New Delhi, March 12: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has come down hard on the PCB’s decision to ban several senior players for the disastrous tour of Australia.
Pakistan had suferred a humiliating whitewash in the Test and ODI series, while losing the one-off Twenty20 International during their tour of Australia which ended last month.
Following the report of a six-man inquiry committee into the reasons for the debacle Down Under, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) imposed indefinite bans on former captains Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf while banning Shoaib Malik and pacer Rana Naved-ul-Hasan for a year.
Controversial all-rounder Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal and Kamran Akmal have been served a final warning and put on probation for six months for various misdemeanours. The trio were also fined between 2-3 million rupees. But Akram felt the punishments were too harsh and the board could have handled the issue in a different manner.
”These penalties have made Pakistan cricket a laughing stock in the world,” Akram told AFP.
”You don’t ban players for such problems. Had I attended any meeting or given recommendations I would have suggested fines, but not bans,” he added.
Accusing the PCB of robbing the players of their livelihood, the legendary fast bowler said the decision will come as a severe blow for the Pakistan team which is already going through hard times both on and off the field.
”Pakistan cricket is in turmoil.
”Pakistan has already been weakened due to various problems and this will further hit it badly. We can’t even find 11 good players because of lack of talent in the country,” Akram said.
”We are anyway not playing (international) cricket (at home) for security reasons and this will further embarrass our players.
”No board in the world deprives cricketers of their livelihood. If there were discipline problems, it was the duty of the captain Yousuf, coach Intikhab Alam and manager Abdul Raqeeb to deal with them,” he added.
The PCB has defended its decision, saying that personal differences between some of the senior players had been a negative influence on the dressing room. But Akram felt that action should have been taken much earlier to nip the problem in the bud.
”I have been hearing Malik has been a disruptive influence since last year. If that is so, why was he kept in the team in the first place?” he asked.
Both Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf are the most experienced batsmen in Pakistan, and Akram stated that they were still needed in both Tests and one-day cricket.
”What I suggest to PCB is to stick with heavy fines, but don’t implement the bans because we still need Yousuf and Younis in Tests and one-day cricket. With the World Cup in 2011 so close, this decision will hurt our team badly,” the former left-arm pacer asserted.
——-Agencies