Scandals, controversies and Pakistan cricket team have been hand in hand ever since the country became the Test playing nation 55 years back.
KARACHI: Scandals, controversies and Pakistan cricket team have been hand in hand ever since the country became the Test playing nation 55 years back.
Although the team and the Pakistan Cricket Board had been mired in innumerable controversies, the frequency had touched alarming levels in the last few years under coach Bob Woolmer, who died in mysterious circumstances on Sunday.
The passionate following for the game and the extreme reactions of cricket fans has meant that Pakistan remained in the news, mostly for the wrong reasons.
The botched World Cup campaign, Woolmer's sudden death after a shock defeat against minnows Ireland and captain Inzamam-ul Haq's announcement to retire from one-day cricket have only added to the growing list of unsavoury incidents in Pakistan's chequered cricketing history.
Woolmer's nearly three year tenure as Pakistan's coach have probably been the most turbulent time with the team hurtling from one controversy to another.
The Indian-born Woolmer, a former England Test player had almost come close to resigning last year in August as a fallout of the famous Oval fiasco which saw Pakistan forfeit the match to England.
Woolmer was unhappy that captain Inzamam-ul Haq and other players refused to listen to him and did not return to the field against England in protest against the umpires charge of ball tampering.
It turned out to be the first forfeiture in 129-year old Test history.
The incident led to a strained relationship between Woolmer and Inzamam, who is often accused of taking decisions without consulting the coach.
Woolmer always faced problems with fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar and his differences are well documented. It is no secret that Shoaib was sent back from Australia in 2005 and than kept out of the team for nearly nine months on the insistence of Woolmer and Inzamam.
He wanted Shoaib to cut down his run-up which he refused to do.
The temperamental Shoaib often got into arguments with Woolmer and had also once pushed him during a practice session.
It was also during Woolmer's tenure that Shoaib and Mohammad Asif tested positive in a dope test carried out by the Pakistan board and had to be sent back from the Champions Trophy in India.
Ironically, Woolmer backed the players since he was responsible for pushing the Pakistan board to hold the out of competition doping tests.
This controversy played a major role in affecting the Pakistan team's preparations for the World Cup and Woolmer had wanted the board to end the issue quickly.
He had a clash with Shoaib in South Africa earlier this year in the Pakistan dressing room after he doubted the fast bowler's injury claims after he had bowled just 13 overs in the South African first innings.
The clash was captured on television.
Woolmer had a stormy relationship with the board's Director of cricket operations Saleem Altaf who believed that the former England player had got too much leeway in his contract and was overpaid.
Woolmer's frequent vacations and his insistence on bringing his own support team did not please Altaf who made it a point to ensure he did not have everything his own way.
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