Imran Khan

Karachi: Former captain Imran Khan Tuesday blamed President Asif Ali Zardari for the current problems in Pakistan cricket.

“The tragedy of our cricket system and governance is that it has been run on ad-hoc basis and that is causing all the problems,” Imran said on a TV channel.

He said the system of the President being the chief patron and appointing the chairman of the board was not longer workable in Pakistan cricket.

“What do you expect when President Zardari himself knows nothing about the ABC of cricket and he is chief patron of the board!” Imran asked. “President Zardari has a personal liking for Ijaz Butt, that is why he will never remove him as chairman of the board,” he said.

The legendary all-rounder, who is now a leading political figure, said changing of captains in Pakistan cricket was nothing new and it has happened in the past too.

“This culture of changing captains frequently is nothing new and nothing will improve unless we improve and change our basic structure and system of governance of cricket.”

Imran said Pakistan cricket was blessed with natural talent and this was reflected in the performance of the national under-19 team in the ICC World Cup. “We are not short of talent, we are short of good governance and a good system,” he said.

Imran said he didn’t believe there was groupism in the national team, which was blamed for the poor performance of the side. “The fact is that the Australians are a very good side and they have a very good technique of playing cricket. In the longer version of the game they will win, but when we play T20 cricket, Pakistan will win… this is because of difference of approach,” he said.

Imran refused to comment on the Shahid Afridi ball tampering incident insisting neither was he aware of it neither had he seen it on television.

Meanwhile, Pakistan federal sports minister Ejaz Hussain Jakhrani Tuesday called on President Zardari to discuss cricket matters in the wake of the national team’s dismal performance in Australia.

“I was given time by the President today and we had a detailed discussion on the cricket affairs including the present state of affairs arising out of the recent performances of team,” Jakhrani said.

“We also discussed the amended constitution of the board which is being vetted by the law ministry,” Jakhrani said.

In another development, former Australia captain Allan Border has flayed the two-match ban imposed on Shahid Afridi, saying the Pakistani all-rounder, being a “serial offender”, deserved a sterner punishment.

“It wasn’t enough given that he’s been a bit of a serial offender in front of ICC disciplinary committees,” Border said told a TV channel. Incidentally, Afridi’s former captain Inzamam-ul Haq had earlier said that the all-rounder was lucky to have escaped with a two-match ban when it could have been much more.

Afridi, who was slapped a four-ODI ban in 2007 for trying to hurt a spectator in South Africa, and was also banned in 2005 for damaging the pitch in Faisalabad, was caught on camera, biting the ball during Pakistan’s fifth and final ODI against Australia in Perth.

Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle subsequently banned him from two Twenty20 Internationals but Border felt the punishment was inadequate.

“You’ve got to send a strong message out that you just don’t want this sort of stuff happening on field,” said the Australian. “Send a warning to players that you’re not going to get away with it, (there were) 26 cameras at the ground or something like that, so I think it was very underdone as far as that penalty goes,” Border said. (Agencies)