KARACHI, June 7: Sindh advisor on Information and Archives, Salahuddin Haider, has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board chief to plead before his English counterpart the case for staging a Test at Karachi, and not give up easily as he had done before at the time of Indian team‘s visit to Pakistan last year.

In a statement on Tuesday, the advisor observed that he was at pain to learn that attempts have again been started to deprive Karachi of a Test during England’s tour of Pakistan later this year.

“If the England cricket authorities have shown some reservations about staying here for five days, they should be convinced that the May 30th tragedy was an isolated incident. Nothing more should be read into it,” he pointed out.

The advisor alleged that Karachi was denied a Test against India under a planned conspiracy. The Indian investigation team, which had come to Pakistan to look into security issues, was prevented from meeting the Sindh Inspector-General of Police and several other relevant officers, concerned with security in Sindh. The Indians were escorted by PCB officials from Lahore and taken to people who had no idea of Karachi’s security situation.

He said that situation has drastically changed in Karachi because of the efforts made by Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad and Chief Minister Dr Arbab Rahim.

The advisor said that those controlling the PCB at present have done nothing to lobby for their country at the ICC forum and with cricket boards of different countries. “The result is obvious. Pakistan‘s case has been going by default almost at every level. Those in the cricket board lack stature which is posing problems for the PCB.”

The advisor said that cricket board chief Shaharyar Khan must plead Pakistan case strongly and convince the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) officials that a Test in Karachi was an absolute necessity. “Their failure to do so will reflect poorly on their ability to project Pakistan abroad, and turn the international public opinion in our favour which President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz are keen to do.”—PPI