KARACHI, 1 August 2003 — One step forward and two steps backward appears to be the mantra for India-Pakistan cricket relations.
After fresh hopes of cricket relations between the two neighboring countries being revived with the announcement of several Junior and “A” team schedules involving Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka in the next few months, it now appears nothing is confirmed.
According to the Pakistan cricket board, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has recently written to them that the junior and “A” exchanges would only be confirmed after clearance from the Indian government.
“We were under the impression that the Indian Sports Ministry had given clearance for the Indian “A” and Under-19 teams to play against Pakistan and in Pakistan in the Asian Cricket Foundation (ACF) sanctioned tournaments,” PCB Chairman Lt. Gen. Tauqir Zia said.
“But now we have been told by the BCCI secretary that they have written to their government asking for permission to play in the ACF tournaments with Pakistan,” he said.
The ACF has asked its members Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India to organize the “A” teams and Junior level tournaments from September onward. And Pakistan recently announced it would be hosting a triangular one-day competition in November involving the Pakistan, Indian and Sri Lankan “A” teams. “We are now waiting for the final word from the Indian board. But we realize that there is nothing much they can do as it is a decision of their government,” Tauqir stated.
The Indian government has since June 2000 only allowed India to play Pakistan in the World Cup-tie earlier this year in South Africa. But otherwise they have placed a complete freeze on cricket relations with Pakistan with India refusing to play in the Asian Under-17 Youth Cup in Karachi two years ago and than failing to make a senior tour this April.
The Indian Test team has not toured Pakistan since 1989 while Pakistan’s last tour to India was in early 1999. “We really don’t know what would be the fate of the ACF events if the Indian board does not get clearance from its government,” the PCB chief said. “But whatever happens it will serve as a clear indicator to whether they are any realistic chances of the Indian team touring Pakistan next year in March for the Test series,” he added.
He made it clear that if India don’t tour Pakistan next year, the PCB would suffer financial losses and was no in position to arrange for an alternate tournament at such a short notice.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s captain Rashid Latif at the age of 34 has no intentions of retiring from international cricket, and he will continue as captain until the tour of New Zealand early next year.
Zia confirmed the board was not looking beyond Rashid until the New Zealand tour and insisted that if things went well there was no reason why the 34-year old could not continue for some more time. “It all depends on his fitness. But so far he has done a good job with the team. We are satisfied with the way things have progressed since the World Cup and the rebuilding process will continue,” said Tauqir.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), meanwhile, has sought the availability period of 35 players from Aug. 1 to Dec. 31 this year.
The General Manager cricket operations in the board, Zakir Khan recently sent out letters to some 35 players asking them to confirm in writing when they would be available for Pakistan duty between Aug. 1 and Dec. 31.
Surprisingly this list of players does not include prominent names like Shoaib Akhtar, Muhammad Sami, Azhar Mehmood, Shahid Afridi or Saeed Anwar. But the rest of the players who can be considered as serious contenders to play for Pakistan in the coming home series are all there including former captain Moin Khan, Inzamamul Haq and Saqlain Mushtaq who have not been selected in recent times.
