ISLAMABAD, May 11: The ad hoc officials of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday explained their position over the draft constitution to the Senate Standing Committee on Sports. Fortunately for the cricket officials Enver Baig, the most vocal of all senators was not present in the meeting.

Abbas Zaidi, Director Board Operations represented the PCB in the absence of chairman PCB Mr. Shaharyar M.Khan who is on a foreign visit.

Baig, currently abroad, had claimed earlier that PCB was being run as a personal estate and that the delay in finalising the constitution was because of the methodology being adopted.

In his absence, the proceedings reportedly went off smoothly with the PCB representative telling the house that they were in the process of going through the draft of the constitution prepared by Justice Karamat Bindhari.

The senators were told that once finalised it will be dispatched directly to President Gen. Pervez Musharraf. But the meeting objected to this and asked the PCB representative to submit a copy of the constitution to the committee in 10 days.

The committee, which is headed by senator Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry, decided that the constitution would be sent to Gen Musharraf with their views, instead of it being forwarded straight to him by the Board.

The PCB has been dilly-dallying on the constitution for months now and has failed to keep its promise of submitting the document with the committee before April 30.

The first session of the meeting was closed to the media and it was for the first time that journalists were kept away ever since the probe into PCB affairs was initiated a year ago following the home series against India.

Meanwhile, the second session sought suggestions from journalists for improving the standard of sports in the country

Some good suggestions were put forward by the scribes and the following points were noted for consideration:

1. There is a need for a media department in all national federations to bridge the information gap.

2. The federations declare their calendar of activity and ensure that it is fully implemented

3. Need to establish a sports academy

4. Efforts be made to have the National Sports Strategy approved by the Cabinet as soon as possible; the ministry be asked to follow-up the matter

5. Daily allowance of players be enhanced

6. A Working Group comprising provincial sports ministers along with the federal minister be formed which should meet every three months

7. Federation officials be paid and be held accountable to avoid their claims of being honorary each time national teams fare poorly

8. Private sector be involved for bringing in money.

9. Federations producing results be supported financially.

10. Only those housing societies be given NoCs which have provision for playgrounds and other sports facilities.