PCB appoint Inzamam-ul-Haq as Chief Selector [Update #180]

[#GreenRoars]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Television reports suggesting PCB has contacted Inzamam-ul-Haq about the position of Chief Selector <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/720875713184698370">April 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
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[hur rizvi]

Would be breath of fresh air if we move on from Antique verssion of selectors

 

[BDwarriors]

Wasting his talent by putting on the arm chair outside of field.

 

[Shayan]

Would be so good if true. As I've said previously, we need someone who has played the game more recently than the likes of Iqbal Qasim, Moin Khan and Mohsin Khan

 

[#GreenRoars]

Good choice he is, i would like to see him tbh.

 

[Pete Rose]

It's a good move. If only to move away from the regular round of musical chairs.

 

[hur rizvi]

Inzi as CS would be ideal

Others should be from these people Bazid, Rashid, M. Wasim, Amir sohail

NAtional coacha nd captain should be part of committee and attend all meetings

 

[kingusama92]

That's a nice hire if they go in that direction.

Someone fresh instead of the usual suspects.

 

[BDwarriors]

I think Chief selector is best spot for him. I dont want Molvi culture in dressing room like in Inzi era.

Since he is not involved in domestic, what one will achieve by putting random player in random position? Let him coach u 19.

He may select only molvi players too! People may struggle to please the selector more than coach!

 

[Red Devil]

Would be a welcome appointment. Definitely a better choice than any of those out-of-touch grandpas.

 

[Sarfarazian92]

Inzi as CS would be ideal

Others should be from these people Bazid, Rashid, M. Wasim, Amir sohail

NAtional coacha nd captain should be part of committee and attend all meetings

Too young for Sherry Khan and too honest for Shakeel Sheikh

 

[hur rizvi]

Since he is not involved in domestic, what one will achieve by putting random player in random position? Let him coach u 19.

He may select only molvi players too! People may struggle to please the selector more than coach!

He is an honsest person and selection and U19 coaching can go hand in hand. He should be kept away from NAtional team coaching though

 

[Varun]

Inzamam by his own admission hasn't watched much cricket since his retirement, much like Saeed Anwar.

This is only going to end in tears. He'll pick players he thinks were good in his time of the mid-2000s. Expect to see the likes of Malik and Sami stay, and Imran Nazir re-introduced.

 

[Asif321]

dont know how much he knows about domestic

 

[Amjid Javed]

Aslong as Inzi goes and watches games and players and evaluates and assess them properly this would be a good move.

 

[Madplayer]

Inzamam by his own admission hasn't watched much cricket since his retirement, much like Saeed Anwar.

This is only going to end in tears. He'll pick players he thinks were good in his time of the mid-2000s. Expect to see the likes of Malik and Sami stay, and Imran Nazir re-introduced.

Malik and sami are already in the team.

 

[Hawkeye]

Inzamam by his own admission hasn't watched much cricket since his retirement, much like Saeed Anwar.

This is only going to end in tears. He'll pick players he thinks were good in his time of the mid-2000s. Expect to see the likes of Malik and Sami stay, and Imran Nazir re-introduced.

Malik is bad but is in the team, Sami can be a good bowler and what I wouldn't give to have another Imran Nazir in our team.

 

[fazleefridi]

Inzamam ul Haque had asked PCB for some time to think about their offer and whether or not it he believe he is the suitable candidate for Chief Selector. He also put forward some conditions to join PCB as Chief Selector to ensure that team performs well during his tenure.

Pakistan Cricket Board has accepted all of his conditions and his official appointment is expected to be released tomorrow on April 16.

 

[abdulhaseebkhan]

Inzamam Ul Haq Chief Selector.For Members Ali Naqvi,M Wasim,Bazed Kham.Moin Khan emerge top contender for Interim coach.PCB Sources

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

All we need is someone who can go to games and watch players and know how to analyse stats. Is that so much to ask for?

Problem is they become lazy and start picking from recommendation slips.

 

[Asif321]

M.Wasim and Bazid in selection committee that is great

 

[Junaids]

He simply has too low an IQ to be able to do the job.

Selection is all about horses for courses - picking the best players for specific conditions. Don't take a second spinner outside Asia. Don't take batsmen outside Asia unless they can survive against a slip cordon.

I have never seen the slightest evidence that Inzamam could even think to ask those questions, let alone find the right answers.

His period as skipper was the darkest in Pakistan history, when the dressing room became a buffoonish theocracy.

 

[Varun]

Malik and sami are already in the team.

That's why I said 'stay'.

 

[Zahid87]

He simply has too low an IQ to be able to do the job.

Selection is all about horses for courses - picking the best players for specific conditions. Don't take a second spinner outside Asia. Don't take batsmen outside Asia unless they can survive against a slip cordon.

I have never seen the slightest evidence that Inzamam could even think to ask those questions, let alone find the right answers.

His period as skipper was the darkest in Pakistan history, when the dressing room became a buffoonish theocracy.

Agree.

Don't mean to be harsh, and with no disrespect meant to Inzamam, but selection should be an analytical process.

Not saying that first hand views on a player are irrelevant, but there is much more than that which goes in to it. Pakistan should have at least learnt from the PSL, where certain teams had data analysts looking through stats, to try and quantify traits and skills, which the naked eye can't.

That doesn't mean the whole full blown Peter Moores approach - but something somewhere in the middle. Inzamam, from what we know of him, doesn't seem capable of that.

But the PSL doesn't function as a profit making entity - the whole system is political, so I have given up on the PCB doing the right thing. It will never change until the country does. And no one in the country is actually ready for that, no matter what they say.

 

[todfod 11]

He simply has too low an IQ to be able to do the job.

Selection is all about horses for courses - picking the best players for specific conditions. Don't take a second spinner outside Asia. Don't take batsmen outside Asia unless they can survive against a slip cordon.

I have never seen the slightest evidence that Inzamam could even think to ask those questions, let alone find the right answers.

His period as skipper was the darkest in Pakistan history, when the dressing room became a buffoonish theocracy.

Can i please ask whats ur IQ Level? Can u ease elaborate on that before questioning Inzamams IQ ? I would sound rude but have achieved anything more than Inzi bhai yet?
He has played 18 years of international cricket with the best around the world... he is still the best by far for pakistan when pacing his innings.
I Mean he may not turn out to be the best but would still better then the garbage we had to deal with in the past but to simply point at someone of legendary status about his IQ and work ethics show your IQ.

 

[Junaids]

Can i please ask whats ur IQ Level? Can u ease elaborate on that before questioning Inzamams IQ ? I would sound rude but have achieved anything more than Inzi bhai yet?
He has played 18 years of international cricket with the best around the world... he is still the best by far for pakistan when pacing his innings.
I Mean he may not turn out to be the best but would still better then the garbage we had to deal with in the past but to simply point at someone of legendary status about his IQ and work ethics show your IQ.

At the risk of sounding arrogant, I think my IQ stacks up more than favourably with Inzy's, and I think my career does too.

There were countless examples during Inzy's career of him failing to understand extremely simple and straightforward situations. The Ovalgate debacle being one - Shaharyar Khan has written that he completely failed to understand that he was conceding defeat by refusing to take the field.

Shaharyar Khan's book made it clear that as captain Inzamam was completely incapable of analytical thought. He was totally reliant upon Bob Woolmer doing his thinking for him, and then communicating it to Inzy in such a gentle and friendly way that Inzy was not threatened by it.

Unfortunately, being a selector is all about being able to analyse situations. The same players won't have the same impact at home in Sharjah and away in Johannesburg.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

He simply has too low an IQ to be able to do the job.

Selection is all about horses for courses - picking the best players for specific conditions. Don't take a second spinner outside Asia. Don't take batsmen outside Asia unless they can survive against a slip cordon.

I have never seen the slightest evidence that Inzamam could even think to ask those questions, let alone find the right answers.

His period as skipper was the darkest in Pakistan history, when the dressing room became a buffoonish theocracy.

Nobody in the country understands these nuances. Total brain drain has happened. Very few people can handle this task that most 18 year olds can do in other countries.

 

[Zahid87]

Nobody in the country understands these nuances. Total brain drain has happened. Very few people can handle this task that most 18 year olds can do in other countries.

Hassan Cheema did it for Islamabad in the PSL.

 

[Shayan]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hearing Inzamam coming as chief selector. V good news. Glad PCB now listening to my 2015 recommendations. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BetterLateThanNever?src=hash">#BetterLateThanNever</a></p>— waqar younis (@waqyounis99) <a href="https://twitter.com/waqyounis99/status/720927957309464576">April 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
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[the Great Khan]

It's a good move. If only to move away from the regular round of musical chairs.

this. Lets just try and inject some fresh blood. Maybe he'll make a complete hash of things but he may not and may just be alot better than Mr No talunt Iqbal Qasim uncle.

 

[idrizzy]

Malik is bad but is in the team, Sami can be a good bowler and what I wouldn't give to have another Imran Nazir in our team.

Without Malik in WT20 we'd have been way less competitive as he got the most runs in our team, not to mention he had probably the best 2015 of all our LOIs batsmen. If you're saying he's bad you're either a troll or your TV is dated 10 years back.
Sami is terrible, can't bowl in the death and all he has is pace. Like a right handed Wahab Riaz but a lot more wayward. Plus he's only got a few years on him so it would be dumb to pick him.
Imran Nazir? The guy who'll score you runs once every 10 innings? He reeks inconsistency, and the more we persist with the past, the less hope we'll have in the future

 

[the Great Khan]

He simply has too low an IQ to be able to do the job.

Selection is all about horses for courses - picking the best players for specific conditions. Don't take a second spinner outside Asia. Don't take batsmen outside Asia unless they can survive against a slip cordon.

I have never seen the slightest evidence that Inzamam could even think to ask those questions, let alone find the right answers.

His period as skipper was the darkest in Pakistan history, when the dressing room became a buffoonish theocracy.

i think you need to park your prejudice. The darkest period in pakistan history is the one we're in now.Inzi kept the fire going when we had bowlers like Muhammed khalil foisted upon us. A s for the theocracy comment that is simply based on the stupid report from Pyjama Mir after the 2007 world cup when Mushy our president was hell bent on trying to become the next attaturk. As for his IQ well with all due respect with some of your comments on here I'd question yours and not inzi's.

 

[the Great Khan]

Inzamam by his own admission hasn't watched much cricket since his retirement, much like Saeed Anwar.

This is only going to end in tears. He'll pick players he thinks were good in his time of the mid-2000s. Expect to see the likes of Malik and Sami stay, and Imran Nazir re-introduced.

he'll be the chief selector. there will be other selectors. Lets see how this goes. And can people please park their religious prejudices at the door. (not you Varun just others)

 

[Syed1]

M.Wasim and Bazid in selection committee that is great

I really hope this is true. Apkay moh mein ghee shakar..

 

[The Last Of The Stars]

Can i please ask whats ur IQ Level? Can u ease elaborate on that before questioning Inzamams IQ ? I would sound rude but have achieved anything more than Inzi bhai yet?
He has played 18 years of international cricket with the best around the world... he is still the best by far for pakistan when pacing his innings.
I Mean he may not turn out to be the best but would still better then the garbage we had to deal with in the past but to simply point at someone of legendary status about his IQ and work ethics show your IQ.

Most of our ex cricketers played cricket with a raw mind, and retired with a raw mind, never understood the game in detail, so he is right in a way.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

I really hope this is true. Apkay moh mein ghee shakar..

Inzi with this kind of team will indeed be a good move. A real break from the past.

Inzi was completely non-discriminatory in his term as captain - wanted to play a team that could win.

He developed other problems towards the last couple of years in his captaincy though - hiding lower down the order, making the team joyless and defensive, excessive emphasis on religion - did not lead from the front.

I am hoping he accepts, has a stellar team behind him. He will make a real difference.

 

[Syed1]

Bloody hell! I suppose you've scored more than 25 test centuries as well and won a World Cup too. Take a step back and read what you just posted.

Nobody takes this guy seriously. Whatever he posts I usually skip, I suggest you do the same.

 

[Junaids]

Bloody hell! I suppose you've scored more than 25 test centuries as well and won a World Cup too. Take a step back and read what you just posted.

I don't dispute that he was a good batsman, like Gazza was a great midfielder.

But that doesn't qualify him to be Chief Selector, just as 95% of top class footballers fail when they try to become coaches.

 

[Junaids]

Hello there, Sach.

I don't claim to be a better batsman than him! I merely replied to the challenge set out to me to justify myself. My career as a medical specialist is in no way proof that I can bat like Inzy, but it obviously makes it overwhelmingly probable that I'm smarter than he is.

Mind you, this is the man who got outwitted by Darrell Hair at The Oval. You don't have to be the sharpest tool in the shed to outwit Inzamam. And that's why he is not suitable for the role of Chief Selector. He also got outsmarted by an idiot with a megaphone at Toronto.

Firstly, he isn't smart enough, and secondly, he shows no sign of knowing anything about domestic cricket.

 

[IslamabadUnited]

That's good. I think Inzi will do good as a chief selector.

 

[Asif321]

Good from PCB they gave him the authority to select his own selectors

 

[MMHS]

Inzi might not be a good choice.

I might be wrong, but I always found him a lazy, extremely backward & loyalist player/captain. For a CS role, one has to be pro-active, passionate, visionary, open to ideas & most importantly aware of whats going around. I didn't find anything in him - being PAK's top player, he couldn't fix his issues with English in 15 years, which probably a 100 man hours job, which indicates his personality. He won't move a single step unless it's essential.

As a Captain, he ticked several boxes - an automatic choice, a great player who could lead from the front, good fielder in Test, had tremendous command over the team. But, I am not sure about his awareness, intelligence or vision. He once took a Test match in NZ to day 5 for 15 minutes, despite 90% chance of thunderstorm, because PAK Captain wasn't aware of the 30 minutes extension rule. He complained for his handle the ball & obstructing the field dismissals against ENG & IND - but both cases the umpire was right; the words he picked for complain indicates that he wasn't aware of the rule - a batsman can be out by 9 or 10 ways; 7/8 are obvious - if a player after 20 years of FC Cricket doesn't know that, it's indicative enough.

I think, Inzi was lucky that his entire Captaincy period was under Woolmer - had WY or Mohsin Khan been there instead of Bob, I don't think we would have seen a better show from PAK than Lalaland (or MoYo), in terms of Captaincy. Also, the command that Inzi had over his team came at a cost to PAK cricket - he wasn't a good leader or man-manager, rather he picked men whom he could manage. PAK won 2 U19 WCs in 2004 & 2006 - of those boys, between 2004 to 2007, if I can recall correctly, only Riaz Afridi played 1 Test. There are at least a dozen player in PAK, who are now around 35, deserved a chance, but never got it during their best age under Inzi.

I don't think Molla is going to bring anything as CS - his only role I see is the Head Coach of U19 team. Great player, a PAK hero, he will draw respect from the boys & can inspire them to hard work on fundamentals of the game. He was extremely cool customer, could absorb all sorts of pressure while chasing, but his tactical nuances, I am afraid wasn't better than Afridi or WY or MoYo. Won't be a good choice for Coach or selector at National level.

 

[Bewal Express]

All these high profile selectors will make no difference unless they go out and watch domestic matches. And i guarantee that bar the PSL matches in Dubai ( i am not sure why they would want to go to Dubai), they will not watch any matches. The selectors are a complete waste of money, Najam Sethi could save money by reading the scorecards of Cricinfo and chosing the team himself.

 

[Junaids]

Inzi might not be a good choice.

I might be wrong, but I always found him a lazy, extremely backward & loyalist player/captain. For a CS role, one has to be pro-active, passionate, visionary, open to ideas & most importantly aware of whats going around. I didn't find anything in him - being PAK's top player, he couldn't fix his issues with English in 15 years, which probably a 100 man hours job, which indicates his personality. He won't move a single step unless it's essential.

As a Captain, he ticked several boxes - an automatic choice, a great player who could lead from the front, good fielder in Test, had tremendous command over the team. But, I am not sure about his awareness, intelligence or vision. He once took a Test match in NZ to day 5 for 15 minutes, despite 90% chance of thunderstorm, because PAK Captain wasn't aware of the 30 minutes extension rule. He complained for his handle the ball & obstructing the field dismissals against ENG & IND - but both cases the umpire was right; the words he picked for complain indicates that he wasn't aware of the rule - a batsman can be out by 9 or 10 ways; 7/8 are obvious - if a player after 20 years of FC Cricket doesn't know that, it's indicative enough.

I think, Inzi was lucky that his entire Captaincy period was under Woolmer - had WY or Mohsin Khan been there instead of Bob, I don't think we would have seen a better show from PAK than Lalaland (or MoYo), in terms of Captaincy. Also, the command that Inzi had over his team came at a cost to PAK cricket - he wasn't a good leader or man-manager, rather he picked men whom he could manage. PAK won 2 U19 WCs in 2004 & 2006 - of those boys, between 2004 to 2007, if I can recall correctly, only Riaz Afridi played 1 Test. There are at least a dozen player in PAK, who are now around 35, deserved a chance, but never got it during their best age under Inzi.

I don't think Molla is going to bring anything as CS - his only role I see is the Head Coach of U19 team. Great player, a PAK hero, he will draw respect from the boys & can inspire them to hard work on fundamentals of the game. He was extremely cool customer, could absorb all sorts of pressure while chasing, but his tactical nuances, I am afraid wasn't better than Afridi or WY or MoYo. Won't be a good choice for Coach or selector at National level.

Exactly!

Rightly or wrongly, English is the Lingua Franca of international cricket.

Non-native English speakers like Amla, De Villiers, Du Plessis and all the other Asian cricketers master it, whether they could speak it or not when they left school. Allan Donald was famously hopeless at English - in spite of his name - when he arrived at Edgbaston.

Inzamam was never smart enough to grasp it.

At first I liked the idea of a Chief Selector younger than 50.

But Inzamam blocked the development and international career of everyone from Misbah to Taufeeq Umar to Sohail Khan to Aizaz Cheema.

He knows what he likes, and he likes who he knows.

 

[Junaids]

I would add that Inzamam also wasted the gift which having Azhar Mahmood, Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi at numbers 6, 7 and 9 in his Test team would have given him.

Pakistan will probably never again have three Test quality all-rounders at the same time. They would have been playing with two extra players in the team. And he blew it.

 

[Junaids]

Why didn't Inzy have this Test team in Australia in 2004-05?

1. Taufeeq Umar
2. Salman Butt
3. Younis Khan
4. Inzamam
5. Mohammad Yousuf
6. Abdul Razzaq
7. Azhar Mahmood
8. Kamran Akmal
9. Shahid Afridi
10. Shoaib Akhtar
11. Mohammad Asif

 

[Markhor]

Inzamam by his own admission hasn't watched much cricket since his retirement, much like Saeed Anwar.

This is only going to end in tears. He'll pick players he thinks were good in his time of the mid-2000s. Expect to see the likes of Malik and Sami stay, and Imran Nazir re-introduced.

How do you know that ? By accepting the job of Chief Selector it'll be part of his remit to watch domestic matches. He'll also be working with other selectors who know the domestic scene and will provide their input.

His period as skipper was the darkest in Pakistan history, when the dressing room became a buffoonish theocracy.

For someone who claims to have watched cricket for decades you don't seem to know your history. There were low points under Inzamam's captaincy but it had nothing on the 2008-2010 period under Buffoon Butt or the late 90s/early 00s when our home form was abysmal, we were mired in a matchfixing scandal and infighting within the team was out of control.

On this forum there seems to be a bizarre underappreciation of that mid-2000s era. Under Inzamam we went to 2nd in the ODI rankings. We beat NZ and SL away. We drew a Test series in India after being 1-0 down despite being admonished as the weakest Pakistan team to have ever toured India. We beat India in the ODIs after being 2-0 down and I don't care what people say about Ganguly's or India's form at the time - its still a big deal to beat them on their own turf due to their historical strength at home. We also beat South Africa at home in 2003 before winning a Test in 2007 in SA for the first time since the 1990s. Those years were a rare moment of stability.

Do I criticise the religious exhibitionism of the Inzamam era ? Yes, the bismillahs and alhamdulillahs were so over-the-top that an English journalist commented that "Allah should be Man of the Series for Pakistan". The religiosity of the team merely reflected the increasing Jamaatisation of Pakistani society at the time. HOWEVER nobody has proven religion was used for nefarious purposes within the team or to influence selection policy - a theory usually trumped up by bitter players who weren't good enough in the first place.

And the man you mention - Shehryar Khan ENCOURAGED religion as a unifying force. Interesting he then criticises it in his book !

 

[#GreenRoars]

The Pakistan Cricket Board has widened its hunt for a new chief selector by including Inzamam-ul-Haq in the list of contenders after the former captain expressed his interest in the job.

A reliable source in the Board confirmed that PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan was in touch with Inzamam and Rashid to discuss the possibility of giving one of them the responsibility of chief selector.

“Look nothing is final as yet that is for sure. Shaharyar is presently in the process of talking to likely candidates and Inzamam and Rashid are among them. But it is wrong to say Inzamam has been finalised as chief selector,” the source told PTI.

He said Inzamam had shown interest in becoming the chief selector but there were two major hurdles in his way one was that he would have to leave his job as head coach of the Afghanistan team which earns him a monthly salary of USD 12,000.

“Obviously the Board will have to match that amount if it ropes him in. But so far nothing is final and the only thing confirmed is that Inzamam has shown interest in the job,” the source said.

READ: Pakistan Cricket Board says government interference in internal affairs not acceptable

Inzamam, who is Pakistan’s most capped player with 120 Tests and 398 one-day internationals, joined Afghanistan as their head coach last year and along with former Indian pacer, Manoj Prabhakar, has managed to produce some decent results with them.

Rashid Latif, who in the past has also declined the post of chief selector, reiterated that he was not keen on this job.

The source said the board was also interested in former Test opener Mohsin Khan and former spinner Iqbal Qasim as possible
chief selectors.

The PCB is on the hunt for a new chief selector after dissolving the previous committee owing to Pakistan’s failed disastrous Asia Cup and World T20 campaign.

The poor results also led to the resignation of head coach Waqar Younis and captain Shahid Afridi.

Pakistan’s former captain and top batsman Mohammad Yousuf said if Inzamam or Rashid became chief selector, he would be willing to work under them.

“I think they are both ideal choices for this post as we need those people in the chain of command who have played modern day cricket and understand the importance of promoting and grooming new talent,” Yousuf said.

http://indianexpress.com/article/sp...ing-for-pakistan-chief-selector-post-2755157/

 

[Pace90]

With Inzamam as chief selectors, first thing a vying player should do is to grow his beard. You have to make the selectors happy, cricketing skill and performance is not enough in Pakistan.

 

[StreetSmart]

Chief Selector hmm not a bad choice but I do wanna see him in the coaching role

 

[Pace90]

My only problem with Inzamam is that he is kind of person who has a strong personal opinion about many players, not based on their cricketing skill and performance.

 

[Junaids]

[MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION]
I like your post, but I think the period 2003-2008 saw countless good players excluded, which weakened the national team.

The three top quality all-rounders never played Tests together, even though Shoaib and later Asif were the only specialist bowlers to justify their places in the team.

Mediocrities like Farhat and Asim Kamal kept getting picked.

Personally, I wish that Misbah and Younis had been phased out by now. Misbah is exactly the sort of guy who should already be Chief Selector: 42 years old, smart and exposed to domestic cricketers.

 

[Last Monetarist]

How do you know that ? By accepting the job of Chief Selector it'll be part of his remit to watch domestic matches. He'll also be working with other selectors who know the domestic scene and will provide their input.



For someone who claims to have watched cricket for decades you don't seem to know your history. There were low points under Inzamam's captaincy but it had nothing on the 2008-2010 period under Buffoon Butt or the late 90s/early 00s when our home form was abysmal, we were mired in a matchfixing scandal and infighting within the team was out of control.

On this forum there seems to be a bizarre underappreciation of that mid-2000s era. Under Inzamam we went to 2nd in the ODI rankings. We beat NZ and SL away. We drew a Test series in India after being 1-0 down despite being admonished as the weakest Pakistan team to have ever toured India. We beat India in the ODIs after being 2-0 down and I don't care what people say about Ganguly's or India's form at the time - its still a big deal to beat them on their own turf due to their historical strength at home. We also beat South Africa at home in 2003 before winning a Test in 2007 in SA for the first time since the 1990s. Those years were a rare moment of stability.

Do I criticise the religious exhibitionism of the Inzamam era ? Yes, the bismillahs and alhamdulillahs were so over-the-top that an English journalist commented that "Allah should be Man of the Series for Pakistan". The religiosity of the team merely reflected the increasing Jamaatisation of Pakistani society at the time. HOWEVER nobody has proven religion was used for nefarious purposes within the team or to influence selection policy - a theory usually trumped up by bitter players who weren't good enough in the first place.

And the man you mention - Shehryar Khan ENCOURAGED religion as a unifying force. Interesting he then criticises it in his book !

I think the two low points - the Oval forfeit and the Ireland defeat in the World Cup - have coloured everyone's memories of that period. I completely agree that we actually achieved as much as we could have done with that team.

I also agree that the political and social atmosphere in Pakistan during that time involved a great deal of hankering for religious conservatism, something that Musharraf tried to reverse later on but was unsuccessful. Most people were happy to see the team being religious and the overt displays of their belief for public consumption. Fact is the team was relatively successful and I don't think the public would have been quite so tolerant of "dressing room theocracy" if we were not winning. It's just how it is.

 

[Markhor]

With Inzamam as chief selectors, first thing a vying player should do is to grow his beard. You have to make the selectors happy, cricketing skill and performance is not enough in Pakistan.

Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Salman Butt, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Danish Kaneria, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami - all bearded fundamentalists under Inzamam were they ?

 

[ezy9]

Will he do well, maybe or maybe not, but at least PCB not going back to tried and tested failures. Hope he accepts and does well

 

[MMHS]

Exactly!

Rightly or wrongly, English is the Lingua Franca of international cricket.

Non-native English speakers like Amla, De Villiers, Du Plessis and all the other Asian cricketers master it, whether they could speak it or not when they left school. Allan Donald was famously hopeless at English - in spite of his name - when he arrived at Edgbaston.

Inzamam was never smart enough to grasp it.

At first I liked the idea of a Chief Selector younger than 50.

But Inzamam blocked the development and international career of everyone from Misbah to Taufeeq Umar to Sohail Khan to Aizaz Cheema.

He knows what he likes, and he likes who he knows.

But, what are the options for PCB?

Going through the history of PAK cricket, in 40s, 50s to 80s it was limited to Lahore/Karachi & mostly in the elite or upper level of the society - therefore players were coming from a decent family background - educated, open minded. There were differences among them for other issues, but the team of 50s & 60s often had 7/8 University graduates, been led by Oxbridge graduates like Karder, Burki, Majid, Khan with players like Fazal, Hanif, Mushtaq, Inti, Asif, Zaheer, Javed, Wasim Raza, Bari, Saeed Ahmed ....... players with a decent family & academic back-ground, therefore there was a class in that team.

Oblate, for a good reason, PAK cricket has expanded in to streets of Punjab, Sindh, KPK - but the hind-side is mature people don't know what to swallow, whom to mix/text, what to carry at airport, when to take a team off the ground, what to talk with mouth piece at hand & how to act in dressing room ............ The back lash of that is, in 70s to 90s, there was never a crisis of great cricket administrators or back-room staff or Captain in Pakistan - people who were educated, passionate, with logical head & smart mind along with good to great cricket background, above all - professional. I hard Gavaskar once telling that in 70s & 80s they could hardly match PAK players with the smartness & mental toughness - they were far more professional.

If you look for those characters like Kardar, Fazal, Jurki, Mazid, Asif, Mushtaq, Intekhab, Bari, Asif Masood, Khan, Saeed Ahmed, Khan Mohammad, Mehmood Hussain, Mudassar ..... you 'll have to go to 65+ age bracket, when people retires & focus on next life. There is an absolute hollow in the generation of 90s & 00s - only few people that had the skill & education to take over are either in different life (Saeed, Asif Muztaba, Salim Malik, Rameez Raza, Wasim....) or twisted (Latif, Md. Wasim, Bazid.....). Players, that had the quality & command to lead this generation are Sohaib, Afridi, MoYo, Razzak, Inzi, Sohail ......... what can you expect, compared to another very traditional board like ECB with Strauss, Athers ...... ? while BCCI, CA ... even BCB has moved a generation ahead with their cricket administration.

I hope, after retirement Misbah is given a BIG role in PCB administration - a guy with proper head & back-ground; otherwise what can we expect from MoYo, Inzi, Mohsin, Basit .......?

 

[Junaids]

Yes, [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] , I agree about Misbah.

Pakistanis over-estimate him as a batsman. The English media was unanimous when they toured last Autumn that Misbah as a player is an inferior version of Andrew Strauss: an excellent leader who isn't a very good batsman, indeed is a worse batsman than Strauss with an Asia-inflated average.

Misbah is being misused. He should have retired after the World Cup and should already be either Chief Selector or Chairman of Selectors.

Strauss became England supremo 2 years and 8 months after he retired, and that was a year ago.

And Strauss is three years younger than Misbah!

 

[lahoriyah1234]

Lets leave his religious life out of this job role please. Give him or latif a chance to form a selection committee and see what they can do, we have seen over the last 20 years what has iqbal wasim, haroon, wasim bari has done, answer would be nothing but just hold on to the job to secure the financial reason and not tried to help shape up pakistan cricket. I would give Ex-Cricketers a chance to see how they do for atleast next 5 years. I really hope this year would be the final year for Shahrayaar khan as well, he needs to retire now please.

 

[Markhor]

[MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION]
I like your post, but I think the period 2003-2008 saw countless good players excluded, which weakened the national team.

The three top quality all-rounders never played Tests together, even though Shoaib and later Asif were the only specialist bowlers to justify their places in the team.

Mediocrities like Farhat and Asim Kamal kept getting picked.

Personally, I wish that Misbah and Younis had been phased out by now. Misbah is exactly the sort of guy who should already be Chief Selector: 42 years old, smart and exposed to domestic cricketers.

Bob Woolmer liked Azhar Mahmood but he was dropped for a reason. His form dropped off sharply after 1999. He was weak against spin and averaged 18 with the bat after 140+ ODIs. His bowling lost pace and ended up with a mediocre record in both formats. Razzaq was seen as the better AR.

Razzaq and Afridi DID play Tests under Inzamam. Razzaq's bowling became ineffectual after 2002, lost pace and was criminally lazy. He wasn't a Test batsman and he played on that tour of Australia in 2004 you mention - at one point doing a passable impression of Chris Tavare with 4 off 76 balls in Melbourne.

And Afridi's never been suited to Tests. We were right to opt for a specialist spinner like Danish Kaneria who actually took more wickets on that Australia tour than Shane Warne - yet doesn't make your Test XI !

Asim Kamal wasn't mediocre, he was unfairly treated by Inzamam and scored an admirable 87 in Sydney during that Australia tour when our batsmen were given a tough time. His problem was an inability to convert fifties to big hundreds. Imran Farhat started his career brightly but yes, turned out to be rubbish and eventually got the boot. He was a PCB sifarish pick, which many skippers after Inzamam have had foisted on them.

 

[lahoriyah1234]

Yes, [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] , I agree about Misbah.

Pakistanis over-estimate him as a batsman. The English media was unanimous when they toured last Autumn that Misbah as a player is an inferior version of Andrew Strauss: an excellent leader who isn't a very good batsman, indeed is a worse batsman than Strauss with an Asia-inflated average.

Misbah is being misused. He should have retired after the World Cup and should already be either Chief Selector or Chairman of Selectors.

Strauss became England supremo 2 years and 8 months after he retired, and that was a year ago.

And Strauss is three years younger than Misbah!

Just to bring some facts to this strauss guy well ECB asked him to step down because of Kevin peterson saga, and players didnt like him as a captain as he was being too boosy..

 

[Junaids]

Just to bring some facts to this strauss guy well ECB asked him to step down because of Kevin peterson saga, and players didnt like him as a captain as he was being too boosy..

Yes and no.

I personally despise Strauss, but recognise that his Blackadder-like powers are well used.

And I wish that Misbah was retired but running Pakistan cricket.

I am now going to declare my innings closed, because of course if Inzy is appointed he will select Asif and Butt, which is what I want. They both used to be "his" players.

 

[lahoriyah1234]

If i was in Inzamam place i would give atleast 4 new batsmens ideally 2 openers, 2 middle order and 3 new fast bowlers a chance in the upcoming eng odis and T20.

 

[Hasan123]

Seems to be mixed opinions on here. My opinion on this is if Inzi gets the job let's give him a few series before we judge if he's a bad selector or not.

 

[lahoriyah1234]

Yes and no.

I personally despise Strauss, but recognise that his Blackadder-like powers are well used.

And I wish that Misbah was retired but running Pakistan cricket.

I am now going to declare my innings closed, because of course if Inzy is appointed he will select Asif and Butt, which is what I want. They both used to be "his" players.

How do you know he even has the job. Its still not clear who will be selector. Knowing PCB they might end up hiring qasim guy again. So lets hope this news is true for a change. I would select Asif but never ever Salman butt.

 

[Theo_14]

This could potentially be a interesting choice. Something new, refreshing. Inzy on Indian cricket shows seems to know his stuff on the cricket; Whether he is up to date with Pakistan's domestic cricket is another thing but I much rather we give a former player a chance who has played in the recent era then recycled people.

 

[MMHS]

Yes, [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] , I agree about Misbah.

Pakistanis over-estimate him as a batsman. The English media was unanimous when they toured last Autumn that Misbah as a player is an inferior version of Andrew Strauss: an excellent leader who isn't a very good batsman, indeed is a worse batsman than Strauss with an Asia-inflated average.

Misbah is being misused. He should have retired after the World Cup and should already be either Chief Selector or Chairman of Selectors.

Strauss became England supremo 2 years and 8 months after he retired, and that was a year ago.

And Strauss is three years younger than Misbah!

For Misbah, I understand his frustration. He lost his best 7/8 years when Inzi, MoYo were in charge. If I recall correctly, Misbah debuted around 2000-01, with an MBA degree, which means he was around 25/26 already by then (whatever his certificate might record as date of birth) & entering into his best days. But for almost next 10 years, he was out of the team mostly, for different reason; that probably is driving him still to carry on in mid 40s. I think, his 1st 50 ODI over 10 years had a stat like 40/85 in 2000s, which is probably equivalent to 45/90 over to next decade, but he was never a regular under WY, Latif, Inzi, MoYo .... may be his educational back-ground had some adverse impact. Most of the "Misbah critic" in PAK TV I hear, has one common attribute - pen breaker to write a line .........

I can see Misbah struggling BIG time in UK/AUS, but what might happen is that, he is mentally tough - he won't throw his wicket, rather he 'll cost PAK team, by slowing down. In UK/AUS, if your No. 5 comes against old ball & makes a 91 ball 35 - trust me, you are gone; you 'll reach 201/4 in 80 overs & 2nd new ball 'll make it 245/9 at the end of the day. PCB is such a disorganized organization that they can't even arrange a smooth transition - I hope Misbah doesn't stress like YK in ODI, which 'll only jeopardize his chances as an administrator, in a culture, where head coach's merit is judged by his playing career.

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Inzamam by his own admission hasn't watched much cricket since his retirement, much like Saeed Anwar.

This is only going to end in tears. He'll pick players he thinks were good in his time of the mid-2000s. Expect to see the likes of Malik and Sami stay, and Imran Nazir re-introduced.

Nazir has been crippled by arthritis, doesn't even play domestic games anymore

 

[Markhor]

Just to bring some facts to this strauss guy well ECB asked him to step down because of Kevin peterson saga, and players didnt like him as a captain as he was being too boosy..

ECB didn't ask Andrew Strauss to step down, he was retiring anyway after the South Africa series. And he was well respected by the dressing room.

Strauss, 35, said: "For me the driver to it all quite frankly was my form with the bat. In truth, I haven't batted well enough for a long time now. I think I have run my race."

 

[choclate]

spot on

 

[todfod 11]

Most of our ex cricketers played cricket with a raw mind, and retired with a raw mind, never understood the game in detail, so he is right in a way.

Never understood the game and won u 1992 hahahahahaha seriously man u r funny.
They ruled the 90s like champion it was actually aamir sohail as chief selector who messed it up big time . But eventually it was Inzamam who brought some grace to ur tulla x1.

 

[The Last Of The Stars]

Never understood the game and won u 1992 hahahahahaha seriously man u r funny.
They ruled the 90s like champion it was actually aamir sohail as chief selector who messed it up big time . But eventually it was Inzamam who brought some grace to ur tulla x1.

I am not taking away any achievements from them, but most of our ex cricketers don't understand the game in detail, mostly from a technical point of view, that's why I don't want them in PCB.

 

[Fineline]

Daily we hear something different.PCB is run by some highly paid morons.They can't take any sane decision.Can they?Spending and makingMoney is all what they could think of.

 

[Zohaib Shah]

Good decision.

 

[Majestic_Inzi]

Inzamam by his own admission hasn't watched much cricket since his retirement, much like Saeed Anwar.

This is only going to end in tears. He'll pick players he thinks were good in his time of the mid-2000s. Expect to see the likes of Malik and Sami stay, and Imran Nazir re-introduced.

Still dont know why Imran Nazir was thrown out of t20 team, he was tailored made for the format, when he was in the team pak t20 was very successful.

 

[Mamoon]

This is good.

He can certainly play a role as a selector, and this also means that he will be kept away from the management side of things.

A win-win situation in my opinion.

 

[CaptainPak]

He'll be way more useful as a batting coach for the team. A role model for Pakistani batsmen who are in need of technical and mental coaching.

 

[anuk]

Inzi Bhai is known over the world for having a good eye for noticing talent and this skill will come handy in picking the very best players in the land to represent Pakistan. God willing his selections will lead Pakistan back to the top

 

[Adijazz1706]

I hoped Inzy bhai would join as head coach but something is better than nothing.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Inzi Bhai is known over the world for having a good eye for noticing talent and this skill will come handy in picking the very best players in the land to represent Pakistan. God willing his selections will lead Pakistan back to the top

I still remember his broken english post match - first of all i would like to thank....

Such ineptitude in our ranks. They should spend the money on strengthening scout system and hiring scouts and give selection powers to coach.

The only reason they are keeping 'selection panel' is to carry on nepotism without any opposition. Oh how far we have fallen.

 

[Adijazz1706]

This is good.

He can certainly play a role as a selector, and this also means that he will be kept away from the management side of things.

A win-win situation in my opinion.

Why is keeping him away from management and coaching a good thing? The Afghans have shown great improvement under him.