July 12, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 8, 1429

LAHORE, July 11: An unwelcome scenario seems to be hovering over Pakistan cricket yet again as the national board management has rejected a 30-man preliminary squad picked by the selection committee for the ICC Champions Trophy.

The PCB was to submit the list to the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday. However, it has sought an extension till Tuesday. Shafqat Naghmi, PCB’s Chief Operating Officer, also asked the selection committee to meet him at the Gaddafi Stadium on Monday to sort out the issue.

“On Thursday the selection committee submitted to the PCB a list of 30 probables, which has been rejected and a meeting has been convened for Monday on this issue,” PCB’s Director Cricket Operations International Zakir Khan said.

Asked what were the reservations and if those were specific to Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, Zakir refused to disclose any name. “I cannot disclose the name of any cricketer and I will not comment if the PCB has objection over the entire list,” he stated.

However, to a question, Zakir said the PCB had sent a notice to Shoaib asking him to deposit the fine of Rs7 million imposed on him by the board’s appellate tribunal, by Monday.

When contacted, chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed told Dawn it was not a big issue.

“The PCB has always approved the list. If they have any reservations we will sit down together on Monday to sort it out,” he said.

Asked if there was some problem over Shoaib or Asif, the chief selector responded: “I have no idea. Anyhow about both the players the selectors have mentioned that for the final selection they will have to be cleared from their respective cases as it is just a preliminary list (of players).”

While Shoaib has to pay the fine, Asif is yet to appear before the in-house fact-finding committee to clear himself from the charges of carrying a banned substance for which he was detained for about three weeks at the Dubai airport last month.

Zakir said the in-house inquiry could not be started against Asif as yet because the board was still to receive the related documents from the Dubai authorities.

Sources told Dawn that the selectors had included the name of Shoaib in the Champions Trophy preliminary squad after a detailed discussion and also taking the matter with the PCB Chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf.

Salahuddin had already said that as the Lahore High Court had lifted the 18-month ban on Shoaib allowing him to resume his cricket, the selectors included him conditionally in the preliminary squad.

Sources said the PCB management had an objection that the selectors had picked Shoaib who is a non-contracted player, for which the Governing Board’s permission was necessary.

However, in the past, the selectors had included Nasir Jamshed, Abdul Rauf and Saeed Ajmal — all non-contracted players — without permission.

Reuters adds:

A PCB spokesman confirmed the delay in the preliminary squad’s announcement.

“We have got clearance from the ICC for delaying announcement of the squad until the 15th. Shoaib’s name would only be considered for selection if he clears the fine first,” he said.

Abid Hasan Minto, Shoaib’s legal counsel, said the board had never asked the bowler to pay the fine until now.

“Unless they tell him to pay the fine how can he move forward because the case is still under consideration of the court,” Abid stated. He added the court had not said if Shoaib did not pay the fine he cannot be considered for Pakistan.

About Asif, Naghmi explicitly expressed the PCB policy over the lanky paceman’s detention matter at the Dubai airport.

“As far as Asif is concerned the committee will start its work once its gets the official report about the case from authorities in Dubai. If he is found guilty he will not be considered for the final squad,” Naghmi said.