SHARJAH, 17 October — The Pakistan cricket team manager, Brigadier (retd.) Khawaja Nasir has ridiculed India’s decision not to play Pakistan since May 2000 and termed it as detrimental to the spread and promotion of the sport in South and East Asia regions.
“How do you expect cricket to be promoted in places like Nepal, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore if India constantly refuse to play us,” Nasir told a press conference.
“More then anything I would put down the India’s constant refusal to play against us to a fear of losing to us,” he remarked.
“How else can you explain the fact that while they are willing to play against us in every sport including the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games, they avoid contacts in cricket?”
Nasir was speaking on the 50th anniversary of Pakistan’s first official Test match which was against India at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground in New Delhi in 1952.
Pakistan led by Abdul Hafeez Kardar lost the match which started on Oct. 16 by an innings.
“It is a shame that India do not want to play cricket with us. I don’t get it with their board President Jagmohan Dalmiya heading the Asian Cricket Foundation how can India not play us?”
He pointed out that the basic purpose of the ACF was to promote and spread cricket in the Asian continent and this would never be possible until India and Pakistan played regularly against each other.
Nasir reiterated that India avoided playing Pakistan because of a fear of losing to them.
“Before this decision to stop all cricket contacts with us they had lost to us in Australia, Sharjah and then in the Asia Cup in Dhaka in 2000. I think it is a case of the Indians not wanting to face the backlash of their people who are very emotional about losing to Pakistan in cricket,” said Nasir.
The Pakistan manager made a passionate appeal that people should treat cricket just like any other sport and accept winning and losing as part of the game.
Nasir also had other interesting comments to make on the state of Pakistan cricket.
“People should take the performance of this young team in the proper perspective. This is a young and inexperienced side and what happened here in the second Test, it was a freak happening I don’t think it will happen again.”
He accepted that their could be no other explanation for Pakistan’s sudden slump in form since beating Australia in their own backyard in June other then internal problems in the team.
“Yes there were problems that is why the board changed the coach and manager. I don’t want to elaborate on this issue. But certainly what Lt. Gen. Tauqir Zia did in the wake of our defeat was a very honorable and dignified thing to do.”
Nasir pointed out that the PCB chairman had taken the blame for the team’s poor performance which was rare in Pakistan.
“He has accepted his responsibility as cricket chief. But more importantly by not accepting his resignation, President Pervez Musharraf has conveyed his confidence in Tauqir Zia and the young players in this team.”
“And I think we owe to the country, President Musharraf and Tauqir Zia that we come back strongly in the third Test. I can assure you we have not thrown in the towel.”
Nasir said one main reason for the team’s drastic difference in performance in the Tests at Colombo and Sharjah was that the Australians in the first match had not taken things seriously.
Meanwhile, wicketkeeper Rashid Latif has been cleared to play in the final Test against Australia from Saturday.
One of the few senior players in the present side, Rashid was given clearance to play the match after going for a MRI scan on his back on Tuesday in Sharjah.
“The scans showed no major problems. And the problems which surfaced will be treated with ultrasound, massage and icing,” Rashid told this correspondent.
The former Pakistan captain who is a key figure in this team was unable to keep wickets in the second Test which Pakistan lost in humiliating fashion and also was virtually rendered immobile when he batted in both innings.
Also, Pakistan captain Waqar Younis yesterday promised a better performance from his young team in the final Test against Australia stating he had not given up hope of a victory in the match.
“What happened in the second Test cannot be reversed. But we are now focused on what lies ahead and we know we have to work really hard to come back with a far improved performance,” he said.
Interviewed by newsmen on the 50th anniversary of Pakistan’s first day in Test cricket, i.e. Oct. 16, 1952, the Pakistan captain said the occasion was one of significance for everyone but in the middle of a tough series he was just concentrating ahead.
