July 13, 2006	Thursday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 16, 1427

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LAHORE, July 12: National Cricket Academy (NCA) Director Mudassar Nazar avoided to comment if all the new appointments at the NCA and Regional Academies were made by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on his recommendations.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Mudassar said though he made recommendations for all the 11 regional academies and some for the NCA but the final decision was taken by the PCB.

"I don't want to disclose what was my recommendation as it would breach the trust between the board and me," Mudassar said. The NCA and the Regional Academies started simultaneously from July 10.

Asked if he was satisfied with the appointments, Mudassar said "yes".

Mudassar said that the PCB ad hoc committee had decided to import a biomechanics machine at a cost of Australian Dollars 400,000.

"The machine will be installed at the NCA to control the suspect bowling action of the bowlers," he said.

Australian experts, he added, would also come to install the machine and give training to local experts. He said it would take five to six months to install the machine.

Mudassar said that the NCA had started five-week training programme and six-week at the Regional Academies.

He said that the training programme was confined to five weeks instead of 12 because Bangladesh, Nepal, and Indian academy teams were scheduled to visit Pakistan in August and September.

Mudassar disclosed that a budget of about Rs60 million would be spent on organising the academies at the national and regional levels.

The former all-rounder believed that Pakistan would miss speedster Shoaib Akhtar in the first Test starting from Thursday.

"Shoaib is a match-winner and more effective under English conditions and he has the ability to bowl out the opponents twice and without him Pakistani batsmen will have more responsibility to perform," he said.

He said that the fitness problem to the Pakistan team ahead of the series was a concern but on other end England team was also suffering with that problem.

The English team, he added, after winning the last Ashes series, could not play with all bowlers who played in that series due to fitness problems and it was a plus point for Pakistan.