KARACHI: Just how wide the gulf between Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Tauqir Zia and captain Rashid Latif has become, was obvious on Tuesday when the former confirmed that Rashid’s place in the team was under serious review.
"First the selectors have to decide if he should be in the team, and then we’ll see about the captaincy," Tauqir told reporters. "Deciding if he commands a place in the team is the selectors’ decision. The captaincy is ours."
Tauqir had more negative than positive things to say about Rashid and one found it amazing that in just a few months’ time he could find so much wrong in a person he banked on after the World Cup to revive the national team.
"I’ve called a meeting of the selectors tomorrow in Lahore. I’ll also meet other PCB officials and the team management. And then we’ll see about the captaincy."
Not a surprising comment although the PCB have announced time and again that Rashid has been appointed captain till the tour to New Zealand in December-January. In the past also, the PCB have made several long-term announcements about the captaincy only to back out later.
While there is no doubt Rashid can be a bit of a loose cannon and unreasonable at times, his honesty and integrity, his position as the best wicketkeeper in the country, his ability to command respect, the discipline he has inculcated in his team-mates and his ability to draw 100 per cent commitment from them take precedence over his negative traits.
Tauqir was aware of these things when he named him captain after the World Cup. And Rashid didn’t let him down by building a new and more disciplined and committed team. He and his team might not have set the world on fire with their performances, but they did enough to ensure Pakistan did not suffer more disgrace as a cricketing nation.
So what has happened in the last few months that has created such a big gulf between Tauqir and Rashid? Who’s responsible for this sorry position which may have an adverse impact on Pakistan cricket?
The way Tauqir refused to blame chief selector Aamer Sohail for being responsible for any problems, one doesn’t have to be a genius to figure out who can be responsible for poisoning the general’s mind against Rashid. Perhaps Rashid, too, would be well-advised to pursue a policy of appeasement and compliance while dealing with the PCB chairman to survive.
Tauqir insisted on making a big deal out of the five-match ban placed on Rashid by match referee Mike Procter for claiming an unfair catch during the third Test in Multan against Bangladesh. "He’s holding a responsible position and fair-play from him was necessary," Tauqir said referring to the ban. "He should have appealed against the ban as we had offered him all support, but he refused."
He said television replays showed everything in a match and Rashid must have realised that. "He’s to exhibit more responsible behaviour. He has been giving statements in the media and he wrote directly to the ICC. All this violates our code of conduct. And he keeps on doing it. If we can’t control him every player will do this," Tauqir said. A point on which one has to agree with Tauqir to a certain extent.
The PCB chief said he had granted all authority to Rashid as captain and he was the final authority on the selection of the playing eleven. "He then has to accept responsibility for the team. In Multan he should not have dropped Yousuf Youhana. He made some other mistakes as well."
Tauqir said full authority to Rashid had even made coach Javed Miandad unhappy. "Miandad is having problems with this arrangement."
He added there was no doubt that Rashid was still the best wicketkeeper in Pakistan and comparable to anyone in the world and that he had led the team well.
Rashid, who has played 37 Tests and 161 One-day Internationals, made a comeback to the team in April 2001 after being sidelined for three years because of his role in exposing the match-fixing scandal. Since his return he has made 50 dismissals as wicketkeeper and his scoring sequence in 15 Tests has been 20, 18, 71, 25, 94, 15, 150, 47, 16, 2, 36, 2, 7, 66, 11, 4, 0, 17, 17, 54, 40, 5 and 5.
In 18 One-day Internationals starting from the World Cup his scores have been 33, 36, 0, 24, 34, 38, 14, 26, 20, 2, 20, 1 and 3. He has also made 29 catches and stumpings in these matches.
And yet it is strange that the PCB chairman now wonders whether Rashid commands a place in the team!
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