB had announced that they are not sending Shoaib Akhtar to SA for tests, because he is not fit enough. Now, suddenly he is being sent to cover for Gul. So either PCB is saying we are sending an unfit bowler to cover for another unfit bowler; or they are saying that what we said earlier was BS to begin with.
No one disputes that when fully fit and committed, Shoaib is a lethal weapon in the armory of any cricket team. His personal life and antics notwithstanding. Hopefully he can contribute to a fantastic improvement in the fortunes of our team in South Africa.
CricInfo, and pretty much all international reporters of cricket are making fun of these unprofessional ways of player/coach management being displayed by our cricket board. While I had fairly low expectations when a Mush-crony like Naseem Ashraf was appointed as Chairman, I am sorry to report, that so far he and his team have managed to fall way farther than even in my lowest estimates.
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
I am no Shoaib Akhtar ego/character fan, however Shoaib refused, saying that he had no contract with the PCB and was not being paid by the board or the sponsors to do it. So I think he had a valid reason because of no contract with PCB. So PCB could not force him contractually to wear it... altough I believe that he should have knowing his actions would start a firew under someone's butt.
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
But that was in domestic cricket I believe, not in international, also he seems to be thorn in Inzi's eyes only (may be Nasim's as well, but not sure if he has good eyes to begin with). If that was really the case then instead of citing stupid reasons like 'not fit' they should've come out and said the exact reason... now by making a u-turn and sending the 'earlier-thought-injured' player to replace another player doesn't win any credibility, PCB is not as 'professional/ethical' as everybody is forcing Shoaib Akhtar to be.
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
Exactly, and as I said earlier, we had thought that Pak cricket had hit bottom and the only way was to go up, but seems like we are gonna make new bottoms or hit bottom again and again.
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
^ I don't support PCB on this issue, my point is both PCB and Shoaib are A*****. Why is Shoaib always involved in nearly every controversy that hits Pak cricket and why is he always in the news for wrong reasons all the time. i know we have a lot of apologists on GS for him, I for one would love to see him perform just one series without any controversy or breakdown. Is that too much to ask.
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
I hear ya! And I am sure all of us wish for the same.
At the same time, many a times extra ordinary athletes, seldom go without controversies. Be it Warne (with his betting, doping and sexual shananigans) or Lara (with his frequent falling out with his board) or Maradona (with his mercurial temperament) or Akram (caught with hashish on a Windies tour) or McEnroe (famous for throwing tantrums on the tennis court). Yeah, we all wish for heroes that shun controversies like McGrath and Lance Armstrong and Roger Federer, chances are you have to take the whole package. Mediocre players don't throw tantrums because they know they are dispensable. Its only the really good players (or those who think they are really good) that will feature in controversies. By default, they better be worth it, else they are tossed aside.
Shoaib is the same. For better or worse, we have to take the whole package. I don't think there is much cricket left in him. After the WC, we'll be better off looking at some of the younger players for the future of our cricket.
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
Nasim sahab is proving himself to be another failure and worse than Shereyar. In a short term of three months, he has caused more drama than what Inzi and Shoaib could bring together (both are proven ignorent time and time again).
They should have let Shaoib play first test, if he was half fit, he would have been out for another couple of months automatically. But if he was fit, it is time for him to get into rythem before WC. This series is imp for both Shoaib and Asif.
On the same token, if Inzimam thinks he is bigger than Pakistan cricket and has blocked way back for Shoaib, he should get chithrol. Problem is nobody wants to touch team's combination right now, right before WC and Inzi is the centrepoint of this squad. Otherwise, chithrol is long due on Inzi, Younis and Shoaib Akhtar.
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
^ Neither Lara, Akram or Warne stirred up controversy every time they played. He does, every single series he stirs up something, never a quiet moment and to top it all he is not in the same league as the other three. So for once he should shut up and perform.
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
^The fact is, he is to our bowling as Lara is to WI" batting. True, they may be other good bowlers, and a great one in Asif, but he can win us games like no-one else. This is a cricket team, and players should b judged on their cricketing ability. Otherwis, Warne wouldn't have made it to 500 wickets, let alone 700.
I agree with Faisal bhai above, he does not have a lot of cricket left and we shouldn't waste any of it for irrelevant reasons.
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
This is absolutely trash to begin with. When the doping scandal hit the scene and the time when Akhtar was refered to as having an 'active night life', everyone and their grandmothers were out on the streets with signposts stating his innocence. At that time, the entire nation was determined to have him in the team while Intikhab Alam was looked at as the first in line for a potential hanging. Now that Akhtar was benched solely due to personal reasons known to a selected few involved, I am asking, what is the need to bring in his night life into the picture here, if at all? If he positively delivers for Pakistan cricket and continues to be one of the main weapons behind a mass success, that is all. That is all I am asking for him to do. You don't just slap someone out because of the known theories that a person has a lavish personality. Benching Shoaib Akhtar for non-cricketing reasons is a pathetic attempt that will leave a huge scar on the captaincy of Inzamam and subsequently, on Nasim's administration for a long time to come. As long as Akhtar is fully fit and is proud to represent his country, I, as a fan, will welcome him with both arms, regardless of how colorful his off-the-field antics are.
The fact is, PCB has stood on the verge of contradicting themselves once again.
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
I hope Akhtar plays in the first Test and they don't use the jetlag excuse to keep him out. Remember, back in 1999/2000 when he was first banned by ICC for throwing, the ban was later overturned and Akhtar flew halfway across Australia to join the Pak side. By the time he made it to the ground, the match had already started. Tired, jetlagged and all, he still picked up three wickets in that ODI against Australia.
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
The fact is, PCB has stood on the verge of contradicting themselves once again.
beautifully put
Nasim is turning out to be a nightmare for everyone, the most bungling PCB administrator in living memory
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
Eshan bhai, when was the last time shoaib was involved in a major controversy because of his irresponsible attitude? The recent logo issue is not even considered a controversy. We hear several other related issues involving different players, but it is the job of media to make a mountain out of molehill. It is their job to target players like shoaib so as to blow an issue out of proportion.
Yes shoaib has discipline issues but than you have to use his talent in a positive way. Warne has been invloved in so many controversies and scandals, but Ponting knew his value and dealt with him appropriately. God knows what would have happened, in case inzi was his captain. The point is that you can't just sideline a player because of his lifestyle as if you are a khalifa captain of a Gali Mohalla Goli Mar 11.
We saw how shoaib performed against England in Pakistan and showed that he is capable of becoming a team player without involving himself in any controversy. But what did he get in return? Shoaib's attitude has visibly changed in the last 12 months, but it takes two hands to clap and unfortunately it seems that inzi being a team leader is not understanding that.
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
^ I agree with fkhan2.
Shoaib is innocent.
Bas thoda drug leta hai, chuck karta hai(birth defect), womaniser hai, injury-prone hai.......but that is all due to Inzi and the Media not handling him well.
Re: Shoaib called up as Gul cover
If PCB's own setup judges/courts have acquitted him on this account then this should not even show up on root causes for his 'ill-manners, discipline, code of conduct' etc.... but then again its PCB and Inzi we are talking about.