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- Oct 2, 2004
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PakPassion.net : Why do you think that Shoaib Malik is the greatest ever batsman produced by Pakistan?
Miandadrules : He isn’t the just greatest batsman, he is the greatest cricketer ever.
Can you name a cricketer than has engendered a collective stupidity on a massive scale amongst his fans as the “Scorching fire of Perth circa 1976” has? Has any other sportsman inspired a travelling fan base like Malik’s beloved “Hare Krishnas”? That is greatness right there for you.
There is a reason why everyone from SF Barnes to Dale Steyn openly confess that the “The GOAT” is the greatest batsman they have ever bowled to.
PakPassion.net : Who would be your favourite batsman, bowler and captain of all time?
Miandadrules : I started watching cricket at a very early age and at that time Imran Khan and Javed Miandad, were Pakistan cricket and I thought they were the greatest thing since sliced bread. I guess the people that we hold up as heroes as children are never really toppled because of the innocence of our childhood. As I have matured I have gained perspective of their standing amongst the greats and obviously there have been greater cricketers but not too many especially in the case of Imran. Despite gaining greater perspective, these two men still hold a very special place in my heart for the manner in which they carried our cricket to unforeseen heights. So from a nationalistic point of view my favorite bowler and captain would be Imran and batsman would be Miandad. However, that is different to the players I enjoyed watching.
I was too young to truly appreciate Viv Richards, as his peak was before I was born but I did get to watch some great knocks at the tail end of his career. Even back then you could see the amount of respect players and fans alike had for him.
The following players were my favorites growing up;
Australia – Border and Alderman
England – Gower and Botham
India – Vengsarkar and Kapil
New Zealand – Crowe and Hadlee
Sri Lanka – De Silva and Ratnayake
West Indies – Richards Marshall, Hooper and Logie
South Africa – Clive Rice.
My favorite bowlers were Michael Holding and Waqar Younis. Holding may have been labeled whispering death but he was poetry in motion for me. For me he was the most natural fast bowler ever and had the perfect action. His action was so smooth and seamless I could watch it all day. The excitement Waqar generated especially at his peak was infectious and it really did inspire you to go out and bowl as fast as you can.
My favorite batsmen of all time are Lara and Tendulkar, closely followed by Ab De Villiers, Saeed Anwar, Sehwag, Damian Martin, Richie Richardson and Dravid.
I can’t really say who my favorite captain is because you’re only as good as your resources but I always thought Stephen Fleming did a remarkable job with what he had.
PakPassion.net : Where do you see Pakistan cricket in five years from now?
Miandadrules : It’s very difficult to envisage what the future holds especially as I haven’t seen enough domestic cricket to make a reasonable judgment. That said I am more confident in the future of our Test team as opposed to the limited overs sides.
As stated earlier, I think the Test team is developing the foundation of a good unit. With the addition of Amir and possibly Asif, there will be added potency and depth (more on my feelings about their return below). If a world class batting talent does emerge then we will have a team that can be competitive around the world. If two batting talents emerge then we will have a side that could challenge for the top spot. But these are big ifs.
The short-term future of the limited overs teams looks bleak and if we don’t develop or rediscover our batting culture the long-term future isn’t looking too bright either. I am more optimistic about our T20 team simply because of the unpredictable nature of the format. However, I am concerned that other sides are developing and evolving as specialist T20 units whereas we are stagnating and seem blissfully unaware of it.
The underlying cause of my pessimism is that there isn’t a single limited over batsman that inspires any confidence. Even the ones that have a modicum of success have the caveat of it being against weak opposition or on benign surfaces and for many both.
PakPassion.net : How do you see Pakistan team's chances at 2016 Twenty20 World Cup?
Miandadrules : In all honesty I’m not too optimistic but I would love to be proved wrong. With the nature of T20 cricket and the format of the tournament, if you win the right three matches, you can theoretically win the tournament. Unfortunately, the current team doesn’t have the required quality in my opinion to string a series of good performances for me to confidently back them.
If we take in to consideration the format, the tournament layout and it being held in India I would say a semi-final berth is within our grasp. But the other teams seem better prepared and more focused than us. It’s just not a team, which can string a consistent run of victories together based on what I have seen so far.
PakPassion.net : How high do you rate Sachin Tendulkar and what are your opinions on him?
Miandadrules : Without doubt he is the purest batsman I have ever seen. I could sit and watch him all day, as he is the closest to technical perfection I have ever seen.
What I admired most was his backlift and follow through. It’s the smoothest execution there has ever been, in my opinion. The real striking thing about it is that in the 150 years of cricket that nobody has come close to matching it. The beauty of Sachin’s batting is that everything seemed in sync. There was never any jitteriness or unnecessary movement. Coupled with a serene stillness of his head and then that beautiful arc of his backlift following an almost straight trajectory to the ball, which almost always met with the greatest surface area of the bat, whether it was played with a straight or cross bat. That is batsmanship of the highest order and an exhibition of unparalleled technical prowess. I just wish our younger batsman could focus on these two aspects and see how far their games would develop.
If only Sachin had that “killer instinct” I don’t think there would even be an argument as to who the greatest batsman ever was. However, that is the greatest knock against him, that he rarely seized the initiative when destiny beckoned him.
I think to truly excel at anything and to reach unforeseen heights be it not just in sport but in life itself, I think there has to be an element of narcissism. One must believe that they can achieve more than those around them, that you are not confined by their limitations. Maybe, Tendulkar just wasn’t enough of a narcissist to seize these moments, whereas Lara evidently had a great ego and saw himself greater than his peers. Now, this attitude may be necessary to reach the pinnacle but it doesn’t necessarily mean it is best for the team. I think Lara was more willing to take the risk to play a great knock, even if it meant such an approach if it fails, which it often did, would be highly detrimental to the team. With the same token I think the weight of expectation hindered Tendulkar from taking such a cavalier approach. The Indian public demanded he delivered on the role of a great batsman each time he stepped on to the outfield but in doing so they never let him truly break the shackles.
I have always said that Tendulkar was a player you could bank on being an all-time great day in day out, whereas with Lara you could at times get an all-time great, whereas other times a liability but occasionally he would do things no other batsman has ever done and it would leave you astounded.
Now which you value more is subjective and that is the beauty of cricket and sport in general.
PakPassion.net : What is it that you dislike about Shahid Afridi?
Miandadrules : I think it’s convenient for Afridi fans to label my criticism of the player and of the man as hate because it is hoped it will take away the credibility of the statements.
Let’s first address the issue of Afridi the player. I feel that for the vast majority of his career he has been carried and rarely justified his selection. We have someone who has consistently failed against every non-minnow side and his sporadic success has been limited to occasional performances against minnows and the weaker sides, that too only when the conditions are heavily tilted in his favor. If this is the barometer for success then why don’t his fans extend this courtesy to the remaining playing eleven?
To be consistently rewarded for continually failing is a perplexing and an unnecessary burden on the other players. What role has Afridi truly fulfilled in the two decades he has played? Other than a short period where he justified his selection as a limited overs bowler, the rest of the team has always carried him.
For the first decade Afridi was for all intents and purposes a sideshow. It was accepted by fans and players alike that we would enter each contest a man short, as he brought absolutely no value to the team. The fact that he was played as an opener in a desperate attempt to somehow accommodate him is dumbfounding. It seems his supporters seem to totally ignore the dilapidating effect he had on the team in those years. This is a man who actually played as a front line batsman in world cup final after being a complete failure both as a batsman and bowler for the entire tournament.
Rather than being conscious of his shortcomings and making a concerted effort to improve his game and justify his selection, he has consistently put his interests ahead of his team. The cavalier, reckless approach has made him millions and he has made a conscious effort to play for this brand rather than team Pakistan. By always shirking responsibility he has cost Pakistan numerous games and it would not be an exaggeration to say he has by far cost us more games than any other player. Yet I am supposed to be grateful for this?
If this wasn’t enough in the later half of his career, for someone unknown reason this sideshow was maneuvered in to the position of Kingmaker. Constantly blaming players for defeats and always putting his interests ahead of the team became routine. The shameful manner in which he abandoned the team in England and used the spot-fixing scandal to further his own interests was thoroughly disgusting. Add to this his leaking team news and creating instability both in 2009 and particularly in the run-up to the 2015 World Cup, where he was openly campaigning for the captaincy, was thoroughly shameful. Even with a world cup in the most difficult of conditions beckoning all he cared about was himself. I ask you again am I supposed to be grateful for this?
So desperate are his fans for some credibility that they will create all kinds propaganda and revisionist history. How many times will we hear that Afridi “single-handedly” won the T20 world cup? Totally ignoring the fact that Abdul Razzaq had ended it as a contest within the first 5 overs and that the openers had set it up for Afridi to once just play sensibly. Do we hear about Umar Gul’s heroics in that tournament? Or that Afridi was a liability throughout until the final two games? What about Afridi’s 6’s against India being on the same level as that executed by Miandad at Sharjah? That Sharjah knock brought us our first ever ODI tournament victory, that too against our archrivals, who consistently had the edge over us in ODIs. How often are we going to hear the blatant lie that Afridi exposed the spot-fixing scandal? The truth and reality doesn’t seem to matter, let alone tally.
Then we move on to Afridi the man.
Firstly, I do understand the reason behind the way he acts. I see Afridi, as a spoilt child, who has never grown up. He was a media creation who was thrust on to a naive audience and has since been given carte blanch to behave whichever way he likes without any accountability.
However, this doesn’t mean that it is acceptable to give such behavior a pass. From his endorsement of unethical products to his self-promotion under the guise of charity, there are a number of things I take exception to with regards to his conduct. As someone who works with a number of charities I find his opportunism in this area to promote himself particularly tasteless.
Then he uses the media platform provided and his celebrity status to make statements on issues he is nowhere near qualified to do so. I’m sorry if people find my criticism of his chauvinistic and prejudicial comments offensive. But when someone makes such comments I will pull them up on it.
Lets not forget the incident of his agent threatening posters on Pakpassion with regards what they post about him. Despite such undignified behavior, his actions will be defended blindly and futile attempts will be made to justify and validate his comments.
I don’t have a dossier of all the issues I have had with him and I tend to comment on incidents when they come up. But if I have posted anything that has been fabricated and not backed up with facts then please pull me up on it and I am more than happy to address each point.
I think those that take umbrage with my criticism of him would have greater validity if they could show that I didn’t apply the same criteria to everyone. Unfortunately, for them I apply the same standard to Afridi, as I do of others, something that is evidently absent from his fans.
I don’t think he is evil incarnate, just ignorant but ignorance is no defense. I’m sorry that his fans have been sold a lie and feel the need to vent their anger towards me when I point out the blatant fallacies but that’s an issue they will have to come to terms with. I certainly won’t be partaking in such ignorance.
PakPassion.net : Give us a little bio of yourself please. I.e. where you grew, how many siblings, etc.
Miandadrules : I was born in Rawalpindi but moved to the United Kingdom with my foster parents when I was two. I grew up in Birmingham till I left for University in Manchester when I was 18. After University I spent a lot of time travelling the world with my trusted backpack.
When I returned to England I enrolled at a Medical School in West London and currently work as an Anesthetist in London. I split my time working with Doctors without borders and Doctors Worldwide, in addition to my post as a Consultant.
I guess I have gained a fair amount of life experience having worked a wide variety of jobs whilst putting myself through University. I have worked as a nightclub doorman, a grounds man, a cricket and boxing coach, as a call center worker, in the fashion industry, a research scientist and now as a Doctor.
I have four older brothers from my foster family.
PakPassion.net : As for cricket, who do think can be Pakistan's next superstar (IK, Wasim, Afridi..etc)?
Miandadrules : Firstly, we have to define what you mean by a superstar?
Is it based on inspirational performers like Miandad and Waqar?
Purely commercial success from media creations such as Afridi?
Or a mixture of the two like with Wasim Akram and Imran Khan?
Afridi isn’t a “superstar” in the same manner as the others mentioned nowhere near, other than from a commercial stand point.
Unfortunately despite my reservations about him, the only player on the horizon that I can envisage achieving “superstar” status currently is Mohammad Amir. I think he could achieve it both on the field and commercially, and the early signs are with the manner in which he is being promoted that this sordid tale will be repackaged as a story of redemption. However, without doubt the return of the trio makes me very uncomfortable.
However, a distinction has to be made about how I feel and how the law should be applied.
A person can only be punished according to what the law was at the time of the crime being committed. Hence, Amir along with the other two should be allowed to return under surveillance. However, I feel this will and already has set a dangerous precedent in a country like Pakistan.
Pakistan is a country in which corruption is endemic at every level, permeating every aspect of life and is the root cause of many if not all the ills that blight us. The only way out of this quagmire is to hold ourselves and our society to a higher standard and to make accountability a paramount priority. For these reasons I am strongly in favor of a ruling being passed that any player found guilty of such offences receiving a life-time ban from international cricket from now on.
I anticipate the criticisms this proposition will receive and I will attempt to address some of them here.
Firstly, many will say that players are entitled to earn a living. Well, playing international cricket isn’t a right, it’s a privilege and the greatest honor a player can aspire for. Nobody is stopping them from earning a living and they can do so from domestic and international club cricket. Also nothing is stopping them from earning a living in any other field. But to equate withdrawing a substantial salary by retaining a position, in which you have actively betrayed the trust that was entrusted in you, isn’t the same as being confined to a life of poverty. There are very few instances in which a person is restored to a position after they have abused it.
Others will say that why should we single out players when so many in Pakistani society are never held accountable. The two are not mutually exclusive. Let’s hold all accountable. If this view is valid than every Pakistani should leave all their doors open and go on a looting spree and let chaos rein. Change occurs from the bottom up, not the top down. We as a collective have to demand accountability and live our lives to a higher standard if we are to have a better future.
Everyone makes a mistake. Sure they do but representing your country is the greatest honor one can bestow and if you’re made aware that any transgression or betrayal of this honor will result in it being rescinded beforehand then there shouldn’t be an issue.
Finally, there is the case that others have returned for other countries. They are not my concern; I have no say, nor a vested interest in how their societies are run. I have a say in Pakistan’s affairs and it’s cricket and as someone who has seen the deleterious effects of corruption I want my people to live life to a higher standard for the greater good of our society.
PakPassion.net : Do you follow football? If so, what's your favourite football team from league?
Miandadrules : I’ve never truly been a football fan if I am honest. I played a little at school but as I got older cricket and boxing pretty much took up most of my time. When I began boxing in the ABAs, I never really had sufficient time to play, because of the training involved and my academic commitments.
I regret not mastering the basics as all my friends are far superior to me, and it is without doubt a beautiful and versatile sport. Due to the ubiquitous nature of football I am always aware of what is going on and what the premier league table looks like.
I used to support Liverpool when I was very young and I guess I still root for them but I never watch a game unless I’m with my football mad friends. That said I have been lucky to have watched games at the Nou Camp and Bernabeu stadium.
As a player, I can safely say I’m good on the field until the ball actually reaches my feet.
PakPassion.net : Do you think the 1990s Pakistan team ultimately underachieved?
Miandadrules : It certainly did underachieve but not in the manner most on PP seem to believe.
They underachieved in that from 1995 onwards that team was horrendous. I remember HOME series loses to Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Australia, South Africa, England (in 2000) and a drawn home series against New Zealand. In fact as we never played India, our only home series win to stand in the late 90’s was the whitewash of the West Indies, who were being whitewashed by everybody away.
Even away from home we were decent but nothing more. We got hammered in Australia, had a 0-3 record in the Caribbean. Wins over Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, England and New Zealand and a draw against South Africa redeemed our standing somewhat but when one considers how poor the English (of 1996) and New Zealand sides were in the mid-90s it gives us a better perspective
I think many fans look back nostalgically and blur timelines. They reel off names when reminiscing about the 90’s team and mention Wasim, Waqar, Malik, Inzi, Anwar, Sohail, Saqlain, Mushy, Mahmood, Razaq, Afridi and Ijaz. The mistake being made when you reel the names off, is the assumption that they were all at their peak and were consistent strong performers, which is far from the truth.
From 95 onwards Malik was finished, the 2W’s were enjoying the last moments of their absolute peaks, whereas Sohail and Mushy were done by 1996. Saqlain only truly came to fore from 1998 onwards.
So as has been the case for much of our history, the 90’s team was carried by a select few whereas the rest were passengers. If that wasn’t enough many were allegedly indulging in unscrupulous practices and the focus was more on grabbing power and forming factions than elevating Pakistan cricket.
The ODI team was more successful and competitive but even back then was heavily reliant on the bowlers and as the 90’s progressed we gradually forgot the art of chasing, meaning our destiny was usually left to the toss of a coin.
Miandadrules : He isn’t the just greatest batsman, he is the greatest cricketer ever.
Can you name a cricketer than has engendered a collective stupidity on a massive scale amongst his fans as the “Scorching fire of Perth circa 1976” has? Has any other sportsman inspired a travelling fan base like Malik’s beloved “Hare Krishnas”? That is greatness right there for you.
There is a reason why everyone from SF Barnes to Dale Steyn openly confess that the “The GOAT” is the greatest batsman they have ever bowled to.
PakPassion.net : Who would be your favourite batsman, bowler and captain of all time?
Miandadrules : I started watching cricket at a very early age and at that time Imran Khan and Javed Miandad, were Pakistan cricket and I thought they were the greatest thing since sliced bread. I guess the people that we hold up as heroes as children are never really toppled because of the innocence of our childhood. As I have matured I have gained perspective of their standing amongst the greats and obviously there have been greater cricketers but not too many especially in the case of Imran. Despite gaining greater perspective, these two men still hold a very special place in my heart for the manner in which they carried our cricket to unforeseen heights. So from a nationalistic point of view my favorite bowler and captain would be Imran and batsman would be Miandad. However, that is different to the players I enjoyed watching.
I was too young to truly appreciate Viv Richards, as his peak was before I was born but I did get to watch some great knocks at the tail end of his career. Even back then you could see the amount of respect players and fans alike had for him.
The following players were my favorites growing up;
Australia – Border and Alderman
England – Gower and Botham
India – Vengsarkar and Kapil
New Zealand – Crowe and Hadlee
Sri Lanka – De Silva and Ratnayake
West Indies – Richards Marshall, Hooper and Logie
South Africa – Clive Rice.
My favorite bowlers were Michael Holding and Waqar Younis. Holding may have been labeled whispering death but he was poetry in motion for me. For me he was the most natural fast bowler ever and had the perfect action. His action was so smooth and seamless I could watch it all day. The excitement Waqar generated especially at his peak was infectious and it really did inspire you to go out and bowl as fast as you can.
My favorite batsmen of all time are Lara and Tendulkar, closely followed by Ab De Villiers, Saeed Anwar, Sehwag, Damian Martin, Richie Richardson and Dravid.
I can’t really say who my favorite captain is because you’re only as good as your resources but I always thought Stephen Fleming did a remarkable job with what he had.
PakPassion.net : Where do you see Pakistan cricket in five years from now?
Miandadrules : It’s very difficult to envisage what the future holds especially as I haven’t seen enough domestic cricket to make a reasonable judgment. That said I am more confident in the future of our Test team as opposed to the limited overs sides.
As stated earlier, I think the Test team is developing the foundation of a good unit. With the addition of Amir and possibly Asif, there will be added potency and depth (more on my feelings about their return below). If a world class batting talent does emerge then we will have a team that can be competitive around the world. If two batting talents emerge then we will have a side that could challenge for the top spot. But these are big ifs.
The short-term future of the limited overs teams looks bleak and if we don’t develop or rediscover our batting culture the long-term future isn’t looking too bright either. I am more optimistic about our T20 team simply because of the unpredictable nature of the format. However, I am concerned that other sides are developing and evolving as specialist T20 units whereas we are stagnating and seem blissfully unaware of it.
The underlying cause of my pessimism is that there isn’t a single limited over batsman that inspires any confidence. Even the ones that have a modicum of success have the caveat of it being against weak opposition or on benign surfaces and for many both.
PakPassion.net : How do you see Pakistan team's chances at 2016 Twenty20 World Cup?
Miandadrules : In all honesty I’m not too optimistic but I would love to be proved wrong. With the nature of T20 cricket and the format of the tournament, if you win the right three matches, you can theoretically win the tournament. Unfortunately, the current team doesn’t have the required quality in my opinion to string a series of good performances for me to confidently back them.
If we take in to consideration the format, the tournament layout and it being held in India I would say a semi-final berth is within our grasp. But the other teams seem better prepared and more focused than us. It’s just not a team, which can string a consistent run of victories together based on what I have seen so far.
PakPassion.net : How high do you rate Sachin Tendulkar and what are your opinions on him?
Miandadrules : Without doubt he is the purest batsman I have ever seen. I could sit and watch him all day, as he is the closest to technical perfection I have ever seen.
What I admired most was his backlift and follow through. It’s the smoothest execution there has ever been, in my opinion. The real striking thing about it is that in the 150 years of cricket that nobody has come close to matching it. The beauty of Sachin’s batting is that everything seemed in sync. There was never any jitteriness or unnecessary movement. Coupled with a serene stillness of his head and then that beautiful arc of his backlift following an almost straight trajectory to the ball, which almost always met with the greatest surface area of the bat, whether it was played with a straight or cross bat. That is batsmanship of the highest order and an exhibition of unparalleled technical prowess. I just wish our younger batsman could focus on these two aspects and see how far their games would develop.
If only Sachin had that “killer instinct” I don’t think there would even be an argument as to who the greatest batsman ever was. However, that is the greatest knock against him, that he rarely seized the initiative when destiny beckoned him.
I think to truly excel at anything and to reach unforeseen heights be it not just in sport but in life itself, I think there has to be an element of narcissism. One must believe that they can achieve more than those around them, that you are not confined by their limitations. Maybe, Tendulkar just wasn’t enough of a narcissist to seize these moments, whereas Lara evidently had a great ego and saw himself greater than his peers. Now, this attitude may be necessary to reach the pinnacle but it doesn’t necessarily mean it is best for the team. I think Lara was more willing to take the risk to play a great knock, even if it meant such an approach if it fails, which it often did, would be highly detrimental to the team. With the same token I think the weight of expectation hindered Tendulkar from taking such a cavalier approach. The Indian public demanded he delivered on the role of a great batsman each time he stepped on to the outfield but in doing so they never let him truly break the shackles.
I have always said that Tendulkar was a player you could bank on being an all-time great day in day out, whereas with Lara you could at times get an all-time great, whereas other times a liability but occasionally he would do things no other batsman has ever done and it would leave you astounded.
Now which you value more is subjective and that is the beauty of cricket and sport in general.
PakPassion.net : What is it that you dislike about Shahid Afridi?
Miandadrules : I think it’s convenient for Afridi fans to label my criticism of the player and of the man as hate because it is hoped it will take away the credibility of the statements.
Let’s first address the issue of Afridi the player. I feel that for the vast majority of his career he has been carried and rarely justified his selection. We have someone who has consistently failed against every non-minnow side and his sporadic success has been limited to occasional performances against minnows and the weaker sides, that too only when the conditions are heavily tilted in his favor. If this is the barometer for success then why don’t his fans extend this courtesy to the remaining playing eleven?
To be consistently rewarded for continually failing is a perplexing and an unnecessary burden on the other players. What role has Afridi truly fulfilled in the two decades he has played? Other than a short period where he justified his selection as a limited overs bowler, the rest of the team has always carried him.
For the first decade Afridi was for all intents and purposes a sideshow. It was accepted by fans and players alike that we would enter each contest a man short, as he brought absolutely no value to the team. The fact that he was played as an opener in a desperate attempt to somehow accommodate him is dumbfounding. It seems his supporters seem to totally ignore the dilapidating effect he had on the team in those years. This is a man who actually played as a front line batsman in world cup final after being a complete failure both as a batsman and bowler for the entire tournament.
Rather than being conscious of his shortcomings and making a concerted effort to improve his game and justify his selection, he has consistently put his interests ahead of his team. The cavalier, reckless approach has made him millions and he has made a conscious effort to play for this brand rather than team Pakistan. By always shirking responsibility he has cost Pakistan numerous games and it would not be an exaggeration to say he has by far cost us more games than any other player. Yet I am supposed to be grateful for this?
If this wasn’t enough in the later half of his career, for someone unknown reason this sideshow was maneuvered in to the position of Kingmaker. Constantly blaming players for defeats and always putting his interests ahead of the team became routine. The shameful manner in which he abandoned the team in England and used the spot-fixing scandal to further his own interests was thoroughly disgusting. Add to this his leaking team news and creating instability both in 2009 and particularly in the run-up to the 2015 World Cup, where he was openly campaigning for the captaincy, was thoroughly shameful. Even with a world cup in the most difficult of conditions beckoning all he cared about was himself. I ask you again am I supposed to be grateful for this?
So desperate are his fans for some credibility that they will create all kinds propaganda and revisionist history. How many times will we hear that Afridi “single-handedly” won the T20 world cup? Totally ignoring the fact that Abdul Razzaq had ended it as a contest within the first 5 overs and that the openers had set it up for Afridi to once just play sensibly. Do we hear about Umar Gul’s heroics in that tournament? Or that Afridi was a liability throughout until the final two games? What about Afridi’s 6’s against India being on the same level as that executed by Miandad at Sharjah? That Sharjah knock brought us our first ever ODI tournament victory, that too against our archrivals, who consistently had the edge over us in ODIs. How often are we going to hear the blatant lie that Afridi exposed the spot-fixing scandal? The truth and reality doesn’t seem to matter, let alone tally.
Then we move on to Afridi the man.
Firstly, I do understand the reason behind the way he acts. I see Afridi, as a spoilt child, who has never grown up. He was a media creation who was thrust on to a naive audience and has since been given carte blanch to behave whichever way he likes without any accountability.
However, this doesn’t mean that it is acceptable to give such behavior a pass. From his endorsement of unethical products to his self-promotion under the guise of charity, there are a number of things I take exception to with regards to his conduct. As someone who works with a number of charities I find his opportunism in this area to promote himself particularly tasteless.
Then he uses the media platform provided and his celebrity status to make statements on issues he is nowhere near qualified to do so. I’m sorry if people find my criticism of his chauvinistic and prejudicial comments offensive. But when someone makes such comments I will pull them up on it.
Lets not forget the incident of his agent threatening posters on Pakpassion with regards what they post about him. Despite such undignified behavior, his actions will be defended blindly and futile attempts will be made to justify and validate his comments.
I don’t have a dossier of all the issues I have had with him and I tend to comment on incidents when they come up. But if I have posted anything that has been fabricated and not backed up with facts then please pull me up on it and I am more than happy to address each point.
I think those that take umbrage with my criticism of him would have greater validity if they could show that I didn’t apply the same criteria to everyone. Unfortunately, for them I apply the same standard to Afridi, as I do of others, something that is evidently absent from his fans.
I don’t think he is evil incarnate, just ignorant but ignorance is no defense. I’m sorry that his fans have been sold a lie and feel the need to vent their anger towards me when I point out the blatant fallacies but that’s an issue they will have to come to terms with. I certainly won’t be partaking in such ignorance.
PakPassion.net : Give us a little bio of yourself please. I.e. where you grew, how many siblings, etc.
Miandadrules : I was born in Rawalpindi but moved to the United Kingdom with my foster parents when I was two. I grew up in Birmingham till I left for University in Manchester when I was 18. After University I spent a lot of time travelling the world with my trusted backpack.
When I returned to England I enrolled at a Medical School in West London and currently work as an Anesthetist in London. I split my time working with Doctors without borders and Doctors Worldwide, in addition to my post as a Consultant.
I guess I have gained a fair amount of life experience having worked a wide variety of jobs whilst putting myself through University. I have worked as a nightclub doorman, a grounds man, a cricket and boxing coach, as a call center worker, in the fashion industry, a research scientist and now as a Doctor.
I have four older brothers from my foster family.
PakPassion.net : As for cricket, who do think can be Pakistan's next superstar (IK, Wasim, Afridi..etc)?
Miandadrules : Firstly, we have to define what you mean by a superstar?
Is it based on inspirational performers like Miandad and Waqar?
Purely commercial success from media creations such as Afridi?
Or a mixture of the two like with Wasim Akram and Imran Khan?
Afridi isn’t a “superstar” in the same manner as the others mentioned nowhere near, other than from a commercial stand point.
Unfortunately despite my reservations about him, the only player on the horizon that I can envisage achieving “superstar” status currently is Mohammad Amir. I think he could achieve it both on the field and commercially, and the early signs are with the manner in which he is being promoted that this sordid tale will be repackaged as a story of redemption. However, without doubt the return of the trio makes me very uncomfortable.
However, a distinction has to be made about how I feel and how the law should be applied.
A person can only be punished according to what the law was at the time of the crime being committed. Hence, Amir along with the other two should be allowed to return under surveillance. However, I feel this will and already has set a dangerous precedent in a country like Pakistan.
Pakistan is a country in which corruption is endemic at every level, permeating every aspect of life and is the root cause of many if not all the ills that blight us. The only way out of this quagmire is to hold ourselves and our society to a higher standard and to make accountability a paramount priority. For these reasons I am strongly in favor of a ruling being passed that any player found guilty of such offences receiving a life-time ban from international cricket from now on.
I anticipate the criticisms this proposition will receive and I will attempt to address some of them here.
Firstly, many will say that players are entitled to earn a living. Well, playing international cricket isn’t a right, it’s a privilege and the greatest honor a player can aspire for. Nobody is stopping them from earning a living and they can do so from domestic and international club cricket. Also nothing is stopping them from earning a living in any other field. But to equate withdrawing a substantial salary by retaining a position, in which you have actively betrayed the trust that was entrusted in you, isn’t the same as being confined to a life of poverty. There are very few instances in which a person is restored to a position after they have abused it.
Others will say that why should we single out players when so many in Pakistani society are never held accountable. The two are not mutually exclusive. Let’s hold all accountable. If this view is valid than every Pakistani should leave all their doors open and go on a looting spree and let chaos rein. Change occurs from the bottom up, not the top down. We as a collective have to demand accountability and live our lives to a higher standard if we are to have a better future.
Everyone makes a mistake. Sure they do but representing your country is the greatest honor one can bestow and if you’re made aware that any transgression or betrayal of this honor will result in it being rescinded beforehand then there shouldn’t be an issue.
Finally, there is the case that others have returned for other countries. They are not my concern; I have no say, nor a vested interest in how their societies are run. I have a say in Pakistan’s affairs and it’s cricket and as someone who has seen the deleterious effects of corruption I want my people to live life to a higher standard for the greater good of our society.
PakPassion.net : Do you follow football? If so, what's your favourite football team from league?
Miandadrules : I’ve never truly been a football fan if I am honest. I played a little at school but as I got older cricket and boxing pretty much took up most of my time. When I began boxing in the ABAs, I never really had sufficient time to play, because of the training involved and my academic commitments.
I regret not mastering the basics as all my friends are far superior to me, and it is without doubt a beautiful and versatile sport. Due to the ubiquitous nature of football I am always aware of what is going on and what the premier league table looks like.
I used to support Liverpool when I was very young and I guess I still root for them but I never watch a game unless I’m with my football mad friends. That said I have been lucky to have watched games at the Nou Camp and Bernabeu stadium.
As a player, I can safely say I’m good on the field until the ball actually reaches my feet.
PakPassion.net : Do you think the 1990s Pakistan team ultimately underachieved?
Miandadrules : It certainly did underachieve but not in the manner most on PP seem to believe.
They underachieved in that from 1995 onwards that team was horrendous. I remember HOME series loses to Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Australia, South Africa, England (in 2000) and a drawn home series against New Zealand. In fact as we never played India, our only home series win to stand in the late 90’s was the whitewash of the West Indies, who were being whitewashed by everybody away.
Even away from home we were decent but nothing more. We got hammered in Australia, had a 0-3 record in the Caribbean. Wins over Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, England and New Zealand and a draw against South Africa redeemed our standing somewhat but when one considers how poor the English (of 1996) and New Zealand sides were in the mid-90s it gives us a better perspective
I think many fans look back nostalgically and blur timelines. They reel off names when reminiscing about the 90’s team and mention Wasim, Waqar, Malik, Inzi, Anwar, Sohail, Saqlain, Mushy, Mahmood, Razaq, Afridi and Ijaz. The mistake being made when you reel the names off, is the assumption that they were all at their peak and were consistent strong performers, which is far from the truth.
From 95 onwards Malik was finished, the 2W’s were enjoying the last moments of their absolute peaks, whereas Sohail and Mushy were done by 1996. Saqlain only truly came to fore from 1998 onwards.
So as has been the case for much of our history, the 90’s team was carried by a select few whereas the rest were passengers. If that wasn’t enough many were allegedly indulging in unscrupulous practices and the focus was more on grabbing power and forming factions than elevating Pakistan cricket.
The ODI team was more successful and competitive but even back then was heavily reliant on the bowlers and as the 90’s progressed we gradually forgot the art of chasing, meaning our destiny was usually left to the toss of a coin.
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MR is one of my fav poster top interview.
