SPORTS Tuesday, 5 July, 2016
PCB, BCCI ChIefs dIsCuss BIlateral tIes at ICC ConferenCe KARACHI
P
AGENCIES
AKISTAN Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shahryar Khan has held a fruitful discussion with his counterpart Anurag Thakur at the Board of Control for Cricket in India, (BCCI) including the possibility of resuming bilateral ties at neutral venues. According to a reliable source in the PCB, Khan met with BCCI president Thakur on the sidelines of the ICC meetings in Edinburgh this week and raised the issue of resuming bilateral ties. “A proposal has been floated that it is about time that the two boards worked out a proper calendar for bilateral series at neutral venues,” the source said. He said the proposal was that the two countries should play a full bilateral series every two years. “The PCB chief said Pakistan
would be willing to play in India when it was the turn of the BCCI to host the series. While when it was Pakistan’s turn to host the series it would be held at a neutral venue finalised by consensus,” the source added. The source said both the board heads had agreed that they needed to talk to their governments to get clearance for a full bilateral series sometime in late 2016 or 2017. “Shahryar made it clear that Pakistan had suffered loss of revenues in millions because of India’s refusal to play a proper bilateral series since 2007 and it was time the two boards reached a proper agreement on this with the involvement of the ICC,” he said. Although Pakistan toured India for a short one-day series in December 2012 there has been no full series since Pakistan last toured India in 2007. The PCB had tried to push the BCCI to honour a MOU signed between the two boards in
2014 when Najam Sethi was heading the PCB under which Pakistan was to host India for a bilateral series in the UAE in late 2015 but the BCCI said it couldn’t play without clearance from its government. The source said when Shahryar Khan moved the proposal in the ICC board meeting for a special fund to be set-up to compensate for international teams not touring the country since 2009 he
spoke in detail about the losses also suffered by Pakistan due to India’s refusal to honour the MOU. Under the MOU the two countries are to play six bilateral series from 2015 to 2023. The source said Khan also discussed the plans to have a mini IPL in the UAE by the Indian board and hoped it would not clash directly with any home series of Pakistan or the Pakistan Super League.
Hostility from England fans will not deter Amir, says Wasim Akram KARACHI AGENCIES
Pakistan legend Wasim Akram says expected hostility from England fans will not deter convicted spot-fixer Mohammad Amir from leading his country’s bowling attack when he returns to the scene of his crime at Lord’s next week. The 24-year-old, once considered among the sport’s hottest young prospects, is expected to make his Test comeback at the home of cricket on July 14 six years after bowling deliberate no-balls as part of a betting scam that resulted in a jail term and lengthy ban. Wasim, who was a key part of Pakistan’s three Test series wins in England in 1987, 1992 and 1996, said his fellow left-arm paceman has what it takes to sparkle on the field and should brush aside expected taunts. “It won’t be easy for him,” the 50-year-old said on Monday. “My advice to him will be to enjoy the game, he has got pace and skill so go out and try to do his best.” He added that Amir could form a deadly
partnership with leg-spinner Yasir Shah, Pakistan’s highest ranked bowler who is returning from a doping ban. “Amir can be the leader of the pack which also has a quality leg-spinner Yasir Shah. I think if Shah is fit he can be the trump card in a varied bowling attack,” said Wasim, who in his
own playing days often paired up with spinners Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq with devastating effect. Amir has already made a steady comeback in limited-overs cricket but English captain Alastair Cook has warned “there will be a reaction” from fans at Lord’s if he is picked. While Pakistan dominated England during Wasim’s heyday in the 1990s, the balance of power has since shifted back to the game’s inventors, particularly in their home conditions. Wasim acknowledged England held the edge, and said Pakistan’s best hope was to match their aggressive approach blow for blow. He said: “England have shown remarkable confidence in the last 18 months, beating South Africa in South Africa, qualifying for the final of the World Twenty20 and winning against Sri Lanka, so they will be tough to beat. “For me the only way is to do ‘tit for tat’ in all departments of the game if you want to beat them.” Pakistan’s batting line-up, with its over-reliance on veterans Younis Khan and Misbah-ulHaq, both in the twilight of their careers, would be their biggest concern, he added.
Amir marks England return with two quick wickets TAUNTON AGENCIES
Mohammad Amir marked his return to cricket in England with two wickets in quick succession against Somerset at Taunton on Monday. Left-arm fast bowler Amir’s exciting career came to a shuddering halt at Lord’s in 2010 when, during a Test against England, he and new-ball partner Mohammad Asif were caught bowling no-balls to order on the instructions of captain Salman Butt as part of a tabloid newspaper sting operation. All three received five-year bans from cricket and jail terms. But the 24-year-old Amir is now back in England with the Pakistan squad and could make his return to Test cricket in the first of a four-match series at Lord’s on July 14. After Pakistan had made 359 for eight declared on the second morning of three in their tour opener, Amir took the new ball. Despite suggestions from England captain Alastair Cook that spectators might jeer Amir, there was nothing but polite applause from a modest crowd for the 24-year-old paceman. Former England opener Marcus Trescothick blocked his first ball and took two fours off Amir’s opening over. But Amir struck with his 14th ball back on English soil when he produced a superb outswinger that moved late to Trescothick, then on eight, which the left-hander edged behind, with wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed holding an excellent diving catch. Amir struck again when an inswinger bowled Adam Hose. Hose, making his first-class debut and probably never having faced bowling of this quality before, was out for 10 and Somerset were 23 for two. At this staged Amir had taken two wickets for six runs in 11 balls. During Pakistan’s innings, there as an ironic moment when the first delivery Amir faced was a no-ball from Somerset and Scotland seamer Josh Davey. Next ball, Amir was caught behind off Davey for a duck.
PCB SEEKS GREATER REVENUE SHARE FROM INDIA-PAKISTAN MATCHES SPORTS DESK With the PCB looking to raise funds in the absence of international cricket in the country and the deadlock with the BCCI in terms of bilateral series, chairman Shaharyar Khan has suggested that the Pakistan board should receive a ‘higher percentage of the income’ from matches against India at ICC events. According to a paper circulated among the PCB’s directors - accessed by ESPNcricinfo Khan presented the suggestion while making a strong case for a support system for the board at the recent ICC annual conference in Edinburgh. He also made Pakistan-specific points during the meeting, including a request that the ICC compensate Pakistan for having to arrange home fixtures outside the country. “Pakistan continues to play India in ICC events. The interest and finances that these generate are unparalleled. Tickets for the World Cup matches in Adelaide and Calcutta sold out quicker than other major sporting events - Wimbledon, the Olympics being two examples,” the paper stated. “The financial income in ICC championships benefits enormously from India - Pakistan clashes. Currently, all members benefit from the windfall from these matches. [The] Chairman proposed that Pakistan should be given a higher percentage of this income.”
Barring Zimbabwe’s limited-overs tour in May 2015, Pakistan has not hosted an international game since the attack on Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009. The UAE has subsequently become their new base. However, the paper says, the extra cost that the PCB has borne to host its cricket in the UAE has placed a huge financial burden on Pakistan cricket and
is directly hampering the development of the game in the country. During the isolation, the development phase was put on hold in Pakistan and regional academies were gradually closed due to lack of funds. The project has been revived partially under Mudassar Nazar, who was recently appointed director of Pakistan’s national cricket academy.
The lack of bilateral series, however, has been a major concern for the PCB at every level, including Under-19s, A team tours and the women’s team. Pakistani teams can tour foreign countries but the cost of hosting matches in the UAE makes it difficult for the PCB to organise reciprocal home series. The report also reflected on how the isolation has upset Pakistan’s capacities in other areas, as curators and umpires are unwilling to come to the country. “Pakistan is the only country that plays its home matches in a third country,” the paper said. “This has placed a huge financial burden on Pakistan cricket. This includes having to play host in one of the most expensive destinations in the world. Dubai, for example, was recently ranked as the most expensive holiday destination. To host two teams - Pakistan and the opposition, scorers, umpires, other officials in the UAE is prohibitively expensive. In addition, the hiring of grounds is a further drain. Little is recouped through gate receipts. Therefore, every time we play at home it is a further drain on resources. “Pakistan is also suffering cricketwise. Many of the national teams have never played a match at home against international teams. These cricketers have been denied the opportunity to benefit from home crowds. At the same time the
Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad.
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cricketing public is starved of cricket at home - when Zimbabwe toured all five matches [two T20Is, three ODIs] were sold out in minutes.” The political situation between India and Pakistan has also had an impact. The BCCI had signed a Memorandum of Understanding to play six series with Pakistan between 2015 and 2023, with the first to be hosted by the PCB in the UAE in December. As has often happened in the past, the strained political relationship put the series in doubt. The last full series between the countries, including Tests and ODIs, was in 2007 when Pakistan toured India. Since then Pakistan have played only one limited-overs series in India, in December 2012, and the teams have mostly met in multi-team competitions and ICC events. India’s refusal to play has cost the PCB over $80 million in terms of broadcasting and other commercial deals. “This needs to be further put in perspective when we remember that India has refused to play Pakistan since 2006,” the paper stated. “Therefore, the principal source of income has been cut off for a decade. Pakistan, in the meantime, has twice been to India since 2006 without reciprocation and the 2014 MoU has not been fulfilled as the Indian government has yet to lift the embargo on cricketing relations.”