KARACHI, 4 January — Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Lt. General Tauqir Zia yesterday outlined a number of proposals under review to ensure that there was increased cricket activity for the Pakistan team in the coming months.
In an interview with Arab News, Tauqir Zia was hopeful that the West Indies would come around to undertaking their scheduled tour of Pakistan from Jan. 25.
But he also accepted that as a second option Sharjah and Dhaka or both were under consideration to host the series against the Windies.
The West Indies board has told the PCB that it is not in favor of sending its team to Pakistan because of security concerns owing to the increased border and diplomatic tensions between Pakistan and India and since the US is still carrying out military attacks in Afghanistan.
The West Indians have instead proposed to play the three-Test series three One-Day Internationals at a mutually agreed neutral venue.
But Tauqir Zia said that he would urge the West Indies board to make the tour, as it was very important for Pakistan.
"If the West Indians don’t come then there are chances that we can go without any international cricket at home for the next nine months."
"This is not a happy situation for us. As the Cricketers’ Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) has also told us it cannot reschedule its tournament from April to March this year to accommodate our request," he added.
The PCB has requested the CBFS to hold their tournament one month earlier, as this would allow them to work on the prospects of hosting the New Zealand at home in April-May. Pakistan was keen on having New Zealand make up for their postponed tour last September-October by hosting the series in April-May this year.
"We can understand the position of the CBFS, since they are hosting Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa and New Zealand in the four-nation tournament this time and it is not easy too reschedule dates when so many teams are involved."
Tauqir said in this scenario, if the West Indies don’t come then Pakistan would also have to work on other proposals, one of which was to invite Sri Lanka for a series, to play Australia in June-July in Australia in a one-day indoor series on reciprocal basis.
"We are working on several things. But our first priority is that West Indies should come because the conditions in Pakistan are normal for international cricket."
He pointed out that while the concern of the West Indians was understandable.
But he insisted that if the PCB felt even for a moment that the Indo-Pak tensions had led to a worsening of situation and it could not guarantee security of the visiting players, it would itself ask the West Indies not to come.
"But right now we sincerely believe the series can be held in Pakistan in the given conditions."
"If the circumstances change in next few days, no one can say anything about it. Then we have the option of playing in Sharjah or Dhaka," he maintained.
Zia sounded hopeful that discussions, which were continuing with the West Indies board officials, would lead to a mutual agreement and pave the way for the series to be held in Pakistan. "We are in touch with them all the time and we are also hopeful that Clive Lloyd’s visit to Pakistan at this juncture will assist in convincing the West Indians it is safe to tour Pakistan."
The PCB chief said as far as playing at neutral venues like Sharjah or Dhaka or both was concerned; the PCB had to look into the financial aspects of the whole exercise.
"To be honest right now if we play at Sharjah or Dhaka, the television production costs are cutting into our profits. We have to also see how much advertising revenues we can generate at a neutral venue and how much rental we would have to pay the hosts."
He said Sharjah and Dhaka were both feasible venues since they could both attract big crowds and vast television audience. "We have a thought that we can play two Tests and five One-Day Internationals in Sharjah or Dhaka to earn more revenues, but right now it is just a thought."
Zia explained that he had spoken to the television production and marketing agents of the board, Trans World International (TWI) and the production costs they had quoted for covering the series in Sharjah or Dhaka or at both venues cut into the normal profits of the PCB. "But we have a choice that since our contract with TWI is for only international matches played at home, we can negotiate with other television production and marketing companies if they would be willing to pay a higher price for telecasting the series from the neutral venue."
He said if some deal could be worked out with the Sharjah-based Taj Sports, than Pakistan could make profits from staging the matches in Sharjah.
Commenting on the invitation from the Australian cricket board to play the one-day series in June-July, he said the invitation was on reciprocal basis and one option for Pakistan was to have Australia play five or six one-dayers instead of three when they tour Pakistan in September.
"This way the reciprocity arrangement could work out fine between the two boards." But he said that personally he was in favour of playing the one-day series in Australia.
"As this would provide tough competition to the players and prepare them for the Australian series in September and the tour of South Africa including the World Cup."
On some sort of compensation being given to the players if the West Indies also didn’t tour Pakistan, Zia said Abdul Rehman Bukhatir of CBFS had given a proposal.
"He has offered to arrange a one-day series in Sharjah and Morocco between June-August involving the Pakistan players and this way they could be compensated."
Uncertainty of tour to be
cleared soon: Lloyd
Former West Indian cricket legend Clive Lloyd hoped that the uncertainty surrounding the tour of the West Indies team to Pakistan is cleared soon.
The former skipper who arrived in Rawalpindi on a five days’ coaching assignment on the invitation of the PCB through the Cricketers’ Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) stated it was sad that a high quality team like Pakistan was not getting any cricket and losing money.
The Pakistan board is banking on Lloyd to give a positive report back to the West Indies board on the situation in Pakistan.
Lloyd’s visit has assumed significance since the WICB have said that they would not send their team to Pakistan because of security concerns to their players and would instead like to play the series at a mutually agreed venue.
Lloyd contacted at his hotel in Pindi said although the WICB had not officially asked him to do any survey job, but he would probably be asked to give them the general view of the situation.
"Since I am here. I am invited. I will get a feel of the situation. And I will probably be asked for my views. They have hinted few things," he stated.
"I really don,t think the Pakistan board would invite any team if they could not guarantee the safety of its players. I feel this situation is not right for cricket. I just hope this is worked out."
Lloyd is in Pindi to work with the Pakistan under-19 squad, which goes to New Zealand later this month for the ICC Youth World Cup competition.
Lloyd said he was greatly chuffed that the Pakistan board had asked him to help out with the junior team.
"Basically I am here fine turning the under-19 guys. Giving them the right type of advice and tips."
"I will tell them about the sort of conditions they will encounter in the World Cup." He said Pakistan had already selected the team and he was quite impressed with the talent.
Beginning of the end for
two young players
Two of the younger and newer players in the Pakistan squad made a wrong start to the tour of Bangladesh for which the team left on Wednesday morning from Karachi.
The youngsters, openers Taufiq Umar and Naveed Latif were both left behind at the hotel by the team management as a punishment for failing to report in the lobby on time for the team’s departure for the airport.
According to eye witness accounts, manager Yawar Saeed and captain Waqar Younis were not happy when Taufiq and Naveed failed to show up on time as all the other players prepared to leave for the airport.
After making calls to their room, it was learnt that the two had overslept, following which the management decided to leave for the airport without Taufiq and Naveed.
The two later caught a hotel cab for the airport to join the team at the check-in counter of the airlines.
Taufiq who made his debut against Bangladesh last August at Multan with a hundred and Naveed who also got a hundred in the One-day series in Sharjah will both be fined under team rules for their late coming.
