‘Injuries serious concern, venues for Zimbabwe series not yet finalised’

Published April 21, 2015
Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board Shaharyar Khan addresses reporters in Lahore, Pakistan. — AP/file
Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board Shaharyar Khan addresses reporters in Lahore, Pakistan. — AP/file

LAHORE: Expressing disappointment over Pakistan’s one-day series loss to Bangladesh after 16 years, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar M Khan admitted that the main concern apart from the ordinary show has been the spate of injuries to Pakistani players during the series.

Bangladesh on Sunday took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-ODI series by winning the first two matches by big margins.

“We are disappointed with the defeats and that too quite badly but we should remember our team is new and going through a rebuilding process as we picked a number of youngsters who are not experienced. So we were beaten by a good, more experienced team which had played well in the last World Cup,” said Shaharyar after chairing the 35th Board of Governors meeting in Lahore.

Read: Misery for Pakistan as Bangladesh seal historic series win

When asked why the fitness problems were soaring, Shaharyar said: “We are worried about that and the BoG members also considered this issue in detail. A good number (four players) were ousted from the series on fitness grounds already. It is an area of concern and we have to take strict measures in this regard.”

However, when the same question about the growing fitness problems was put before PCB Chief Operating Officer (COO) Subhan Ahmed, he said the PCB would form a committee to check out the reasons behind it.

Also read: Saad replaces injured Sohaib in ODI squad

It seems that either the nature of fitness tests and the regimen of the players is too strenuous or the entire system of taking fitness tests is an eyewash since the media has never been allowed to cover them whenever these tests are conducted at the NCA.

The Pakistan team reached Bangladesh on April 14 and in the next four days, four players featured on the injured list due to various reasons.

Earlier, on the occasion of the World Cup-2015 the same problem had kept Mohammad Hafeez and Junaid Khan away from the mega event while another key fast bowler Mohammad Irfan bowed out before the quarter-finals owing to a hip-joint injury. All-rounders Anwar Ali and Hammad Azam are also on the injury list currently.

Also read: Junaid to replace injured Sohail for Bangladesh ODIs

Meanwhile, speaking on the expected tour of Zimbabwe to Pakistan in mid-May, the chairman said the PCB wanted to hold matches both in Lahore and Karachi but there was a problem in hosting Zimbabwe at Karachi since team’s travelling within the city — from the hotel to National Stadium and back — could pose security risks.


PCB chief holds press conference in Lahore


“There is some risk in bringing the team to National Stadium from the hotel and back and of course we want to avoid any further mishap like the Sri Lankan team bus attack in 2009,” said Shaharyar.

He said though the coastal city had another venue where Pakistan had hosted a Test match some 23 years back and where accommodation was also available, but it was not approved by the ICC. The PCB first wants to get the venue approved by the ICC otherwise all five matches might be held in Lahore where the National Cricket Academy, adjacent to the Gaddafi Stadium, is the best place to accommodate the touring Zimbabwe squad.

He said the ICC would give international status to the matches between Zimbabwe and Pakistan despite the fact that local match officials would conduct them. He said the tour of Zimbabwe team to Pakistan is of significant nature as they would be the first full member team to tour Pakistan since the attack on the Sri Lankan team.

The PCB chief disclosed that Bangladesh would also send its women’s team to Pakistan in May as well as its U-19 and A teams.

Shaharyar said there were still doubt that Pakistan would host India in December because the BCCI were still waiting for a nod from its government.

Talking about the recently held meetings of the ICC in the UAE, Shaharyar said that it had been decided that from next time, the post of the ICC president which is a ceremonial one, would be filled by any prolific cricketer instead of a board official. However, he said, Najam Sethi, who has to takeover as the next ICC president from July 1, 2015, will be in office this June and will duly leave the post in 2016.

Shaharyar also spoke about the ICC’s stance on the recent turmoil of Sri Lankan cricket. “Both Pakistan and Zimbabwe tried to convince the ICC members to allow Sri Lanka’s representatives in the meetings, but other boards were against it and they claimed that since the new interim committee running the Sri Lankan Cricket Board came into place due to government’s interference, the ICC would not allow the SLC representatives to attend the meeting.

The ICC, citing the examples of International Olympic Committee (IOC) and FIFA who have suspended Sri Lanka’s affiliation due to the government’s interference there, says it would also not allow the Island officials to participate in the meeting.

It may be mentioned here that the government interference in the PCB is also evident since the Prime Minister now conveniently holds the authority to alter the PCB constitution at any time and his appointee is liable to contest the ‘so-called’ elections for the post of the PCB chairman. Moreover, a representative of the federal government, IPC secretary Chaudhry Ijaz, is liable to sit in the BoG meetings though just as observer.

Meanwhile, the BoG also decided to also honour retired women cricketers by paying them monthly stipend besides extending other facilities.

Four new districts are also being affiliated with the PCB for which the Annual General Body meeting which is being held in Lahore on Tuesday will give the approval.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2015

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