IN the circumstances, there is perhaps no sweeter revenge for the so-called Pakistani democrats than to see a former coup-making general waiting to try his luck in the next intikhabat .

They would burn in the fire that surrounds them if it were not for these last laughs they have occasionally enjoyed at the expense of long-gone usurpers. Some draw even greater pleasure from Gen Musharraf's situation, predicting he will be trounced if and when he gets to fight an election. The final victory will be the people's.

That scenario will take time to unfold. For the moment the general maintains a strange enough tone to have at last elicited a really critical response from old ally Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. Chaudhry Sahib appears to have been sufficiently perturbed by Gen Musharraf's attempt to jeopardise whatever constituency he could hope to build in Punjab and calls the general's political party the 'All Pakistan England Muslim League'.

Gen Musharraf had felt no reason to temper his customary stiff tone as he identified Mr Hussain and his cousin Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as the pair that forced him to meet Benazir Bhutto in the run up to the last elections and to come up with the notorious National Reconciliation Ordinance.

Does the recent exchange close the chapter of friendship between Gen Musharraf and Chaudhry Shujaat? One is hardly sure about the length of these separations in Pakistan where fate frequently brings allies-turned-detractors back to working as a team again. If anything, Gen Musharraf's recent debunking of his former partners is strikingly similar to one team leader speaking about his charges not too long ago. Deposed for a while, the man is now back with the same company he couldn't stand a few months ago.

Whatever its detractors would say, the Pakistan Cricket Board is the only democratic institution in the country that has fully recognised the virtues of an 'Intikhab'. Without a doubt, the 1992 World Cup was the most democratic moment in our history in which every team member had played his part and the 'whole nation' had benefited.

Intikhab was the manager-coach of that cup-winning squad and his counsel we have frequently sought in our moments of desperation. How could we ignore his mettle and worth now that we happen to have been caught in the gloomiest of all phases in our history?

Intikhab Alam is back at the helm, this time not as coach but as manager and chaperoned by IB — an abbreviation for the rather heavy-sounding Ijaz Butt in case any of you conspiracy theorists have any false notions about the term. The return has come exactly five months after the media reported the kind words Mr Alam had for his wards before a committee probing the somewhat rare occurrence of a Pakistan side going down to lowly rated Australia in Australia.

As befits a cricketer and team official of long standing, Mr Alam is now going to manage a team that does not include the two players he was most angry with when he appeared before the inquiry committee. Rana Naved-ul-Hasan is held up by a ban while Shoaib Malik who has had a few games for the country after a similar bar on him was lifted is out of form or simply not required to be around the Pakistani side.

That takes care of two of perhaps many players to project the whole Pakistani team as a bunch of 'mentally retarded' people. There is a suspicion that while the national outfit has been cleansed of the Kamran Akmals, Shoaib Maliks and Rana Naveds, it may still have in its fold individuals (Intikhab Alam included?) who bring so much shame to the nation because they don't know the basics such as how to use a commode.

These guys need a crash course to prepare them for the South Africa series which is just round the corner. An onerous task for sure which would explain why Mr Alam has this time chosen the post of manager, leaving the dirty job of coach to someone else. Wish former dictators were as free to choose their jobs.