January 15, 2002	Tuesday	Shawwal 30, 1422

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KARACHI, Jan 14: All the earnings and profits, if any, from the forthcoming Test series in Sharjah will go in the kitty of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), a top official said Monday.

Zahid Noorani, chief executive of the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS), told Dawn from Lahore that his establishment was not charging a single penny from the PCB.

“All the expenses are of PCB and all the profit is of the PCB. The CBFS is not charging anything but has offered its full support and assistance in hosting the series,” Noorani said.

Noorani, met PCB director Brig Munawwar Rana at the Gaddafi Stadium Monday in which “operational modalities” were discussed.

History will be made between Jan 31 and Feb 17 when Sharjah will be used as a neutral venue for the two-Test and three One-day International series between Pakistan and the West Indies.

“The CBFS is extending full cooperation whether it be the use of ground, floodlights, manpower, receiving teams etc. I believe the PCB has a good marketing division but if our services were required for ground sponsorships, we will help them in those areas as well.”

“Today’s meeting was basically to discuss organization of the series and running of the event. It was a productive and positive meeting,” Noorani said.

He said the Sharjah Cricket Stadium had a square of four pitches, adding that 13 playing days out of 18 was a possibility. He said it was upto the PCB to decide which strips it would use.

“They haven’t informed us yet but after today’s meeting, I understood that they wanted to send their groundsmen and curators though I have not been officially intimated,” he said.

The CBFS had made limited visas available to the PCB when they hosted the Sharjah Cup in October-November last year. But Noorani wasn’t sure if there would be any visa relaxation for the mediamen or followers of the game interested to see the off-shore series.

“The PCB is handling the media accreditation process. But I am not in a position to say at the moment if all will be issued visas or what will be the policy of the government.”

Noorani said CBFS has not written recently to the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding hosting of September’s Knock-Out tournament.

“Sharjah is one of the stand-byes. Naturally we are interested in hosting the tournament. But we haven’t written to the ICC though we will be anxious to know which country gets the hosting rights.”