Mohsin Khan as Chief selector: Give the Credit where it is Due

Take a look at the following scenario:


A humiliating tour of Australia followed by stepping down of the Chief selector; Indefinite Life-bans on several star players along with heavy fine on others; few key players out of the side due to injuries and a much speculated player power in the team. This was the time when Mohsin Hassan Khan took over the charge as a Chief Selector, with a tough task of choosing a team from a very limited pool of individuals.
Mohsin Khan selected the team for T20 World Championship in Carribean, Asia Cup and the England tour. Induction of new players to replace the old ones in order to rebuild a team was bound to take some time in order to make any impact. As the young unit was coming in terms with international level, another jolt of 'spot fixing' came out on the scene which resulted in the ban of 3 integral members of the squad to make it further worse for Mohsin khan. These were the initial 6 to 7 months of his tenure; the worst possible.

Today, almost a year later, there has been a complete turn around, a miraculous one. The Test side of Pakistan has never been this stable and consistent in all those past years. The One day squad has depth and the bench strength is heartening to see. To build and erect a shattered team on its feet in just about a year's time is a remarkable achievement. Let's take a closer look at Mohsin Khan's tenure as a chief selector.

The analysis will be according to the Test match side as this format of the game requires more stability than the limited overs cricket- in which teams can afford to experiment with their combinations every now and then. 

  Pakistan Team was struggling to make an impact as a solid Test playing country with dismal performances in Sri Lanka and Australia while managing a drawn series in New Zealand. After disciplinary actions were taken on several big names like Younis and Yousuf, Mohsin Khan faced a challange to select an inexperienced team for the difficult tour of England in 2010, which included 6 Tests in total. This was the first time Azhar Ali, Umar Amin, Zulqarnain Haider and Wahab Riaz were selected in the Test side. As expected, the team combination could not settle during the tour, because the team was still in a rebuilding phase with number of its key players out of the side for diverse reasons. To put salt on the wound, first Afridi and then Salman Butt had to leave the captaincy after the tour. Azhar Ali and Wahab Riaz justified their selection though.
South African series in UAE was a turning point in revival of Pakistan's test position. A shocking appointment of Misbah as a captain, rebirth of Younis as a player and a promising start to Azhar Ali's career suddenly provided the middle order with a much needed stability. Asad Shafiq's debut performance was highly encouraging. But the most important selection for this tour were the openers; Hafeez and Taufeeq. Both earned their places through strong domestic performances and for some of you, who have been following Pakistan's test cricket for a long time, it will be a surprise to see that these two have opened together consecutively in last 8 Test matches of Pakistan, which has always been a  rarity in unstable batting line up. 


The Team since than has more or less been the same along with being consistent. They had a drawn Series against South Africa and West Indies while a series win over New Zealand and Zimbabwe. Top 5 batsman have a guaranteed place in the side which include Toufeeq, Hafeez, Azhar, Younis and Misbah, due to their strong consistent performances. Number 6 has been closely fought by two young talents, Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq, so this place is relatively open to any one of them along with Shoaib Malik to a lesser extent. Adnan Akmal is yet to prove his talent with bat but his glove-work has been better than the older Akmal for sure. He was also selected by Mohsin Khan for the South African series. Bowling department, after many experimentations, have a bunch of names which were scarce when Mohsin Khan took over. With a bowler like Wahab Riaz struggling to find his way in the playing eleven, the fast bowling department has a certain depth. Junaid and Cheema have been a promising finds along with Tanvir Ahmad in reserve. Umar Gul, being the spearhead, is leading the bowling attack with responisibility. Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman fill the shoes of spinners. Pakistan's Test side has never looked this settled.


Who would have imagined to see Pakistan cricket team in its current balanced outfit after the miserable tours of Australia and England last year? The credit goes to Mohsin Khan for transforming a shattered team into a stable unit. May be I am going too far but Mohsin Khan, according to me, has been the most successful Chief Selector Pakistan has witnessed in the last few years.

Life after Ijaz Butt

October 8 has Brought two major calamities for the people of Pakistan in the recent history; 1) The devastating Earthquake of 2005 and 2) The start of a horrible tenure of Ijaz Butt, the Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board, in 2008. As Cricket is followed like a religion in this country, these 3 years have been like a nightmare for every cricket lover in Pakistan.

Fine, Ijaz Butt was not responsible for the terrorist attack on Sri Lankan Team's bus which happened just a few months after his tenure started. It wouldn't have been easy for any administrator to run the cricket affairs at that time but blunders after blunders along with weak leadership was enough to put Pakistan Cricket astray. From change of captains till the removal of coaches; from receiving resignations by 3 senior cheaf selectors till the imposition of life bans on senior players, from U-turn on life bans till the favoritism in the management staff, Ijaz Butt didn't leave any stone unturned in disgracing Pakistan at the world level. No efforts were being made to bring International Cricket back in Pakistan. Minnows like Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Afghanistan could have easily visited Pakistan to revive international cricket in the country but the 'business minded ' Butt's first priority was a healthy financial gain. Team shattered during his reign when 8 players swore upon The Holy Book to remove an honest captain when he was on giving solid results. His tenure gave rise to players power as he was a weak administrator.  

Butt's tenure is taking its last breath and it has been in the news that Ali Raza, a business man, is about to fill in the big shoes of Ijaz Butt. Some people will argue that a non cricketing administrator cannot run the affairs of PCB but i have my own opinion. Life after Ijaz Butt can be like a sunrise after a prolonged state of darkness.

A businessman will first of all bring a variety of sponsors and attract them to invest on Team which is going to enhance the performance of players. 

He'll sort out the sour relationships of PCB with other boards and will try to regain the lost reputation in ICC.

A new chairman means that Shahid Afridi is going to announce the cancellation of his retirement, can a Pakistani fan ask for more than to see Boom Boom playing as soon as possible for Pakistan?. The musical chair of captaincy, team selection and U-turns on previous decisions will cease most probably which is going to provide a stable environment for players to perform on the field. 

In short, even though a non-cricketing chairman will not be accepted whole-heartedly by masses, Pakistan Cricket Board is in a dire need of a strict and staunch administrator who does his own job and let others do their own work without interference. We all hope for a better future of Pakistan Cricket under a new chairman as it can't get worse than what we have have been seeing during the last few years. Life after Ijaz Butt is a sign of hope and as far as I can see, the new tenure will mark the rise in Pakistan Cricket again.

Tough time for Asian Cricket Teams

The Subcontinent teams are going through a horrid phase these days in Cricket- A game which is followed like a religion in this region. The four teams of subcontinent; India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are facing serious problems both on and off the field, which is a matter of concern for the world Cricket because of their vital contribution to the game over the years.


SRI LANKA: Life without Muttiah Muralitharan was never going to be easy at first place for the Lankan Lions. They are on verge of losing a test series at home against a new-look Australian side. The Sri Lankan think tank has also gambled by appointing Tillakratne Dilshan as a test captain. Thilan Samaraweera would have been a better choice since both Jayawerdene and Sangakkara have excused to lead the side. Along with their On-field problems, the off-field problems are also dominant in Srilankan Cricket recently. The previous Sri Lankan Cricket board has been dissolved by the government on the charges of corruption just a few months ago.

BANGLADESH: A Test match defeat at the hands of a side which returned to this format after 6 long years tells the sad story of Bangladesh Cricket. The defeat was followed by a One-day series loss as well, which ultimately lead to the sanction of their most successful captain and vice-captain, citing disciplinary issues as another major reason. Bangladesh is yet to finalize a captain for their upcoming home series next month and whoever he might be, the situation on field is least expected to get better since hardly any Bangladesh captain has been given a complete autonomy over his team both on and off the field.

INDIA: It never rains but it pours. The success has poured over the Indian team during the last couple of years but the last couple of months have seen the worst of Indian Cricket Team. Be it a whitewash at the hands of England in Tests, Loss of number 1 Test rank, Limited over defeats, long list of injuries or strange selections; Indian Team is facing a nightmare on the field. The excess of leagues like IPL and Champions League is not doing any good to their players. BCCI is still unwilling to blame the financially beneficial league as a reason for their dismal English Summer.

PAKISTAN: With Pakistan, both on and off field controversies are expected all the time. The team itself is unpredictable while playing and so is the Cricket Board. A player is banned for indefinite period without any justification and he is again brought back in the team without any proper explanation. A player is dropped and later he returns as a captain; this is how Pakistan Cricket has been running under the present Chairman, Mr. Ijaz Butt. A fast bowler, who is nominated in the emerging player of the year category in ICC Awards, is 'rested' for a tour although he needs to play more cricket and has hardly played any cricket since last 3 months. That is how Pakistan Cricket runs. Afridi steps downs as captain and retires due to a conflict with Head coach, the Head coach resigns on personal grounds forcing Afridi to think about a comeback; this is the dramatic Pakistan Cricket for you. Although the On-field performance has been a lot better in last year or so, they are always in news for their off field controversies.

How Long is it going to take the Asian Teams to regain their lost pride in International Cricket?

Dravid: A Multi-dimensional Player

There has always been a wrong general perception about Rahul Dravid's role in the Indian team over the years. Dravid has a reputation of being a solid test batsman with immense temperament and a kind of player who can provide calmness in the middle order.

No doubt that Dravid is considered to be one of the very best India has ever produced in longest format of the game, his limited-over brilliance is mostly neglected. Although he has not been a regular member of Indian One day International Team for the past four years, he is still one of the most successful Indian One day batsman.

It is my personal analysis and most of the people would agree with me that Rahul Dravid's general impression of having a uni-dimensional role in the Indian Cricket Team is nothing but a mere speculation. Dravid, by far has been the most multi-tasking member of Indian team over the years which is specifically true as far as his now-almost-forgotten glorious one day career is concerned. I would like to share my insight on Dravid's diverse roles in the limited-over World Cups in which he has featured.

1999 in England: Rahul Dravid came into the tournament as the most In-form Indian bastman along with Sourav Ganguly. Since Tendulkar was out of the side before the tournament and Azharuddin on the verge of retirement, the onus was on the shoulders of Dravid to hold the innings at one-down. Who can forget his mammoth 153 against the defending Champions Sri Lanka? The role was simple and clear: he was the prime batsman of India and he did justice to his role.

2003 in South Africa: Rahul Dravid had a completely different role in the side this time. He was no longer a one-down batsman rather he was asked to bat at number 4 or 5 in order to play an anchor role in the middle overs. In addition, Dravid held another important role in the side in field where he was seen behind the stumps with gloves. A prime batsman who could keep the wickets allowed the Indian management to play an extra batsman or a bowler. Dravid served his team brilliantly well as a wicketkeeper from 2002 till 2004 while simultaneously being a prominent batsman.

2007 in the West Indies: This time Rahul was seen in another significant role. He was the skipper of Indian team and of course, a main batsman in the middle order.

In my opinion, If 2011 World Cup was to be held in any country outside the Subcontinent, Rahul Dravid would definitely have featured in his fourth World Cup. The class, quality and experience which he possess is still beneficial for Indian Team even in limited overs format specially in the alien conditions such as England or South Africa where youngsters struggle.

There is not even the slightest of doubts in the fact that in the history of Test match Cricket, the name of  Rahul Dravid is always going to be remembered in golden words. However, the services he has done for India in One day Internationals must never be forgotten. He has been a multi-dimensional servant for Indian Cricket Team in One Day Cricket and he will always be remembered as one of the very best India has ever produced.

The Wall

One of the major reason why Indian team remained at top Test spot for about two years was the aggression in their batting right from the start. Both Viru and Gambhir have been happy to take on the opposition with their free-flowing stroke play followed by Tendulkar, who himself is a positive player. Influence of shorter version of the game has been evident from the way Indian batsmen have taken their Test Cricket in the past few years and that too, with immense success.

It was during last year when people started to question the role of Rahul Dravid in India's test side, primarily due to 3 reasons. 1) He was the odd one out in India's batting line up, being unable to score as much and as quickly as rest of his team-mates were doing consistently. 2) The growing age factor and the youngsters like Kohli and Pujara waiting for a place. 3) The defensive approach of Dravid which used to get outplayed by Sehwag's aggression.

People started to demand Dravid's retirement in an honorable way during 2010, claiming that his peak time was gone.

Rahul Dravid had just one answer to all the building pressure and criticism; to perform with a bat that has scored tons of thousands of runs in the past. When Tendulkar, Sehwag, Gambhir were resting for different reasons after hectic World Cup and IPL, Dravid was getting himself prepared for the all important English summer by playing in the Caribbean. He played a vital role in a series win against the West Indies which included a well crafted Ton at Jamaica. It was enough to make his critics shut for the time being. A real slap on the face of critics however, has just come recently.

Rahul Dravid has scored 461 runs in 4 tests with 3 hundreds in England; A performance which declared him the Indian Man of the Series. This performance came at a time when all Indian batsmen were struggling to face the ferocious English attack. The likes of Tendulkar, Sehwag, Gambhir, Laxman and Raina failed miserably without even managing a single three figure score between them. Dravid, on his own, passed that figure on 3 occasions which also include a bat carry. The greatness was shown by one of this all time best batsman when he came out to bat again as an opener in space of 10 minutes, after a follow-on was enforced on his team while he carried his bat in the first innings during the Oval Test. The critics must have received a clear message that form is temporary while the class is permanent. Dravid, indeed, is a Class act.

Dravid clearly mentioned in the post-match presentation ceremony that the reason behind his success in England was the confidence which he carried into the series by playing in Caribbean; which was an indirect indication why others coudn't perform well enough as he did. He also ruled out the possibility of this tour of England being his last by saying, 'One series at a Time'. Indian Team would surely need 'The Wall' in these conditions if India qualifies for the ICC Test Championship to be held in 2013. Let's see if the Great Wall can remain intact till the age of 40.

Cricket Pakistan: Mission 2013 ICC Test Championship

No matter how much commercialization has occurred in Cricket by the involvement of heavy sponsors or by the introduction of T20, Test cricket is still the ultimate form of the game. No other format can test the ability, talent and temperament of a player as much as the Test Cricket does. Due to this reason, many analysts and experts consider the performance of test cricket as the criteria for judging a players capability.

It is an honor for any country to occupy the Top rank in Tests. England has recently snatched the number one spot from India, who enjoyed the privilege to be at Top for about 2 years. Pakistan is currently placed at number 6 in the ICC World Test Ranking. It will take some time before they can actually rule the world in Test cricket because it is the kind of format which does not suit them naturally.

Top spot should not be in the minds of Pakistan's think tank right now as they don't even have a stable Cricket Board and team to achieve the honors. The prime target, however, should be the ICC Test Championship to be held in England in 2013. Top 4 Test teams are going to feature in the prestigious championship. Let's see if there is any chance for Pakistan to play the 1st ever Test Championship in 2013.

To start the proceedings, Pakistan will have to stick with only one captain till 2013 at least in Tests. The captain should be visionary enough to think about the future and play his cards accordingly. Misbah-ul-Haq, 37, needs to be fit till that time. He's performing well with the bat as shown by his stats. His fitness will remain a million dollar question.

Being realistic, the aim of Pakistan Cricket team should be the number 4 spot in the rankings till 2013 in order to qualify for the championship. Let us consider the the scheduled Test matches of Pakistan before the Championship in order to analyze the chances of Pakistan Team to get the 4th rank.

After a one-off Test match away in Zimbabwe, Pakistan are scheduled to play Sri Lanka in a 3-match series at Home (UAE). They will tour Bangladesh for a two-match series later this year. Beating Sri Lanka, a better ranked side, would definitely boost some points for Pakistan. In 2012, Pakistan will face the number 1 side in the world, England, at their home conditions. Does anyone remember the England-Pakistan series of 2005 where the Ashes winning England side were outclassed by Pakistan on flat tracks? If the government allows, Pakistan will tour India, another better ranked side, and everyone knows that ranking is never a hurdle between an Indo-Pak game. Anything can happen in that series. Then there will be a Home series against a low ranked Bangladesh; good for preparation i suppose, and an away series against Sri Lanka. Winning an away series is sure to have a positive affect on ranking points. In 2013 before the Championship, there are away tours of Zimbabwe, South Africa and West Indies.

Hence, South African series is the only potential series that can be tough for Pakistani's. 2 Series against Sri Lanka and a series against England and India (subject to clearance) in very much favorable conditions can definitely boost the chances of Pakistan to enhance their rank. They will, however,require a lot of stability in terms of selection matters. Let's see what it should be like.

Identify a group of 3 openers and stick with them. There's no need of Imran Farhat. Taufeeq Umar and Muhammad Hafeez have good techniques and the right temperament. A youngster like Sharjeel Khan can be injected along with them. He has a solid technique in collaboration with controlled aggression. Azhar Ali has been the find of 2010; a genuine test match player. This guy has a big future ahead of him. He must utilize and learn from the experience of Younus Khan and Misbah- both of them should be available till 2013 if they mainatain their fitness. For number 6 batting position, there is already a tough competition among several talented players. Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Ramiz Raja Jnr and Usman Salahuddin are some of the contenders. Fawad Alam would have been a good choice but Mr. Ilyas, member of selection committee and father-in-law of Imran farhat would definitely not let him get selected. Team management should work with all these players and pick the best one out of them; the one who has a right attitude towards the Test Cricket. All of them are equally talented.

Pick a keeper once for all and give him a proper go. The musical chair of keepers is not going to help the cause. One out of Adnan Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed and Jamal Anwar should be given a proper chance. Kamran Akmal and Muhammad Salman are not capable of Test Level.

As Pakistan Team is going to play most of their matches in spinning-friendly conditions, they must have some match-winning spinners in order to boost their ranking. Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rahman, along with youngsters like Raza hassan and Yasir Shah can occupy the spin department. Danish kaneria's availability will be a huge bonus.

It will not be easy to fill in the gap left by Asif and Amir but fast bowling department has never been an issue for Pakistan Cricket Team. Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul will have to step up. The Management must groom Junaid Khan, Sohail Khan, and Muhammad Talha as well.

Fast bowling department is the weakest link right now. If Pakistan can find a couple of good swing bowlers, rest of the team looks fairly stable and the bench-strength has some equally talented back-up players. If there is a proper vision with proper implementation like Andy Flower had for England team 2 years ago to take a 6th ranked side to 1st rank, Pakistan can definitely take part in the prestigious Test championship. To do that, Pakistan will have to make a proper policy right from the Sri Lankan series in October this year. If Pakistan is able to achieve 4th ranking and play the Test Championship in 2013, It would be a great acievement for them. 

Mouse away from House: Indian Team

Before the England Tour:

Dravid: Let’s have some practice guys; English tour is round the corner.

Yuvraj: Oh come on man we are tired after winning the World Cup while you were sleeping at home.

Tendulkar: Are you mad Dravid? A player like me does not need any practice. I’ll start making centuries right away in England. You go to Caribbean and play against a low ranked West Indies. I will play IPL and have some rest.

Dhoni: Even I don’t feel like playing against the West Indies but it will give me an opportunity to boost up my average by remaining NOT OUT.

Raina: I am not afraid of Short-Pitch stuff anymore as I hit them out of the park in IPL. English tour is going to be a piece of cake.

Harbajjan: I have over 400 test wickets. We are the number 1 side in World. We need to celebrate our success.

Zaheer: Okay guys since I’ll give my 200% to Mrs. Ambani’s IPL team, don’t expect me to be fully fit for no-so-important English tour. We are the WORLD CHAMPIONS after all.

Gambhir:  I don’t feel like playing without my partner Sehwag L. I can not score without his support.

Sehwag: Even though I am injured, but by the time I return to the side, we will be already 2 up in the series and I’ll straight away blast a Triple ton on my return as I have been doing it on Indian pitches. . Even Ajit Agarkar and Anil Kumble have scored centuries in England. I will score the big ones.

BCCI: Yes boys, enjoy the glamour of IPL, skip the tour of West Indies and go to England without any fear. ICC will make sure our authority over Cricket World. Money speaks after all.

After the Tour of England:

Team India: Walls are supposed to have ‘ears’ alone, idiomatically, but this Wall (Dravid) has a brain too. Perhaps we should have listened to him instead of playing IPL and skipping the tour of West Indies.

BCCI: Sorry guys, English Cricket board refused to take bribe. We couldn’t buy the series like we bought the World Cup. Get ready for the upcoming Champions League though.

Moral: 1) Every pitch is not a batting paradise like Kanpur. You can not play in India forever and claim                     

                  to be the World’s best.  

              2) Arrogance leads to downfall.

England Cricket: A New Era of British Imperialism.

Take a look at this scenario: An uncertain team suffering from a musical chair of captaincy in 2009 just a few months away from Ashes under a coach who used to play for Zimbabwe not so long ago. A team which played a series against a crumbling West Indies and lost to them 1-0 in a 5 match series including a total of 51 all out at Kingston within a session. A team that ranked 6^th in the world without showing any prospects for improvement.

Take a look at another scenario: The same team defeated the mighty Australians twice in 5 match ashes series, both home and away; the same team defeated Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies and drew against South Africans; the same team has recently humiliated the Number 1 side in the world by defeating them 3-0 to snatch the number 1 spot. The rise of ‘British Empire’ in Cricket from 6^th to Number 1 rank in two years time span is a remarkable achievement. This is arguably the strongest English side to have taken the field with equally strong bench-strength. The players are of right age to dominate the world cricket for at least a decade. I know it is a big statement but I have strong analysis to support my statement.

Alistair Cook- the run machine is barely 27 and has played 71 tests already with almost 6000 test runs. He is definitely up for breaking many records in future. Kevin Pietersen has good 6 to 7 years left to serve English Team. Bell and Morgan, two positive and technically sound players are still in mid 20’s while the bowling line having Broad and Bresnan, who can play as genuine All-Rounders too, are also in their half twenties. Andersen is still 29 and the backup seam attack consist the likes of Steven Finn and Chris Tremlett to make up one gem of a bowling attack for future along with the service of Swan. There is a vast improvement in talent that is showing up at county level where players of ages 21-22 are making heaps of runs. They have a big future ahead of them. Matt Prior, the best keeper-batsman today without any doubt, has the likes of Kieswetter and Davies in the waiting list to fill his space.

Rarely will you find such a team which is at Top ranking with almost each players below the age of 30 (except Strauss) along with evenly talented youngsters in the waiting list to succeed the supremacy unlike the Australian side of last decade which ruled the world for almost 10 years by help of all the greats who were over 30 and once they retired, their was not enough back up to fill in the big shoes. Now Australia is ranked 5 in the world. England has enough back up to retain their domination after the retirement of this bunch of players, which is not happening any soon.

I have seen the English test side at the bottom of rankings in 1999, even below Zimbabwe and the West Indies and now seeing them at top of the lot after 12 years, I can do nothing except applauding the English Cricket team, the radiant policies of ECB and most of all, the mastermind behind this success, Andy Flower – the Coach. English supremacy over the original form of the game is not temporary; It is here to stay for long. 

Cricket Team India: Number 1 Position at Stake

Lackluster, outclassed, and miserable – All these words can fit in well for Team India after the conclusion of first two test matches against England. Is it the pressure of being Number one which has taken better of Indian team or is it the absence of key players like Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan which has demoralized them? Whichever the case may be, Indian Team is on verge to lose their number one position once they will get out in the field at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

The biggest letdowns for Dhoni's eleven in two out of two defeats are 1) an unsettled opening pair. 2) Consecutive rare failures for Sachin Tendulkar. 3) Mahendra Singh Dhoni's dementia of how to keep the wickets. 4) Harbhajjhan Singh's batting friendly spells. 5) Zaheer Khan's Unavailability and last but not the least, England team's outstanding performance.

As expected, Sehwag and Zaheer Khan are going to play the next text match which will be a huge boost for Indian team as they will be trying to rule the ICC ranking for some more time. Yuvraj has been ruled out of the test match which will be a setback. Harbhajjan's unavailability might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Sachin Tendulkar has a big score due on him. Dhoni should start consider to play county cricket instead of IPL as his poor wicket keeping has been exposed by English conditions. He needs to step up as a batsman and as a skipper too. India needs to be aggressive like they have been in the last couple of years to give mighty Englishmen a tough competition.

Can India prove their worth as number one side in the world? Can they raise their game to maintain their supremacy over rest of the test playing nations? Indeed, it's going to be a mammoth task. That's where the number one teams step when the pressure is humongous. Let's see if team India can rise to the occasion and play like champions. All eyes on the Edgbaston test.

The Greatest Father-in-Law

In a society where In-Laws are mostly found to be envious, wicked and cunning people, Muhammad Ilyas has always defied this perception by proving it absolutely bogus. Had there been a noble prize for the most sincere Father-in-Law, no one else would have been more deserving than Mr. Ilyas. Mr. Ilyas has proved yet again that he stongly believes in family bonding as he has just been successful in arranging a gazzilionth 'honeymoon' for his daughter and his favorite Son-in-Law, this time to Zimbabwe. Take a bow for being so sincere with your family, Mr. Ilyas.

Imran Farhat has been named in the squad for Zimbabwe that is announced today primarily because of two obvious reasons. 1) His Pro-PCB commentary during the Faysal Bank T20 tournament in Faisalabad, where young deserving openers were knocking the doors of PCB with each run they were scoring and 2) as usaual the ever loving Father-in-Law's 'parchi'. Being an 'influential' member of the selection committe, Muhammad Ilyas has never missed any opportunity to create a 'foreing trip' for his son-in-law. "Sussar ho tou Aisa..."

Can any one please dare to ask Mr. Ilyas and respected Chairman PCB that what good has Mr. Brain Charles Farhat achieved while he was in the national side and during the domestic tournaments? Did he even play the recently conducted domestic tournament? No he didn't. If the players like Sharjeel Khan, who performed brilliantly in that tournament, are not selected then what is the purpose of arranging such tournaments? To give an opportunity to players like Farhat so that they can analyze the game while sitting in the media box and make their way back into the national side without even playing any competitive cricket? The criteria for the selection of players like Farhat is just a nod from his Father-in-Law?Then indeed, Pakistan Cricket is on its way to Glory of Downfall!!

ICC fan's Greatest Test team of all time- Fair enough?

There is no denying of the fact that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has been under an immense influence of Indian Lobby i.e the BCCI for a while now. The policy matters of ICC must have a strong backing by the Indian Cricket board in order to be implemented. This influence of Indian board was seen to have another dimension which had nothing to do with board itself, but with the public of India. 

In a recently concluded fan's Greatest test team of all-time on the website of ICC, the strong Indian lobby along with the advantage of gigantic population with proportional internet users, made 4 Indian cricketers join the elite test team of all-time, just before the occasion of 2000th International test match at Lords- The home of cricket. Had it been not for the public pole, most of the players would never have made it into this list. Nothing to be taken away from all the 11 great players but it would have been better if instead of a public pole, an independent ICC jury was to announce the all-time Greatest team. 2000 Test matches spanning from 1877 till now is not a minor thing, after all. 

Virender Sehwag, a big name, a devastating opener, but with due respect, is not a proper test match opener. Kapil Dev, a fine all-rounder, better than Sir Garfield Sobers or Sir Richard Hadlee? Muttiah Muralitharan, first man to have achieved a mammoth haul of 800 wickets in test matches didn't even make it to the list. Just because there was not enough Sri Lankan population to take part in the online competition? No Michael Holdings or Any Roberts or Malcom Marshalls or Joel Garners or Sir Vivian Richards or Imran Khans or Denis Comptons or several other players, who were the true representatives of Test cricket, are to be find in this public list, which was dominated by voters primarily from Indian T20 generation.

ICC should have been fair while announcing the All-time Greatest team for the Test matches at least as it is the real form of Cricket and therefore, must be dealt with care in all cases. Public votes, however, can be used in case of One day Cricket. Even if the fan's Greatest team is announced, ICC should take care of the location of the audiences so that a fair and a non-biased outcome is achieved. 

Disappointed at this unfair result.