12 May 2004	Wednesday	21 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

LAHORE, May 11: A top official of the Asian Cricket Council held Pakistan Cricket Board responsible for the poor representation of local cricket associations in the ACC development seminar which concluded on Monday.

ACC development secretary Zakir Hussain Syed told a forum at the Meet-The-Press programme, organized by the Sports Journalists Association Lahore (SJAL), on Tuesday that the ACC had advised the PCB to ensure maximum participation of local people, especially those involved in cricket, such as administrators from the local associations, umpires and coaches etc.

He said the participation of the Pakistan captain, coach and manager in the seminar would have benefited cricket in the region. The ACC development secretary said he had brought it to the notice of the PCB chairman Shaharyar M. Khan.

Zakir said that Pakistan and other Test-playing countries in Asia were not eligible to get any funds from ACC's development programme. The Test-playing countries were earning money through TV sponsorships and other sources, therefore, the ACC had diverted all the funds towards the non-Test playing countries.

He said cricket in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Bahrain and Nepal was gaining popularity. But he admitted that in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Bahrain, the teams mainly comprised expatriates from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

He streesed the representation of local players would improve with the passage of time. "However, the ACC was satisfied with the progress of the game in these countries."