Some things never change

I'm currently reading Henry Blofeld's account of the Kerry Packer/World Series Cricket bombshell, The Packer Affair. It's good stuff and a full review will follow.

In the meantime, I thought this passage may be of interest about the effect of WSC on Pakistan:

After winning the series against New Zealand [in 1976-77] Mushtaq [Mohammad] was sacked from the captaincy, and Intikhab Alam and Zaheer Abbas were named as captain and vice-captain respectively for the tour of Australia and the West Indies. Mushtaq returned to England to organize his benefit with Northamptonshire...five other players said they would not go to Australia unless Mushtaq was reappointed captain...eventually, on the orders of the Prime Minister, Mr Bhutto, the President of the Pakistan Sports Control Board who was the Minister of Educaton intervened and disbanded the selection committee...' etc, etc.

Through all these 'toings and froings', Pakistan cricket was apparently 'not shown in the kindest of lights'. Some things never change.