More Miandad Analysis

A reflective essay on Miandad's resignation and what it could mean to Pakistani cricket.

Miandad: In or Out?

While it is always hard to trust Indian News sources when it comes to Pakistani cricket, nothing can surprise me when it comes to the PCB! It appears that now Javed Miandad may be coming back into the fold, despite the announcement and the press conference. Somehow, Ijaz Butt likes Javed, but no one else does, so Javed said plague on all your houses and ran away, but may be willing to be cajoled back in.

"Miandad is expected to get a call from the PCB headquarters within the next couple of days and a possible meeting is on the cards between the chairman and the batsman."

Is it really too much to ask for a modicum of stability, whether its in resignations or hirings? This cannot be good for cricket.

Indifferent Cricketing

Its been an exciting ten days in the world of Pakistani cricket. Sometimes I just hope for a quiet ten days, where all that happens is a few matches, where the performance is at par, we make a few comments about individual players' roles in the team, and then we move on!

First, Pakistan teased us with winning the first ODI against Sri Lanka. The bowlers, and the batsmen, and even Shoaib Malik at that, teased us with what they were capable of. Exciting strokeplay, tight, incisive bowling and swift and deliberate captaincy. Yet, all that only lasted for the first match. Everything quickly devolved into the disaster which was the third ODI in Lahore, where we were suddenly all out in the 70s, one of Pakistan's lowest scores of all time. How fitting that the Prime Minister had to be there to share in the sorrow of the team and its fans.

For most cricketing boards, a tough and difficult loss to another strong team would have been enough to make headlines for the next week. Not for us. We canned Shoaib Malik, three weeks after renewing his captaincy indefinitely. We brought on Younus Khan who can't seem to make up his mind about whether he actually wants to be captain, or just likes playing one in matches (refer to the prolonged stretches where he seems to be directing on-field strategy with Inzamam before, and Shoaib Malik now). I agree with Osman Samiuddin (CricInfo), that while it is by default, Younus Khan is the captain Pakistan needs at the moment. Seasoned in cricket, a dogged competitor and one who's credentials no one can question.

Shoaib Akhtar continues to play his peek-a-boo with international cricket. After dismal and indifferent performances over the first two matches, he pulled out the injury card for the third ODI, and then we were all promptly informed that he will miss the Sri Lanka tests, and hence will be out for another few months. This injury merry-go-round would be fine if everyone could somehow agree that Shoaib Akhtar is committed to cricket, and committed to playing it without the continuous drama that surrounds his every move on and off the cricketing field. No one can agree on that, or even say that its possible in the near term, and given Shoaib's medical problems, there really is no long-term to his cricketing future. Let him go.

What else? The Champion's Trophy has been taken away, Javed Miandad has quit over money or prestige, either which way because of his own vanity, and Asif has been banned yet again. What had begun a few months ago, with a hope that there would be a new direction to cricket in Pakistan, is now a vision which is uncertain again. With no hope of meaningful cricket at home in the near future, and a leadership which does not appear to have a clear strategy for the game or for the team itself, it appears that for the next few months we will just seem to jolt from crisis to crisis, from uncertainty to uncertainty. It appears that we are all in danger to becoming indifferent to the future of cricket in Pakistan.

Opinions on the Pakistani ICL exodus

More news on the Yousuf, Inzamam and Razzaq bombshell today. Rameez Raja, Intikhab Alam and Javed Miandad offer their perspective on issue, and perhaps not surprisingly, they all seem to hold the yoyos at the PCB responsible for this debacle.

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Javed Miandad: You can't coach a Test Cricketer

I really feel that I have a love-flabbergasted relationship with Javed Miandad. If anyone was ever to ask me, I would say without a shadow of a doubt, that Javed Miandad is Pakistan's greatest cricketer. He is perhaps not our most talented, or our most fluent or our most electrifying player, but he is our greatest cricketer, hands down. I have always loved the fact that with sheer force of will, he would change the entire demeanour of a match.

Yet, almost regularly, Javed Miandad says something which makes me scratch my head and go what the heck! This comment in an interview with The News is one such comment. According to Miandad, it appears that test cricketers cannot be coached! What the heck! Amazing, really amazing.

Faisal Iqbal's father passes away.

My condolences to the family.

Update: Another report from The News, with more information about the deceased.
Inna Lilahi Wa Ina Alaiyhi Rajiyoon.

My sentiments exactly

I wish I could criticize the PCB here, but Teeth Maestro: I agree completely.

Miandad the next coach?

Well, we all knew it was going to be said sooner or later. I just didn't expect it to be so soon! In an interview, Viv Richards, one of the most dynamic captains and batsmen in cricket history, has fairly candidly tipped Javed Miandad as perhaps the best candidate for the Pakistan coaching position.

Quote: "He could do the job, purely because of his love and passion for Pakistan cricket," Richards told BBC Sport. "Every time I have met him I have been impressed by his desire to see a successful Pakistan team."

While Miandad might be a good choice, he may just be too divisive a figure in Pakistani cricket to take the job at such a critical juncture. Javed Miandad's qualities which made him an excellent team mate and a fantastic cricketer for Pakistan, are the same qualities that make him a tough coach. An unrelenting drive to succeed, an intolerance for failure or for those who do not have the same drive to succeed, and aiming and driving to perfection in any and all circumstances. This is why after being appointed coach three times, he has been fired each and every time, and almost always after near rebellion from players. Somehow, I just don't think that this is a good idea.

Miandad not keen on tips

So, the Rocky of Pakistani Cricket, Javed Miandad feels that this is neither the time nor the place to give tips to the players. Further, he felt that that invitation from the PCB is open-ended without any actual purpose or direction. This probably speaks more to the PCB's and Dr. Nasim Ashraf's attempts at damage control, so that if there is a negative result at the World Cup, then they can say "Well, we tried to get Javed and Imran and everyone else to help out, so don't blame us". Maybe it would have helped if Waqar Younis had been retained as a bowling coach, and if the team had had a competent trainer over the past few years. Javed Miandad, I think, isn't wrong in not wanting to go to the training camp. I think he has been quiet generous in saying that he would be happy to discuss and help any player who wants to speak to him. Thanks, Javed.

Technorati Tags: pakistan, cricket, pakistan cricket board, world cup, javed miandad

Miandad and Intikhab praise the team!

This is pretty stunning. While it may be no more than bandwagon jumping, Javed Miandad and Intikhab Alam who have rarely have kind words to say about Inzamam, Woolmer or the team for that matter, have come out in praise of the team's performance in the second test match, which sealed a victory for the team. One would take these comments more seriously, but lets see what they have to say after the third test, if Pakistan is to lose the match!

Yousuf gives props to Javed Miandad

Mohammad Yousuf styles Miandad as his inspiration. Its interestingly said, because Miandad and Yousuf's styles couldn't be more different. Javed Miandad was a struggler, a grafter, where shots seemed to come from sheer act of will or defiance, where Yousuf's seem to come from almost exquisite grace, where balls seem to vanish when they land over pitched outside off, or on his legs. Miandad's running between the wickets was frantic, while Yousuf's is impish and provocative. Regardless, its good to see that Yousuf gives props to one of Pakistan's true batting greats and geniuses.

Miandad, Miandad

So, Miandad finds fault with Inzamam. I often agree with Miandad, but this is too much. How can he contend that Pakistan should have continued to play after they had been charged with a crime that they were not allowed to defend themselves from, or even hear any explanations! Can't agree with you here.

More outcry about Rhodes

Miandad and Mushtaq Mohammad continue their criticism of the PCB's hiring of Jonty Rhodes as fielding coach. I can realize that there is some discontent about the hiring of yet another coach, but I made reference in a previous post, about the necessity of professional coaching, specially at the international level. I hate to say it, but I will have to disagree with both Miandad and Mushtaq Mohammad.

Commentary on the current state of the PCB

After an altercation at a PCB dinner between Abbas Zaidi and the duo of Javed Miandad and Aamer Sohail, it appears that there is more news about this today. The PCB's side is coming out today, as is some perspective on Miandad and Sohail's thoughts.

Miandad not happy with PCB

Javed Miandad is speaking out against the approach of the PCB, and specifically Shaharyar Khan vis-a-vis the Shahid Afridi situation. Specifically Miandad is not happy with the way the PCB has jumped to talking about Afridi's contracts, rather than discussing the reasons for his decision to play only tests.

I must say, I had not considered this issue before, but after reading an article on Cricinfo, I have had to wonder a little bit. On one side, Afridi has said that he is unwilling to play tests, as he is playing too much cricket, and it is important for him to concentrate on ODIs. Then, he goes on to Ireland to play cricket there, rather than resting before the England series. Seems a little contradictory to me. Also, makes one wonder about Afridi's real reasons for refusing to play in tests. Is there politics here? Is there a question of Afridi's relationship with Woolmer? Is this a continuation of the ego wars between Afridi and Younis Khan from the WI? I'm just not sure. Hopefully we will get answers.

Even Indian's know crap when they see it!

So now Javed Miandad and Aamir Sohail are criticizing Inzamam and Woolmer. How preposterous. This is a well written article that addresses the pair's own shortcomings in positions of cricket leadership for Pakistan. I have the utmost respect for Javed Miandad, who really is one of the best batsmen in history and Pakistan's greatest batsman. However he was never a successful captain and an effective coach. And wasn't it just a few weeks ago that everyone was fauning over our team? Relaax people.

Javed Miandad comments

In Javed Miandad's column in the Indian Express, he comments on the success of Pakistan and the failure of India.

Faisal Iqbal had been left out because of Miandad?

One innings does not a legend make, but this article in one of Pakistan's leading newspapers contends that Faisal Iqbal was not left out because of poor performances, but because of his relationship with Miandad.

Hopefully all this adulation is not the usual habit in Pakistan to idolize everyone after every good innings and to demonize them after one bad performance.

Javed Miandad's criticisms

Surprise, surprise! Javed Miandad is criticizing the PCB! In an interview with the News, Javed criticizes everything about the PCB, from its administrative structure, to its curators, and even moving along to criticizing their decision to give away 50% of the tickets to the test matches.

Javed Miandad, since his dismissal as coach from the PCB, has done an enviable job of being the PCB's critic-in-chief! And this article shows the same thing. While the PCB should be held accountable for many of the things they do, criticizing them for trying to publicize the test series by giving away tickets is probably not the best way to go!

Javed Miandad's two cents about the Ganguly fiasco!

When has Javed Miandad not have something to say about everything! Here he is putting in his two cents about the Ganguly issue.