22 December 2004	Wednesday	09 Ziqa'ad 1425

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LAHORE, Dec 21: A group of women cricketers staged a demonstration in front of the Lahore Press Club (LPC) demanding the removal of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman , Shaharyar M. Khan, on grounds of favouritism, according to placards carried by the protesters.

The protest was jointly arranged by the Pakistan Women Cricket Academy and Lahore Women Cricket Association. Claiming to be president of both the forums, Azra Parvin, the assistant director in Sports Board Punjab, alleged that the PCB chief had appointed its favourites Mrs Meera Phailbus as convener of its women wing, and Shamsa Hashmi as secretary.

"Both have done nothing for women's cricket at grass root level and those who have been attached with the sport for the last 25 years were ignored," Azra asserted. She stressed that Shaharyar must be removed for making appointments of his own blue eyed people completely ignoring merit.

Women's cricket affairs are in disastrous state, mainly, due to groupings, she added. There were three groups previously which has now been reduced to two - one headed by Shaiza Khan and the second by Azra and her president Mrs Shirin Javed. But the PCB appointed Mrs Phailbus bypassing both groups.

The affairs of women cricket again came into the spotlight after the ICC made a plan to take International Women Cricket Council (IWCC) under its control from next year. Currently Shaiza's group has the affiliation of the IWCC.