|
|
|
| December 15, 2005 | Thursday | Ziqa’ad 12, 1426 |
Ex-Test stars denied tickets
KARACHI, Dec 14: The National Stadium, venue of the third One-day International, witnessed chaotic scenes on Wednesday when former Test cricketers were unable to get their quota of match tickets. Ex-Test paceman Saleem Jaffar, who ran from pillar to post to acquire his tickets, was a deeply disappointed man, when he was curtly informed that his name was missing from the list of former Test cricketers who were supposed to get two tickets for Thursday’s match.
Saleem, who played 14 Tests and 39 ODIs, received a cold shoulder when he asked the official handling distribution of tickets. He even sought a meeting with PCB chairman, Shaharyar M. Khan, but was asked to leave the room immediately.
Fed up with this maltreatment, Saleem rang up his close friend Tauseef Ahmed in Dubai to find out whether the former off-spinner would let him have his quota.
Tauseef was gracious enough to help out Saleem and asked the PCB official to hand over his quota of tickets to Saleem.
A visibly irritated Saleem minced no words in saying that the PCB should have the courtesy to respect past cricketers of international repute.
“The question is how come they (PCB officials) omit our names from the list,” he asked angrily. “I was plainly told that since name does not exist on the list, I’m not entitled to have the quota of tickets.
“Being former cricketers, the cricket board is bound, as per rule, to invite the Karachi-based international players at international matches. Unfortunately, they have no respect for ex-Test cricketers like us,” he added while having to face a four-hour ordeal.
Saleem was not the only casualty. Other past Test cricketers such as Mohammad Farooq, Anwer Khan, Liaquat Ali, Anil Dalpat and Nasimul Ghani, PCB’s regional development manager for Karachi, were missing from the list.
“In fact, I have no desire to attend the match in the first place. But some friends of mine had requested for the tickets. I had only come here to get my quota,” Saleem concluded.
|
|
|
|
