KARACHI, 23 November 2003 — Pakistan Cricket Board yesterday pulled its chief’s son from a 15-man national squad against New Zealand a day after his controversial selection triggered a wave of media criticism.
The selectors “accepted a request” from Junaid Zia, son of PCB chairman Tauqir Zia, and pulled him from the Pakistan team for the five-match one-day series against New Zealand to be played between Nov. 29 and Dec. 7, a PCB statement said.
“Junaid’s place was awarded to Umar Gul who had been initially selected in the Pakistan A team for next month’s tri-nation one-day series in India,” the statement said.
“Junaid requested the selectors that he may be relieved from the one-day series so that he could appear in his academic examinations and would now replace Gul in Pakistan A squad for the Dec. 13 to 21 event in India.”
