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Do Pakistan bans hold the answer to England's Kevin Pietersen problem?
by Mike Norrish
England have a problem with Kevin Pietersen. He is their best batsmen but hes scored just 69 runs in seven innings in Bangladesh. He keeps getting out to rubbish left-arm spinners and no one knows why. Perhaps its time for a change of plan.
One radical new approach, currently being trialled in that part of the world, eschews traditional, dated methods of rejuvenating players. Less carrot, more stick, is roughly the idea. Applied in Pietersens case, this approach dictates that instead of video analysis, extra hours in the nets and counselling sessions with a sports psychologist England should fine him, send him home and then ban him for life. Lets call it the Pakistan Plan.
Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, keeping in view their infighting which resulted in bringing down the whole team, should not be part of national team in any format, said todays statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board. Less carrot, more stick of dynamite.
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Shoaib Malik will be fined two million rupees. They should not be part of national team in any format for a period of one year. For the shameful act of Shahid Afridi, which has brought the game and country into disrepute, he will be fined three million rupees. There were also fines for Kamran Akmal and his brother Umar, who, like Afridi, were put on probation.
These punishments far more severe than many of those dished out over Pakistans match-fixing scandal followed an inquiry into the tour of Australia this winter, where they were whitewashed.
Now clearly, Pakistan were bad in Australia. Dreadful, in fact. But being whitewashed Down Under is hardly unique. Ask Pietersen.
They had some decent excuses too. Pakistani cricket exists in a state of permanent exile, their players were humiliatingly (and expensively) snubbed by the IPL midway through the tour, and they are ruled over by a constantly revolving cast of bureaucratic ******** at the PCB. Plus, if Kamran Akmal could catch, theyd have beaten the Aussies in Melbourne.
It wasnt the results which prompted the bans, though, rather the indiscipline and infighting uncovered by the committee. Which just makes the punishments even more bizarre. Because surely, during a tour like that, youd bloody hope there was a bit of infighting. If the players arent fired up and angry while their side are getting stuffed then something is severely wrong.
But this kind of approach, remember, is not entirely without sporting precedent. Uday Hussain, Saddams psychotic rapist son, also used radical methods when he was in charge of the Iraqi football team. When Iraqs players lost, or performed badly, Uday would whip the soles of their bare feet with a cane. Or make them train with a concrete football. Strangely enough, shortly after Uday was killed, the Iraqi team went and won the Asia Cup. Perhaps Uday wasnt quite the Alex Ferguson he thought he was.
And similarly, I doubt Pakistans decision to ban and fine all their best players will rejuvenate the nations cricket team. But then again, it is Pakistan. And anything, quite literally, is possible.
Do Pakistan bans hold the answer to England's Kevin Pietersen problem? – Telegraph Blogs
by Mike Norrish
England have a problem with Kevin Pietersen. He is their best batsmen but hes scored just 69 runs in seven innings in Bangladesh. He keeps getting out to rubbish left-arm spinners and no one knows why. Perhaps its time for a change of plan.
One radical new approach, currently being trialled in that part of the world, eschews traditional, dated methods of rejuvenating players. Less carrot, more stick, is roughly the idea. Applied in Pietersens case, this approach dictates that instead of video analysis, extra hours in the nets and counselling sessions with a sports psychologist England should fine him, send him home and then ban him for life. Lets call it the Pakistan Plan.
Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, keeping in view their infighting which resulted in bringing down the whole team, should not be part of national team in any format, said todays statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board. Less carrot, more stick of dynamite.
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Shoaib Malik will be fined two million rupees. They should not be part of national team in any format for a period of one year. For the shameful act of Shahid Afridi, which has brought the game and country into disrepute, he will be fined three million rupees. There were also fines for Kamran Akmal and his brother Umar, who, like Afridi, were put on probation.
These punishments far more severe than many of those dished out over Pakistans match-fixing scandal followed an inquiry into the tour of Australia this winter, where they were whitewashed.
Now clearly, Pakistan were bad in Australia. Dreadful, in fact. But being whitewashed Down Under is hardly unique. Ask Pietersen.
They had some decent excuses too. Pakistani cricket exists in a state of permanent exile, their players were humiliatingly (and expensively) snubbed by the IPL midway through the tour, and they are ruled over by a constantly revolving cast of bureaucratic ******** at the PCB. Plus, if Kamran Akmal could catch, theyd have beaten the Aussies in Melbourne.
It wasnt the results which prompted the bans, though, rather the indiscipline and infighting uncovered by the committee. Which just makes the punishments even more bizarre. Because surely, during a tour like that, youd bloody hope there was a bit of infighting. If the players arent fired up and angry while their side are getting stuffed then something is severely wrong.
But this kind of approach, remember, is not entirely without sporting precedent. Uday Hussain, Saddams psychotic rapist son, also used radical methods when he was in charge of the Iraqi football team. When Iraqs players lost, or performed badly, Uday would whip the soles of their bare feet with a cane. Or make them train with a concrete football. Strangely enough, shortly after Uday was killed, the Iraqi team went and won the Asia Cup. Perhaps Uday wasnt quite the Alex Ferguson he thought he was.
And similarly, I doubt Pakistans decision to ban and fine all their best players will rejuvenate the nations cricket team. But then again, it is Pakistan. And anything, quite literally, is possible.
Do Pakistan bans hold the answer to England's Kevin Pietersen problem? – Telegraph Blogs
