September 24, 2003	Wednesday	Rajab 26, 1424

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KARACHI, Sept 23: Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, said on Tuesday that he was extremely upset and sad at the decision to exclude Karachi and Peshawar from South Africa’s revised tour itinerary, now comprising two Tests and five One-day Internationals.

“Certainly, the chairman is not happy with venues although it is satisfying to note that the South Africans are coming,” a PCB spokesman said on behalf of the cricket board’s chairman.

“Personally he would been delighted had Karachi and Peshawar been included in the revised tour itinerary. From the cricket board’s point of view it was a very tricky and difficult decision to ignore these two main centres,” he added.

Ramiz Raja, the chief executive of the PCB, told Dawn from Lahore that the revival of the tour itself was a great retrieval.

“All of us are relieved that they (the South Africans) have finally accepted our revised programme. Now we can say that the tour is confirmed and finally on.

“On the contrary, given the gravity of the rigid stance initially adopted by the United Cricket Board to cancel the tour on Saturday, I had serious doubts whether the tour would take place at all,” he remarked.

“But on a positive note, I must admit that it wasn’t a happy decision (on sending a revised itinerary and excluding Karachi and Peshawar) and, as you know, we all had to agree on something for the sake of salvaging the tour,” Ramiz went on.

“Pakistan cricket is passing through a delicate period and we must strive to ensure that tour is successful both in terms of security and finance,” he added.

The PCB had planned to seek damages worth US$3.6 million from its South African counterpart if the tour had stood cancelled to make up for losses through TV rights and sponsorship.

Ramiz stressed that South Africa’s late change of heart was a welcome sign for the global community. “The revival of the tour itself is a happy sign for Pakistan cricket in general and international cricket in particular.”

When asked to comment on the agreement between the PCB and the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB) to leave out Karachi and Peshawar from the revised schedule, Ramiz echoed the words of the PCB chairman.

“I am deeply disappointed and distressed to express the same sentiments as our chairman that the people of Karachi and Peshawar are going to be deprived of watching quality cricket. On a personal note, I feel very sad at this unfortunate setback,” the former national skipper said.

He praised both Karachi and Peshawar for successfully holding matches in the just concluded series against Bangladesh. “We had no problems whatsoever when Bangladesh played Tests in Karachi and Peshawar and the one-dayer in Karachi on Sunday. The crowds were well behaved and thoroughly knowledgeable.”

However, Ramiz refused to give details of the itinerary.

“Hopefully, tomorrow (Wednesday), we may announce the dates of the matches once we have the final approval of the revised schedule from the UCB,” he pledged.

The South Africans were first scheduled to arrive here in the early hours of Monday on a 36-day trip comprising three One-day Internationals and as many Tests after the tour was given a final go-ahead last week.

The original tour also included a one-day warm-up match against a PCB XI side, featuring that great fast bowling duo of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. This game was also to be former Test opening batsman Shoaib Mohammad’s benefit match.

But the UCB then opted to cancel the tour because of a minor bomb blast — in which fortunately no one was hurt — in the city on Friday night.

Karachi was to host the first day/night One-day International at the National Stadium this Friday as the third and final Test from Oct 23. Peshawar was to stage the second Test from Oct 16.

The earnings from the Karachi ODI were earmarked as benefit purse for Wasim Bari, the former wicket-keeper, Pakistan captain and the ex-chairman of the national selection committee.

Now according to the new schedule, South Africa are expected to arrive in Lahore at the end of the month. The tourists will play a warm-up game on Oct 1 before taking on Pakistan in the ODIs. Lahore and Rawalpindi will each host two matches with the remaining tie to be played in Faisalabad.

The two Tests are slated for Lahore and Faisalabad before the tour winds up on Oct 29.

On the tour of South Africa last year, Pakistan also played two Tests that were preceded by a series of five one-dayers.