May it be isues with administration, players' discipline or poor performances, Pakistan cricket is in a crisis.

There are more curses, controversies and calamities in Pakistan cricket than joys in the last two years. It is going from pits to mire; and from one controversy to the other.

The mothers of all evils, as they say, remain the mismanagement. Former captain Imran Khan believes bad governance brings the management down and in his opinion if the Board was headed by a technocrat who is elected, like the system prevailing in India and other countries, such controversies can be avoided.

There was a time when the full Board was run by four people. It was headed by a chairman who was almost non-existent as the load of work was shared by the secretary and three of his close aides in the Board office. The PCB now has over 700 employees at all centers but problems multiply with every day.

The latest saga to have hit Pakistan cricket is Mohammad Asif’s doping case. On one hand the PCB is striving to keep the biennial Champions Trophy in Pakistan while on the other it is trying to rein their players to maintain discipline. The signs look ominous as it would be tough for Pakistan to keep the biennial event in their country amidst renewed security fears.

Asif's case is also likely to hit it hard.

"The doping case involving Asif will have far-reaching impacts on Pakistan cricket. We have been looked upon as a country where discipline breaches are common. We have become a laughing stock, so to avoid all such things we need to be strict on discipline," said former captain and World Cup 1992 winning team coach Intikhab Alam.

For Alam, a member of the doping tribunal which banned Asif and Shoaib Akhtar, there was no such thing as ignorance for Asif. "He has once again stained Pakistan's image and to put bracks on the use of banned substances the PCB must introduce doping even at first class level," said Alam.

Pakistan cricket has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons since the Oval forfeit in August 2006. An adamant Inzamam-ul Haq refused to take the team to the field after umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove charged Pakistan for ball-tampering. That incident could easily have been avoided. Pakistan became the first team to forfeit a Test match in the history of five-day cricket.

Since Inzamam was banned for four matches in the aftermath of the The Oval fiasco, Pakistan named Younis Khan as the new captain to lead Pakistan in the Champions Trophy. The temperamental Pathan refused to lead the side after he was kept waiting by then PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and over the sacking of a Pathan peon in the national academy! The combined effect of Younis's refusal and the Oval forfeit, cost seasoned diplomat Shaharyar Khan his job as the PCB chairman.

In comes Dr Nasim Ashraf. He wished to run the PCB on a corporate basis, but his tenure has been riddled with more controversies. Just two days after Dr Nasim took over, Pakistan had to recall both Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif from India after they failed dope tests. It shook the Pakistan cricket edifice. Never ever it was thought that Pakistani players would be on banned substances. But the PCB had to live with it, fought it in a haphazard though successful manner. But the seed of mistrust was sown as all other teams hinted any successful bowling stint by Pakistani players would be seen with suspicions.

Pakistan cricket's glaring shortcoming is proper counselling and education for the players. These players emerge from small town who when enter the glittering world of cricket they simply get carried away. They get wayward. Admits former Pakistan great Wasim Akram. "When I entered international cricket, I was amazed. It was whole new world for me but since I had Imran Khan as my tutor I never got carried away. Whatever mistakes Waqar Younis and I made were soon overcome through strict advice from Imran. The boys o this generation do not have that kind of support, so they simply get carried away," said Wasim.

The simple solution is proper counselling and education. Once a player emerges from a small town, he should be educated about hope to cope with the requirements of international cricket. How to handle the money he earns through playing cricket.

"Proper counselling is now must, at all levels. Even the players who have been playing for Pakistan for several years do not know how to tackle the limelight. The Asif's case has highlighted the need to have proper education of the players. The academy in Lahore should cater to this demand and educate the players so that Pakistan cricket is saved from these ills."

These are difficult times for Pakistan cricket. Swift actions, and not mere words, are needed. Or Else it will suffer more.