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Pakistan seethes after humiliation

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan Cricket Board chief Nasim Ashraf, national coach Bob Woolmer and team captain Inzamam-ul-Haq have all come under fire as the country seethes after the humiliating loss to Ireland, which ended their interest in the World Cup in West Indies.

Ashraf's head will probably be the first to roll when he faces a senate standing committee on culture, sport, youth affairs and tourism next week.

"We will ask for his (Ashraf's) resignation in the meeting which is due to take place before March 28," Senator Mohammad Enver Baig, a member of the committee, said.

"You lost miserably to a country like Ireland. There is nothing to compensate and the chairman must resign and go back to the United States," Baig said.

"The way the team has lost is the most disgraceful performance since the World Cup started. The entire nation is shocked."

Baig said Ashraf had no experience to head the Board and his "one man show" type of management had resulted in the "shameful defeat."

"He is a crony of (President) Pervez Musharraf and the way he (Musharraf) is running the country, the cricket board is also being run in same manner. It is a one-man rule everywhere," Baig said.

Angry cricket fans took to the streets in protest and burned effigies of players on Sunday. Protesters held a mock burial of the team and chairman Ashraf in Hyderabad city, while posters and effigies of Inzamam and Woolmer were burnt in the central city of Multan.

Television channels were flooded with e-mails and calls from angry fans, who wanted the team and the PCB to be held accountable for bringing shame on the country.

Many of them pleaded emotionally for the government to withdraw all awards given to the players and management and freeze their bank accounts.

"That is the least they can do for the shame and disgrace they have brought upon us. They must be made to pay for their spineless performance," one protester, Yasir Ali, said in Multan.

Former Test cricketers were also scathing. "It's terrible," said Intikhab Alam, who was the coach when Pakistan won the World Cup in 1992.

"Without a hint of doubt in my mind, it's the lowest point in Pakistan cricket. Irish players rose to the occasion, they meant business and looked more motivated than us," said Intikhab.

Pakistan were weakened by the loss of pace bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif and allrounder Abdul Razzaq, who withdrew with injuries before the tournament.

They were also without allrounder Shahid Afridi against the West Indies and Ireland as the effervescent allrounder served out the final two matches of a four-match ICC ban.

"No matter who was playing for us and who was not, the bottom line is that still we had more experienced players in our ranks than Ireland," Intikhab said.

He advised Woolmer and Inzamam to quit soon.

Another ex-Test captain and wicketkeeper Rashid Latif struggled to describe Pakistan's early exit.

"It's (the defeat) a crime with cricket, what else do they want. It's better they should leave," Rashid said. "As a former Test captain I feel ashamed.

"All the (Pakistan) former Test cricketers were kept pointing toward the weaknesses in our team for months before the World Cup, but nobody listened.

"I was not expecting such a shameful performance .... I have no words to describe it."

Former Test fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz termed defeat as the "worst ever point in Pakistan's cricketing history."

He said: "While watching the match live on TV, I was just cursing myself and saying, 'What's going on?'"

Pakistan had lost to Bangladesh in 1999 in another upset results of the World Cup, but Sarfraz said Saturday's loss was much worse.

"The wicket was suitable for seamers and Ireland won the crucial toss, but we lost fair and square without putting up a fight," he said.

He also insisted that all the officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board -- including captain and coach -- should quit.

"If we can't beat Ireland then I think Pakistan cricket is in the wrong hands," he said.

"It's better that all who are responsible for this should be shown the door."

Loss of revenue

Business interests will also suffer because of Pakistan's early exit.

Television channels and radio stations signed on leading players for their expert comments and planned to run special cricket programmes throughout the World Cup.

Big companies also launched World Cup campaigns to coincide with the tournament, with special advertisements urging the players to do well.

"Pakistan's exit means a big loss of revenue for all those who have invested in the World Cup," Sarmad Ali, marketing head of the country's largest media group, said.

"With Pakistan now out, interest in the tournament will fall dramatically and that means financial losses for everyone," he added.

Chief selector Wasim Bari, who is also under fire, said he had not slept all night and was in a daze after the Ireland match.

"This is a hugely disappointing result. I am shocked. I still can't believe we lost to Ireland," Bari said.

He said that after things became normal in a few days, there would be changes in the team for sure.

Cricket board officials declined to make comments, but one of them admitted privately that the backlash from Pakistan's poor performance would be huge.

"We are expecting a lot of reaction. To go out of the World Cup by losing to Ireland... no one will tolerate," he said.

Pakistan fined

As if Pakistan had not suffered enough they were fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during their shattering defeat. Match referee Chris Broad imposed the fines after the side were ruled to be four overs short of their target at the end of the match when time allowances were taken into consideration.

"With the shortfall being more than two overs, Inzamam, as captain, was automatically charged with a Level two Code of Conduct breach, clause 2.11," an ICC release said.

Captain Inzamam was fined 50 per cent of his match fee for the breach - the minimum amount allowable for a Level 2 offence.

The other members of the Pakistan side were each fined five per cent of their match fees for every over and so are 20 per cent out of pocket following the match.

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