ISLAMABAD, Dec 13: The chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Shaharyar M. Khan said on Monday that visiting sides to Australia were purposely made to play in Perth in order to put pressure on dangerous teams.

Shaharyar's comments came a day after Pakistan received a 10- wicket drubbing by Western Australia in a four-day match that ended in less than three. "Most of the teams suffer humiliating defeats in Perth and even a Pakistan side comprising such big names as Majid Khan, Mushtaq Muhammad and Zaheer Abbas crashed to an innings defeat there," said Shaharyar after inaugurating the Diamond Cricket ground in Islamabad.

The latest game was Pakistan's only major warm-up match before next week's first Test, also in Perth. He also spoke about Shoaib Akhtar's central contract and said that the fast bowler had still not signed it. "We are in touch with him via e-mail and are trying to sort out the matter."

Earlier, after unveiling a plaque to mark the formal opening of the Diamond Ground, upgraded by PCB, Shaharyar said it could also become a first class centre. "The ground at the moment is fit for Grade II cricket but with a little more effort it could soon be hosting first class matches."

He praised the officials of the Diamond Cricket Club for putting in time and energy in seeing the project through. "It will be my priority to make this ground a first class centre," he promised.

Shaharyar admitted that he was slow in decision-making but said that time had now arrived for implementing all the plans. First, the PCB is to launch a championship in which as many as 430 schools in 34 divisions across the country will take part. "The finals of the event will be televised and the winning team sent to Sri Lanka to play there because they have the best schools cricket system in place."

Shaharyar also announced plans of allowing a Combined Universities team compete in First Class cricket as used to be the case previously. "We have written to 52 universities to revive cricket and assured them of our technical assistance."

A championship for women will also be organised before the end of this season and the PCB has already established a wing for running women's cricket. He said that the PCB was now trying to focus more on the traditional form of cricket because there were just too many one- day games being played.

Shaharyar conceded that it was PCB's fault for not having provided grounds to NWFP and in upper Sindh. "We will now make sure that these areas have appropriate grounds."

Plans are also afoot to have Regional Development Officers submit reports on pitches before the start of first class matches to avoid a repetition of what happened at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium last month.

Almost two days were lost because of an excessively watered pitch in a Quaid Trophy match between Rawalpindi and Lahore Blues prompting the PCB to constitute an inquiry committee.