LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar M Khan categorically said on Monday that Pakistan will not play its ‘home series’ in India at any cost and it should be held in the UAE as per the MoUs signed by BCCI over a year ago.

“The demand of the BCCI to play the series in their country is not justified as Pakistan has already toured India twice — in 2007 and 2012,” said Shaharyar while talking to media personnel here. He said the Board of Governors would also discuss the matter in its upcoming meeting to be held here on Tuesday.

It may be mentioned that BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur had pointed out last week that the Indian government would not give them the permission to play Pakistan in the UAE.

Shaharyar said Pakistan had already played two away series in India and he failed to understand why the Indian government would not allow the players to compete in the UAE when the first leg of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 2014 edition was held there.

“It is our series and we will play at our home venue which is the UAE,” the PCB chief said.

Misbah, Azhar named in cricket committee

According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2014 between the two boards, Pakistan were meant to host India for a home series comprising two Tests, five One-Day Internationals (ODI) and two Twenty20 Internationals.

Meanwhile, in another ridiculous move, the PCB named Pakistan’s most successful captain Misbah-ul-Haq and one-day captain Azhar Ali in its cricket committee which will be working under the chairmanship of Shakil

Sheikh, a member of the Board of Governors. Shakil who is a journalist and a club owner, has no credentials of playing the game at any level or touring with any Pakistan side as official.

Earlier as well, two renowned Test cricketers Intikhab Alam and Iqbal Qasim have worked under him in the cricket committee and the critics and ex-players have expressed their amazement at the fact as to why the cricket board is refusing to see any sense in making a non-cricketing person as the head of its cricket committee.

“I attended the cricket committee meeting today in which Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has also been included and he also attended the first meeting,” said Shaharyar. “But Azhar Ali could not attend it since he is leading the team in the UAE.”

“He (Misbah) is a successful captain and he understands cricket well. His inclusion is a good omen for Pakistan cricket and I am happy over his new role,” said Shaharyar.

To a question about the fate of Umar Akmal who is being probed in a disciplinary case, Shaharyar said that though the middle-order batsman met him and submitted his report on the incident on Monday, he is waiting the police report which would be vital in taking any decision about the player

He said the case might be sent to the PCB’s disciplinary committee but if nothing serious is found, a decision on Umar’s inclusion in Pakistan T20 squad could be taken.

He vowed that no overage players would be allowed to make a place in the U-16 and U-19 cricket teams and wrist test would be mandatory for each probable before inducting them into the national junior squads.

The chairman added that the cricket committee has decided to use kookaburra balls, both at domestic and international level matches. He said on Misbah’s suggestion, it has been decided to use kookaburra balls in both types of cricket. “But as Pakistan is also trying to make its own quality balls, kookabura will remain on one year trial before a change in domestic matches,” he added.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2015