PCB applies pressure tactics on BCB for short series in Pak

 Sports
Dec 162012
 

PCB applies pressure tactics on BCB for short series in PakKarachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board appears to be heading for a confrontation with the Bangladesh Cricket Board after indicating to its counterpart that it would not be possible to send its players for the Bangladesh Premier League unless the BCB fulfills its commitment of touring Pakistan .

Reliable sources in the PCB said on Sunday that the board had already conveyed to the BCB that they need to fulfill their commitment of sending a team to Pakistan for a series.

“Basically it is a very politely worded message but clear that unless the BCB gives a final commitment when it will tour Pakistan it would not be possible for the PCB to give clearance to its players to play in the second BPL season,” one source said.

In the inaugural BPL held in February this year around 20 Pakistani players including Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami, Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shahzad etc took part in the competition.

But for the second BPL although the deadline for boards to issue NOC?s to their players has passed the PCB is yet to issue a single NOC to any player for the BPL which will also be holding its players auction next week.

“It is a tight situation but the PCB is firm at the moment because it feels that it has completed its part of the bargain of supporting BCB?s former President, Mostafa Kamal for the post of ICC Vice President but the BCB has yet to fulfill its part of the bargain,” the source said.

The BCB in April announced it would be sending a team to

Lahore to play a T20 and ODI match to help revive international cricket in Pakistan .

But at the last moment the BCB stopped its team citing a order from the Dhaka High Court which said that Bangladeshi players should not go and play in Pakistan because of security concerns.

Another source said eventually the PCB will allow its players to take part in the BPL but is using the league to get the BCB to give a written commitment of sending its team.

No Test playing nation has toured Pakistan since militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in March, 2009 in Lahore.

PTI

Saleem Malik to file a petition against PCB in High Court

 Sports
Dec 132012
 

Saleem Malik to file a petition against PCB in High CourtKarachi: Pakistan`s former captain Saleem Malik, who was banned for his involvement in match fixing, will be filing a petition in the High Court to force the Pakistan Cricket Board to come out with a clear stance on considering him for the position of batting coach of the national team.

Aftab Gul, the legal counsel for Malik told PTI on Thursday that the board had yet to respond to his client`s Application for the batting coach position for which he had applied within the deadline given by the board.

“The PCB is not giving us a clear answer on whether they consider Malik eligible for the position or not and we are going to file a petition in the High Court for this,” Gul himself a former test player said.

Malik, 49, played 103 Tests and 283 ODIs before a judicial inquiry tribunal recommended a life ban on him in 2000 for his involvement in match-fixing.

Since then the board has declared him persona non grata and kept him away from all cricket activities.

But Gul said the life ban on his client had been cleared through a Supreme Court decision.

“A copy of that is already with the board and since there is no ban on him now he is eligible to work in any position in the board or with the team,” Gul said.

“We will be asking the High Court to instruct the board to come out with a clear statement on Malik`s current status whether they consider him a banned player or what,” Gul said.

Malik was also considered for a position at the national academy in the tenure of former Chairman Ijaz Butt but apparently the ICC intervened and had the PCB rule out the former captain for any job.

Gul said the court`s decision had also been sent to the ICC. “There is no ban on Malik now,” he said.

The PCB had asked interested candidates to submit CVs for the batting coach position recently and Malik has also applied for the post.

PTI

1,000 spectator tickets to PCB for Delhi match

 Sports
Dec 112012
 

1,000 spectator tickets to PCB for Delhi matchNew Delhi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will get 1,000 spectator tickets and 100 VIP tickets for the upcoming India-Pakistan cricket match in Delhi, the Lok Sabha was informed Tuesday.

In all other venues, both these numbers would be halved, Minister of State for Home M. Ramchandran said in a written reply.

The minister said the India-Pakistan cricket series from Dec 25, 2012 to Jan 6, 2013 would involve three One-Day internationals and two Twenty-20 matches.

He added that Pakistani spectators would be allowed to enter and exit India only through Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai (by air) and Attari (by bus and train).

No permission would be given for crossing on foot through Attari and by train at Munnabao, he said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would also suggest to PCB the list of hotels at each venue where the Pakistani spectators can be accommodated, he said.

IANS