27 January 2005	Thursday	16 Zilhaj 1425

ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: The government will investigate on its own into the reasons for Pakistan cricket team's poor performance Down Under and the cases of in discipline surfacing in recent days , Federal Minister for Sports Malik Muhammad Ajmal Khan said on Wednesday.

"The players are ambassadors of the country and each and every act of theirs, be it on the field or off it, matters," Ajmal told journalists after chairing Wednesday's executive committee meeting of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).

He said that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had also been told to conduct an inquiry and added that President Gen Pervez Musharraf had also directed cricket chief Shaharyar M. Khan to ensure discipline.

However, before launching an inquiry the government will wait for the manager's tour report. Pakistan were battered 3-0 in the Test series and have now lost twice to Australia in the tri-series competition which is currently on.

The poor showing on the field coupled with incidence of in discipline, among them the alleged rape of an Australian woman by a Pakistani player who is still unidentified, have sullied the team's image.

The minister warned that whosoever was found guilty of having breached the code of conduct will be given stringent punishment. However, the PCB claimed that it had closed the case because the alleged indecent charge was not reported to the police.