Where to now for Pakistan?

[NZ Guy]

I know your probably all sick of Pakistan threads but this is not directly linked to the fixing.

After everything that has gone on with Pakistan cricket are they really going to be a financially viable team to play against?

Say the players in the team atm get bans, surely they will be worse than BD, so the spectacle is taken out of the game, they cant play home games, thats a lot of potential revenue and fan base gone, nobody is going to want to host their 'home' games now, is any country really going to want to be seen as supporting Pakistan cricket and the PCB, surely there's too much dirt on their hands to be trusted.

I may sound rather dooms dayish here but is this the end of Pakistan being one of the 'big' teams in international cricket? will they plunge to the depths as the WI have? or perhaps even worse?

And will players want to be associated with Pakistan anymore? Perhaps they may go and play for India or Bangladesh, or play for IPL teams etc.

These suggestions may be a bit outlandish but I guess they are distant possiblilities

[Jamee999]

I guess that Yousuf will retire again. I don't see how Pakistan can continue to playing Test cricket, tbh. It's just an untenable situation, atm.

[brockley]

ICC should slap a 12 month ban on them so thwey can get sorted,the pcb inquiry was a joke.

[masterblaster]

Ban Pakistan from all International Cricket for at least 12 months, until they can get their house in order. Pakistan have been given far too many chances over the years. From consistently being one of the most corrupt cricketing nations in the world, to having shoddy administration practices and politics in every aspect of their game.

In addition they've had such poor security in their home games that resulted in the attack on the Sri Lankan team and have had a constant revolving door of players, captains and coaches over the past few years. I think it's time to give them a break from International Cricket as sadly they do not currently deserve a place in International Cricket.

[Jono]

You can't play cricket in the country because of security risks.

There is a recent history of dodgy results, spot fixing if not completely throwing matches.

They've had issues retaining their players, who are banned and the unbanned, with a revolving captaincy door.

Some of their players have been caught with performance enhancing drugs.

I can't see how they can continue in the short term tbh.

[honestbharani]

Originally Posted by Jamee999

I guess that Yousuf will retire again. I don't see how Pakistan can continue to playing Test cricket, tbh. It's just an untenable situation, atm.

Bet you Yousuf will come out of retirement again too..

[silentstriker]

Where to? Not to any cricket grounds hopefully.

[duffer]

No mercy. These guys are disgraceful. No place for them in cricket. Terrible for the fans of the Pakistan team but this is no time to **** around.

edit: Seriously, fixing meaningless one dayers is bad enough but Test matches being altered like this is complete ****ing ****ery of the highest order. Wtf? What the ****?

[TT Boy]

I hope they play South Africa next month (or is it in October). Some free wickets for Steyn and Morkel against that complete shower of a batting line-up.

[duffer]

They should just fly back to Pakistan. Watching them today was a sick experience. Couldn't sit there and do it. Joke of a cricket team from top down.

[Jono]

Harsh on Saeed Ajmal tbh. Funny guy.

[AlanJLegend]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

Where to? Not to any cricket grounds hopefully.

Said perfectly.

ICC should definitely ban them from 1 year minimum. However I get the feeling that ICC consequences aside, this will be one controversy too many. Pakistan have had the 'Sydney incident' (and the whole Australian tour for that matter), Afridi's ball-biting, banning everybody then reinstating them and now this, and that has just been in the past year! I can't see the cricketing community being accepting/forgiving anymore.

Maybe I am going too far, but if I were England I would not have shaken the Pakistani's hands after the game. I'm not suggesting the whole team was involved, but you only have as much integrity as your shadiest member. For England to allow Pakistan to play home games at one of the world's most prestegious cricket grounds, and then for the Pakis to do this is unforgivable.

Give Ireland test status. Sure they'll probably lose by an innings and 250-odd runs too, but at least they'll show some respect to cricket...

[NasserFan207]

They will still have enough talent to perform at test level, but I'm not sure they should be allowed to untill all this crap has been sorted out.

[pakster]

The wider implications here are huge, not just for Paksiatni cricket, but for the world game. All things considered, a permanent ban for the players involved would be adequate punishment. The idea of banning Pakistan from cricket, for however short a period, will have disastrous ramifications. We've already lost a very good Zimbabwe side; WI, too, are on a slippery slope to mediocrity. NZ are never going to be a powerhouse, which leaves us with just 4 quality international teams. Cricket needs Pakistan just as much as Pakistan needs cricket.

That said, I just do not see what the immediate short-term options for Pakistan are. As NZ Guy rightly pointed out, what future is there for a team who cannot play home matches, and will not be hosted other nations? Some time out of the game may do us some good, but with rampant corruption running deep in all levels of Pakistani society, it will take some time before we have a PCB which is competent and honest. It looks bleak, tbh.

[silentstriker]

Originally Posted by pakster

Cricket needs Pakistan just as much as Pakistan needs cricket.

Frankly, no. No, it doesn't.