Its been some time now since the debacle in the world cup, Woolmers death and the media circus surrounding it has all amounted to a big nothing in the end and a slap in the face for the vicious target journalism exercised on team Pakistan. It is of no small concern that the world media and a lot of fans including me suddenly start having conspiracy dreams every time Pakistan go awry. Perhaps it is the fact that so much is hidden here, so muchmurkiness that it gives rise to all sorts of misgivings.

Monsoon season is here these days and for the last fortnight, following a crazy sand storm it has been raining cats and dogs. In fact most of you would feel at home in Karachi at the moment in dark damp conditions as they are. On the cricket front things have been very very dull. The series with new Captain Shoaib Malik at the helm against Sri lanka turned out to be a rather tame affair with most of the top Lankan players opting out after such a hectic world cup. Yes Pakistan did win but there was no thrill in it, and there will not be for a time as most of the fans will need a lot of cajoling before they set their hearts behind this team again. Inzimam has all but faded into mediocrity, that great abyss where great players go after the shining light in their life's the sport they excel in is extinguished. It was a sad end to the big guys career, a stunning batsmen to watch in full flow on any sort of pitch he was. A man solid of character as well, spending time these days in his home town Multan building a hospital there for the community present. Says a lot does it not?

Last week the PCB invited or contacted several foreign coaches to replace the slot left open by Woolmers tragic passing. Among them were Australian bowler Lawson, Tim Boon and surprise surprise Dav Whatmore who i do not think is a big fan favorite in Bangladesh right now. You see we all think who in the world would want to coach Pakistan, but when a good coach sees the talent here, it is a very tempting offer to take this giant by its ears and shake it awake. As of now Whatmore has been unofficially selected for this role. The first thing he needs to do IMO is to bring the players together, first the captaincy going to such a junior in experience to Moyo, Malik and then the vice captaincy to Salman Butt has raised a few old stinkers in the dressing room and players are not happy right now. I do feel however that this is the right move, as young blood is the only way forward for this team. Pakistan does not need a 5 year plan it needs a 15 year one.. in which they can start at the roots and build their team up slowly to retain the dominance they once had. Moyo although a terrific batsmen is not going to be here in say 8 years, so what is the point of him being captain? We cannot dream of achieving success like Australia without laying the ground base first. This cannot be achieved in 2 years.

The board also has to change, this adhocism that prevails in PCB which has no check over decisions made or money spent cannot prevail if we are to move forward. It is a welcome move by Mr Naseem Ashraf that a proper charter is being written for this sports body and rules formulated for everything from selection to criteria for dismissal. Performance related contracts are another blessing that has rained down on us with the water from the sky, gone are the days when a player will be able to ferment in the team lineup without giving credible cause for his place. Last but not the least, these new rules should include instant life time bans for players who take drugs or any other enhancers or indulge in any sort of nefarious activity. We are the dregs of the sea as it is right now, and enough is enough.

What ever happens to this team, and to its massive fan following i can promise one thing, there will be lots of fireworks in the near future as young blood pumps through the veins and a coach known for his aggressive strategies takes the helm. The Green giant will awaken.. you just watch.

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Interesting article Mr Hutt. To be honest, I thought it was a reasonably interesting series, and we learnt a lot about the new Pakistan from it. Also, I disagree there was no 'thrill' - the atmosphere at the ground was electric and much better than most of the World Cup games! Sri Lanka were resting three players (Murali, Vaas and Sanga); but Pakistan were also without two key members of the team: Akhtar and Younis. It was thus a fairly even contest and Malik's team did well to win so convincingly.Not really. He still remains a widely respected former captain in Pakistan, one who is trusted by almost all the current players, is well-regarded in the media and looked upon as an 'elder statesman' of the game. Not bad at all! And in fact, much better than the position guys like Wasim, Waqar and Saeed were in similar stages of their respective retirements. I thought it was Lawson, Whatmore and Richard Done - that's what all the various official press releases etc said.As you say, many top international coaches do. There were applications from experienced coaches/former players from Australia, England and the West Indies. And that was before the whole Woolmer "story" turned out to be a complete non-story.Interesting logic. I don't think many captains internationally are going to be around for 8 years, except maybe Graeme Smith - should they all make way for kids who are wet behind the years? I like Malik, think he is a good choice - but Yousuf would have been a good choice too. The Pakistani obsession with building for the next World Cup is nonsense - the team needs to be competitive over a period of time, not focus its entire being on one small tournament every four years! Agree - but here the role of the board, the academy and the coached is paramount. I think the captain has a very limited role to play in fostering long-term success in Pakistan.

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A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes
Mark Twain

First of all thanks i appreciate the feedback

SL vs Pak

Consider the performers you just mentioned...Vaas, Muruli thats the entire bowling strength of Srilanka their most dependable top bowlers, Sangakara is among their best batsmen. What you fail to mention is that Younis did not want to play, he opted out himself and him along with the so called speed demon have rarely performed in the matches they have played in the recent past. So really from a fans point of view the big guns were not there. Obviously it was better than the world cup games... Pakistan fans were there.


Captaincy

You might think Malik is wet behind the ears, but those who have seen him captain in domestic cricket will agree that is an astute one, just because Moyo is a terrific record breaking batsmen does not mean he should be automatic choice for captain, how many successes has Moyo had as captain? has he even captained a side in the domestic level??

Inzi
Respected? day after day following the world cup debacle Inzi was humiliated by the media.. the PCB blamed him and the hearing that followed found HIM responsible for Pakistan's world cup faliure. His decision to take a 2 month sojourn following the world cup and him saying in his last interview that this was the toughest time of his life tells me all about his current state of mind. He is in the same position Waqar and Waseem might have been in, but you have to remember Waseem was disgraced by match fixing and Waqar... no one knows what happened to him. If you want to compare him with the greats of the past, consider him and Imran Khan on retirement, there is the stark difference in picture right there.

If you remember our crowning glory was when we won the world cup, the small competition you refer to is the Flag ship of all cricket, no one cares if you lose to england or WI or SL as long as in the end you win the cup, thats what it is all about. How many people in Pakistan remember that Imran lead the team to a win in england and other places... yet they all remember that he led Pakistan and brought the cup home.

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