October 14, 2002	Monday	Sha'aban 7, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 13: As Pakistan cricket lay in crisis following on-pitch developments in the desert sands of Sharjah, Lt Gen Tauqir Zia said Sunday it was now up to President Gen Pervez Musharraf whether to accept or reject his resignation.

“If he tells me to stay, there is no way I can refuse him,” said Tauqir who resigned as the chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) late Saturday night.

“I met the president and told him that he should give charge of the Board to someone else but he told me that you should continue,” he told Dawn in an interview.

Tauqir resigned after a new-look Pakistan team were battered into submission by the mighty Australians in the second Test at Sharjah inside two days by an innings and 198 runs.

Captain Waqar Younis’s men crashed to 59 in their first innings in what was their lowest Test score and to make matters worse, they “improved” upon that record, falling for 53 in the second innings.

These events prompted a “bitterly disappointed” Tauqir to tender his resignation. “It is a historical defeat and being the boss, I am the man responsible.”

Tauqir, who took over as Pakistan’s cricketing head in 1999, said that Gen Musharraf would be making a final decision on his return from Turkey. “He is the president and he’ll ponder who’s the best man for our cricket.”

As Tauqir dropped a bombshell, the Board’s Director Chishty Mujahid also decided to step down although the chairman said that he was leaving because of some “critical” personal problems. “I have asked him to come down to Islamabad to discuss it over and hopefully I’ll be able to convince him not to quit.”

But Chishty made it clear that “if the general goes, he goes as well.”

The resignations of the two key officials, coming so close to the World Cup in South Africa, are indeed an ominous sign for Pakistan cricket and could effectively ruin the side’s chances in the competition.

But Tauqir felt that Pakistan would certainly bounce back from their recent bad performances. “I am 100 per cent sure that this team will go up.”

“I have told (Yousuf) Youhana to proceed to Sharjah tomorrow for practice and have instructed coach (Richard) Pybus to play him only if he is 100 per cent fit and not to take any chance with the batsman.”

Youhana had sustained a shoulder injury in Morocco.

“Also Inzamam (ul-Haq) has been asked to come to Lahore for treatment by Dr Tauseef on his injured knee,” Tauqir said. “Once Youhana, Inzamam, Younis (Khan) and Taufiq (Umar) are together, I am positive that the team will be back.”

“Only eight to 10 months ago, we were the top side in the world, and now that we have suffered a few defeats, critics have begun firing on all cylinders.”

“As the chairman I have never shied away from my duties and have taken a lot of criticism, I regret that I am leaving at a time when Pakistan are not the No 1 team.”

“I will also regret that the projects and the academies I started will be left in the hands of other people.”

Asked about his achievements, he said that the induction of youngsters and making replacements available for the senior team in the shape of Pakistan ‘A’ and junior sides are the positive aspects. “We have strived to provide a back-up for the national string, and today we have players such as Najaf Shah, Yasir Arafat, Junaid Zia and others in line.”

“The system is OK, although it might need a couple of years before it really begins to run effectively.”