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| December 03, 2006 | Sunday | Ziqa'ad 11, 1427 |
PM promises cricket team more benefits: Rs1m reward for Yousuf
ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Saturday announced Rs1 million reward for batsman Muhammad Yousuf for smashing two world records and Rs100,000 for each member of the Pakistan team that won the Test series against the West Indies.
“The Pakistan team will get more financial bonanza with further successes in the future, particularly if it wins the World Cup early next year”, the prime minister pledged while speaking at a reception he hosted for the two teams.
The teams of Pakistan and the West Indies earlier arrived here to play the first match of the One Day Internationals series.
Prime Minister Aziz noted that sports particularly cricket had become a “great unifier” for creating harmony and understanding between nations and cultures. “Our people are emotional about cricket and this game can bring different nations and peoples together”, he said. “Sports breaks barriers, taboos and prejudices”.
He eulogised the achievements of Muhammad Yousuf who broke the record of most runs and most centuries in a calendar year. “Muhammad Yousuf has made the whole nation proud”, he said while also admiring the humility of Muhammad Yousuf.
The prime minister said it was noteworthy that Yousuf had broken the record of most runs set by a West Indies batsman Vivian Richards. He said he was admirer of such Windies players as Gary Sobers, Kanhai, Klayo Llyod etc.
He noted that the West Indies team has won the hearts and minds of the Pakistani spectators with its behaviour on and off the field.
“They have become popular with the people”, he said, adding “May the best team win in the upcoming One-Day series”.
He said the ongoing series would be a “curtain-raiser” for the next World Cup to be held in the West Indies in March-April next year.
“Caribbean is a great place for cricket, music and so on and I am confident that the tournament there would be a success”, the PM said.
He also lauded the role of media, particularly TV, in popularising cricket — a game which inculcates qualities of sportsman spirit, leadership and mutual understanding.
He said Pakistan Cricket Board had a new leadership under Dr Nasim Ashraf who he said would work for further promotion of the game.
The PM had a special word of praise for former captain Imtiaz Ahmed who was present at the reception.
Speaking on the occasion, Windies skipper Brian Lara said Muhammad Yousuf was “someone who deserved to break the world records”, adding that Pakistan “had beaten us very badly” in the Test series but “we will play good cricket in One-day series”.
He said his team and people back home looked forward to welcoming Pakistan for the World Cup which he said would be a tough competition.
Pakistan vice captain Younis Khan hoped his team would keep up the winning streak in the One-Day series also.
Later, the two teams presented bats with signatures of their players to the prime minister.—APP
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