ISLAMABAD, Sep 1: Pakistan cricket chief Mr. Shaharyar M. Khan, appearing before the Senate Standing Committee on Sports on Thursday could not fully satisfy the senators on a host of issues.

The PCB chief had to do quite a bit of explaining for his prolonged summer stay in England to Karachi being ignored as a Test centre and his failure to have champion batsman Inzamamul Haq on the World XI teams.

Accompanied by his trusted lieutenant Abbas Zaidi, the Director Board Operations of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Shaharyar said that he was in England for six weeks of which he took two weeks off.

He was asked to explain by Senator Muhammad Enver Baig what he had accomplished during his stay there.

He responded by saying that he attended meetings of the ICC and ACC besides interacting with officials of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in a bid to convince them to play a Test in Karachi.

Shaharyar explained that while in England he travelled long distances to rally the Pakistani business community for raising 500,000 pounds needed for a Pakistan room at The Oval which is to be dedicated to late Fazal Mahmood.

On the subject of England refusing to play a Test match in Karachi during their forthcoming tour, Shaharyar told the House that the tour would have had to be cancelled if the PCB had continued to insist.

“The ECB had reservations on their team staying in Karachi for eight days and it was on their government advice that they agreed to play only a one-day match there.”

The PCB’s counter-proposal of back-to-back one-dayers also proved futile.

Shaharyar pointed out that it would not be long before teams began to play Test matches in Karachi.

“India are now willing to do so on their tour early next year after refusing a Test there last year.”

The meeting which was chaired by Senator Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry expressed concern over captain Inzamam’s omission from the World XI squad for Super Series.

The house agreed unanimously that Inzamam was the best batsman in the world today and fully deserved to be on the team. It called upon the international selectors to review their decision.

Senator Enver felt that the PCB had reacted to Inzamam’s omission only after public uproar. But Shaharyar disagreed.

“Although the decision to drop the captain is wrong we did not formally question the integrity of the selectors.”

“In order to show our resentment, we have written to the ICC and have suggested that the selection committee be rotated.”

Shaharyar said that the letter had been written specifically to highlight that PCB was extremely unhappy with the selection.

Explanation was also sought from Shaharyar on the decision to suspend the Rawalpindi District Cricket Association (RDCA) and the subsequent appointment of an ad hoc committee.

Senator Dr. Kausar Firdaus asked that how could such a decision be made when the PCB constitution does not exist while Enver termed it an illegal step.

Shaharyar remarked that the entire constitution had not been set aside and the decision had been taken under clauses that were still alive.