blip.

OPERATION AJAX - MUSSADEGH & IMRAN

2022-05-15T14:51:00.002-07:00

I wonder why a few of us think that a regime change operation by the Americans against IK is an impossibility. Either they are ignorant of the history or intellectually dishonest to consider Pakistan’s significance in the Ukraine conflict (Coincidently, the dream to control Ukraine and its rich agricultural plains that ran across the Black Sea to eventually reach the oil wells of Persia was what brought the downfall of Hitler when the famous operation Barbarossa failed. The Germans wanted Ukraine to be their “India” and to that end, even offered the sea-port of Karachi to Afghanistan if it stopped being “neutral” – no pun intended).

I mean it wouldn’t be the first time the U.S. or Britain has done it – Their history is replete with regime change operations as acceptable means of foreign policy –Project FF (Fat Fucker) to remove the King of Egypt, Farouk, and Operation Ajax to remove the Prime Minister of Iran, Mohammed Mossadegh, to quote some of the examples.

What follows is the story of Operation Ajax: The story of the removal of Mohammed Mossadegh, which was finally revealed when the CIA de-classified details of the Iranian Coup 64 years later.

BRITISH PETROLEUM

In 1901, the exclusive and sweeping rights of a petroleum concession (The Knox D’Arcy concession) to search for petroleum, from the whole extent of the Persian Empire for a term of 60 years was granted by the Shah to a British company (Anglo-Persian Oil Company, which eventually became British Petroleum – BP) in return for 20,000 pounds, an equivalent amount of shares and 16% annual royalty. The Shah effectively handed over the keys of the Persian kingdom to the British, paving way for centuries of future political turmoil in the region. Now, all the British had to do was find the lock, and find they did. The discovery of oil made the piece of paper signed by the Shah in 1901 one of the most important documents of the twentieth century.

The operation of BP’s search for petroleum started in the early 1900s funded by the bankers at the Lloyds and on 28th May 1908, they found huge reserves of oil. A refinery was built at the island of Abadan in the Shatt al-Arab where oil was brought through pipelines from Persia to be exported to Europe via the British-made Suez Canal – the artery that enabled ships from the east to reach Europe weeks faster without circumnavigating Africa. The timing of such discovery could not have been better as Europe’s energy needs were rising sharply with the first World war round the corner. The Royal Navy converted its fleet from coal-burning to oil-consuming and that allowed her ships to move faster giving a definite strategic edge over other rival Naval forces in the region. This meant that the British vessels could stay out at sea longer. Meanwhile, Germany made a strategic mistake of paying too much attention to coal and iron, and not enough to oil – the blood of the earth.

THE IMPERIAL POWERS

With Britain already holding a controlling interest in Anglo-Persian Oil company (British Petroleum), they now had a death grip over Persia while the Russians, the Germans, the French, and the Soviets – all wanted a piece of the action. Americans also entered into the equation later.

The Germans and the Soviets

During the Second World War, the Soviets and the Germans were more interested in the Baltics and Poland. The problem for them was their poor geographical location which denied them access to the Atlantic and hence, the opportunity to trade with the Americans.

Pro-German feelings were always high in Iran during the Second World War. In fact, it is said that the decision to rename Persia formally Iran was the result of Tehran’s diplomats in Berlin explaining the idea of “Aryanism” and the shared heritage of Iran and Germany which the new name of Iran would refer to.

During the Second World War, the Germans were about to find a solution to its Achilles heel of not having access to oil resources. They were about to take over Baku oil resources and close to Iran and Iraq oil reserves more than ever before. Germany had become highly active in the Middle East with Lufthansa establishing an extensive network of commercial flights and companies like Siemens and the Todt making inroads into the Industrial Sector in the Middle East.

The British insisted that the Shah expel the German Ambassador but when the Shah delayed issuing orders to expel the Germans, BBC Persian Radio Service falsely accused the Shah of removing the crown jewels from the capital, of using forced labor in his own business interests, and of using Tehran’s water supply to irrigate his private gardens. In the end, the British forced the abdication of Reza Khan and replaced him with his son Mohammed Reza, a playboy with a love for fast cars, French crime novels, and even faster women. The German dream to access Persian oil was eventually shattered with their defeat in the Second World War.

After the Second world war ended in Germany’s defeat, the Soviets were also provided access to the Persian oil. In January 1942, a tripartite agreement was signed between the British and Soviet Union so that both can use the country’s roads, rivers, pipelines, airfields, and telegraph stations as they pleased. This was not an occupation, stated the treaty, it was a case of help being given to an ally. Fine words – but rather creative ones.

The British and the French

In 1916, Sykes-Pikot imperialist agreement was reached between the British and the French dividing the region between themselves, where the French took Syria and Lebanon while the British took Iraq, and Palestine (as a buffer zone against any threat to Suez Canal) and Suez, making the Middle East the breeding place for future wars and out-maneuvering the French from the Middle East. While different countries were offered independence from the Ottomans by the British and the French which included bribing rulers handsomely, there was only one thing that mattered – to secure control over oil and pipelines that would pump it to the ports to be loaded onto the tankers. To that end, the British had two strategic goals:

1. To retain control of the Suez Canal because of its unique strategic and commercial value,

2. Hold on to the oil fields in Persia and the Middle East

Access to oil became a major and decisive factor in British International policy as hostilities broke with the Germans, and resultantly the Royal Navy needed more and more oil for their oil-burning engines. The Suez Canal was extremely important as it allowed the British to protect its oil vessels from the Germans who had developed effective submarine warfare. It was difficult to protect British fuel ships when they circumnavigated Africa or imported oil from the U.S. through the Atlantic where the Germans sank many fuel ships. This made Suez and Persia critical for the British.

The British were determined to hang on to the control of oil supplies and they drew the following strategic conclusions:

1. Whoever controlled Basra, controlled India and the Gulf,

2. Whoever controlled Baghdad, controlled Iran,

3. Whoever controlled Mosul, controlled Turkey and Syria

However, the national debt of Britain after the Second World War was rising high as the cost of maintaining troops to run the Empire became unsustainable and too high, forcing the British to focus on reducing expenses. The British had always prioritized their strategic and economic priorities with little concern for the local population. In the 1920s alone, the British were responsible for or played a poisonous supporting role in installing or deposing rulers in Iraq, Persia, and Afghanistan. Britain was playing a dangerous game in choosing who to support and when and where to intervene. Broken promises and disappointed people lay scattered from India to the Levant. Add to it the lofty sense of entitlement that the British harbored that the fate of these countries lay in the hands of the British. The British thought that rulership in these countries was a gift to policymakers in London. It was clear that the power and influence of the British were in the decline and would diminish further thanks to their policies of constant interference in local affairs which gave rise to misgivings, mistrusts, and reservations.

The United States of America

Britain had successfully thwarted four economic powers – Spain, Holland, France, and Germany and hence came forward as the fifth and the greatest economic power as the Americans started taking interest in the oil business when the US Geological Survey declared that the American proven oil reserves would run out in nine years and three months. Hence, the Americans started looking into the possibility of entering into an oil exploration agreement with Iran. After Germany was defeated in the Second World War there were the British, the Soviets, and now the Americans trying to capture Iranian oil.

US interest was music to the ears of Tehran as they saw the U.S as their perfect white knight. The British reacted angrily telling the State Department that their interest in the Persian oil was illegal. The Persians went ahead regardless and granted a fifty-year concession to Standard Oil – the American company for oil exploration. However, the British still controlled the pipelines necessary for the transportation.

The Iranians soon realized that the American Dream was a false dawn and it was just another player in the exploitation of Persia. They were more British than the British.

Thus the British, the Americans, and the Soviets were all wrestling to capture the Irani oil resources for their national interest.

COMETH THE HOUR, COMETH THE MAN: MOHAMMED MOSSADEGH

The oil wealth in Persia was concentrated in the hands of the Shah and those around him. The Persians felt that the Persian government held no shares in the business. Finally, in Nov 1932, the Shah declared that the concession was canceled with immediate effect and it was renegotiated in 1933, on more favorable terms, showing that the West had weak bargaining power.

However, resentment was building in Iranians against the British. There were reports that British officers insisted that Irani officers should salute their counterparts when they passed them without this being reciprocated. The British ambassador had a very low opinion as can been seen from his dispatches (he was quoted as saying that most Persians will surely become blowflies in their next incarnation). The British continued to harbor their deeply ingrained views of entitlement and superiority when it was becoming increasingly clear that the dominant position built by the British was at risk as both the Russians and the Americans wanted a piece of the action.

Mohammed Mossadegh was a canny articulate and consummate politician who was seriously underestimated by the British. Mossadegh first set out his vision in parliament at the end of 1944 that Iran should not allow itself to be manipulated and terrorized by an outside power. The Knox D’Arcy concession was only an example of how Iran had been taken advantage of and used as a pawn by rival interests that brought little benefit to the country’s people. It was simply wrong that choices should be made as to whom Iran should do business with. He wanted to negotiate with every state which wishes to buy oil and have no favorites.

What Mossadegh was saying was what many people had long felt that the fruits lying under the Irani soil brought limited benefits for Iran and it was hard to argue with the logic. It was not just about the money and resources but also about the country’s degradation and loss of dignity. Momentum was building behind reformers like Mossadegh. The age of the European empire had started to erode. The mood in Iran caught on to other countries subjected to domination and heavy influence from abroad to take control of their own destinies. This was evident in Iraq when Gertrude Bell was reminded that independence was not Britain’s gift to give but Iraq’s right to take. A pattern started to clearly emerge and Britain became an empire literally in retreat.

It was a similar story elsewhere as Britain faced one crisis after another. The way the British were handling it was awful. It was clear that the British would stop at nothing to maintain its interests abroad and think nothing of others in the process. Things were bad in the Malaya peninsula as the British retreated and Japan advanced to take over. Thousands fell back to Singapore. The decision to pull out of India was finally made and initial plans to make a phased withdrawal from India were rejected by London as too costly and too lengthy. That triggered the largest mass migrations in human history. 11 million people moved across the borders of the Punjab and Bengal. Things were slightly better in Iraq where prime minister Salih Jabr agreed to extend the use of airbases in the country for another 25 years.

The fate of the world hung in balance and Iran happened to be at the fulcrum. Soviets wanted it because of its oil, its naval bases, and its location in the middle of a web of international air routes. Iran’s political and strategic importance now propelled it to the forefront of the US foreign policy as it set up the first Voice of America Farsi radio station for the local population. Financial aid began to pour in and these were the first stages of building an American client state in the middle east.

Mossadegh seized the moment and put forward the proposal that at the end of 1950 the proceeds should not be shared with Anglo Iranian or with anyone else but rather that the oil industry of Iran be declared nationalized throughout all the regions of the country without exception.

Within days, Mossadegh was chosen as the new prime minister by the Majlis in the spring of 1951. He at once passed a law nationalizing Anglo-Iranian with immediate effect. The British defense minister declared that if Iran was allowed to get away with it, the next thing could be an attempt to nationalize the Suez canal.

OPERATION AJAX

Mossadegh gave British employees of Anglo-Iranian a week to pack to get out of Iran in September 1951. Britain became a byword for all that was wrong in Iran and this rhetoric made him wildly popular at home and also made him famous abroad. In 1952 he was on the cover of Time magazine as its Man of the Year.

Sanctions were placed but they did not pay off. An approach was therefore made to the recently established Central intelligence agency (CIA) to support a plan of joint political action to remove Iran’s Prime Minister Mossadegh – in other words, to stage a coup. Not for the last time, regime change in this part of the world seemed the answer to the problem.

Officials in the US responded favorably to British overtures. The CIA station in Tehran was anxious about Mossadegh and advised Washington separately that the US should prefer a successor government in Iran. Planners quickly concluded that the Shah had to be brought into the plot to provide unity and calm so that the removal of the Prime Minister could be made to appear legal or quasi-legal.

Shah, a nervous and vain man was cajoled and bullied to join the plan. Keywords were dropped into BB broadcasts from London to reassure him that the operation had been sanctioned at the very highest level.

In order to ensure that public opinion is fanned to a fever pitch as a prelude to removing Mossadegh, funds were sent from Washington to cultivate key individuals and turn them against the prime minister.

Roosevelt cultivated leading members of the Majlis, almost certainly by bribing them to persuade them to withdraw their support of Mossadegh.

Money was spent liberally. Some of these funds were spent paying for crowds to march on the streets of the capital, organized by the CIA’s two main local operatives. There were other notable recipients – above all mullahs like Ayatollah Kashani. Muslim scholars suddenly concluded that communism was against the tenets of Islam.

A plan was hence devised personally approved by Winston Churchill, the British prime minister at the start of July and then by president Eisenhour a few days later for a smooth regime change.

Things actually went splendidly wrong and the Shah escaped and made his way to exile in Italy, Rome. However, Rumors spread that Mossadegh was himself eying to claim the throne for himself and the tide turned. And in a matter of days and against all odds, Shah was on his way home. Returning in splendor and glory, he presented himself not as a coward who had fled in fear but as a hero coming back to take control of the situation. Mossadegh was arrested, tried, and sentenced to solitary confinement. This was followed by a lengthy period of exile until his death in 1967.

CONCLUSIONS

Mossadegh paid a heavy price for articulating a vision for the Middle East in which the influence of the west was not just watered down but removed altogether. This made him a trouble-maker of the first order in Iran and enough for British and American policymakers to formulate plans to remove him from the stage altogether. His loud protestations emboldened others as Egypt moved to nationalize Suez.

Although the precise circumstances of his demise were kept hidden for decades by the intelligence agencies who stayed alert to the damaging consequences declassification of material would bring, few had any illusions that the removal of Mossadegh had been orchestrated by western powers for their own ends.

Psychologically, the coup was a pivotal moment and had far-reaching unintended consequences:

1. Mossadegh became the spiritual father of a long line of heirs across this region such as Ayatollah Khomeini, Saddam Hossein, etc. who were driven by the core tenet that the west was duplicitous and liberation for the local population could only be achieved by liberating them from outside influences,

2. The Shah drew all the wrong conclusions and convinced himself that the people of Iran adored him. This would later result in the Iranian Islamic Revolution,

3. The US decided that the best way to keep Iran was an undemocratic independent Iran which was the exact antithesis of its freedom and democracy. Posturing about democracy while orchestrating regime change meant that in due course there would inevitably be a collapse of credibility.

4. The Americans learned from the British mistakes that a devolved Imperial rule was cheaper from a financial standpoint than full colonial occupation. The colonial occupation resulted in British deaths, rioting, and civil unrest and ultimately cost the British the superpower status. There is no need to physically occupy countries when better results can be achieved through controlling those in power. All that is required is to install rulers who ran the treasury and armed forces – two critical pawns in the imperial rule.

Source: "The Silk Roads, A New History of the World", by Peter Frankopan

A Trialogue

2020-08-21T08:02:00.006-07:00

It's not just a song but a symbolic and dramatic Act. An honest and heart-wrenching conversation between The Pitcher (Ali Hamza), Sohni (Shilpa Rao) and Mahiwal (Ali Noor - The Protagonist). Walk with me for a while:

(Ali Hamza - The Mind) is the prelude to the story and is reluctant to do what Sohni is asking her to do, which is essentially, to take Sohni across the Chanab river on her back to meet Mahiwal. The ceramic pitcher, however, is a work-in-progress - yet to be exposed to high-temperature fire to give it a hard durable form and she knows it. Consequently, the pitcher finds herself moist, insecure, afraid, and faithless. She, hence, deems herself a resounding failure, and rightly so because the flame of love has not roasted her. She carries an existential crisis of confidence in her abilities within herself as she does not feel battle-hardened and up to the task of facing the unchartered, and treacherous waters in the stormy night. Her deep sense of abject failure stems from the personal knowledge that she is unbaked, and she finds the root of her painful faithlessness in the fact of her being unbaked. She implores Sohni not to rest her hopes on an unbaked failure as it will only result in a fatal catastrophe.

The Sohni (Shilpa Rao - The Heart) is having none of it. Sohni tries to comfort the troubled pitcher and insists that the pitcher’s problem is bigger than being unbaked. Its the crisis of faith which is the problem and there is only one solution to that problem - To take a leap of faith against all odds and despite all her failures and insecurities. The pitcher must address her inner crisis of self-confidence to succeed. The fact that the pitcher is unbaked is of no consequence to her in the grand scheme of things as her keen desire to achieve intimacy with her love makes her ignore all looming dangers. She recognizes the imminent dangers involved in such a bold venture but feels the desperate need to act despite all dangers. Love calls and she must respond without fail. She feels compelled to act in what she believes in - in the hope and possibility of union with her love which trumps all arguments. She has to cross at all costs, and in the face of certain death. She has to do what she has to do and if it means sure death, so be it. The Metaphorical love - Lust - grants her stubborn courage and a fiery will to succeed against all odds.

The Mahiwal (Ali Noor - The Rooh), meanwhile, has gone beyond the station of Ishq-e-Majazi to the station of Ishq-e-Haqiqi and has a word of advice for both the pitcher and Sohni. He, while recognizing the Pitcher’s deep crisis of faith, also acknowledges that she is right to advise Sohni not to rely on her. He further laments that Sohni is also making a tragic mistake by resting all her hopes on material things - namely, an unbaked pitcher. He knows that the Ishq-e-Majazi will only give Sohni wings of an ostrich which can only take her that far. Those wings would make her run but she won’t be able to fly. She is bound to drown in those perilous waters. He asks both to rest hope only in The True Guide and only then they can hope to achieve what they set out to do. He advises them to seek guidance in Ishq-e-Haqiqi if they are to have any hope of Salvation. He tells them to rely only on God and trust His plans for them, casting aside all worldly desires, and giving themselves over to God with total dependence on Him, such that His desires become theirs.

P.S. Its always a pleasure to listen to Ali Hamza reclaim his due space ahead of Ali Noor with his husky voice.

Hope you enjoy the song. (Turn on subtitles if you feel Punjabi language is foreign to you…)

Pakistan in a league of its own - PSL

2016-02-08T07:42:00.002-08:00

IPL season 1 was the only season I followed when Rajasthan Royals picked the trophy despite being an under-dog, mainly because of Warne's leadership qualities. He built a team around an idea and not around money, which was, and still is the case with most, if not all of the franchises.

The idea was that 11 low-priced players who complement each other's skills and share a common vision / philosophy of work ethic, although not as talented, will provide a better return on investment than the 11 expensive players who, though the best and the most talented individually, do not share a common vision. After all, the best in business own and operate a ferocious ego, which perhaps, only a daughter's kiss can diminish.

I lost interest in IPL when they banned Pakistani players and never watched a single game thereafter.

And now its that time of the year when we follow ‪#‎PSL‬ and talk about #PSL, and make the hashtag #PSL trend.

My point - 5 teams play 20 matches on league basis and out of which 4 teams would qualify for playoffs which, basically, defeats the purpose of having a long league matches stage with such a small set of teams. I wish they had gone for a best of three finals instead of playoffs. Would have made the format more interesting and different. After all, it needs to carve its own identity as distinct from IPL if its to succeed.

I have to say that Najam Sethi deserves praise for pulling off #PSL [qualifying my statement for the general conflict of interest consistently employed in all that he occupies himself in, which I find utterly offensive].

I hope the cricketing standard is good enough to make the "Dark Lord" sit up and take notice as it did when Frodo wore the One Ring forged in Mount Doom.

Let the best team win and let it be ‪#‎KarachiKings‬..

Held in contempt..

2015-11-19T20:31:00.002-08:00

This is a comment in response to this news item where the supreme court finds it shocking to see mother's lack of faith in state to dispense justice.

Let me tell you what’s even more shocking My Lord.

What’s even more shocking is your expression of shock on a mere peasant's confidence over your inability to deliver justice. You must be finding it disgusting! How dare her! If you feel disrespected, please know that she didn’t mean to disrespect Your Honor, which you so jealously guard. Please know that it was only an “irregularity” and not “systematic” on her behalf so please consider it as an unintended consequence.

But she seems sure, and it appears she derives her assurance from a staunch belief in your impotence in dispensing justice rather than a lack of belief over your resourcefulness to deliver justice.

Yes, there’s a difference.

I mean it’s very obvious that in your absurd fantasy – the Cloud Cuckoo Land that you judge, is a cradle of justice and constitutionalism. Please accept my sincere apology to wake you from your slumber My Lord. I know from experience that it can be truly humbling to be reminded of the nature of things in real world, and it’s obvious that this is your first ever – But all good things must end, I suppose. They even coined a term for it – it’s called ‘Reality check’.

If My Lord has any sense of decency, he would realize that his justice system has never been subjected to a greater ridicule. If there is someone who deserves to be slapped with contempt of court – that’s her. She has effectively defied and discredited your system in a very condescending and mocking manner. This is an indictment on the whole system which you have helped flourish and a mockery of the very judicial system from which you have benefited.

But Know this My Lord:

After your judicial system stands disgracefully rejected as it was by her today, the public will stand entitled to have its own definition of justice dispensed to whomever they deem fit –My Lord included.

A Public Service message by Sana and Safinaz

2012-03-15T10:18:00.001-07:00

The model looks all cool(i)e in that jazzy printed lawn with all her fashion accessories being showed off by coolies with irrelevant, and hence, obscured faces. There has been a lot of hue and cry over the latest shoot but what this particular photo shoot has brought into forefront is the marvelous, glaring and glorious contradictions of our society. The notion that most of the people contemptous, like me, at this show of glaring contradiction, are the very consumers of this sort of behavior in their daily lives is fascinating. It may, or may not be, an attempt to present the case of the filthy rich devouring resources at the expense of the poor but certainly does highlight an issue which should be a taboo. Hush, hush is what Sana and Safinaz hear. They found it appropriate to actually use it to sell Lawns? How outrageous, and here lies the first contradiction. We conveniently forget that for the last 60 years, most of us Pakistanis have lived their lives, without concern, and with a general disregard for the situation of the poor, and perhaps at their expense. The fact that somebody used the idea to sell extravagance to the filthy rich is perhaps besides the point because regardless of the photoshoot, this is still how we live our lives, if we happen to be rich in Pakistan.

This stark contrast probably shows the contradiction that our society consumes. It would have been beautiful, had it been a public service message, but guess what, it’s not, and here’s the second stark contradiction. Someone probably in a marketing department of an obscure clothing company thought that it can actually use that idea to sell Lawns. No, its not a public service message, neither are the proceeds of the sale dedicated to improve the lives of the porters. This is supposedly a marketing attempt to spur you on to leave your couch and head straight to the nearest Safinaz outlet for a Lawn bonanza. Obviously, the marketer doesn't appreciate the term politically correct much, unwittingly associating buyer's guilt to the very product he is trying to sell. Trying to use the biggest case against extravagance as a case for fashion is not just a contradiction, that perhaps only our politicians could boast of, but a lesson if you happen to be doing MBA in marketing.

Probably the much-hyped and awaited ‘trickle down effect’ is here. The poor gets to hold Louis Vuitton bags as the rich consumes fashion.

A Tale of Two Cities - and two rallies

2011-10-30T12:30:00.003-07:00

It was the best of times, It was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.

It was a festive air, it was a deathly silence; it was Karachi, it was Lahore; It was Imran Khan, it was Altaf Hussain...

- Adapted from Charles Dickens

A riddle that got "Lost in Translation"

2011-07-27T10:52:00.002-07:00

This was the vision of the founding fathers. This was what it was supposed to be. Hope you can see what this poem is...

Blessed be the sacred land,

Happy be the bounteous realm,

Symbol of high resolve, Land of Pakistan,

Blessed be you, citadel of faith

The order of this sacred land,

Is the might of the brotherhood of the people,

May the nation, the country, and the state,

Shine in glory everlasting,

Blessed be the goal of our ambition

This flag of the crescent and star,

Leads the way to progress and perfection,

Interpreter of our past,

glory of our present,

Inspiration of our future,

Symbol of Almighty’s protection

If you need any further assistance in solving the riddle than see this!

The Classical and the not so Classical

2011-06-20T11:12:00.001-07:00

I understood what "Synergy" means after watching this.. Shows what conflicting and very different entities can achieve if only they choose to respectfully co-exist for a common objective.. the contemporary and the fashionable, and you can extend it to every being on a collision course in our society.. A Masterpiece.. Feel this!

Pakistan Cricket Trio – The Triangular Series and the three Cricketeers

2011-01-21T12:13:00.002-08:00

Don’t jump to conclusions after reading the caption. No guys when the three words – Pakistan, Cricket and Trio – combine they don’t necessarily mean Butt, Aamir and Asif. Pakistani team is all geared up for the World Cup. The team has been hurriedly announced by the selectors with the World Cup fast approaching and like most things done in hurry one keeps forgetting important things. The answer to the question that Mr. Ijaz Butt must have kept asking himself over and over during the process ‘am I forgetting something?’ is elusive and seems to slip away every time Mr. Butt gets close. If it hasn’t occurred to you yet Mr. Butt – It’s the captain that you are forgetting dammitt!!

No but he isn’t forgetting. He might be old but not that old. While World Cup will be played for millions of cricket lovers, PCB has set up its very own Triangular series to be played in New Zealand for their amusement. The triangular series of 6 matches is set between Misbah, Afridi and Younis Khan. Be careful you three. You have already run out of all lifelines on your quest to PCB’s latest presentation ‘kaun banay ga captain!!’. Seems the PCB weren’t watching while Afridi, Misbah and Younis Khan played 306, 58 and 207 ODI matches respectively. In 5 matches against New Zealand, the three will try to present their cases to PCB to help them answer that dreaded question. After that triangular series, PCB is supposed to have that ‘Aha’ experience that had Archimedes running naked.

In all honesty, this should rather be termed as a dual. A dual between Afridi and Misbah as Younis seems out of favor and, as we all know, favors matter when in Pakistan. However, I have included Younis into contention for the sole reason of his being the captain of T20 World Cup winning team which demands that we take him a bit seriously. What follows is not intended to be judgmental, so let the games begin.

Misbah ul Haq: A person who likes to keep a low profile which is a rarity in Pakistan Cricket. A late starter, who came into lime light in the first T20 World Cup. Good thing about Misbah is that he doesn’t go places doing ‘Captain Corner’ and the morning shows while captain. He knows to keep quiet and concentrate on cricket. No one in his team is looking to be a captain or feels up to the task which has showed in the results. No Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, Afridi or Salman has definitely helped. Selected as a captain out of nowhere and has delivered the goods in the recent Test matches. In great form during the test matches, however, his class is questioned by some. Good Luck Misbah. May the best man win.

Shahid Afridi: His greatest achievement to date has been his under-achievement itself. He would have made a great politician as he likes to play to the gallery and seems to allow his decisions to be shaped by his fans and media. Thinks captaining a cricket team is defined as patting on players’ backs most times and bashing them the other times. Aggression to him is hitting two sixes in a row only to be held out in the deep. There is definitely no dearth of passion when he is around. He virtually lives cricket, sleeps cricket and literally ‘eats’ cricket. Known for his appetite for everything red, his batting is over-rated by the fans and selectors and his bowling is under-rated by the man himself. He does not seem to recognize that he has the potential to become arguably the best leg spinner in World Cricket today with his drift. His lack of self belief is evident in his defensive line, length and field setting on his own bowling. He appears to be someone who always needs someone like Wasim Akram to take performance out of him. He seems to have bowled his best under Younis Khan. Consistency principal requires that he should be maintained as captain. Bon Appétit, Mr. Afridi.

Younis Khan: Wanted to be Imran Khan and that can be a good thing and a bad thing depending on your political inclinations. He needs to realize that he is his own man and a great cricketer in his own right. Seems to take himself too seriously and needs to control his tantrums and his sudden willingness to resign from captaincy. Imran Khan was always willing to resign but having the then President as fan helped. It’s a luxury that Younis Khan does not seem to have. He is not a known felon to have served time with the president to deserve his favor. Younis Khan was the only man prepared for the job by the system while vice captaining under Inzimam and Bob Woolmer. This is the guy who was churned out by the system to be the captain. He was fresh, aggressive, creative and imaginative while captaining short sessions in India compared to Inzi’s defensive attitude although many would question his decision to throw the ball to Fawad Alam to date. But his greatest merit is that he has led a Pakistan team to T20 World Cup win and hence knows the pressures associated with such a venture as a leader and has dealt with them successfully to bring the Cup. A feast shared with the Great Imran Khan. Good Luck Younis Khan.

So have you made up your mind yet Mr. Butt??........... Lock ker doon kya??