September 20, 2003	Saturday	Rajab 22, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 19: Former Davis Cup player Jamil Ahmed on Friday called upon the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) to look around and seek the services of ex-players who had represented the country at the top level.

He told Dawn that instead of naming Rashid Malik the Davis Cup captain time and again, it would be appropriate if the PTF gave an opportunity to other stars of yesteryear as well. Rashid has been captain for almost three years.

“I hold nothing against Rashid but the fact of the matter is that there are other players who are more talented than him,” he said.

“There are so many experienced players like Saeed Mir, Inamul Haq, Hamidul Haq, Hasib Aslam, Mushaf Zia and Omer Rashid to name a only a few.”

Jamil, a four-time National Grasscourt champion and son of late Begum Parveen, who won the most national titles, felt that there was something wrong somewhere.

Speaking on a day when Pakistan’s No 1. Aqeel Khan suffered cramps in the Davis Cup tie against S. Korea that began in Lahore on Friday, he said that the players were not given proper training. The two sides were level 1-1 at the end of first day.

“The players were in training for six weeks in the run-up to the tie but Aqeel’s going down means that our chances of winning the doubles have now diminished.”

If Pakistan lose the tie they will be relegated to Group II of the Asia Oceania Zone.