NEW DELHI, 30 April 2003 — The Indian cricket board will ask the government to allow bilateral matches with Pakistan in neutral venues, a cricket official said yesterday. “We will soon request the prime minister to consider allowing matches against Pakistan in neutral venues,” Rajiv Shukla, a senior member of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told Reuters.
The Indian government banned all bilateral matches between the two sides in 2000 because of political tensions between the countries surrounding the disputed state of Kashmir.
It has not opposed meetings in multicountry events in neutral venues and the two countries played each other for the first time in almost three years at the World Cup in South Africa in March. India won by six wickets.
The government rejected a BCCI request last month to resume bilateral matches with Pakistan after the board said the team would otherwise be isolated from world cricket.
BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya is expected to discuss the issue with his Pakistan counterpart Tauqir Zia next week in Dubai during an Asian Cricket Foundation (ACF) meeting.
Reprimanded Shoaib Wins
Surprise Pakistan Recall
In Karachi, strike bowler Shoaib Akhtar has been surprisingly recalled to Pakistan’s squad for a one-day triangular tournament next month, just days after being warned his international future was in doubt. Shoaib, criticized by Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Lt. Gen. Tauqir Zia for his poor attitude and lack of discipline, was included in a 15-man squad to take on hosts Sri Lanka and New Zealand. The strike bowler, who bowled the fastest delivery ever recorded during this year’s World Cup at 100.2mph (161.3kph), has also failed to impress in domestic and trial matches.
But head of selectors and former Test batsman Aamir Sohail said: “Shoaib is a genuine match-winner. And everyone, including the team management, has no doubt he has shown the required commitment and hard work to come back from his disappointing performance in the World Cup.”
Zia last week warned Shoaib, who has a long record of clashing with Pakistan’s management, that if he failed to “improve his behavior and general discipline, he has no place in the team. His cricket is finished”.
The squad also featured two uncapped players, batsmen Yasir Hameed and Faisal Athar, while fast-medium bowler Shabbir Ahmed was also recalled. The tournament in Sri Lanka begins on May 10. The 27-year-old Shabbir Ahmed, like Shoaib, has had problems with a suspect action.
Squad: Rashid Latif (captain, wicketkeeper), Taufeeq Umar, Mohammad Hafeez, Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Yasir Hameed, Shabbir Ahmad, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Umar Gul, Abdul Razzaq, Faisal Athar, Faisal Iqbal, Danish Kaneria.
