Inzy must quit gracefully

FORMER Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has been accused of being a dictator by a panel probing the team’s early exit from the World Cup.

The once gentle giant Inzamam is now being portrayed as some sort of a Hitler or Mugabe by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). It does seem hard to believe that the usually laid back Inzamam had it in him to be an overbearing personality.
One will never know what happens in Pakistan cricket or for that matter in Sub-Continent cricket. A scapegoat had to be found and Inzamam, now that he is no longer a one-day player, presented himself as the ideal choice.
Though nobody has blamed them directly, two of India’s one-day stalwarts Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly were beating the hot Indian summer in an air-conditioned room while their lesser compatriots sweated it out against a fighting Bangladesh.
It is sad that Inzamam will go down in history as the villain who robbed Pakistan of its World Cup chance. Inzamam, the brilliant batsman, may only be remembered by those staunch few who have watched those powerful cover drives and pulls in admiration.
Inzamam has rightly argued as to how he could be a dictator when he was always accused of being too lenient. He also knew that he would be blamed and was ready to take the rap.
The whole thing has once again highlighted that the job of being a captain of a Sub-Continent team is a very difficult proposition. The knives are out almost from day one and there is absolutely no security or support at all.
Inzamam must take blame for some tactical blunders during the World Cup. He failed to lift the team up at critical junctures and there was general lethargy in the performances.
But he cannot be blamed for the entire fiasco. There were 10 other players, some of them senior, who should have also pulled their weight.
It is clear that the PCB wants to get a clean chit by passing on the blame to Inzamam. Of late, the PCB has behaved in a strange manner and their handling of some of the issues has been blatantly stupid.
The Darrel Hair affair was so badly mishandled that Pakistan lost out on some the sympathy they should have got.
Then the Shoaib Akhtar-Mohammed Asif drug issue smacked of poor management. They banned the duo with alacrity and then shamefacedly had to overturn the ban when another panel cast doubts on the whole issue.
To cap it all, they named Asif vice-captain of the new look squad which went to Abu Dhabi for a series against Sri Lanka. How can a player who has dope allegations hanging over is head be given a top post in the team?
But taking into account the PCB logic, nothing is impossible. The PCB has been like a leopard that changes its spots.
In the past, the PCB has been known to change captains like a model who changes clothes on the ramp. There was a time when the Pakistan team had many captains in the same Test series.
There are too many political figures with vested interests running the game in the Sub-Continent. The PCB is no exception.
The political overtones are always felt through regionalism, bias and favouritism when teams are being picked.
A look through Wisden will reveal many one-match wonders who have represented Sub-Continent teams.
No wonder Imran Farhat, who did fairly well recently for Pakistan, felt the need to call up a selector to find out why he was dropped from the Pakistan team for Abu Dhabi. Poor Farhat was pulled up for indiscipline and now faces the prospect of losing some of his match fee, that is, if he ever represents Pakistan again.
Imran Khan was the only captain who could take on the selectors and get what he wanted. Even he faced stiff opposition at times as in the case when he wanted Inzamam in the World Cup winning squad in 1992.
However, Imran commanded respect due his immense capabilities as a cricketer. Half the battle was won there.
New captain Shoaib Malik has a major task on his hands as he starts the campaign to rebuild Pakistan cricket.
The backing of the selectors is there at the moment at least. Being young and possessing the right qualities to lead, Malik could be the man to bring back the glory days to Pakistan cricket again.
Malik will have to bear in mind two factors will help him keep the job – consistent results and his own form as a player.
Inzamam must now put a time frame to end his career. There is only a remote chance that he will be picked for the Tests. But if he is, he should plan his final hurrah and go away as a hero.
Pakistan has always dumped its heroes like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Inzamam does not deserve that fate.

By Babu Kalyanpur
babu.kallianpur@tradearabia.net