LAHORE, April 9: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf, who has a track-record for generously rewarding the players immediately after any event or series, has surprisingly ignored the outstanding recent achievements of the Pakistan team against England in Tests as well as at the Asia Cup in Bangladesh.

The Pakistan cricket team won the three-Test series against top-ranked England in the UAE by 3-0 to stun the cricketing world and then brought further laurels for the country by winning the Asia Cup in Bangladesh after a lapse of 12 years.

However, the PCB chairman is yet to announce any cash reward for the team or a reception in honour of the players for the two fine achievements.

In the past, the PCB chief did not waste much time in honouring the Pakistan team in a big way after they won the lowly-ranked Super Sixes tournament in Hong Kong, while the Board also hosted a lavish dinner at a five-star hotel in Lahore prior to the Pakistan team’s departure to the UAE to face England in the Test series.

Instead of honouring the team, the PCB have in fact delayed the signing of new central contracts for the players which should have been issued by Jan 1, 2012.

Meanwhile, the three-day fitness trials of the cricketers commenced at the NCA and were watched by new head coach Dav Whatmore.

Prolific off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and dashing young batsman Umar Akmal were conspicuous by their absence while captain Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi and many others appeared for fitness tests.

Shoaib Malik and Imran Farhat, who were not part of the Asia Cup winning team last moth in Dhaka, have also been called for the fitness tests.