An undesirable debate

January 3, 2016

An undesirable debate

The news of the return of the mightiest can be heard from the known unknowns as Junaid Khan, Umar Gul and Mohammad Amir are set to return to Pakistan cricket team.

If the news sources are authentic then the golden era of Pakistan cricket will shine at its full brightness. They are the gems of our team.

But some people are still trying to sabotage this. For instance, Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali refused to play in the presence of Amir. Azhar even tendered his resignation over it.

I have a question for Azhar and Hafeez: do you own Pakistan cricket? Are you the "gods" in Green-shirts? You are simply players like any others.

Amir made a mistake, but he confessed and took responsibility. He was punished for his deeds. Now he has a chance to prove himself in front of his nation.

He proved his worth after his return to the ground as he took 10 wickets for Rawalpindi in nine T20 matches, 34 for Sui Southern Gas Corporation (SSGC) in four qualifying matches for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, 16 more in the first-class matches of the competition proper. He played in Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as a star player. Amir is working hard with faith in his heart and mind.

I am sure there are plenty of people who will be happy to see Amir again in the field and I am pretty positive that there will be a lot of cricket fans in Pakistan and abroad who don’t care about what Azhar, Hafeez or Rameez Raja want. These few people don’t represent the worldwide community of fans.

This week, Pakistan cricket suffered yet another setback. Yasir Shah’s doping test showed traces of chlorthalidone, a diuretic used to treat hypertension, which is listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) banned list.

The test was conducted on November 13 during the one-day series against England in the UAE.

"Shah has been charged with an anti-doping rule violation on a sample he provided in an in-competition test," an International Cricket Council (ICC) statement announced.

"The test, conducted on 13 November 2015, was found to contain the presence of chlortalidone, a Prohibited Substance which appears in Section 5 of the World Anti-Doping Agency list (in the category of Specified Substances).

"In accordance with the ICC Anti-Doping Code, pending the outcome of the disciplinary process, Yasir has been provisionally suspended," said the ICC.

First Saeed Ajmal was suspended for "illegal" bowling action by ICC and now Yasir is out. Pakistan desperately need him as he is a match winner.

According to the sources in Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Yasir can request for his B sample to be checked again, and if that test does not confirm a positive result then the suspension will be lifted immediately.

He also has the right to request a hearing before an anti-doping tribunal.

PCB has a "zero tolerance" policy against drugs.

Since making his international debut in 2011, Yasir has played in 12 Tests and 15 ODIs. He took 12 wickets as Pakistan beat Australia 2-0 in a Test series last year, and doubled that tally in a 2-1 win over Sri Lanka this year.

He could be used as a lethal weapon during the team’s tour of New Zealand.

An undesirable debate