Pakistan Cricket; Daily Round Up
Pakistan and Bangladesh are up against each other in their last game of Asia Cup 2010. Both sides have been kicked out of the tournament following losses to Sri Lanka and India, but still there is plenty to play as neither has flavoured a victory in One Day Internationals in 2010.
Green Shirts are having their rough run these days. Pakistan team has lost all of its last nine ODI’s played against various teams and each time the whole team was bowled out.
Pakistan cricket is facing various off-field issues as well. The issues got hyped after their devastating tour of Australia where they faced a clean sweep which resulted in ban of half a dozen senior players. Although The Pakistan Cricket Board has tried its best to fix the issues by taking a volte-face last month when it lifted the bans in bulk, but poor Rana Naveed is still waiting for his ban to be revoked. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has advised the fast bowler Rana Navedul Hasan to come up to the board in order to have his one year ban reviewed.
Naveed got a one year ban along with a fine of Rs. 2 million by the inquiry committee following the disastrous tour of Australia earlier this year. PCB’s legal adviser Talib Rizvi encouraged him to approach the board in a similar manner to what former captain Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, and the Akmal brothers did.
“I assured Naved in the hearing that if he approached the board and accepted his mistakes like the other players did, then the PCB, for the sake of the country and the game, will surely reconsider the case,” said the legal adviser after yesterday’s hearing in Lahore. The hearing was concluded by the tribunal without reaching any conclusion.
Qadir said that he has advised the board to review Naved’s case as well and deal with him in the same way as he did with his other teammates.
Hearing on Naved’s case is almost complete but there was some explanation required between the player and the board so the hearing has been suspended until next week. In the meanwhile, both sides can clear their point.
Banned Rana Naved remained contented with the proceedings regardless of no decision being awarded on the day.
“I am satisfied with the way things have been progressing and hopeful for a favourable result,” said Naved. “In fact, I’m confident of being cleared in the next hearing”.
On the other hand the former skipper Younis Khan failed to make the team for the next month’s England tour that was selected by the national selection committee after close discussion with the chairman PCB Ijaz Butt. Younis Khan was one of seven players who were banned or fined by the PCB after a disastrous tour of Australia. He got his ban revoked last month and it was expected that he will make the squad that will tour England next month.
At the same time Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is trying to establish some good relations with Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Chairman PCB Ijaz Butt said that Resumption of bilateral cricket series with arch-rival India would be on top of PCB's agenda during the Asian Cricket Council’s meeting in Colombo. While talking to the media before leaving for Colombo, Ijaz Butt revealed that he would hold a separate meeting with the officials of BCCI to discuss all possible ways of resuming cricket series between the two neighbours.
"I'll be speaking to the BCCI officials to convince them to revive Pakistan-India cricket series. Cricketing ties between the two countries are very important for the game and it would be my priority during my tour to Sri Lanka to discuss the issue," said PCB’s chairman.
He said that the world cricket has faced great loss due to postponement of bilateral series between India and Pakistan.
He said that it’s unfortunate that the two teams are not playing frequently against each other, but the cricket fans in the subcontinent and in various other parts of the world want to see cricket clashes between the arch-rivals. This contention has always been a glee for cricket fans all around the globe and it must be resumed.
India had rejected to send its squad to Pakistan in March 2009 in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008.
Since then Pakistan and India have faced-off in few matches at neutral venues in multi-team events, but there has been no bilateral series.
The PCB has already expressed its willingness to host India on any neutral grounds if the Indian cricket Board does not agree to send its team to Pakistan due to security concerns.
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