Lambasting the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for creating a spoilt brat like Shoaib Akhtar, former captain Asif Iqbal demanded a life ban for the erratic speedster following the Johannesburg brawl that tarnished the country’s image.
A furious Asif said Shoaib has done enough damage and should be permanently dumped with a life ban for hitting teammate Mohammad Asif with a bat in Johannesburg.
“The line has to be drawn somewhere and if it is not drawn here, the question has to be asked are we waiting till he commits mass murder?” a livid Asif wrote in his column for The News.
Shoaib, part of Pakistan’s Twenty20 World Cup squad, had a spat during the nets in Johannesburg during which he hit pace colleague Mohammad Asif with a bat that left the youngster with a bruised thigh.
The team management promptly sent Shoaib back and on his return, the temperamental pacer claimed he was provoked by Shahid Afridi and apologised for the episode. The PCB has formed a three-member panel to probe the issue.
Shoaib’s word of apology, however, could not douse Asif’s anger and the former captain advocated a “no mercy” policy while dealing the issue.
“This, of course, is not the first time that a Pakistani cricketer has disgraced himself, his team and his country by resorting to physical violence and unless very stern action is taken, it will not be the last either,” he said.
Asif went on to add that this kind of incidents have ramifications that spill well over the boundary of cricket.
“Each time it happens, the international image of Pakistan, especially in the west, takes yet another kick up the backside to confirm the widespread assessment of Pakistani society as a violent, brutal and intolerant people.”
Asif felt a lenient PCB throughout pampered Shoaib’s inflated ego and the pacer gradually started believing he was bigger than the team and even the game itself.
“…the message conveyed (by the Board) was exactly the opposite that no matter what you do, we, the authorities, will find some way to bend over backwards and make sure that you get off the hook,” he rued.
Though he suggested Pakistan should prepare to live without Shoaib, Asif lamented the Board could not harness an outstanding talent that went awry.
“Perhaps he was unfortunate in that he never had the guiding hand of a captain like Imran Khan, who may have been able to deal with him in a firm but impartial manner; perhaps if the top administrators of the board had understood better what goes into the making of a successful team, things might have been different.
“As they stand, both Shoaib and Pakistan cricket have lost a great deal,” Asif said.
Recalling the ugly off-the-field episodes that marred Pakistan’s campaign in the Champions Trophy, World Cup and now the World Twenty20, Asif said, ” (it)…has almost brought things to the point where the actual performance of the team on the field has become secondary to the desire to see the team complete the tournament without any major incident.”