November 20, 2003	Thursday	Ramazan 24, 1424

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LAHORE, Nov 19: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ad hoc committee chairman Lt-Gen (retd.) Tauqir Zia declared on Wednesday that he had no intention to quit.

“I was given the job and I will continue it until I have the instructions from those who assigned me this job,” Tauqir said without naming PCB patron-in-chief president of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf.

PCB chairman said that the team was always selected on merit and had utomost confident in coach Javed Miandad, captain Inzamam-ul- Haq and chief selector Aamir Sohail.

Tauqir stressed that the proposed 55-day Indian team’s tour to Pakistan in March-April next would be a real challenge for the PCB and hoped the visit of New Zealand for five ODIs would dispel all security fears. The Kiwis are due to arrive here on Nov 27 to play five ODIs.

He emphasized that the Asian Cricket Council’s decision that no Asian country would visit that country which would refuse to play in Pakistan on security ground proved a decisive factor.

However, he said that Ulema should apprise the people that there was no injunction in Islam forbidding holding of sports activities in Ramazan.

He claimed that 70 per cent work of Vision-2005 had been completed.

“Under the programme, the PCB would prepare 90 grounds throughout the country to hold national and international events and from it 60 had been prepared.”

He said rebuilding process of the Pakistan team would be completed by February next.

Answering a question he said Moin Khan was being re-called as wicketkeeper as he was in good shape and was experienced whereas Kamran Akmal and a few other young wicket keepers lacked the same.

“But future belongs to these youngsters and they will be given chance with the passage of time”, he said.

APP Adds: Tauqir Zia said if the foreign teams opted not to visit Pakistan it could have resulted in bankruptcy of the board.

“It is right if foreign teams did not visit Pakistan we could have been deprived of revenue generation and subsequently made things difficult for PCB as far its financial position was concerned”, he revealed.

He said it was wrong concept that PCB was a rich institution.

Tauqir said the visit of foreign teams would help in dispelling the baseless propaganda of safety of players and security of teams.

“After the recent visits of Bangladesh and South Africa that propaganda has been countered and the visit of the New Zealand it would be totally overcome”, he said.

PCB chief disclosed the bio-mechanics lab would be established at PCB Headquarter, Lahore, within six to eight weeks and with the establishment of such a high-tech facility Pakistan would be among those modern cricket playing countries which has this modern technology which was of great importance to assess the level of fitness of players and other aspects related to physical strength.