LAHORE, 31 December 2004 — Banned former captain Salim Malik yesterday blamed a lack of maturity in both Pakistan’s cricket team and its management for the recent crushing defeats against Australia.

“I am deeply disappointed by the manner we lost both the Tests in Australia and it was mainly due to lack of maturity in boys who are otherwise very talented,” Malik told AFP in a rare public comment.

“The batsmen have not taken their full turn at the crease and have been too emotional.”

Pakistan were thrashed by 491 runs in the first Test at Perth and despite a better performance lost the second Test in Melbourne by nine wickets on Wednesday, in turn losing the three-match series.

The 41-year-old Malik, who was banned for life on charges of match fixing in 2000 and has since kept a low profile, said Pakistan lost after making a good start in the two games. “Pakistan had the upper hand in both the matches as they started off well but due to lack of maturity they failed to press the Australians hard.

“Besides the team, the management and Pakistan Cricket Board lack maturity as they have appointed a foreign coach, Bob Woolmer, which is not our culture,” said Malik. A stylish middle-order batsman, Malik made 5,768 runs in 103 Tests and 7,170 in 283 One-Day Internationals until his ban.

He was charged with offering money to Australian trio Shane Warne, Tim May and Mark Waugh during Australia’s tour of Pakistan in 1994. Malik accused Warne of being negative on the field in the current series.

“He is a negative bowler and tries to frustrate the batsman by bowling round the legs. I used to play him with ease,” said Malik, who was dismissed just once in five Tests by the champion leg-spinner.

“Because I had trained with Pakistan’s great leg-spinner Abdul Qadir I had no problems against Warne. I think Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan is a better bowler because he comes well even when a pitch doesn’t suit spin bowling.

“Warne has never been good against India and if our batsmen played him with patience he wouldn’t get as many wickets as he gets against us,” he added.

Malik, who plans to open a cricket academy in the eastern city of Lahore, said he would ask Abdul Qadir to teach youngsters how to play leg-spin.

Tsunami Fund-Raising Match Planned, Says PCB

In Karachi, a fund-raising match between an Asian XI and a Rest of the World side to help survivors of the Indian Ocean tsunami is being considered, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shaharyar Khan said yesterday.

Khan told Reuters in Karachi he had spoken to International Cricket Council President Ehsan Mani and details could be completed in the next few days.

“Initially we had proposed a match involving Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. But the ICC has taken our formal proposal a step forward and is looking at a relief fund match between an Asian XI and World XI involving the Test-playing nations,” Khan said.