The Pakistan Cricket Board has carried out a cleansing process previously unseen in the PCB’s history. Even the issues revolving around match fixing in 2000 pale compared to the action taken against errant senior Pakistan cricketers in the squad.
The Pakistan’s tour of Australia appears to have been the final straw for the PCB, unwilling to put with cantankerous members bringing the game and their nation into disrepute.
However, despite the degree of grievances aired, disputed or contrived, the punishments have caught practically everyone by surprise.
First Shoaib Mallik and Rana Naved ul Hasan were handed a Rs two million fine and handed a one year ban. While Rana’s punishment is yet to be made fully apparent, Mallik was an obvious choice after the verbal scuffles with Mohammad Yousuf and for the repeated accusations of causing disruptive, divisive atmosphere in the dressing room following his dismissal from the post of the Pakistan captain.
Shahid Afridi’s ball tampering in Australia did not go down well for the PCB, who have been receiving messages to make Afridi the captain for all formats including Rameez Raja. However, the PCB decided that the ICC punishment of a two Twenty20 match ban was insufficient and have handed him a six month probation period and a hefty fine of Rs, three million.
The Akmal brothers then could not escape the punishments being handed. Kamran Akmal’s antics following his being dropping from the Hobart Test after dropping catches in the Sydney Test and younger brother Umar Akmal who faked an injury to sit out of the team following his brother’s axing have also come in for punishment. Kamran will pay a fine of Rs. three million while Umar has been slapped with Rs. two million fine as both have now been put on probation.
But the biggest shock were perhaps reserved for the famous two Y’s of the team - Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, both reluctant captains of the recent past.
In a surprise decision, following enough strife, the board is willing to let go of the talented batsmen duo, “Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, keeping in view their infighting which resulted in bringing down the whole team, their attitude has a trickle down effect which is a bad influence for the whole team should not be part of national team in any format.”
The punishment essentially constitutes a life ban.
Even as Shoaib Akhtar is fighting fines and bans and making it to the team, the board is sending a strong message that it is no longer ready to put up with sabotage from within. Now it remains to be seen if the board officials remain unscathed.
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Aus Pak Tests: Pakistan’s Horror Unravels in Australia
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Aus Pak T 2 Day 3 Stumps: Kaneria Spins Pakistan into Test Win Contention at Sydney
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Aus Pak T 2 Days 1 & 2 Stumps: Pak Have Massive Lead after Asif’s Sixer
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