February 12, 2006	Sunday	Muharram 13, 1427

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KARACHI, Feb 11: Tickets for the Lahore and Karachi One-day internationals between Pakistan and India have disappeared into thin air even before going on sale while Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s tall claims of not issuing complimentary passes to curb VIP culture was also contradicted during the second one-day game on Saturday.

According to investigations, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) handed over sizeable amount of tickets to Bank Alfalah for sale.

But the bank, instead of putting tickets of all denominations on its designated branches, have only put low denomination tickets while selling first-class enclosure tickets to its corporate clients and that too in bulk as part of their public relations exercise.

While the tickets for the Lahore match were sold out within hours on Friday, the tickets for the Karachi match will be put up for sale between Feb 16 and 18.

However, with most of the Rs2,500 and Rs1,500 denomination tickets already delivered to multi-national companies or close ones of the said bank, the cricket enthusiasts are likely to get only Rs500, Rs300 and Rs100 value tickets that are likely to be sold at three times the price on match day by the touts.

The matter has already been brought to the notice of the Pakistan Cricket Board authorities who have expressed their helplessness while showing concern.

While awarding the contract of sale of tickets to the designated bank, the PCB overlooked other banks who have performed these duties more efficiently and without any complaints or trouble.

Nevertheless, it was the designatated bank and the cricket board’s long standing relationship dating back to 2004 that earned them the contract without inviting other reputed banks.

In 2004, the PCB shifted all its accounts from another private bank to the designated bank, allegedly on the request of a former Test umpire. The transfer of accounts helped the Test umpire’s son rise to prominence and to a senior position in the bank.

While this tickets issue controversy is heading for another scam similar to the one in the 1996 World Cup, whose accounts worth approximately Rs10m million are still unsettled, the PCB allegedly issued free of cost tickets to their favourites while violating the President and Prime Minister’s directives.

The entire Javed Burki, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis/Nazir Junior Enclosures were dedicated for the VVIPs, including those who matter in Islamabad. Ironically, all of those people were resourceful enough to buy tickets but preferred to satisfy their false egos by taking complimentary tickets.

The PCB, in an eye-wash effort, had fixed Rs1,500 for each seat in Javed Burki and Wasim Akram Enclosures while the denomination for Waqar Younis/Nazir Junior Enclosure was Rs100.

During the Peshawar one-dayer, the PCB, quoting a directive from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, had issued the following press release:

“The Heads of all Ministries/Divisions should discourage their officials from seeking complimentary passes from the Pakistan Cricket Board for the ongoing and future cricket series in Pakistan. The PCB has not catered for issuance of complimentary cases, which is endorsed, in order to discourage VIP culture in the country.”