LAHORE, March 25: Four former Test cricketers have protested against the PCB for sending them low-priced tickets to watch the fifth ODI between Pakistan and India.
Holding the PCB Chief Executive Ramiz Raja responsible, the cricketers told a press conference on Thursday that President Musharraf should look into the matter and an inquiry be initiated.
Imtiaz Ahmad, Saeed Ahmad, Mohammad Ilyas and Ijaz Butt said they boycotted the ODI as a protest. "We were not invited formally by the PCB and we refused to go into the stadium on a ticket priced Rs500."
The PCB had overlooked the ex-Test cricketers to watch the fourth One-dayer. But it sent two tickets each of Rs500 to former stars for the fifth ODI afterfacing severe criticism from the press. But all the ex-stars returned the tickets to the board in protest.
The former skipper and veteran of 41 Tests, Imtiazsaid thatthe PCB rendered a great injustice by not inviting them despite the fact that they were life members of the board.
Imtiaz claimed that Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC),which controls The Lord's in London, had been sending him free tickets for every international or County match because he had been awarded its life-membership.
Ijaz alleged that it was the right of the ex-Test cricketers to witness the matches with honour, but the board tried to insult the old guard of the Pakistan cricket.
He disclosed that they would take initiative to form an association of the ex-Test cricketer to fight against such accesses. He alleged that Ramiz was involved in corruption in saleof the ticket and he was ready to face him in the court.
Ijaz also alleged that the PCB chairman Shaharyar M. Khan was paying huge sums of money to the so-called marketing consultant Riaz Mahmood without justification.
Saeed, who also captained Pakistan said that the irregularities were being committed by the PCB for the last 15 years after Imran Khan called it a day in 1992.
"PCB officials are enjoying all thefacilities but there is nothing for former Test players" he said. He also appealed the president of Pakistan, who incidentally is also the Patron-in-Chief of the board, to hand over the case of corruption done in the sale of tickets, to NAB or appoint a Lahore High Court judge to probe the matter.
