Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 18: Skipper Inzamam-ul Haq and coach Bob Woolmer may pay the price for Pakistan's shocking early exit from the World Cup with their jobs, feels former captain Rameez Raja.
"Inzamam has an uneasy future, he was under so much pressure before the World Cup. I think knives will be out for Inzamam and also Woolmer. Woolmer contractually finishes his stint with Pakistan after the World Cup and it has come to an end prematurely," Rameez said.
"There was news that the Pakistan Cricket Board wants him to continue, but I do not think that it will happen now because of this untimely exit," he added.
Pakistan were knocked out of the World Cup after suffering successive losses in their group encounters against hosts West Indies and minnows Ireland. Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan today squarely blamed skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq for the team's shock defeat to Ireland and its early exit from the World Cup, saying he failed to provide an inspirational leadership.
"I think this was one of the worst performances of the team I have ever seen in my career. It is unthinkable we should lose to Ireland," Imran said. "A person makes his own luck. To say that luck didn't favour us is rubbish. Everyone knows that Inzamam as captain had all the authority to do what he wanted. The coach was just there to support him. So, Inzamam is in the spotlight after this defeat," he added.
Imran minced no words in demanding that Pakistan needed to appoint a new captain and coach who had vision, were aggressive and innovative in the way they played their cricket.
The cricketer-turned-politician, who led Pakistan to title win in the 1992 World Cup, said the way Inzamam, Woolmer and the selectors had approached the preparations for the tournament was a recipe for disaster.
"I am surprised at their short-sightedness. At the way they went about preparing for this tournament. The selectors were shocking.
"I couldn't comprehend them not playing Danish Kaneria against Ireland when everyone is aware that inexperienced teams face the most problems against quality leg-spin," he said.
Imran said Pakistan Cricket Board had no justification for paying Woolmer the money he got when the coach had contributed nothing at all to the team.
"What do you expect. They were unable to find a settled opening pair for the last two years. They bring in Imran Nazir for an important event like the World Cup when he has been out of international cricket for the last three years," he said.
"I couldn't understand his selection when Pakistan had talented players like Salman Butt and Yasir Hameed available to them.
"I sincerely believe the selectors and team management have done great injustice to Butt and Yasir," he added.
The veteran of 88 Tests and 175 one-day internationals said the time was now right to bring about positive changes in the cricket set-up.
"We need to run the Cricket Board more democratically. Why should the President appoint the Chairman directly. We need to have a captain and coach who have vision and who can utilise the available talent properly.
"There is no shortage of talent in the country. Specially when you consider that players like Azhar Mahmood, Butt, Mohammad Sami and Yasir have to sit out of matches."
The Board has been operating on an ad-hoc basis since 1999 with the President directly appointing the Chairman who makes all the appointments in the Board and team.
ICC fines on Inzamam
Agencies
Bridgetown, Mar 18: World Cup organisers rubbed salt into the wounds of Pakistan on Saturday by fining them for slow play following their shock three-wicket defeat by Ireland that has eliminated them from the tournament.
International Cricket Council match referee Chris Broad imposed the fines after Inzamam-ul-Haq's side was ruled to be four overs short of their target at the end of the match when time allowances were taken into consideration, a statement said.
As captain, Inzamam was fined 50 per cent of his match fee for the breach - the minimum amount allowable for the offence - as well as a further 40 per cent of his match fee for the shortfall.
That latter fine comes about because, under ICC rules, the captain is automatically fined 10 per cent of his match fee for every over his side fails to bowl in the time allocated.
The other players are each fined five per cent of their match fees for every over and so Inzamam's team mates were each 20 per cent out of pocket following the match.
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Windies Cricket Board again not paying players their negotiaetd share
Then, suddenly, we learn in the media that there have been ?tension? between the board and the players because contracts for the tournament had not been issued. It was even reported that ?the players might threaten to go on strike? if they did not get them.
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CRICKET BAR
by TRACY MOORE
IF YOU HAVE a television in your shop or bar televising Cricket World Cup (CWC) matches without first obtaining a licence to do so, you're violating the Caribbean Media Corporation's (CMC) rights.
That's the word from the Copyright Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Inc (COSCAP), which is acting as agents for the CMC , which has the exclusive rights for public broadcasts.
"Public places, whether or not there is an admission fee, need to have a licence to show cricket on television," warned Erica Smith, COSCAP's chief executive officer yesterday.
"Wherever the set-up, whether it is an office, hotel, restaurant or bar, as long as it is outside of your home, and it is a public place, it doesn't matter if there is an admission cost, and it doesn't matter where the feed comes from, whether television or satellite, whether it is a clean feed or dirty feed, they need to get permission from COSCAP," Smith said.
Licences, she added, would be issued based on the size of the venue and its viewing audience but not on admission fees.
She also cautioned that COSCAP would be policing venues to ensure there would be no infringement of CMC's trademark rights.
Michael White, CMC 's commercial and new business development manager, confirmed that licences would be necessary for all publicly viewed matches, adding that he was "optimistic" people would respect CMC 's rights.
While several of the larger bars yesterday told the SATURDAY SUN they were aware of the requirements and had licences for public viewing of the matches, a number of smaller ones weren't.
"No one informed me," was the reaction from several small business bar owners in The City who were unaware they had to obtain a licence for public broadcasts of the ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) matches carried on the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation ( CBC ).
Rumours
"I had heard rumours, but no one told me anything. No one from ICC , no one from CWC , no one came and told me. It's Channel 8 ... Channel 8 is a local channel. When you turn on your TV that's the local channel, so what am I supposed to do? Turn off the TV?" queried one bar owner who requested anonymity.
Another said it was another way to take away money from the "small man".
"I wasn't aware of anything so, but that is bare crap. I am not getting no licence so they would have to charge me because I am not turning off my TV. . . . They just trying to stop us from making money," she said, also requesting anonymity. |
Pakistani cricket team coach Bob Woolmer (L) talks with Shahid Afridi during a practice session in Kingston, 16 March 2007. Woolmer was taken to hospital after he was found unconscious on the floor of his hotel room, an official said on Sunday.