After being dropped from the national squad for next month's World Twenty20 Tournament in England next month due to injury, and ban on playing in the national Twenty20 tournament, controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is reportedly busy getting political support to influence the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
This is not for the first time when Shoaib Akhtar sought politicians help. Earlier, he used his political clout against former PCB Chairmen Dr Nasim Ashraf when he was expelled two days before the World Twenty20 event held in South Africa in 2007, for assaulting team-mate Mohammad Asif with a bat.
The same year, Akhtar was left out of the squad for the World Cup held in the Caribbean in 2007 after he failed to recover from ankle and knee problems. A PCB official said they had informed the Islamabad Cricket Association (ICA) that the fast bowler would be in violation of his central contract if he played in the national event despite medial advice that he needed rest for 10 to 12 days to recover from a skin infection.
Now fast bowler Rao Iftikhar Anjum has been included in the team as a replacement for Shoaib Akhtar. However, Shoaib Akhtar should not forget that nobody is not indispensable and every player has his replacement. There are a number of substitutes like Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar Anujum and Sohail Tanveer.
So instead of looking for political links to pressurise the PCB bosses and the selectors to get selected, he should concentrate of his fitness and form. It is regretted that after bowling a few overs, he usually got injured and declared himself unfit for rest of the game.
In such a situation, no captain could rely on his main bowler, who after playing a match, seen resting in the dressing room for the remaining matches of the series. He rarely exhausted his full quota of 10 over in one-dayers. As regars his dropping from the next month's World Twenty20 in England, Shoaib Akhtar missed six-day conditioning camp at a mountain resort due to a skin problem.
As a result, the 33-year-old Rawalpindi Express underwent medical check-up and on the basis of medical report, Akhtar was advised 10-day rest to recover from groin wounds.
According to the PCB: "The medical board has reported that Akhtar was suffering from genital viral warts. He would, therefore, need another 10 days of care and treatment. The PCB said it had written to the technical committee of the World Twenty20 for the right to name a replacement after the fast bowler's fitness was assessed by a three-man panel.
SELECTORS CRITICISED
While Shoaib Akhtar criticised national selectors for dropping him from the team, captain Younus Khan clarified that he was not satisfied with fitness of the fast bowler, hence he opposed his selection. Coach Intikhab Alam and team manager Yawar Seed also supported Younus Khan, and said they backed Akhtar's omission on fitness grounds.
"We can't keep a half-fit player for a major event," Intikhab said, adding: "He has not done any training for the last 15-20 days and missed the camp. His performance is for all to judge to his form, so we had to take this decision and fortunately it happened before the event started," said Intikhab." Asked if Akhtar's troubled career was over, Intikhab said it was up to the bowler to work on his form.
"He is out only for the World Twenty20 and now it's up to him to work on his fitness and earn a recall. He was selected in the squad but he failed to keep his fitness and his career depends on fitness." Plagued by injury since his debut in 1997, Shoaib Akhtar managed to play just four Twenty20 matches last year due to fitness and discipline problems.
One may recall that former PCB Ad hoc Committee chief Lieutenant General Tauqir Zia (Retd) has said Shoaib Akhtar's international career is over and advised the PCB to show the door to the controversial fast bowler by giving him one last farewell match. Tauqir, who was accused of pampering Shoaib during his tenure as PCB Chairman, said the ageing bowler lacked proper fitness to play international cricket.
He said it was time Shoaib retired from the Pakistan duty. But PCB chief Ijaz Butt said: "I don't believe that Shoaib's career is over. I'm of the view that he (Shoaib) has almost regained full fitness and can still be an asset for Pakistan for quite some time." As regards his performance, Shoaib Akhtar was dropped from the team after getting just one wicket in the two one-day matches against Sri Lanka in February. He was later ruled out of the Test series because of knee problems.
He was then included in Pakistan's squad for the five one-dayers and one Twenty20 match series in the United Arab Emirates this month. The once fiery fast bowler struggled and could not bowl his full quota of 10 overs in any of the games against Australia. He took three wickets in four one-day matches. He bowled only two overs in the one-off Twenty20 match against Australia in Dubai, conceding 18 runs.
The mercurial paceman was also included in the inaugural World Twenty20 squad held in South Africa in 2007, but was expelled two days before the event for assaulting team-mate Mohammad Asif with a bat. Akhtar was also left out of Pakistan's squad for the World Cup held in the Caribbean in 2007 after he failed to recover from ankle and knee problems.
A year later, he was banned for five years following his outburst against the PCB over being axed from a central contract. An appeal committee reduced the ban to 18 months, but also levied a fine of seven million rupees (95,000 dollars). Contrary to Ijaz Butt's views about Shoaib Akhtar that he was fit for the third One-day International (ODI) against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi, he missed all three matches of the One-Day International series against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi recently because of fitness problems.
Known in the cricket world as the Rawalpindi Express, Shoaib has spent the best part of the last 12 months sitting out either due to injury or suspension. He last played for Pakistan in an ODI against India last November in Gwalior. If Shoaib Akhtar wanted to be accepted as the world's fastest bowler and highest wicket-taker, he should concentrate on his fitness and form.
Mere speed would not make him the world's fastest bowler. If he could not mend his ways, then it is advisable for him to call it a day in a graceful manner. The tournament starts on June 5. Pakistan are placed in Group "B" along with the Netherlands and host England. The top two teams from each of the four groups advance to the Super Eight stage.
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