The three players who brought dishonour to cricket © Getty Images

Tombs to unnamed soldiers are symbolic memorials to unidentifiable warriors who have died on the battlefield. Wisden’s withdrawn accolade to the unnamed Pakistan cricketer has heavy symbolism of its own: a memorial to the identified and unidentified cricketers who have brought dishonour to the game of cricket.

Selection as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year is the ‘oldest honour in cricket,’ rarely awarded to Pakistanis. Englishmen, Australians, South Africans, West Indians, and Indians have all been more frequently honoured. Fazal Mahmood was the first Pakistani in 1955, and those who have followed include Asif Iqbal, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Hanif and Mushtaq Mohammad, and the two Ws.

The editor, in this case Scyld Berry, takes the decision. There is no science to it, only a reasoned judgement, and to leave one of this year’s spots vacant is a measure of the impact the spot-fixing scandal had on last year’s international cricket. It is a moment of extreme frustration and deep shame.

Some might argue that Berry should have chosen an alternative, and he is unnecessarily humiliating Pakistan cricket, but that would be to misunderstand the man. Corruption has been damaging international cricket for over a decade, yet after each spur of controversy we rapidly move on to more comfortable themes, eager to banish the notion that what is enthralling us could be a stage-managed farce.

While Pakistan isn’t the only country to be dishonoured by corruption, its players have become corruption’s most constant bedfellows, admittedly for many complex reasons. Indeed, what chance do the players have when its own cricket board acts with disregard for integrity?

Only yesterday Pakistan’s senate was informed that journalists from national newspapers, news agencies, and broadcasters had taken payments from the Pakistan Cricket Board. Travel expenses to support a poorly funded profession might just be allowable, but much more was paid on top, to the tune of $70,000 in cash over the last 3 years. What was this money for? Why was it never declared by the journalists or the cricket board? A culture of corruption is never a culture to nurture progress.

In our desire to move on, we may have already forgotten how Pakistan’s young team was winning hearts and accolades last summer with incredible Test victories over England and Australia. The skills of Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif had created an excited buzz. Salman Butt’s young leadership was impressing peers and skeptics. But it was a grand deceit; the three architects of recovery were revealed as the conspirators of Pakistan's doom. It was a time of shock, horror, and grief.

Berry has remained silent about the unnamed cricketer of the year, offering arguments for any one of three banned cricketers, but can there really be any doubt? Only one man took the world by storm in the last 18 months, destroying batting orders around the world with a youthful exuberance that made him an instant star. Only one man’s loss to international cricket is truly lamented, his rise from rags to riches a modern-day morality tale.

Pakistan is still feeling the consequences of Amir’s ban. The touring party for the one-day series against West Indies is short of experienced pace bowling; rookies Junaid Khan and Sadaf Hussain selected to support Wahab Riaz, whose performance against India in Mohali suddenly casts him as Pakistan’s go-to bowler. But this is the time to rebuild with fresh blood and cleansed souls, to begin the process that ensures the next time a Pakistan cricketer is one of Wisden’s cricketers of the year his name his spoken with pride and not censored in disgrace.

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Denial, anger, bargaining, sadness, and acceptance: the five stages of the grief reaction that Pakistan fans have experienced over the spot-fixing controversy. Denial and anger were left behind in the English summer. Bargaining for a better outcome was almost exhausted by the Doha hearing and the criminal case launched by the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service. It may continue with an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. But now that we know the ICC’s verdict, the predominant sentiments are sadness and acceptance.

Once the News of the World videos and transcripts were released the future looked bleak for Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, and Mohammad Amir. The integrity of cricket had to be protected, and the ICC had to do that by pressing charges. Encouragingly, a healthy proportion of Pakistan fans have shunned knee-jerk defence of their fallen heroes in favour of a desire to ensure that corruption is punished.

Appeals are inevitable. None of the punished cricketers will want to give up their best years in international cricket without a fight. The ICC process has been questioned at regular intervals as if to prepare the ground for such an appeal. And with the ICC tribunal’s admission that more flexibility in sentencing would be desirable, the defendants have a hope to cling on to.

Not that many Pakistan supporters have great sympathy for a reduction in sentences, except in the case of Mohammad Amir. Effectively, the suspended portion of the sentences aside, all three players will serve a five year ban; equity in sentencing that appears inequitable. Salman Butt might have got more and Mohammad Amir might have got less. ICC’s punishment needs to be severe but those passing sentence do require greater flexibility when determining bans.

Where all this leaves Pakistan cricket is an interesting question? It might have been a body blow to the image of cricket in Pakistan, but the last decade has seen that image dragged through the lowest gutter. Expectations of noble deeds have almost vanished. It might have been a body blow to the prospects of the team, but a team shorn of tainted cricketers has produced some of the best results in recent memory. Pakistan have lost some star quality and regained some spirit. As Liverpool football fans will avow after the loss of their £50 million pound star striker, Fernando Torres, no player is bigger than the team. Nobody is irreplaceable.

The verdict might have also brought the Pakistan Cricket Board to its knees, humiliated and broken as a governing institution. Those impressions of the PCB might still stand but the stark reality is that the cricket board and its head are immune to any pangs of conscience or acts of contrition. Strangely, as far as the PCB is concerned, the issue is entirely between the players and the ICC. A proper administration would now be deciding, based on its own evidence and judgement, on which players to punish further and which to support in appeals against their sentence.

But these are shameless days. Integrity is dead, corruption is king. Fans have become indifferent to the endless stream of controversy. The UK’s court case might also tarnish reputations beyond those already snared by the ICC. There is no vision of a brighter future in Pakistan cricket except in the performances of the current squad, who have rallied to salvage some honour from this miserable age. In that, at least, there is some hope. Indeed, I have not abandoned hope for Pakistan cricket but I have abandoned grief.

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Ijaz Butt must go © Getty Images

Command and control are the golden rules of handling any crisis because you can only be in control if you have command of the situation. Sadly, this summer’s spot-fixing controversy has once again revealed that too many cricket administrators, past and present players, and journalists are far from in command once the heat is on anything more complicated than the execution of a forward defensive.

Controversy has dogged each and every Pakistan tour of England for almost three decades. The reasons are complex but dominated by the weaknesses in Pakistan’s cricketing structure, a desire not to be walked over, and rabid suspicion of any Pakistani conduct by an unhealthy proportion of the English media.

To be clear, the video evidence concerning the Lord’s Test was alarming and action was required. It was a shame that the reluctance of the Pakistan board to suspend its three players forced the ICC to take action, which it was right to do. But that doesn’t excuse the events that have unfolded in the aftermath, as the crisis has exposed the failings of institutions and individuals across the globe.

1 The ICC initially responded well but the surprise of the News of the World allegations left everybody wondering what the ICC’s anti-corruption unit has been doing for a decade? Is it credible that an investigative journalist is more skilled and resourceful than an international unit?

When the ICC followed up by questioning the integrity of the third ODI and twenty-two cricketers without releasing any meaningful evidence, the impression was of an organisation out of its depth. Reform of the ICC is necessary and must be a top priority. A game governed by an organisation weaker than its members will always flounder.

Without urgent change the ICC will continue to lose its command of international cricket. The member boards must vote for a stronger ICC executive with greater powers. Yes, these turkeys must vote for Christmas.

2 Enough has been said about the PCB already but a key point is that the PCB’s unprofessionalism and weakness in governing its own players and sport makes Pakistan cricket an easy target for corruption, manipulation, and condemnation.

The PCB may not change until the Pakistan government changes, or somebody in a position of power acquires a conscience, but surely the ICC should be demanding minimum standards from its member boards. Unfortunately, when the ICC itself is a dysfunctional organisation, imposing any minimum standards on its members is wishful thinking.

Pakistan cricket must put its house in order and that is impossible with Ijaz Butt ruling the roost. He must go.

3 Michael Atherton surmised that Ijaz Butt is a clown and should be ignored. Butt’s ill-conceived rant against England’s cricketers was unbecoming of the chairman of a national cricket board. If Butt had evidence he should have handed it to the ICC for action, not blurted it out to the national and international media.

Yet Butt is in the company of distinguished clowns. Ian Botham and Michael Vaughan have called for Pakistan to be banned, a whole nation banished for unproven accusations against a handful of cricketers and the bleating of a known blusterer. Botham has history with Pakistan, history that diminishes his great deeds on the cricket pitch. Cricketing ability, we know, is no proxy for logical thinking or fair-mindedness.

While Botham is shameless in his attitude towards Pakistan, and his rant as equally unexpected as one from Butt, Vaughan should be ashamed, a reputation as a cerebral cricketer dashed in a moment of hyperbole. If Butt is a clown then Botham and Vaughan have joined his caravan of clowns. Fortunately the ECB has steered a sensible course through this crisis and ensured that shrill voices were ignored and the series played out to a conclusion.

All the clowns, not just Butt, are best ignored.

4 Despite the summer scandal, a decent proportion of the English media has remained considered in its approach to the crisis and supportive of the plight of Pakistan cricket. It is even wrong to suggest that the News of the World might have some vendetta against Pakistan cricket.

I believe that if it had discovered similar evidence against English cricketers it would have launched into the scandal with equal relish. That is how this newspaper goes about its business. Nonetheless, the usual suspects in the tabloid press have used the crisis to declare open season on Pakistan’s players, calling for the expulsion of Pakistan cricket from the ICC and attempting to dig up any dirt that they can grasp.

Sensationalism is part of their agenda, and just like Botham they have a history of conflict with Pakistan cricket. Would these voices attack a nation’s sport with such venom if that nation were India or South Africa, for example? Of course not, Pakistan cricket is an easy target, a product of a misunderstood nation crippled by atrocious governance. Where Mr Butt and his players failed is that they provided so much ammunition that they became a tabloid dream.

A summer that offered rehabilitation has ended in recrimination. A caravan of clowns rushed through a desert of integrity, passing an occasional oasis of sparkling cricket. It left heads spinning and hearts broken.

We can’t expect players and ex-players to be masters of logic. We can’t expect the media to give a sucker an even break. We can, however, expect a sport to be governed properly. Cricket can be healed but not without reform of the ICC and failing national boards like Pakistan’s.

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Shoaib Akhtar in action at Lord's on Monday © PA Photos

Lord’s wasn’t full but it was resplendent. A healthy crowd enjoyed a perfect late summer’s evening, by the end of which you might have been excused for forgetting that international cricket was on the brink of calamity. Sensible heads in the ECB ensured that the fourth one-day international between England and Pakistan took place despite a unilateral attack by Pakistan’s bumbling chairman, Mr Ijaz Butt.

Nerves were fraught following a night of anger in the England camp and bewilderment in Pakistan’s. The tension even spilled over into a pre-match clash between Jonathan Trott and Wahab Riaz, and it was still etched on the furrowed brow of Andrew Strauss at the post-match press conference and the perspiring forehead of Pakistan’s coach Waqar Younis.

Waqar, it seems, has become Pakistan’s one-man crisis management team. I’m not sure these delicate media situations come naturally to him but he has done admirably enough in fending off hostile questions, at least attempting to focus on cricket instead of fanning the flames of controversy. He described England as a great venue to tour and relations between the teams as superb. Although the latter statement might have been stretching the bounds of credulity, Waqar has always had affection for cricket in England despite the controversies.

He believes his squad composed of the young and the recalled deserves praise for its spirited performances in the one-day series, especially in light of the storm swirling around them and friendly fire striking amidships.

This series, however, is unlikely to be remembered for its cricket unless in relation to allegations of fixing of some variety. The 22 players made a noble attempt to reconnect supporters with the fascination of a hard-fought contest—and the crowd responded. The surreal mood of the morning was replaced by an uncharacteristic buzz of excitement at Lord's as England chased victory under lights.

For what it’s worth Pakistan have begun to excel again at defending a competitive total. With Shoaib Akhtar leading the line and Umar Gul smashing stumps, the last two internationals have been a throwback to the way Pakistan used to go about their business more than a decade ago. Even Razzaq’s blitzkrieg in the last two overs was an echo of past adventures.

There was also fight here from Shahid Afridi’s boys, a determination to show the world what they can do. How long it lasts is anybody’s guess but Pakistan have the momentum going into the final match of the series. England, meanwhile, were shell shocked, first by Butt’s unbecoming accusations and then by the passion of Pakistan’s fightback.

Yet all the players, English and Pakistani, must take credit for playing out an enthralling contest in probably the most controversial environment in the history of one-day internationals. By the finish there was renewed hope that the spirit of cricket lives on. The fumblings of the ICC and the damage caused by Pakistan’s cricket chairman might yet be contained. Pakistan’s players celebrated victory as if they had won back their souls from the devil.

The evening at Lord’s was a reminder that the fascination of cricket lies in the battle between national heroes and the interplay of that intense contest with the emotions of an enthusiastic crowd. These magic ingredients will live on when the mistakes of the ICC and the stupidity of Mr Butt are consigned to the landfill of history. Match-fixing allegations in their various guises may be harder to shake. After all, they began on English fields in cricket’s earliest days.

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No more political posturing; it is time to clean up Pakistan cricket © AFP

Omar Kurieshi, Pakistan's great writer and broadcaster, once sent me on a mission. It was in my early days of cricket writing, and he had recruited me for Sportsweek, his new publication. I was sent to talk to Wasim Akram, possibly the greatest left-arm pacemen of them all and a man besieged by match-fixing allegations. Kurieshi wanted to help him, rescue Pakistan's champion from the baying hounds with the smell of blood in their nostrils. I met Wasim, looked him in the eye, and asked him whether the allegations were true or not. The master of reverse swing was quick to reassure me of his innocence.

The point of this anecdote is not to question Wasim's integrity, it is to highlight a human trait that is not peculiarly Pakistani but has become a common feature of Pakistan's response to match-fixing or spot-fixing allegations. It is simply this: each allegation is seen as a conspiracy or attack on Pakistan, an attack that has to be repulsed at all costs, instead of a red alert about corruption.

These posturings are wearisome but they have now turned outrageous with Ijaz Butt's misfiring accusations against England's cricketers. I don't know which players from which teams are involved in fixing performances and results; only the players and the bookmakers know for sure. I do know that serious match-fixing allegations have surrounded international cricket for many decades.

But the strongest evidence I have ever come across was unearthed by the Indian authorities when they caught Hansie Cronje and others. The most shocking information I have ever seen about Pakistan cricket was released in the recent sting by the News of the World. It had taken a decade to restore much of the faith in the integrity of cricket that was lost last time around, only for it to be shattered by a few minutes of Internet video. I worry about transcripts, recordings, and marked notes but I care little for idle conjecture about slow-scoring, accelerations and decelerations at will; wins and losses at a whim.

I want resolution. I want corruption out of cricket more than I want to save the career of any corrupt cricketer; an attitude that anybody who cares for this great sport must share. I don't want the head of Pakistan's cricket board to put political posturing before establishing the truth surrounding these allegations. I don't want him to accuse another country's cricketers of throwing matches, especially a country that has lent a dime in a summer of need. Instead, I want him to clean up Pakistan cricket.

I want resolution from ICC too. I want the game's ruling body to be a worthy custodian, championing the best in this sport and eradicating corruption. I don't want the ICC to lie dormant until it is roused by media scoops, second to every scandal. I don't want the ICC to pretend that corruption is only skin deep and confined to a single country. I want the ICC to be an organisation that uses power with responsibility and creates a thriving sport full of integrity.

I know these are false hopes in desperate times. The last few days have seen two calamitous acts. First is the inexcusable announcement by ICC that the ODI at The Oval is under investigation, an announcement that left both cricket boards uninformed and 22 players under suspicion. Second is the unfitting attack by Butt on other players and cricket organisations. These harmful instances suggest that the ICC and the PCB have lost control of the crisis and are about to embark on a calamitous confrontation.

I know in my heart that it is probably best for this dread tour to finish now and save us further pain. Yet I also know that I will wend my way to Lord's in the hope that I might see a final stand from Pakistan cricket to defy its critics and to prove its honesty. I will contemplate the value of commenting on performances that may or may not be genuine. I will think back to the boy who once believed that cricket was a proud battle of skill, will, and bravery. I will imagine a time when cricket is again free of the obscenity of corruption. I will watch Shahid Afridi's men perform at the home of cricket, every cricketer's dream, and imagine what Pakistan cricket might have been.

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With some new faces, like Mohammad Irfan, can Shahid Afridi and his band of tortured men demonstrate the real power of cricket? © Getty Images

Four months ago Pakistan were the most feared team in Twenty20 cricket. Four days ago they were dreadful. This is a dead tour walking and it is up to Shahid Afridi's team to bring it back to life. A summer that began with hope and ambition is ending in total disaster. A demoralised team is playing before numb supporters. If Pakistan's remaining players have clear consciences they need to show the world that their country has the pride and heart to face down the many challenges it faces.

As the saying goes, a fish rots from the head, and Pakistan cricket will not halt its death slide until the head of the cricket board is replaced. Yet Ijaz Butt appears as secure as ever, safe in his friendship with the President of Pakistan. We would all love to know the precise nature of the debt that Zardari owes Butt, beyond personal connections, because Butt's has been the most disastrous regime in the history of Pakistan cricket.

The world is powerless to break Butt's spell over Zardari. This sense of powerlessness complicates the grief that Pakistan supporters are currently experiencing. My impression is that Pakistan fans have been through a stage of denial and are hovering between anger and sadness, with the final stage of grief being acceptance. The current Pakistan players and management, assuming their innocence, must be cycling through similar stages.

I have reached a mood of sadness about the spot-fixing affair. I watched my first live Pakistan match 35 years ago, and have commented on Pakistan cricket for 15 years. In all those hours and days of my life lost to cricket, in all the million or so words I must have written about the team that once wore the green and gold with pride, I have never felt so disenchanted. Pakistan cricket has suffered every conceivable scandal yet this cut feels the deepest. Why?

I'm not quite sure what the answer is but I guess there are many factors that contribute to my malaise. This tour was billed as a lifeline for Pakistan cricket, a route to revenue and rejuvenation. The new-look team was supposed to offer a clean break from the past, boasting a bowling attack to rival any on the planet. Passionate support would fill stadiums and create an unforgettable spectacle.

We had glimpses of that dream but now we live a nightmare. Pakistan has been troubled by match-fixing allegations before but today's circumstances are the most perturbing. The Qayyum inquiry of a decade ago was unsatisfactory for many reasons, one of which was its failure to produce any compelling evidence for public consumption. The current crisis may not result in a criminal prosecution, and the ICC inquiry has still not reached a conclusion, but the recent allegations have shattered the confidence that fans have in their team.

Last time around we were still unsure of what really happened but this time the videos and the transcripts are difficult to dislodge from our minds. They may not prove guilt but they have shaken our belief in the integrity of the sport. All this on the backdrop of a crippling war and murderous floods.

Ultimately, though, this melancholy might be explained by the powerlessness to oust the people who many supporters believe have failed in their duty to preserve the integrity and the reputation of Pakistan cricket; people who should have kept agents from the team's door, selected wisely, and guided their young charges with greater responsibility.

The players may change by the day, one disaster might be outdone by a different calamity from one week to the next, but the cricket board and the team management are constants, unwilling to take any responsibility for supervising Pakistan cricket to intensive care.

The head of this fish is rotten, as is its bloated body. The players form the tail of this once vibrant, now monstrous creature, and it is the healthy parts of the tail that must wag this beast back to life. They should be boosted by two new additions in Asad Shafiq, a highly rated middle-order batsman, and Mohammad Irfan, the new Big Bird of international cricket. With Shoaib Akhtar and Afridi in the mix, even in its death throes, Pakistan cricket offers a twitch of fascination.

Now Afridi's players have acquired the greatest responsibility in the history of Pakistan cricket: the responsibility to save Pakistan cricket from the recklessness of their colleagues and the negligence of all the President's men. Sport can replace misery with joy but this is a deep melancholy and the most desperate of times. Can Boom Boom and his band of tortured men demonstrate the real power of cricket?

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The three won't be playing any further part on the England tour © Getty Images

Now they have been left out. Ijaz Butt rushed out a statement that Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, and Mohammad Amir will not be suspended unless they are proven guilty. I believe he was wrong and the decision to withdraw them from the limited-overs series is the correct one. The last week has been such a traumatic one for Pakistan cricket that there are many compelling reasons for the decision.

The central question that any administrator, player, or supporter has to answer is what is best for Pakistan cricket? Is it a show of defiance that refuses to agree to any sanction against Pakistan's players using the age-old right of innocence until proven guilty? Or is it a firm stance against any misconduct or corruption in the name of Pakistan cricket? It has to be the latter and here are my reasons:

1 The spectre of match-fixing and spot-fixing has never left Pakistan cricket. The Qayyum inquiry of a decade ago was a compromise, an exercise in punishing some offenders but fearful of damaging the prospects of the national team. The compromise failed. Pakistan cricket declined since the end of the 1990s. The players who were fined but not banned have struggled to shake the odour of misconduct. Their ongoing association with Pakistan cricket is an easy target for conspiracy theorists every time a controversy arises. Importantly, the match-fixing scandal didn't end with the Qayyum inquiry but limped on.

2 The two most important lessons from the Qayyum inquiry are that no player should be above the law, and that clear, decisive judgements and action are required.

3 In these circumstances when your players and country are being accused it is understandable that many people automatically leap to the defence of their countrymen who are under suspicion. It is right to seek and ensure justice for your fellows but not at the expense of achieving the correct judgement. The PCB should be guardians of Pakistan cricket and its integrity and not blind advocates of the players.

4 As such, the PCB's prime motivation should be to get at the truth of what has happened. While there might not be sufficient evidence for a criminal prosecution to succeed under British jurisprudence there is clearly a case to answer for some of Pakistan's players based on this week's revelations. Anybody who cares for Pakistan cricket will want to know whether players have sold their team, their fans, and their country.

5 While answers are sought it makes sense to withdraw the concerned players from the touring party. This does not mean that they are guilty but it is best for them to be withdrawn from the media spotlight at this moment. International cricket is a tough enough arena without having to cope with such damaging allegations. The PCB should even consider sending out a whole new touring party and management not involved in the England Test series to underline its commitment to the integrity of the sport.

6 Sport is of no value without spectators, and unless spectators can trust that they are viewing a fair contest they will walk away. The greatest damage done by this scandal is the potential insult to paying spectators. The limited overs series now has a chance of succeeding and rebuilding everybody's confidence in the integrity of these encounters.

7 Corruption in sport is not new. Pakistan is not the only country to be tainted by match-fixing accusations, it is a scandal that affects all cricket-playing nations. But that argument should not be used as a pretext to avoid putting your own house in order. Match-fixing is an international issue and if it is in Pakistan cricket then everything that can be done to eradicate this monster from its realm must be done.

8 It would be much better for any of the players to return to international cricket with their names cleared rather than play on under a cloud. Even a player who has committed a less serious offence will find it easier to be rehabilitated once any charge has been properly addressed and any punishment served. For players who may have fixed the outcome of matches, the punishment should be life bans. Less serious offences can carry alternative punishments under the ICC code.

9 The PCB has shown it is quick to hand out bans and fines without even a proper explanation of why. Hence it seems ironic that Mr Butt was so quick to rule out any sanction on this occasion and has invoked the cry of 'innocent until proven guilty' whereas on the last occasion the verdict was 'guilty until proven innocent.' Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, in particular, have suffered as a result. Here we have legitimate cause for concern, if not punishment, which is why a judicious withdrawal of the players is entirely justifiable and feasible.

10 I don't believe the tour should be stopped but the stench of corruption must be removed from it. This might be harsh on a group of Pakistan players who turn out to be innocent but their withdrawal, without any acceptance of guilt at this stage, is best for the integrity of Pakistan cricket and the spirit of the game. The PCB needs to make decisions on the basis of building a strong, clean team to represent the country and not become mired in brinkmanship or petty politics.

Unfortunately, too many supporters have lost faith in the motivations of too many players. They have no confidence in the decision making of the cricket board. They have no expectation that Pakistani politicians will be able to change the cricket board. Of course, fans have never really had much faith in administrators or politicians. But once trust in players begins to be shattered then fans become disillusioned and walk away. For that reason alone, the decision to withdraw the three players for the rest of the tour is the correct one.

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Is the current PCB administration capable of handling such an explosive issue? © Getty Images

Pakistan lost a Test match and a series but they might have lost something more important: their integrity. Has a day of Test cricket ever been played under such a shroud of controversy and potential disaster for a group of cricketers? Once more, an England Test series ends in unwanted allegations and accusations. A country ravaged by war and floods, now faces international humiliation over the conduct of its cricketers.

The spot-fixing crisis is a disaster for Pakistan cricket. The evidence released in the last 24 hours is some of the strongest ever presented about match-fixing. It is a criminal investigation. As a result, some of the brightest talents of Pakistan cricket face the toughest battle of their lives, the battle to save their careers. Pakistan fans will be hoping that the evidence that appears to damn their cricketers on face value does not bear scrutiny.

As we await further revelations or denial of the evidence presented, two issues are imperative. First, the evidence must be thoroughly examined for the sake of the reputations of the individuals involved. Second, if the evidence does confirm that match-fixing or spot-fixing has taken place then Pakistan cricket must not spare anybody who has been involved in any capacity, whether player, manager, board administrator, or bus driver.

Pakistan fans want their team to succeed but they also want it to be clean. If that means a root and branch overhaul of the Pakistan Cricket Board and the cricket team then so be it.

Is the current PCB administration capable of handling such an explosive issue?

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An action that sparked a furore: Darrell Hair signals five penalty runs in the Oval Test of 2006 © AFP

The Oval had been a happy hunting ground for Pakistan cricket, right up to the moment in 2006 when Darrell Hair accused the Pakistan team of ball tampering. When Inzamam-ul Haq’s players refused to take the field after the interval, I rang one of the Pakistan management to find out what was going on. “Wait and see,” he bristled with pride, “you will witness something incredible. We are not standing for this any longer.” The Oval 2006 had become Pakistan cricket’s Spion Kop, Dunkirk, and Panipat all rolled into one.

The Pakistan management played their part in the controversy but in my view, and I’m sure you’d expect me to say this, it was Hair who was the primary reason that the cricket world was plunged into crisis. No evidence of ball tampering was discovered. Hair had seized upon an opportunity to vindicate his past actions, except that he misjudged the situation horribly. His subsequent behaviour, especially his demand for a pay-off, lost him much sympathy.

For Pakistan cricket the incident at The Oval and its aftermath initially felt like a triumph. But, ironically, those days marked the collapse of the last respectable era of Pakistan cricket. Up to that tour of England, Bob Woolmer had expertly guided Pakistan’s return as a force. Yes, there was some way to go to complete the Woolmer project but a middle order of Inzamam, Mohammad Yousuf, and Younis Khan spoke for itself. It was the bowling that required development, much resting on the rookie Mohammad Asif.

Woolmer was supported from above and below by stabilising forces. Sheharyar Khan was the last worthy chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, as wise as Woolmer in his own diplomatic realm. The third prong of the triad was Inzamam, Pakistan’s captain and spiritual leader. His leadership style attracted criticism but he had the merits of leading by example and galvanising his chosen forces.

Sadly, in cricketing terms, the last England tour began in hope and ended in much disappointment. From that point onwards Pakistan cricket declined almost to the point of disintegration. Two factors, aside from the political environment, determined that decline. First, Inzamam and Woolmer drifted apart during that tour, their relationship, once greater than the sum of its parts, became damaging. Second, The Oval controversy was a battle too far for Khan, and he was replaced as cricket board chairman. Hair lost the battle of The Oval but the wounds he inflicted on Pakistan cricket helped to cripple it for the next four years.

The first green shoots of Pakistan’s recovery were glimpsed in England last year, as Younis' team produced an unexpected and exhilarating T20 triumph. Now, after a year of being battered in Test cricket, Pakistan have engineered two tense, stuttering, but dramatic victories. On both occasions Salman Butt’s team were written off in a series; on both occasions they came back with a surprising win.

There is something in this team, something to offer hope that Pakistan cricket can build for the future—and it is the bowling attack. There is, of course, a long way to go and the batting and fielding are still major problem areas, especially the positions of opening batsmen and wicketkeeper. But the team at The Oval was a better use of resources, a formula that made the most of the available youth and experience. Pakistan could add more experience yet in the form of Younis if the players and the cricket board can overcome their differences for the betterment of Pakistan cricket.

Ultimately, though, safe-guarding harmony and the progression of the cricket team, even a green-shoots squad like this one, is the sole responsibility of the Pakistan Cricket Board. This Pakistan team are nowhere near world beaters yet but they should not be lunging so dramatically between triumph and disaster. The performance curve might be edging gradually upwards, and the variation in performance should become less dramatic as Pakistan muddle their way to a successful formula. Yet, even at this moment of success, it is important to be mindful that until the PCB sees a change in personnel at the top, green shoots will remain green shoots, sporadic and a long way from blossoming

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Among the many disasters during the regime of Butt, the suggestion of ethnic prejudice is among the gravest © AP

The Karachi City Cricket Association has called for the removal of Ijaz Butt as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Its central grievance is that Karachi-based players are being discriminated against in the selection process. The facts, they argue, speak for themselves. Tanvir Ahmed is the only Karachi-based player left in the squad.

Critics have started calling the Pakistan team a Punjab XI. They identify the omissions of Younis Khan, Fawad Alam, and even Mohammad Sami as evidence to support their case. Danish Kaneria, another Karachi player, was suddenly chopped from the squad and replaced by a promising Punjabi teenager. With Umar Gul out with injury and Yasir Hameed unable to earn selection, the taunts of Punjab XI may well become reality at the Oval.

If only Punjabis stride out to represent Pakistan in the next Test it will be a shameful moment in the history of Pakistan cricket. The Pakistan team has always been a microcosm of the greater struggle of the Pakistani nation, whose founder's ambitions were to bring together the peoples of the four major provinces of Pakistan. Among the many disasters during the regime of Butt, this suggestion of ethnic prejudice is among the gravest.

Karachi has produced some of the greatest cricketers in the history of Pakistan cricket. Hanif Mohammad, the holder of Pakistan's highest Test score, and Javed Miandad, in my view the best of all Pakistani batsmen, both hail from the heaving, over-populated metropolis that is Pakistan's largest city. Indeed, a neat but inaccurate generalisation suggests that Karachi has produced Pakistan's batsmen while the northern parts have produced the bowlers.

The power struggle between Lahore and Karachi, Punjab and Sind, has been an ever present backdrop to Pakistani life, waxing and waning with political regimes and the passage of time. Now the decision-making of Butt's regime has brought the issue into sharp focus again. He denies any regionalism in the selection process, saying that the selectors have chosen the best players available but here is why he, personally, has a case to answer:

1. The notion of an autonomous selection panel is a myth. Butt has taken too personal an involvement in selection matters, sometimes making decisions without the knowledge of the chairman of selectors. Some of Pakistan's greatest cricketers have begun working with the cricket board and then resigned. Butt's interference has been a deciding factor. Hence the responsibility for the current situation rests with him and his master, the patron of the cricket board.

2. The gross imbalance in the origins of the squad members is a statistic that cannot be ignored. This is not an argument for a quota system, nor is one desirable. But it beggars belief that a province the size of Sind, and with its tradition of cricket, cannot produce more cricketers to represent Pakistan. There are two possible explanations. Either the selection process is biased or the development of cricketers in Sind is being mishandled. In either scenario, Butt and his cricket board are responsible.

3. Some of the omitted Karachi cricketers have arguable cases. One player's case is clear cut. Younis Khan, who the cricket board has admitted has no case to answer, remains unselected. He was available for selection at the start of the tour but wasn't included. Now that the board has decided to recall Mohammad Yousuf - and let us put aside the issue of whether it was right or wrong to change the squad at this point - why is Younis, a Karachi-based player, not offered the same clemency? If anything, Younis had a stronger case for a return considering his recent appearances for Surrey.

The failings of Butt and his PCB regime have become legend. By constantly interfering with selection policy he must take direct responsibility for the failures of selection on this tour, which have left the team pitifully short of viable options. Even the existing options, such as Yasir Hameed, have not been tried. Further, the regional bias in selection, whether through intent or mismanagement, is also his responsibility.

In these circumstance, how can the Pakistani selectors continue in post? Mohsin Khan's reputation is being damaged by the second. A hero of Pakistan cricket is being walked all over. He only need look at the examples of Abdul Qadir and Aamir Sohail to see what the correct course of action is. It takes integrity to step away from a senior position on a point of principle. But integrity is in short supply among those who run Pakistan cricket.

These pages have been calling for Butt's resignation or removal for over a year. This has been the most damaging regime in the history of Pakistan cricket. Butt has run it like a dictator, taking comfort in the strength of his political connections. Meanwhile, the organisation that he runs has disintegrated below him.

The most important outcome of the work of the Pakistan Cricket Board is the performance of the cricketers who represent the aspirations of an embattled nation. The performances speak for themselves. The imbalance in selection means that a team unrepresentative of Pakistan is taking the field. Whatever that team is, however, it deserves our support. But the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, the man who engineered this disaster, does not.

Of course, President Zardari has other matters on his mind, such as dodging shoes and convincing his people that he does care about flood victims. He might also consider the irony that his visit to England was less important to Pakistanis than the visit of his country's cricketers. They are the most visible and engaging ambassadors of Pakistan on the international stage.

Just as Pakistan deserves better from its leaders in so many other spheres, cricket is no exception. While President Zardari would never sack himself, he can easily sack Butt. Politicians, administrators, former players, journalists, and fans need to raise their voices in protest. Zaheer Abbas, a Punjabi living in Karachi, said Pakistan cricket is heading for disaster. I'll go one step further - Butt has led Pakistan cricket to calamity and must be removed.

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Zulqarnain Haider almost produced an incredible hundred in a match where virtually nothing was expected of him © AFP

Pakistan's replacements provided the only positives from the defeat at Edgbaston. Of the two, Zulqarnain Haider was the brighter. Yes, he dropped catches but you might excuse those as debut nerves. He also bagged a golden duck. Nerves again. But despite these setbacks he almost produced an incredible hundred and made himself a major player in a Test match where virtually nothing was expected of him.

It is too early to judge what impact Haider will have on international cricket. At the very least, he should have earned himself the big gloves for the rest of the Test series. This doesn't spell the end for Kamran Akmal. He should still be Pakistan's first choice in limited-overs cricket. And a break from Test cricket might help him resolve the technical problems that have dogged him for nearly five years. It is simply a relief to have choice.

Similarly, Saeed Ajmal made enough of an impact to dislodge Danish Kaneria this summer, which is a graver problem for Kaneria as he is superfluous in other formats. Ajmal has much to prove too but the character he showed at Edgbaston makes him the kind of personality that should be in a Pakistan squad. Unfortunately, Pakistan's ideal long-term solution would be a legspinner or slow left arm bowler to partner the pace attack.

As a consequence, the future looks bright for Raza Hasan but it would be tough to make him the sole spinner for The Oval. If Pakistan select Ajmal and Hasan, the tail will be too long or the fast bowlers too few. This is one of many thorny dilemmas for Pakistan's management, reminding us of the limitations of the touring party chosen by the selectors.

Based on the current squad, and with the Pakistan Cricket Board who knows who might be in the squad in a week's time, here are the questions facing Waqar Younis and Salman Butt:

1. Salman's form has disappeared since he accepted the captaincy. There is no sense in replacing the skipper but how does Salman get back into the groove? A Pakistan captain, epecially a young one, has to lead by example. The cricket board needs to help him here by backing him rather than undermining him. A captain needs to feel secure and in command to be properly effective. Yes, he might make mistakes in selection and strategy but that's the trade-off in choosing a younger man.

2. Despite being the better of the two openers in recent matches, Imran Farhat's form is a chronic issue rather than an acute one. England's opening bowlers have also settled into a perfect rhythm bowling at Pakistan's left-handed openers. Is it worth trying a left-hand and right-hand opening combination? Azhar Ali could do the job. Indeed he plays more like a determined opener than a number three.

3. Pakistan need experience at numbers three and four. Yasir Hameed is unfortunate to have been left on the bench while Pakistan's batting has failed miserably. It must now be time to give him an opportunity, and he could play at number three.

4. Mohammad Yousuf's recall has been controversial but what to do? By the time of the third Test, fatigue will no longer be an issue and although he will be little better prepared, he has to play. Otherwise there was no point in recalling him from retirement and sending him to England.

5. The question of Shoaib Malik's role is a vexed one. He has done little of note in this series but then neither has anybody else. Pakistan's best option has to be pack the team with as much middle-order experience as is available. Which means that whatever the politics, Malik should keep his place. He will also be required as second spinner.

6. Umar Akmal has dissapointed his many fans. The boy has class but he has displayed little temperament. We should not damn him on the basis of this summer. Inzamam-ul Haq had a poor first tour of England, and look how he ended up. Umar has serious talent, he needs some wise heads around him. Perhaps the biggest mistake was making him the elder statesman of the middle order too soon.

7. Azhar Ali and Umar Amin have both found this tour tough. Of the two, Azhar has been the more impressive. They might both have a bright future but this tour was the wrong baptism. Insufficient squad depth means that Azhar should keep his place although it is time for Amin to take a breather.

8. With Umar Gul's injury, Pakistan face a straight choice between Wahab Riaz and Tanvir Ahmed. That's a tough decision as neither has international pedigree. This is where Waqar's skills will be invaluable and he should know which of the two is the better bet. Tanvir also has a strong domestic record to back his case.

9. Almost as much as with their batting, Pakistan lost the match because of their fielding. In fairness they do practice hard, especially slip catching. Catching like batting is all about confidence, little wonder then that both disciplines have collapsed together. A fielding coach, and I don't mean Ijaz Ahmed, is desirable.

10. The solution to Pakistan's dismal form might be more practice or less practice, depending on which sage you ask. But international cricket is a mind game, and the self-inflicted wounds of the past weeks have scrambled the senses of Pakistan's cricketers. Perhaps that explains why the best performers at Edgbaston were untainted by the earlier defeats of the summer?

An ideal management approach is to create a coccooned environment for the players, which protects them from selection dramas while they complete their development as international cricketers. This is especially valid for young cricketers. But that isn't the way of Pakistan cricket. It is a bear pit where only the most combative and the most ruthless survive. The board and the management team need to raise their game otherwise this tour will only get worse.

The performances of Pakistan's cricketers have been ridiculed in the past few days. Their Test status questioned. We should remember that these players hail from a country crippled by conflict, burdended further by a natural disaster affecting 15 million people. Its cricket board is a basket case and has been for years. No international cricket is played within its borders, and the team had barely played a Test match for three years leading up to last winter.

Isn't it still something that we can still marvel at players like Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, and sometimes Umar Akmal?

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Salman Butt faces the tough task of keeping a side in turmoil focused © AFP

After the fuss over Mohammad Yousuf's return, tiredness and lack of practice have ensured that Salman Butt can fight another battle with his team. It is time to stand and deliver.

Yousuf says he has been unable to practice for almost two weeks. That knowledge combined with the short gap between the first and second Tests raises further questions about the sanity of the Pakistan Cricket Board in rushing back Yousuf from his reverie.

At the toss, Salman pointed at the construction work around Edgbaston, explaining that the building work might look ugly but the finished product will be worth seeing. Nice analogy but any buliding work needs to show evidence of progress or the builders will get the boot. Any half-competent builder will also ensure that the foundations are not dodgy.

Two of the changes are understandable. Kamran Akmal still hasn't got over the problems that were dogging him on the last tour of England in 2006, which means we've endured 4 years of his uncertain form. The question is whether Zulqarnain Haider has enough quality to hold his nerve in Test cricket?

Saeed Ajmal, we know, is an exceptional performer in limited overs cricket, and now has a chance to demonstrate his ability at Test level. With Danish Kaneria's persistent ability to disappoint, Ajmal is the only option in the current squad.

The key, however, will be Pakistan's batting. No change, and particularly no return for Yasir Hameed, are a major surprise. All the top six, apart from Salman, have something to prove in Test cricket. This is not a happy situation. Pakistan's batsmen seemed unaware of the virtues of not pushing at the ball in English conditions. They are surely good enough to have learnt that lesson quickly?

However well they now perform, the needless drama of the last week has heaped further pressure on this young team. The drama, and the non-selection of Yousuf, has exposed a rift between the cricket board and the captain and coach. The euphoria of Headingley was short lived. Batting first was a sign of positive intent or perhaps a show of defiance. Salman's soldiers will require both these qualities if they are to recover from the damage inflicted over the last week.

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Logic would not have produced an urgent recall for a retired cricketer who hasn't played first class cricket in months © Associated Press

Pakistan's depressing defeat at Trent Bridge has exposed the hollowness of the Pakistan Cricket Board's claims that we are entering a new era in Pakistan cricket. A ruling body with any sense of purpose, process, or principle would have stuck to its guns as, in the words of the Pakistan captain, the new era is only two Tests old.

First, let's put aside the issue of whether or not Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan should have been in the original touring party. They were not. We should also temporarily put aside, although it is difficult, the result at Trent Bridge. It is still one win and one defeat in the reign of Salman. I urge you to focus on the decision to appoint a young captain with a young team. I've been as concerned about the inexperience in this squad as any Pakistan fan. But if these players have been identified as the best to take Pakistan cricket forward they should been allowed a longer run without interference.

Logic suggests that you back that captain and his team. You also back your recently appointed coach, who happens to be one of the greatest cricketers in your country's history. Despite some imaginative spin from Pakistan's cricketing bureaucrats, there is no reason to question the reporting on Cricinfo and elsewhere of the post-match statements made by Salman and Waqar Younis. They were powerful messages that the team required support and time. Indeed, they were a plea for patience. Waqar even questioned why you would recall under prepared Mohammad Yousuf from retirement?

The PCB now claims that both Salman and Waqar were consulted about the decisions to recall Yousuf, drop Danish Kaneria, and call up Raza Hasan, who is undoubtedly a player with immense promise. Many bosses say they have consulted their staff when, in truth, they have merely informed them of a decision. This is the scenario that has played out in the last few days - and it is an unsatisfactory one. Ijaz Butt has instantly undermined the new regime that he contrived to put in place in Pakistan cricket.

But logic has rarely been a factor in the PCB's decision making. Logic would have suggested better use of the resources within the current squad, such as recalls for Yasir Hameed and Saeed Ajmal or a replacement for Kamran Akmal. Logic would not have produced an urgent recall for a retired cricketer who hasn't played first class cricket in months, however great he once was. The time for change of captain or players was between series not in the middle of this one.

In the end, we must hope that Salman and Waqar will brush off this insult. Ironically, the enigmatic relationships within the Pakistan camp will mean that Yousuf is more welcome than Younis Khan would have been, although Younis may have a stronger cricketing case for a recall. But the great unknown is how a damaging relationship between Yousuf and Shoaib Malik can be healed?

The Pakistan cricket team has had other defeats as embarrassing as the loss at Trent Bridge, usually with far more experienced personnel. In addition, poor fielding and poor bowling contributed to the extent of the loss, not just the woeful batting. The best response from the cricket board would have been to avoid meddling and allow the players to respond in more favourable playing conditions away from Trent Bridge. Instead, the board has meddled, and it is this knee-jerk interference that destroys the talent and confidence of Pakistan's cricketers, demoralises fans, and earns the cricket board a reputation as an organisation without vision, skill, sense or logic.

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Mohammad Aamer had work to do with the bat because his colleagues at the top failed © Getty Images

For the first hour and a quarter of Friday's play, Pakistan relived the euphoria of Headingley. In ideal conditions, Mohammad Asif produced a beautiful spell of swing bowling to wrap up England's innings unexpectedly quickly.

The fear for Pakistan was that ideal conditions for their bowlers would equate to undesirable conditions for their rookie batsmen. And so it transpired. England, especially James Anderson, bowled almost flawlessly, a performance befitting their growing status in world cricket. But there is no substitute for batting experience in English conditions, and Pakistan's top order simply doesn't have enough of it.

It is a rum do for the bowlers, especially the youngster Mohammad Aamer. You spend just over a day bowling your heart out. You believe you have earned a well-deserved rest, and within a couple of hours you are back at the crease expected to save the team with your batting. In fairness, Aamer and Umar Gul made a decent fist of supporting Shoaib Malik. But Pakistan's bowlers require a mental break as well as a physical one.

That's why the batsmen need to step up. This will be a long and arduous tour. There will be better days for Pakistan's batsmen when the sun shines and the wicket is placid. But it is days of gloom and swing that Pakistan's batsmen will learn most from. Let's hope they have learnt something more about footwork and defence against a moving ball.

Pakistan hang tantalisingly short of the follow on target. Ironically, in the context of this match, an enforced follow on might be Pakistan's best chance. The fourth innings in this match, if there is one, will be a difficult one to negotiate even chasing a smallish total. Hence, all hope isn't lost yet but Pakistan must now show that they will not go down without a fight. A defeat with dignity will still leave them with some optimism for future battles.

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Mohammad Aamer - the jewel in the bowling crown © Getty Images

As Pakistan registered their first win in over a decade against Australia it was fitting that two bowlers were at the crease. Without a doubt it is the bowlers who have won the match and settled the nerves of Pakistan’s supporters.

In Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul, and the exhilarating Mohammad Aamer, Pakistan have a world-beating bowling attack—one that can provide the backbone for Pakistan’s recovery in international cricket. If Pakistan had batsmen to match, the world might truly be fearful. But that would be too much to ask and atypical of the Pakistan cricket we know, love, and pull our hair out over.

These young bowlers are fortunate to be supported by the wisdom of Waqar Younis, whose passion for his team has been evident on this tour. All the signals from the camp have been that the mood is good and the team upbeat despite a perpetual whirlwind that swirls around Pakistan cricket. The quick recovery from Shahid Afridi’s dramatic departure vindicates their claims.

Yet these solitary swallows of summer must multiply and fill the sky. Can Pakistan cricket make a habit out of winning? At least, for now, this season has taken a satisfying turn. And with fantastic Mr Aamer to lead the attack, the England series might not be quite the calamity that was expected.

In truth, Pakistan do need to strengthen their batting line-up even though the youngsters have done well and offered promise. The bowlers did just enough here to cover for the inexperience of the batsmen. Pakistan cricket is strongest when it has a formidable pace attack. Now that Aamer, Asif, and Gul are rising to the challenge, Pakistan supporters can begin to rest assured that they have a bowling line-up that does justice to the legacy of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and Waqar.

A welcome victory, then, for Pakistan. But a more important outcome is the influential role that Mohammad Aamer, the jewel in the bowling crown, played in this enthralling series.

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Imran Khan missed out on a big opportunity to address some important issues concerned with the future of cricket © AFP

Imran Khan is a hero, a role model. He was Pakistan's greatest captain and probably the country's greatest cricketer. He was known for attack not defence. He is a man who speaks his mind, fearless in word and deed. Last week he was inducted into the MCC Hall of Fame, and this week he had the honour of delivering the MCC's Spirit of Cricket Lecture. Today, he is off awarding degrees at Bradford University in his capacity as chancellor of the university. I wonder how he will reflect on his lecture at Lord's?

It was an opportunity to send out a powerful message, a global platform for a Pakistani voice. It was a chance to set out a grand vision, to challenge the establishment, and to provoke. Yet Imran chose defence over attack. The great captain and leader did something I least expected - he played safe.

Imran's themes were familiar, hard to disagree with, and full of entertaining anecdote. Fast bowling, his own specialty, is a dying art that needs revival. Neutral umpires, his initiative, helped restore the spirit of cricket. West Indies of the 1980s, his greatest opponents, were the greatest team in the history of cricket. When your biggest statements are that limited overs cricket is killing Test cricket and that we need more technology to support umpires, you leave your audience with the sense of an opportunity missed.

Pakistan's leading cricketer ventured no comment on his country's plight in international cricket. Nothing to address the decline in attendances at Test matches. No formula to grow cricket as a global enterprise while preserving its values. No whiff of a renaissance except a nod towards the popularity of T20 cricket. A notable lecture only for what was left unsaid.

In the absence of a visionary agenda from Imran, here are a few themes he might wish to consider when he is next invited to pontificate:

1 How to save Pakistan cricket. Tours at neutral venues are a lifeline but what needs to be done to restore Pakistan as a venue for international cricket and end its exclusion?

2 How to save cricket relations between India and Pakistan. It should be sport's biggest rivalry but it is ruled by politics.

3 How to save Test cricket. Fewer and fewer people are able to excuse themselves from work to watch Test cricket. Day-night cricket is a proposal that the ICC is sitting on. It needs to be accelerated to offer supporters a better opportunity to watch Test cricket after work. Paying spectators are the lifeblood of any sport. A full stadium under lights creates the spectacle that Test cricket deserves.

4 How to save the spirit of cricket for players. Why isn't the review system available for all international matches? Imran touched on this but didn't elaborate. A comprehensive system would increase fairness for players in the way that Imran argued neutral umpires had done. Money should not be a barrier.

5 How to save the spirit of cricket for spectators. Bad light should no longer be a reason to stop a match. We have floodlights and the competing nations need to agree to use them. Why didn't Pakistan and Australia do so, for example, at Lord's? The success of this series and this neutral venue will be heavily influenced by attendances. Surely both teams and umpires would want to do everything in their power to continue play? One reservation is that the red ball is hard to pick up under lights. The MCC has conducted a trial with a pink ball under lights, and the trial was a success. The ICC and the cricket boards have no more excuses, only a lack of vision.

6 How does cricket become a truly global sport? Is T20 the route to establishing cricket outside the Test playing nations and then gradually improving standards? How do we accelerate this process?

7 What can be done about the political divide in cricket, as exemplified by the recent row over John Howard's failed bid for the ICC vice-presidency? Shouldn't the ICC be abolished and replaced by a new governing body?

Sometimes our heroes do let us down. Here Imran left his admirers baffled.

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Shahid Afridi's decision to retire midway through the series is disappointing © Getty Images

Shahid Afridi's decision to quit the captaincy of the Test team and retire from the format has caused a crisis quicker than anybody could have expected. The reaction has been mixed. Afridi has been blamed, and so has the PCB. Others have sympathised with Afridi's plight and praised him for his honesty.

After a weekend of reflection I remain disappointed with Afridi's decision. Yes, it is admirable to be honest and admit your limitations, and perhaps it is best for Pakistan cricket to move on quickly. And, yes, ultimately the cricket board is responsible. But with power comes responsibility and Afridi is experienced enough to know what he was letting himself in for.

My view is that Afridi should have waited until the end of the Australia series before making a decision. Ideally, he would have decided to fight through his own limitations, establish his role in the team, and grow into a worthy captain over this summer. Indeed, there were signs at Lord's that, despite the defeat and an inexperienced batting line up, some of the magic ingredients of Pakistan cricket had returned.

Instead, Afridi is gone and Pakistan cricket is in an even worse mess than before. Mr Boom Boom has gone bust, and he has disappointed his many fans with a lack of tenacity and determination to overcome the odds stacked against Pakistan cricket.

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Salman Butt needs a better opening partner © AFP

Pakistan's batting fortunes have changed with the Lord's weather. Facing a world record fourth-innings target, Pakistan have begun to restore some credibility if not hope. At the outset Pakistan's coach Waqar Younis argued this tour was a learning experience for him and his charges.

Lots of good has come out of this Test. The overall bowling effort, two new batsmen have debuted, and Salman Butt and Umar Gul have begun to reassert themselves in Test cricket. But lessons are usually focused on areas for improvement and here are some lessons Waqar might want to consider:

1. Play your best batsman at No.3. Umar Akmal has continued a peculiarly Pakistani tradition of the best batsman in the team shying away from the top spot in the batting order. Senior status comes with a cushion that helps you warm the bench while more junior colleagues suffer. The most alarming statistic of this contest is that it is the first time since Pakistan's inaugural match that the batsmen at Nos 3 and 4 have been making a debut. Umar should have grasped the mantle in the manner that he charges out to the crease.

2. Find a better opening partner for Salman Butt. For some inexplicable reason Imran Farhat has become Pakistan's Test opener of choice. The justification for his continued selection is minimal. Farhat has always looked like a batsman who might succeed in Pakistan but will require a healthy dose of luck outside, as he received in New Zealand. Why bring Yasir Hameed on tour and not play him? Even the malign, and the maligned, Shoaib Malik might be a better use of available resources.

3, Find a balance between defence and attack. In Pakistan's first innings they understandably began in super cautious mode. But what they ended up doing was simply hanging around until they got out. When Shahid Afridi entered the arena he was in blitz mode, and began an exhilarating but brief assault. There is a balance that needs to be struck and Waqar must help find it because his captain has only one mode.

4, Keep up the pressure in the field. On two occasions in this match Pakistan helped Australia into a strong position. The first innings partnership between Simon Katich and Michael Clarke was followed by the even more unsatisfactory attempt to dislodge Tim Paine and Ben Hilfenhaus. On both occasions Pakistan lacked focus, energy, and a plan B. They allowed the game to drift, easy singles easy runs. Those partnerships will make the difference between victory and defeat.

5. Is it possible to play Afridi and four bowlers? The tail becomes too long. Should Afridi always be the fourth bowler?

Meanwhile, Pakistan fans will hope and pray for a miracle on Friday. A lesser but still valuable reward would be a century or two to help the batsmen gather some confidence and momentum.

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Shahid Afridi's attacking approach was refreshing to watch © Associated Press

Same bowlers, same opposition - but different captain. This was Shahid Afridi's day. In the beginning he sat wrapped up on the balcony of the Lord's pavilion, a fluffy owl. Later, he appeared for the toss, a dapper country gent in blazer and whites, to win an important toss.

The Pakistan captain's final incarnation was as an attacking leader, a giant among midgets--this is after all, one of the shortest Pakistan teams ever to take the field.

Afridi has laid claim to an oubreak of right thinking in the Pakistan camp. It might be true. For a start, the Pakistan players all strode out proudly in green caps, not a floppy hat in sight. Next, Afridi set five slips in an attempt to pressurise the mighty Australians. He has the bowlers to justify his actions. It is the batsmen who he will be most nervous about, if he ever feels nerves.

For the most part Afridi's bowlers responded. Mohammad Aamer, nerveless as ever, spreading uncertainty with early swing. Asif turned the match from the Pavilion End, favoured by no lesser bowlers than Waqar Younis and Glenn McGrath. Even Danish Kaneria and Umar Gul, unreliable Test fellows, provided worthy support.

Throughout all this, Afridi attacked in the field. Even when his instincts looked foolish, as Simon Katich and Michael Clarke defied the conditions with some sparkling strokeplay, Afridi was on the hunt. He juggled his bowlers but the attacking field placings remained.

If nothing else, Afridi's captaincy is the starkest possible contrast to that of Mohammad Yousuf. In the end, the result might be the same but Afridi's instinct is closer to the senses of his country's supporters.

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The spirit of cricket will be put on hold when the Lord's bell tolls eleven on Tuesday morning © Getty Images

The spirit of cricket is open to interpretation. Idris Baig, the Pakistani umpire, debagged and doused with water by a touring MCC team, might not appreciate the term. The history of Pakistan cricket in England is a catalogue of conflict, right up to the last tour and the abandoned Hair-Inzamam Test match at The Oval. Australia against Pakistan is similarly loaded, with Lillee-Miandad and Malik-Warne evoking painful memories.

Yet the spirit of cricket strikes the right note for this series. The ECB has turned over part of its summer schedule to the irritants from Pakistan. Cricket Australia has crammed another series into a tight international calendar, already saturated with victories over Pakistan. Lord's and the MCC are welcoming Pakistan cricket in its time of crisis. A fresh wind blows optimism into the hearts of Pakistan supporters.

After an appetising pair of Twenty20 matches, a sterner challenge awaits Shahid Afridi's team. Australia will be unforgiving opponents in Test cricket. Ricky Ponting will return to reassert his team's authority, and the trivial matter of consecutive Twenty20 defeats will be enough incentive to prove a point. The spirit of cricket will be put on hold when the Lord's bell tolls on Tuesday morning.

This might not be the formidable Australian team that strutted the international stage for over a decade, and how could it be, without Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. But it has punished Pakistan on home turf. Incredibly, Pakistan were on the brink of victory and levelling the series in Sydney but calamitous captaincy and worse batting destroyed Pakistan's ambitions.

A new mood, however, grips this Pakistan team. Afridi is an energetic and enthusiastic captain, a diametric opposite to the stand-in Mohammad Yousuf, whose method was ill-suited to Pakistan's firebrand play. The coaching combination of Waqar Younis and Ejaz Ahmed, while lacking experience, looks comfortable with its young charges. Two victories against Australia have added legitimacy to the new management team, and it matters little for Pakistan's psyche that those wins came in Twenty20 internationals.

But Australia are capable of extinguishing every hint of optimism. Michael Hussey was merely stating the obvious when he identified Pakistan's inexperienced batting order as a weakness. To embark on perhaps your most important summer of cricket with a novice middle order smacks of stupidity. Salman Butt and Umar Akmal are the leading lights, a scenario that sends shivers down my spine.

Pakistan needed Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf for this dual challenge. Experience in Test cricket and English conditions are essential requirements for tackling two of the strongest teams in world cricket. While Yousuf looks to have cut himself adrift, Younis's exclusion has now become vindictive. Has a player ever been punished more for putting honour first?

Their replacements will need to become instant heroes. Yasir Hameed is one of many Pakistan batsmen whose careers have been mishandled. A free scoring right-hander, too free in that he is usually the master of his own dismissal, Yasir might have grown into a regular international cricketer. Will his fate be better second time around? Of the rest, Umar Amin is the brightest prospect but Australia know how to ruin fledgling careers.

In short, Pakistan's batting order is deep-filled with inexperience and inability at Test level. Shoaib Malik and Afridi, the two most senior players, have huge question marks against them in this format. Little wonder the selection of this touring side attracted outrage when it was announced. Afridi and Waqar have since done little to hide their concerns about the selection. A learning experience, is how Waqar has chosen to describe it. But so much hinges on the cricketing and commercial success of this summer that Pakistan's batsmen will have to learn fast.

As ever, Pakistan's salvation is in bowling. Mohammad Aamer is a revelation. Mohammad Asif, the last revelation, is back in a favourable environment for his seam bowling. Umar Gul, Twenty20 hero, needs to discover a method that achieves consistent success at Test level. And Danish Kaneria will be the premier spinner on display in the series, but with many points still to prove.

While Australia will respect Pakistan's bowling, they will be far from overawed by it. Indeed, the bowling also boasts a superficiality that will not tolerate poor form or injury.

The beginning of this historic series fills me with anticipation but also some concern. Australia will start strong favourites, and any success for Pakistan will be unexpected. If Afridi's Army do succeed in either match against Australia they will do so by playing with aggression and pride. Pakistan's supporters are aware of the limitations of their team but they are also aware that the only limits on spirit on a cricket field are self imposed.

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Umar Gul is difference between this Pakistan and the one that relinquished its T20 crown in the Caribbean © Getty Images

Geoff Boycott described T20 as a game of luck - and it might be the luckiest of cricket's formats - but Pakistan, Australia, and England would beg to differ. Australia and England have both applied a new approach to their T20 thinking that has delivered success in recent months.

Australia have opted for a pace blitz, turning a batsman's thrash into a test of reflexes, while England have added aggression and top-order blasters to their cricket. Pakistan, meanwhile, have enjoyed continuous success by relying on their wicket-taking bowlers to pull them out of any situation. These are not strokes of fortune, they are deliberate strategies.

Pakistan's escape from Australian dominance is a welcome start to a crucial summer. Ecstatic, packed crowds at Edgbaston demonstrated the potential of England as a temporary home venue for Pakistan cricket. Even pindrop silence at every Aussie triumph--though Pakistan fans might learn some generosity from their English hosts--and a couple of dodgy umpiring decisions were a reminder of home comforts.

Australia had both matches within their grasp but the difference between this Pakistan and the one that relinquished its T20 crown in the Caribbean was simply one man. Umar Gul has become the supreme T20 bowler, his effectiveness enhanced the shorter the cricket contest.

What is it that elevates Gul in T20 cricket? Yes he has pace, though less than Shaun Tait and several others. Yes he can reverse swing the ball late, though he isn't alone in mastering this once mysterious art. The difference between Gul and other pacemen is his unerring discipline and accuracy in a four-over spell. Yorker after laser-guided yorker, Gul loads the percentages in his favour crippling any run chase. This isn't luck, it is pure skill.

The conundrum for Pakistan is that outside T20 cricket he struggles to find the right game plan or the discipline to stick to it, confused by choice. And perhaps that is the secret of Gul in T20 cricket? Simplicity is king. He knows exactly what to do every ball. Introduce uncertainty and Gul becomes mortal. Interestingly, he now has a captain, the manic enthusiast Shahid Afridi, who will also keep it simple.

Gul's laser finished Australia in the T20 series, but the real Test of Gul's development will be at Lord's next week. For now, Pakistan fans will savour a rare whitewash of Australia. It might only be two T20 matches but after the last year of hell for Pakistan cricket, believe me, we'll take it.

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	Shahid Afridi's men will look to gather momentum ahead of the Tests © AFP

Could this be the biggest summer in Pakistan's cricket history? Some of the hype from that other tournament in South Africa might have disturbed my logic but it's an argument that's beginning to convince. Following the humdrum of another Asia Cup and a further revival of the Pakistan-Australia T20 franchise it's easy to lose sight of the deeper meaning of a sport that for Pakistanis is often akin to life, the universe, and everything.

Indeed, BBC Radio 4's Today Programme spoke with Ramiz Raja this morning, a sure sign that something really important is taking place. Ramiz didn't disappoint. Cricket, he said, is often the only reason that a country divided by religion, politics, and ethnicity hangs together.

Now Pakistan must hang together in England, home of large numbers of expatriate Pakistanis but also a former Imperial master. In truth, Imperialism is becoming a distant memory replaced by more recent and equally divisive religious confrontations. Where cricket was once Pakistan's attempt to lance the Imperialist boil, the ECB's hand of friendship in hosting this tour has helped further recast the rationale for the Pakistan-England rivalry.

By choosing Australia as their first opponent on English home territory, Pakistan have also given a reason for English and Pakistani fans to unite over the next few weeks. And it is the fans who will be the main arbiters of the success of this neutral venue. Pakistan's enforced home exile means these neutral venues are a lifeline, and most cricket fans would surely prefer the green fields of England over the dustbowls of the Middle East.

Spectators and television viewers will determine revenues and the commercial success of Pakistan's new home. But the enthusiasm of fans is related to the quality of cricket on offer. In this regard, Pakistan cricket has had an unfortunate year since winning last year's World T20. The circumstances are well documented but the simple truth is that Pakistan have been hammered by Australia all around the globe.

For commercial success as much for the pride of fans, Pakistan must be competitive over this summer. Australia had a stuttering start to their own tour but have begun to rediscover their power play. A good start to this summer is essential because, as the winter Down Under proved, this Pakistan squad can fall apart over the course of a long tour.

Hence, while at face value we approach another routine T20 series, it is yet another significant contest for Pakistan. Shahid Afridi's team will want to build some momentum before next week's Test series opener at Lord's, which in turn will be expected to ready Pakistan for the subsequent away clash against England.

Pakistan fans have reasons for optimism, in T20 cricket at least. It has become Pakistan's strongest format, reflected by the squad selected. The two to watch are Shahzaib Hasan, a World Cup winner who was inexplicably discarded but has won his place back, and Shoaib Akhtar, making another comeback against all expectations.

Shahzaib is a fierce striker and compulsive shot-maker, whose run of form will be tested by Australia. Shoaib, as ever, has something to prove, not least that he can work with Afridi. Yet a four-over burst has always been Shoaib's optimal distance, and he adds a further dimension to a Pakistan attack that probably has the edge over Australia's in T20 cricket.

It is in T20 cricket that Pakistan have pushed Australia closest over the last year, although any true Pakistan fan will have blanked from memory the horror of the most recent encounter. Whenever Pakistan have sensed victory Australia's iron will has crushed their ambition. Pakistan cricketers and Pakistan cricket need to break free--and this is the tour that will liberate or incarcerate.

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England, whose multicultural credentials are reinforced each day, is the country most able to support neutral internationals © Getty Images

Necessity is the mother of invention, and the needs of commerce have invented a new form of cricket sponsorship. Gone are brewers, banks, and airlines. Enter the Marylebone Cricket Club, the most illustrious club in the world of cricket, the owners of the home of cricket, and new best friends of the Pakistan Cricket Board; egg and bacon ties sponsoring the egg and paratha loving cricket team.

First, a reservation: a sponsorship deal is never an act of pure charity. There has to be something in it for the sponsor. In the modern era of international sport, that something has to have a component of financial gain. The MCC has seen the commercial opportunity of hosting more international matches at Lord’s. A new honours board for neutral matches and soundbites from the media launch suggest neutral Tests will become a regular feature of an English Summer. This sponsorship is under the banner of the spirit of cricket but is also in the spirit of commerce.

Unless additional use turns the Lord’s turf into the ploughed field of Wembley, this is a commercial move that must be welcomed. One or two international matches each season are insufficient opportunity for spectators to view the highest standard of cricket at the most appealing venue. England, whose multicultural credentials are reinforced each day, is the country most able to support neutral internationals. Lord’s is a venue that puts the deserts of Arabia and the skating clubs of Canada to the sword.

The MCC’s intervention is also a helping hand. Who’d have imagined that the MCC would play a role in saving Pakistan cricket? Certainly not Idris Baig, the unfortunate Pakistani umpire debagged by MCC players on their first tour of Pakistan. The PCB requires revenue for survival. Pakistan’s cricketers require top international cricket to develop—and I’d prefer that development in the testing environment of an English summer than the comfort of an Eastern dustbowl.

The PCB, for all its notions that the world is set against it, should be grateful to all the nations who have prolonged its survival, and masked its incompetence, by offering a venue for international matches. The best method of repaying that favour is with competitive cricket supported by a full house.

With Australia as the opposition, we can be sure of half of that: English and Pakistani fans will unite to make Lord’s anything but a neutral venue. Imagine last year’s World T20 Final but several degrees worse for Pakistan’s opposition. I’m making a special request for a return of the Pakistani bus. But that requires a performance from the players which, in the words of Donald Rumsfeld, is a known unknown.

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	ECB chairman Giles Clarke has backed his words with actions © AFP

The history of cricket relations between England and Pakistan is a tale of unpleasant controversy. From the early days when an MCC touring party debagged a Pakistani umpire, doused him with water, and left him to run home naked, our cup runneth over with disagreement and general nastiness.

Mike Gatting and Shakoor Rana, Chris Broad and Lahore cricket stumps, Ian Botham and mothers-in-law, Imran Khan and David Constant, Imran Khan and Ian Botham, Norman Tebbit and his cricket test. Javed Miandad and Aaqib’s jumper, Mike Atherton and buffoon journalists, the Two Ws and ball tampering, Inzamam and The Oval, a glorious catalogue of conflict and disrespect.

Now these might have just been the growing pains of a young country coming of age or the frustration of an imperial power seething at the uppity behaviour of a former colony. The socio-political analysis could take 50 years to write. The outcome, however, of each spat has been to strain the relationships between cricketers, cricket boards, and populations—both native and expatriate.

Enter Giles Clarke, Urdu speaking chairman of the ECB, and the man who has extended a hand of friendship to Pakistan cricket in its time of crisis. Clearly, hosting next year’s series between Pakistan and Australia will be beneficial to the ECB, but the main purpose is to offer Pakistan cricket a safe haven in the midst of its firestorm. This will be achieved through the PCB effectively running the series with help from the ECB, and taking the lion’s share of ticket and television revenue.

These issues matter less to Pakistan fans, especially the many hundreds of thousands in England, than the prospect of seeing their team in regular action. It’s the cricket that matters. Pakistan fans will want to see a strong, confident side tackle Australia and England next summer, and the current captaincy shambles is especially unwelcome at this moment of optimism. Another concern is that the PCB will find some extraordinary way to look this gift horse in the mouth and smash its teeth.

At the launch event for Pakistan’s “home” series against Australia, a landmark home series that will have Lord’s at its epicentre, Giles Clarke declared that relations between the ECB and PCB have never been better, and reiterated his desire to support Pakistan cricket at this time of crisis. He has backed his words with actions. The series will take place. Former England captains Mike Atherton and Mike Brearley, John Barclay of the MCC, and David Morgan of the ICC, all supported the event and the desire to ensure the survival of Pakistan cricket.

It’s usually easy, and often fair, to criticise administrators, but this is one initiative that should earn plaudits for those responsible, as well as those showing solidarity at a time when it is fashionable to knock Pakistan and its people. The Pakistani community in the United Kingdom now needs to respond by making next year’s tours a thunderous success. Pass that test and we may see Pakistan back in 2011 to take on India.

Love spreads.

	Giles Clark and the ECB must be given credit for making an unprecedented decision to host a Test series between two other nations © Getty Images

It's been some week for Pakistan cricket. An incredible rush to the World Twenty20 title is followed by the wonderful news that Pakistan will be playing an unprecedented six Tests in England next summer. This is an unimaginable treat, even for somebody like me who has been watching Pakistan tours of England since the 1970s.

Delight, of course, is tinged with sadness that Pakistan will not be playing international cricket at home anytime soon, but I guess British Pakistani fans will not be complaining. Indeed, their passionate participation during the Twenty20 World Cup must have been the final clincher on a deal that has been cooking for several months. When the traditional Pakistani coach paraded around Lord's after last week's final, with celebrating supporters sitting on and hanging off every inch, it was a sign that the tide is turning favourably for Pakistan cricket.

Unusually for this blog, this is also a moment to congratulate all three cricket boards. The PCB has chosen an imaginative solution to a dreadful problem. Cricket Australia has been one of the least keen to visit Pakistan over the years but it has rarely been reluctant to play Pakistan elsewhere. It's not worth quibbling that it's only a two Test series. And the ECB has made an unprecedented decision in hosting a Test series between other nations.

Ultimately, the players did themselves the best favour by thrilling us during the World Cup. Star performances sell and Pakistan are box office again. Test series against Australia and England will be tough, especially for a sporadic Test playing nation. But tours of England are always invaluable learning experiences, and Pakistan have a good record in English conditions over the last twenty years.

2010 promises to be a dream come true for Pakistan cricket fans based in England. Indeed, it will be a relief for all Pakistan fans that their team will play the highest form of international cricket for a sustained period.

I'm finding this very hard to say but . . . well done Mr Butt.