August 24, 2005	Wednesday	Rajab 18, 1426

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KARACHI, Aug 23: Javed Miandad, the former Pakistan captain and ex-national coach, was perplexed on Tuesday about Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) eleventh hour invitation to a presidential briefing on cricket in Islamabad on Wednesday.

A disappointed Miandad told Dawn that he was utterly confused when a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) staffer rang on Tuesday afternoon to inform the batting legend that he had been summoned to Islamabad to a meeting, to be chaired by President Pervez Musharraf in his capacity as patron of the PCB on Wednesday.

Shaharyar M. Khan, the PCB chairman, will also attend the meeting — that was being held to discuss affairs relating to national cricket and the team’s preparations for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies — along with Pakistan skipper Inzamamul Haq and the senior team coach Bob Woolmer.

“I am not even sure who has actually invited me, the President’s House or the PCB?” Miandad said.

“And if the invitation was from the PCB, I should have been informed in advance like other invitees.”

Miandad, who was replaced by Woolmer after being unceremoniously axed following a third term as Pakistan coach in June 2004, expressed his anguish at the cricket board’s attitude.

“Just imagine the way PCB put me in an embarrassing position this afternoon. I receive a call from the chairman’s personal secretary at around 1.00pm. She tells me that I should reach Islamabad for the meeting. When I inquire as to who has actually invited me, she has no clue. All she says is that she’ll call me again later.

“But since then neither she nor any other responsible person from the PCB has bothered to contact me,” Miandad confirmed.

The former Test captain further said that he had greatest respect for the President of Pakistan.

“In fact, I am a admirer of President Musharraf, who is a keen follower of cricket. I have tremendous regard for him because of his keen interest in the game and have pleasant memories of our several meetings whenever we came across each other in the past.”

Miandad, the finest Pakistan batsman of his era, remarked that he would have certainly gone to Islamabad to give his humble opinion on various topics of Pakistan cricket.

“Of course, how could I choose to stay home if properly invited? I have the honour of representing my country in six World Cups and was proud to be part of the 1992 World Cup-winning Pakistan team.

“My firsthand experience of being the only player in international cricket to have played in six tournaments would have definitely served to benefit preparations for the next World Cup,” he noted.

“Personally, it would have been an honour to be present at the meeting, presided by none other than the chief executive of the country.

“But it seems now that that some officials of the PCB do not like my presence there (in Islamabad) because they are bent upon settling old scores,” Miandad observed.

“What was my crime? Just because I pleaded a case for Karachi to be included as a Test venue for England series, I have been subjected to this humiliation from the PCB officials. Is this the way to treat one of Pakistan’s cricketing heroes,” he asked.

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