RIYADH, 24 July 2005 — Cricket fans who were eagerly looking forward to the Gold Cup Cricket Series between the Lashings World XI and the visiting Pakistan XI expressed disappointment and resentment over the mismanagement of the sponsors that led to the cancellation of the games.
They said events of this nature could be organized by only Saudis who would exert their efforts with dedication instead of allowing some expatriates to handle this major event in a cavalier manner.
The expatriates were speaking to Arab News in the light of the cancellation of the series since Lashings World XI called off the fixtures following the failure of the sponsors to honor the agreement signed with them.
“Only Saudis should manage cricket in Saudi Arabia,” Nasir Ali, a longtime resident in the Kingdom, said, adding that the locals could organize these games in a fair manner.
Obaid Edvanna blamed the organizers for their negligence in arranging this series during summer when the expatriate and local community are outside the Kingdom. “Improper planning and infighting between expatriate groups are reasons for this type of mismanagement,” he observed. “I strongly feel that only Saudis could manage such games in the Kingdom.”
Some expatriates and locals who bought the tickets for these matches called Arab News offices to find out if they would be getting a refund.
A star-studded Pakistan cricket team, led by captain Inzamam ul-Haq, arrived here last week to play three one-dayers on July 21, 22 in Jeddah and on July 29 in Riyadh, while Lashings World XI did not show up due to disagreement with the sponsors.
In a press statement, Lashings Cricket Club confirmed that it will not be participating in the proposed Gold Cup series that was to be played in Jeddah and Riyadh.
Lashings CEO Andrew Fitch-Holland issued the following statement: “On June 10, Lashings met with a representative of the Al-Jawad Group, from Saudi Arabia. At that time we were invited to organize an international team to participate in a series of matches to be played against a Pakistan XI in July of this year. These negotiations progressed and on June 17 Lashings entered in to a formal agreement with the Al-Jawad Group in relation to our participation.
“That agreement required the Al-Jawad Group to put in place various arrangements by specified dates. Obviously organizing a major cricket event, with international players traveling from around the world, is a highly complex process. Lashings has a proud record of delivering the greatest names in the sport to an ever-growing audience across the globe.
“Unfortunately in this case our counterparty, the Al-Jawad Group, did not fulfill their obligations as agreed and with great regret we have had to withdraw from this event. Lashings has an unrivaled history of involvement in the development of events of this nature and we are always mindful of the difficulties involved in bringing such schemes to fruition. We must always act to uphold our values and reputation and indeed to safeguard the interests of the international sportsman who represent our club.
“We remain fully supportive of the development of cricket in the Kingdom. Indeed our Chairman David Folb and club captain Richie Richardson visited Saudi Arabia and were extremely impressed with its potential facilities,” the statement concluded.
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif who organized the Pakistan team said he was happy that he was able to bring the team to the Kingdom as agreed with the Al-Jawad Group but it could not play the games due to the absence of the other side.
