Javed Miandad has paid the price of his being too much critical of the policies of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) big-wigs and has been replaced by England's former Test cricketer Bob Woolmer. The sacking of former batting maestro was linked with Pakistan's defeat against India in the recent five one-day and three-Test match series, but the insiders said the PCB bosses never liked Miandad's views that the coach should have a say in the team's selection and a free hand in the coaching process.
Announcing the appointment of Bob Woolmer as the new coach, PCB Chairman told newsmen after the Advisory Council meeting here on Wednesday that the England's former Test star had been hired for a longer period, i.e up to 2007 World Cup.
Praising the expertise of Bob Woolmer, Shaharyar Khan said he was highly impressed by his coaching technique. "He is the man who introduced computerised coaching system," he said.
He would be getting lesser remuneration than Miandad and his appointment was lined with the performance of the boys, said the PCB Chief.
The other top PCB official said his take-home salary would be slightly higher than Miandad's.
NEW PHSYSIO
Bob Woolmer will be taking over on July 2. Besides, the PCB had also acquired the services of South Africa's experienced physiotherapist and trainer Any Gray, he said.
Giving reasons for removal of Miandad, Shaharyar Khan said the team needed a coach who would be well-versed in advanced and computerised coaching, hence the decision to hire Bob Woolmer was in right track, and added the PCB had offered the former coach the post of national advisor, but he declined to accept the offer.
However, the Board was bound to pay him 11-month remuneration as agreed in the contract.
Interesting, this is for the third time when Miandad could not complete his contractual tenure. He was appointed coach in March last year.
Commenting on his sacking, Miandad said if the change of hands was linked with the defeat, then there will be no end to it and the PCB will have to change 10 coaches every year.
He said: "He is not scared of anyone and whosoever replaces him. The time will tell if the decision of his removal was really the need of the time. I have performed my duties with honesty and dedication. I had good working relationship with all the players, including captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.
"My job was to give advice and suggestions to the players at the nets. Coach is not supposed to go to the field during the matches and ask the players how to grip the bat and ball," he said.
WISDEN'S REMARKS
Miandad is one of the only two men -- England's Herbert Sutcliffe is the other -- to have a Test average that never dropped below 50. Miandad made 163 in his first Test and 206 in his fourth Test innings and five double-hundreds in all.
The only blot on his copybook is a modest record against West Indies -- an average of 29 from 16 Tests -- but it was against them that he played perhaps his greatest innings, a match-winning 116 in Guyana in 1987-88, according to a report in Wisden-Cricinfo.
"There was always the suggestion that you had to knock over all the three stumps to get Miandad out at home: he was leg before (LBW) 15 times in overseas Tests before it happened even once in Pakistan, but he was comfortably one of the finest batsmen of his generation.
Miandad, who also played in record six World Cups, loved a scrap, most famously, he waved his bat threateningly at Dennis Lillee at Perth in 1983-84, and mimicked Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More's hyena-like appeal by jumping and shrieking during the World Cup match at Sydney in 1991-92.
However, Miandad said he did not need any certificate from any one. "He is second to none and is very well acknowledged by the worl's crickets greats, like West Indies Viv Richards and India's Sunil Gavaskar," he said.
FIRST MAJOR DECISION
However, the removal of Miandad is first major decision of PCB troika, but it had saved manager Haroon Rashid, who is responsible for enforcing discipline in team.
Since his taking over as the PCB Chairman, Shaharyar Khan was stressing the need for discipline, which was the major problem of the Board and which badly affected the performance of the boys, but he saved Haroon Rashid for reasons best known to him.
However, it is the general opinion that Miandad could be blamed for the bad performance of the boys in the field, but off the field, it is the manager who is supposed to tame the boys.
SHAHARYAR'S CLAIMS
Contrary to his repeated claims of sweeping changes in the Board's administrative set-up, Shaharyar Khan did not touch his favourites in the Board and has chosen only Miandad, apparently to allow some one in the PCB to settle his score.
Next in line will be none other than Public Relations General Manager Sami-ul-Hassan, who has done his job exceedingly well.
During the recent Pakistan-India series, not only the Pakistani journalists, but also the Indian newsmen were highly impressed by his dealings with the print and electronic media. Despite his tenure as General Manager, Public Relations, Sami successfully safeguarded the Board's interests.
To invite applications for the post of Manager, Public Relations and Protocol, it seems the PCB chief and the Chief Executive are not happy with Sami, want to get rid of him of and to induct a man of their choice.
Sami, who as a professional journalist, has very efficiently projected the achievements of Pakistan team and the Board's plus points.
It seems that the PCB bosses wanted him to spoon feed with stories and pressurise the mediamen to refrain from pinpointing the wrong doings in PCB management, but as a professional journalist, Sami acted according to conscience. This quality of Sami was highly praised by the Pakistani and foreign journalists.
If so the PCB chief, the Chief Executive and those who matter are reminded that no sports journalists will accept dictation from anybody in the Board.
However, uncertainty prevails in the Cricket Board and nobody knows who reigns supreme in the PCB. In this situation nothing positive expected from the PCB troika, comprising Shaharyar Khan, Ramiz Raja and Zakir Khan.
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