October 15, 2003	Wednesday	Sha'aban 18, 1424

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LAHORE, Oct 14: Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) president Ijaz Butt on Tuesday blamed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for failing to take action against those elements who used unfair means and disrupted some of the matches of the domestic cricket 2003-2004.

Talking to reporters after awarding cash prizes to the Lahore and Rawalpindi teams for taking first and second position in the Inter-region Under-19 tournaments, Ijaz said that PCA had lodged a written complaint to PCB against LCCA president Aamir Hayat Rokri for threatening the Lahore Region team manager Iqbal Sheikh while he was discharging his official duty.

Iqbal, it had been reported, tendered his resignation as manager after he was threatened.

He said that no inquiry commission was formed by PCB to probe the matter.

Ijaz remarked that PCB had not started investigation to nab those persons who put mobiloil at the Model Town ground and dug the pitches of LCCA grounds during the ongoing Inter-zone matches.

Ijaz said that PCA organised the matches of the Bangladesh series, but, so far, PCB had not given the accounts and share of profit to PCA.

He said that Allied Bank had illegally deducted five per cent from the total sale of tickets sold out for the Bangladesh series as commission whereas United Bank had not deducted any during the series against South Africa.

He questioned if ABL deducted the money because one of it’s officers, Ramiz Raja is a top PCB official also.

Ijaz said that he had brought complaints of PCA to the notice of PCB ad hoc committee chairman Tauqir Zia who had promised to solve them.

He was of the view that PCB officials were not interested in the promotion of cricket as they had set differen designs because huge money was involved in cricket.

He said that PCA had invited all the officials of PCB for this function, but with the exception of one official, no one else came to attend it to encourage the youngsters.

As PCB chairman was sitting in the office, all the officials would be trying to please him, he commented.

Total cash prizes of Rs 420,000 were distributed among the players of Lahore and Rawalpindi.