PCB Crying Over Ajmals Ommission, threatens to boycott awards ceremony

[Sean Bradley]

KARACHI: PakistanÃÔ face-off with international cricket chiefs over the contentious issue of Saeed AjmalÃÔ surprising omission from the shortlist for world player of the year awards is threatening to snowball into a major confrontation. Zaka Akhraf, PakistanÃÔ cricket boss told õhe News on Wednesday that his team would boycott the much-anticipated International Cricket CouncilÃÔ awards ceremony in Colombo later this month if the ICC stuck to its guns over the issue of keeping Ajmal out of the final list of nominees. Ashraf, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, minced no words in saying that ICCÃÔ decision to snub Ajmal one of the worldÃÔ best bowlers was ÅÖnfair and should be ÅÓectified? Ÿe have once again lodged a strong protest against AmjalÃÔ omission from the shortlist and hope that they (ICC) will review this unfair decision, stressed Ashraf. Ūt is universally agreed that Ajmal is the worldÃÔ spinner at the moment and deserves to be in contention for the award, he added. The ICC has conveyed to PCB in clear words that it is in no mood to review its decision regarding AjmalÃÔ omission from the shortlist. Ÿe have been told that the (awards) lists are being handled by an independent body and that ICC cannot do anything about it, said Ashraf. űersonally I believe that itÃÔ (awards process) an ICC business and they should have some say in undoing something that is clearly unjust, he said. Ashraf said that the PCB has sent a letter to ICC chief executive Dave Richardson, asking him to reconsider the governing bodyÃÔ stance. In the letter, PCB has raised objections over the awards process. ŪtÃÔ a major issue for us because our cricketers and fans feel that they have been wronged, he said. So what happens if the ICC maintains its stance? Ÿe would boycott the awards ceremony, said Ashraf. ůone of our players would attend the event as a mark of protest. The glittering awards will be hosted by the ICC in Colombo on September 15 just a few days before the World Twenty20 championship 2012 kicks off there. Pakistan will be in Sri Lanka at that time to play a couple of warm-up games before their Pool D clash against New Zealand on September 23 in Pallekele. The reason why PCB is ready to take on the ICC over AjmalÃÔ case is the fact that most experts agree that the prolific off-spinner deserves to be in the shortlist for world player of the year award. Ajmal, who bamboozles even the best of batters with his ÃÃ…oosra? accumulated a total of 72 Test wickets at an average of 24.29 during the qualifying period from August 4, 2011 to August 6 this year. His haul of 24 wickets at 14.70 against England then the worldÃÔ best Test side helped Pakistan achieve a 3-0 clean sweep in the Test in UAE earlier this year. Ajmal was also quite successful in One-day Internationals and Twenty20 format during the voting period. Pakistan were sure that Ajmal, who was on the initial list of nominees, would make the cut for the shortlist announced by the ICC last week. However, the four-man shortlist just included Sri LankaÃÔ Kumar Sangakkara, AustraliaÃÔ Michael Clarke and South AfricaÃÔ Hashim Amla and Vernon Philander. Philander, the only bowler on the list, took just 56 Test wickets during the qualifying period. The 32-member voting academy that decided the shortlist didnÃÕ think that Ajmal deserved to be in the shortlist. And now the ICC, which did include England spinner Graeme Swann back in 2010 after initially omitting him from the long list, has ruled out reviewing AjmalÃÔ case. ŵhe ICC has no authority to change the results of the academy, an ICC spokesman was quoted as saying by Cricinfo. ŵhe voting results are final and binding on everyone. Ūt is important to understand the process which is very simple and transparent, and monitored by independent auditor Ernst & Young, the spokesman added. ŵhe longlists are prepared by a five-member Selection Panel which is headed by Mr Clive Lloyd and this year included Clare Connor (England), Tom Moody (Australia), Carl Hooper (West Indies) and Marvan Atapattu (Sri Lanka). ŵhe shortlists are then created after the individual player awards are voted for by an academy of 32 highly credentialed cricket personalities from around the world. The top four players in each category with most votes are included in the shortlists. Ashraf doesnÃÕ buy it. Å¢s far as we are concerned, Ajmal deserves to be in the list, he said. űersonally, I think he has achieved enough to be voted as the player of the year. Link: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-New...cricket-awards

[Sean Bradley]

PCB : :wizard: ICC : hoooooo, We are scared

[ganeshran]

Who cares about these awards anyway :dontknow:

[Crookbond]

^ Pakistan

[vayuu1]

Like Icc cares unke uspe thand nahi padti

[Debutant]

Like Icc cares unke uspe thand nahi padti

Yes. ICC is going to postpone these awards if Pakis don't show up. :haha: Like anybody cares about these pakis

[SLICKR392]

Why was my thread deleted? :hitler:

[G_B_]

he should have been in there IMO i dont know how he got overlooked. The list seems to have an SA bias.

[SLICKR392]

he should have been in there IMO i dont know how he got overlooked. The list seems to have an SA bias.

They are the #1 side, obviously there would be a bunch of Saffers in the list.

[Utalk]

ECB did the same last year and forces ICC to put Swann in.

[rkt.india]

There should be different categories for different disciplines, IMO.

[G_B_]

They are the #1 side' date=' obviously there would be a bunch of Saffers in the list.[/quote'] yeah but Philander when he hardly has a T20 or ODI record is not the right pick for ICC cricketer of the year?

[Sehwag1830]

Ajmal is a chucker so rightfully not included.

[G_B_]

then officially declare him a chucker and be done with it. Dont have this half and half thing whereby he is cleared and is not picked.

[ganeshran]

ECB did the same last year and forces ICC to put Swann in.

Swann wasnt in the long list and was missed because of some oversight. ICC included his name in the longlist and then he got shortlisted to the last 4. In Ajmal's case, he was in the long list but the committee didnt pick him in the final 4.

[Debutant]

Swann wasnt in the long list and was missed because of some oversight. ICC included his name in the longlist and then he got shortlisted to the last 4. In Ajmal's case, he was in the long list but the committee didnt pick him in the final 4.

Exactly. These four players have been selected by 32 individuals. If they think this chuck-er don't deserve to be there then ICC can do nothing. But don't expect this simple logic to be understood by the paki fools. As expected crying how they are the victim, ICC is racist, BCCI did it :haha:

[Utalk]

Exactly. These four players have been selected by 32 individuals. If they think this chuck-er don't deserve to be there then ICC can do nothing. But don't expect this simple logic to be understood by the paki fools. As expected crying how they are the victim' date=' ICC is racist, BCCI did it :haha:[/quote'] Aapko biwi ne maara hai aaj shayad.

[G_B_]

the least they can do is make the names of the panel of 32 who chose these players public could be a case that Ajmaal was 5th in terms of votes and just missed out. From what i know even ICC elite panel umpires are on the panel.

[Crookbond]

the least they can do is make the names of the panel of 32 who chose these players public could be a case that Ajmaal was 5th in terms of votes and just missed out. From what i know even ICC elite panel umpires are on the panel.

"The longlists are prepared by a five-member Selection Panel which is headed by Mr Clive Lloyd and this year included Clare Connor (England), Tom Moody (Australia), Carl Hooper (West Indies) and Marvan Atapattu (Sri Lanka).

http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/story/581012.html

[G_B_]

thats a long list dude they are chosen from the long list to make a short list of 4 candidates per award