Sports: Pakistan Cricket: Retired Hurt

Sports

India Today, May 3, 1999
May 3, 1999

PAKISTAN CRICKET
Retired Hurt

Piqued at efforts to sideline him, Javed Miandad quits as coach of the Pakistan cricket team.

By Abdul Waheed Khan

In a cricket career that spanned nearly two decades, Javed Miandad had consistently courted controversy. Even so, when he resigned on April 21 as coach of the Pakistan cricket team gearing up for the World Cup, it came as a shock. Especially since he and captain Wasim Akram appeared to have put the team back on the right track. After a disastrous home series against Zimbabwe last winter, Pakistan have, since February, won the Asian Test Championship crown and two one-day titles in India and Sharjah. More importantly, the victories have made Pakistan a strong challenger for the World Cup.

Miandad's resignation letter to the Pakistan Cricket Board simply stated that he could no longer continue as coach due to "pressing family commitments". And the way Chairman Khalid Mehmood, chief selector Wasim Bari and Akram accepted the resignation, one could be forgiven for believing that Miandad had indeed stepped down because of family commitments.

But then nothing has ever been straightforward and simple in Pakistan cricket. And Miandad's resignation is just another chapter added to the book of Pakistan cricket, which has been plagued by infighting and ego-clashes but survives and prospers on the strength of its natural and heady talents, Miandad being one of them in the highest category.

His resignation also has the usual background of differences with the players and the board chairman. When the victorious Pakistani team returned home from Sharjah, there was talk that he had tried to con some players out of their share of a 50,000 dirhams-purse given by a notorious Pakistani businessman in Dubai. But more serious were reports that differences had erupted between Miandad and the senior players after he confronted them with accusations of throwing the match against England.

In fact, the players' differences with Miandad had started three months ago in Calcutta when it became public that in his confidential testimony before the Judicial Commission, Miandad had confirmed his fears about match-fixing taking place in Pakistan cricket. It put him in an embarrassing position and this was very obvious even then. Mehmood has always supported the players when they protested they were innocent of match-fixing charges. This meant that their efforts to oust Miandad from his position had the board chairman's tacit approval.

Although nothing was said officially, yet Mehmood's insistence on having the little-known cricketer-turned-coach from South Africa, Richard Pybus, and the controversial Sarfraz Nawaz attached to the World Cup squad as coaches in the presence of Miandad was just one method of telling him where he stood. And perhaps Miandad realised it and decided to resign instead of suffering the ignominy of possibly being reduced to a mere bystander in England.

Miandad is no stranger to intrigues that are part and parcel of Pakistan cricket. In 1992, after the team returned home from Australia with the World Cup, Miandad had led a campaign against Imran Khan, leaking out stories to the press about how the players were unhappy with Imran as he did not give them their due share of cash prizes flowing in from individuals and companies after the heady victory. Sensing the mood, Imran resigned as captain without making much of a noise. History now seems to have repeated itself in Miandad's resignation. But whether he makes a noise remains to be seen.

Certainly, any hopes he might have harboured of his resignation evoking sympathy and a change of heart from Mehmood or the players haven't worked. In their reactions to his walking out, neither Mehmood, Bari or Akram have bothered to say that he should review his decision in the interest of the team and Pakistan cricket. The three hastily accepted that since Miandad had taken a decision because of personal commitments and problems, nothing could be done about it.

Mehmood went to the extent of saying that Miandad's absence would not affect the morale of the team in the World Cup. "What can I say, he has taken a decision. Nothing can be done about it. He was definitely part of our World Cup plans, but I don't think his sudden resignation is going to affect the morale of the team, which is well-geared to play in the Cup after its recent successes."

Both Mehmood and Bari were also not willing to give Miandad credit for the surge in the team's fortunes. "I would say in all honesty that Miandad did work hard with the team, but the turnaround in fortunes was due to the induction of Wasim Akram as captain. He made all the difference," insists Mehmood. Bari pointed out that Miandad had also been coach in the home series against Australia and Zimbabwe, but could not produce results with Aamer Sohail as captain.

Miandad, meanwhile, has made it clear that he resigned since he was hurt and upset with the stories planted about him and reports that the players were unhappy with him. "All my life I have only believed in earning 'halal' money and have never been involved in any financial malpractices. And yet, now, I am being accused of misappropriating a share of the players' money. It hurts me a lot. Especially since I have worked so hard with the team to make them the best. Anyone can go and ask the businessmen who hosted the dinners and gave the money if the players did not get their share. I only arranged these private dinners as an incentive for the players and only after getting consent from Akram, Saeed Anwar and Moin Khan on behalf of the players. I cannot stand such behind-the-back accusations." He added, "I don't know who is spreading such rumours, but if they don't want me to continue as coach, I have no problems. I never went begging to the board to appoint me as coach, they came to me. I took up the job because it was a challenge and I felt I needed to repay something back to Pakistan cricket and the people who had given me so much respect. There is no other angle involved."

Mehmood and the selectors seriously believe that Akram is capable of leading the team to victory in the World Cup and that Miandad's resignation would allow the players to play without having to face accusations again of match-fixing and betting. But already the public perception is that Miandad's resignation has robbed the team of a person with great cricketing acumen who would have been valuable to the team's chances of doing well in England.

More importantly, there is also a feeling that with Miandad gone and with no one else to keep a watch on the players, there are no guarantees that more matches would not be "thrown" in the World Cup. The Pakistan cricket team, in just a fortnight, has been reduced from a team brimming with confidence and tipped to take the World Cup, to a team now at odds with itself and without the support of the public. Contrary to what Mehmood and Bari might want the people to believe.

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