By Asif Sohail
Pakistan has become a heaven for the CORRUPTS. Merit has been shamelessly compromised by the rulers who have developed an obnoxious culture of favouritism/nepotism from top to bottom which they are promoting vehemently. No state institution is safe from their whimsical adventures.
Undeserved flock, backed by influential politicians, has taken lead in every sphere of life. They get lucrative jobs everywhere they desire.
For them personal interest is always supreme and they can go to any extent to safeguard it. In this disgusting scenario what positive can be expected from the state institutions headed by inept and CORRUPTS who run them with their equally incompetent cronies.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not an exception either which is headed by a senile octogenarian named Shaharyar while a shrewd television anchor Najam Sethi, most beloved crony of the Patron-in-Chief, is the head of powerful Executive Committee and Head of HR Committee.
The recent appointment of Haroon Rasheed, a discarded former manager and chief selector, as Director Cricket Operations in the PCB is a vivid reflection of Sethi’s excellent timing.
The recent appointment of Haroon Rasheed, a discarded former manager and chief selector, as Director Cricket Operations in the PCB is a vivid reflection of Sethi’s excellent timing
On wonders as what gydrsinghi Haroon possesses that he has become an essential part of the PCB and Board’s affairs can’t run without him.
Nowhere in the world a person was sacked and rehired so frequently as we have seen in the case of Haroon Rasheed. Along with Ali Zia and Mohsin Kamal, Haroon is one of the rare gifts of Ramiz Raja, a mediocre Test cricketer and an ex-official of the PCB.
As chief executive of the PCB, Ramiz managed Haroon’s appointment as manager of Pakistan cricket team in 2003 for a period of one year but he enjoyed the job till 2005. Since then Haroon has been associated with the Board and has worked in different roles despite of his continued pathetic performance.
After being sacked as manager of the team Haroon started visiting NCA on regular basis and staying there. He developed good relations with Ali Zia. However, he did not get any offer because then Director Cricket Salim Altaf knew his potential well.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nasim Ashraf replaced Shaharyar and Haroon was again inducted in the PCB through backdoor by Muddassar Nazar, affectionately known as MuddiPa. He was granted a job since he was a through YES MAN and would not question from MuddiPa or Ali Zia.
Australian qualified coach Mohsin Sheikh who was already working in the NCA was forced to leave his job as Youth Development Officer (YDO) which was given to Haroon. Mohsin was asked to accept Talent Manager and report to Haroon.
Haroon started an unviable Talent Hunt Program. Haroon had no clue about the Program. That was Ali Zia’s idea which he had done so many times without reaping long time results. The Program contained U-13, U-15 and U-17 boys involving schools to revive school and college cricket.
Instead of holding Open Trials, they selected boys from holding a week long Camp. The entire program was run by them like a Friends’ Club. No Merit. Hefty funds of the PCB were wasted.
After Aamir Sohail resigned as Director Game Development of the NCA in 2009, Haroon was given additional charge by Ijaz Butt. When Zaka Ashraf took charge of the PCB he brought Aamir Sohail back but he (Zaka) was sacked by the government and in February 2014, Haroon was given full charge of the DGD by the newly appointed Management Committee – headed by Najam Sethi.
After the disgraceful fall of Moin Khan, Haroon was appointed chief selector of the PCB in March 2015.His role as chief selector was widely questioned. Misbah wanted Yasir Hameed to be included in the squad for unfit Mohammed Hafeez but Haroon sent Nasir Jamshed. It was alleged that he did this after a phone call from Mehta, an Indian bookie.
After the humiliating defeat of Pakistan in the Asia Cup and World Cup T20 in 2016, the PCB formulated a fact-finding committee to look into the team’s defeat and fired Haroon and other members of the selection committee.
How long Pakistan cricket would continue to revolve around likes of Subhan Ahmed, Wasim Bari, Ali Zia, Iqbal Qasim, Salahuddin Sallu, Mohammed Ilyas, Muddassar Nazar, Azhar Khan and Haroon Rasheed?
After his sacking Haroon applied for the position of Director Cricket Operations in the Board with strong backing from Najam Sethi. In the beginning he received strong resistance from Shaharyar Khan, the PCB Chairman, and the issue of his appointment was delayed.
After Shaharyar has sent his resignation to the Patron-in-Chief of the PCB, Haroon’s application was searched from the debris of files and he was appointed as Director Cricket Operations.
“Haroon has resumed his duties from today i.e. April 17, 2017 at the Board’s Head Quarters,” reads a statement by the PCB.
Instead of investigating the allegation against Haroon’s connections and involvement with a Bookie he has been rewarded at a time when all important spot-fixing case is underway.
Haroon’s appointment appears to be another suspicious way to hide and cover official involvement in fixing.
Absence of WILL and INDIFFERENCE is the hallmark of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) which is not different from other state institutions. The PCB has accommodated a mediocre former Test cricketer, as Director Cricket Operations.
Haroon is one of the few chosen former Test cricketers who have become an essential part of the PCB because of their only good habit – YES MAN. In last two decades Chairmen came and went but these YES MEN stood their ground.
How long Pakistan cricket would continue to revolve around likes of Subhan Ahmed, Wasim Bari, Salahuddin Sallu, Mohammed Ilyas, Muddassar Nazar, Azhar Khan and Haroon Rasheed?
How come these incompetent officials have become essential for Pakistan cricket despite of their pathetic working in their different roles they were given time and again.
How long Patron-in-Chief would remain indifferent and ignore favouritism in the PCB? How long Pakistan cricket would continue to suffer at the dirty hands of inept and CORRUPT officials.
Will the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar take a So Moto action to bring about transparency in the PCB?