Bat and ball / Andrew Hughes / 01 November 2009 / Leave a comment

Match fixing, political meddling and public resignations. Oh, and an old rogue who refuses to go quietly. It's been another turbulent year for Pakistan cricket. Andrew Hughes brings us up to date.

"These shenanigans should surprise nobody. Aside from the years when Imran Khan dominated the scene, Pakistani cricket has been in a state of continual turmoil."

Pakistani cricket continues to lurch between triumph and disaster. Stripped of their co-host status for the next World Cup, their current state of semi-quarantine is out of the control of the Pakistan Board of Cricket, just as large areas of the country are out of control of the Pakistan government. All that mere cricketers can do in these circumstances is to take what international chances come their way. That they have done with some aplomb, winning the Twenty20 World Cup and most recently reaching the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy. Despite their isolation, they remain one of the best limited overs teams in the world and are [1.56] favourites to win the first of three one-day internationals against New Zealand on Tuesday.

Yet whilst the players have been doing their best to uphold the country's reputation on the pitch, the administration of Pakistani cricket is as incompetent as ever. The most recent self-inflicted injury came in the wake of the Champions Trophy and featured all of the characteristic elements of a Pakistani cricket shambles: allegations of match-fixing, inept political meddling and dramatic threats of resignation.

It began when an Indian journalist penned a report hinting that the semi-final had been lost on purpose and that Younis Khan had deliberately dropped an easy catch from Grant Elliot that had probably cost Pakistan the game. The report was a shabby piece of journalism, light on evidence and completely ignoring the more likely explanation for the dropped catch: that Younis was still suffering from a broken finger. The story was swiftly condemned by the ICC and the newspaper that had carried it.

It should have ended there. Instead, Jamshed Dasti, head of Pakistan's standing Sports Committee speculated publicly about match-fixing and promised an immediate hearing the next day, to which the captain was summoned. Twenty-four hours later, Mr Dasti denied having made such allegations, but Younis had already penned his resignation letter and took it with him to the hearing, publicly offering to stand down. Eventually after several hours of fevered speculation, comment and behind the scenes talks, the PCB refused to accept the resignation and a few days later, heartened by the support he had received from the country, Younis agreed to continue.

These shenanigans should surprise nobody. Aside from the years when Imran Khan dominated the scene, Pakistani cricket has been in a state of continual turmoil. For most of the nineties, the players held sway, though frequently fell out amongst themselves. But after a string of captaincy changes and the disastrous World Cup campaign of 2003, the PCB felt emboldened enough to take charge, asserting their authority and wresting control of team affairs from the hands of the big name players. The problem is that the PCB Chief is appointed by politicians and so Pakistani cricket is now wired directly into the country's turbulent political system, with chaos the inevitable result.

Perversely, this episode has probably strengthened Younis' position. A number of players are not happy with his leadership and it is no secret that they would prefer Shahid Afridi as captain. But in the wake of his threatened resignation, the players have been effectively slapped down, with the introduction of clauses forbidding unauthorised communication with the press. Younis has also secured changes to the management structure and a streamlined selection process and has more or less been assured of the captaincy, if he wants it, until at least the end of the 2011 World Cup.

Perhaps the only surprise about this latest Pakistani farce was that there was no part in it for the Rawalpindi Express, Mr Shoaib Akhtar. But we should not assume that he has left the stage. Last seen wobbling to the wicket against Australia in May, the troublemaker's troublemaker has recovered from a bout of genital warts, is due to undergo knee surgery and is vowing to play on as long as the next World Cup. He has also expressed a desire to help educate young fast bowlers. Educate them in what, he didn't say, though he could probably run a Masters course in how to squander talent; a subject that Pakistan's cricket administrators also know a thing or two about.

Tags: Champions Trophy semi-finals, ODI cricket betting, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan