July 25, 2003	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 24, 1424

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HYDERABAD, July 24: A spokesman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Thursday that the board would not allow any cricketer from Hyderabad or any other part of the country to be victimised at the hands of concerned cricket association or anyone else.

The statement from Lahore followed hunger strike by under-19 player of PCB Regional Academy, Abid Ali Qureshi in front of the Hyderabad Press Club to protest what he said was an unjustified three-month ban on him for playing cricket for District Cricket Association (DCA) and any registered club.

“Since the matter has been brought to the notice of us, we will certainly investigate it. The PCB will see that no injustice is done to under-19 boy,” the spokesman told Dawn from Lahore.

Abid told journalists that he had played for Hyderabad under-19 side last year and was also selected for the PCB Regional Academy under-19 team.

He added that in the ongoing Under-19 inter-district cricket championship he also appeared for the trials but his name was not considered for any of the four teams of this region.

He then approached a member of the Local District Cricket Monitoring Committee (LDCMC), Abdul Waheed Rashid, who talked to chief selector Jalil Ahmed Khanzada and when the final trials were held he was selected among 20 probables.

He said that when the 16-member squad was announced his name was excluded.

Abid stated that when he asked the chief selector why was he victimised, the official stated that he would be considered later on.

However, Abid added, that next day he found that he has been banned for a period of three months from active cricket.

The youngster also contacted president DCA, Rafiq Talpur, as well as patron Haji Moinuddin Sheikh but to no avail in spite of the fact that Sheikh told Faheem Baig Mughal that no talented player of the city should de victimised.

The player claimed that the DCA officials were selecting players on personal like and dislike.

Abid, as a last resort, has now appealed to the PCB chief Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, president of Sindh Cricket Association (DCA) Hasib Ahsan, provincial sports minister Naeem Ishtiaq and Zila Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafik Zaman to ensure that justice be done to him.