15 August 2004	Sunday	28 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

LAHORE, Aug 14: Shaharyar M. Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), contradicted himself when he revealed on Saturday that according to terms agreed with Bob Woolmer, the Englishman is entitled to earn more than the sacked Pakistan coach Javed Miandad.

Earlier the PCB chief had claimed that Woolmer would be getting less than Miandad.

Shaharyar told reporters that the agreement with the new coach and other team management members had been finalised and could be signed at any moment. Once signed, it would be made public, he assured.

He said that Miandad had been getting remuneration according to slab system (match-to-match) and win bonuses, but the rate of bonuses offered to Woolmer was higher than Miandad's.

Woolmer besides getting bonuses for each win, would also get a handsome amount as bonus if he made Pakistan one of top three teams of the world at the end of every year. He would also get extra amount if Pakistan won the World Cup 2007 or finished runners-up, he added.

He said that Woolmer was signed till World Cup 2007 while the trainer Murray Stevenson, physiotherapist Darren Lifson and analyst Coertzen Hendrik's contracts would be reviewed every year. Stevenson too charged more than that of a Pakistani trainer in the past.

Shaharyar said that the accounts for the last Pakistan-India series which were being audited at the moment would be announced in a couple of days. He, however, refused to answer questions about the resignation of PCB treasurer Mohammad Naeem saying a separate press conference on the issue would be held soon. The PCB would reply to all the allegations levelled on him by Naeem in written, he said.

However, he said he had received a reply in negative from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to his request for inducting Naeem in its finance committee. Naeem had shown interest in the post in ACC and he tried on his behalf in the last ACC meeting in Colombo but failed.

To a question about the highly paid PCB marketing consultant Riaz Mehmood, the chairman claimed that the consultant was being paid according to the existing market rates. Riaz charges Rs 4000 an hour.

He announced that the PCB had taken control of the Multan Cricket Stadium and requested the government to also hand over the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad and the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar to the board.

The stadia, current managed by local authorities, were not in satisfactory condition as only the PCB was able to maintain them properly, he claimed.

About the central contract with players, Shaharyar said that the PCB had made up its mind to impose it.

The former PCB chief executive Ramiz Raja had viewed the contract costly and warned the board might not be able to bear the expenditure, but he said that according to the fresh study the contract was viable as the board was earning income.