LAHORE – Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan on Wednesday said that the PCB has put the team in a “big disadvantage” by not naming a captain for the forthcoming World Cup beginning from February 19.
“Three weeks before the World Cup, we still don’t know who is the Pakistan captain. Pakistan have put themselves in a big disadvantage by not naming a captain,” Imran, who led Pakistan to the title in the 1992 World Cup, said at a World Cup promotional event in India.
“It takes time to know a team. You need to be in a pressure situation so that they cope up in similar situations in the World Cup. They had five captains in the last one year, it is unsettling for the team,” he said. “A stable team is required for better strategies. They are not made in one day. The skipper too has his own plans,” he added.
Imran said the absence of pacers Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif, who have been suspended for their alleged role in the spot-fixing scandal, was the biggest blow for the team. “The real blow for Pakistan is the suspension of the two fast bowlers. The two were the best in the business. Their role was crucial for the team,” he added.
Asserting that spot-fixing and match-fixing were “almost impossible” to detect, Imran said the International Cricket Council should take extreme measures to curb these malpractices. “It is almost impossible to catch spot fixing. How do you know a bowler is going to bowl a no-ball. (Hansie) Cronje’s was by chance, Pakistan’s was by sting operation. This is not easy. I don’t know at what scale it is happening, Imran said.
“There has to be a constant vigilance by the boards. We need to go beyond the Scotland Yard. Bank accounts of all cricketers should be made transparent and all dealings should be scrutinised. Punishment should be exemplary,” he added.
Reacting to Kevin Pietersen’s statement that the World Cup schedule was ridiculous, Imran said, “I always felt that if you had back to back matches, and with too much of travelling, you did not have recovery period. This should be welcome, especially with so much playing these days. Teams touring the sub-continent always want to wrap up and go away.”
