MEDIA

Lahore, Oct.30 (ANI): Worried by the widespread controversy that emanated following contradictory statements made by cricketers after the team’s defeat in the ICC Champions Trophy, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has re-imposed a media gag on the team.

The PCB has asked the newly appointed team manager for the UAE one-day series against New Zealand, Abdul Raquib to maintain a strict code of conduct during the series.

PCB insiders said board chairman Ijaz Butt was furious over the way captain Younis Khan, vice-captain Shahid Afridi and other senior players openly criticised the team management after the ICC Champions Trophy.

“He has told Raquib and Bari (Wasim Bari, PCB’s Chief Operating Officer) to make it clear to the players that no more violations of the code would be tolerated,” The Nation quoted sources, as saying.

Sources said Bari would brief the members of the national  squad asking them to adhere to the revised code of conduct before they leave for Abu Dhabi. (ANI)

NEWZ

MELBOURNE - Cricket Australia has reached an in-principle agreement to host the game’s biggest draw-card, India, in four out of six summers under the new Future Tours Program (2012-2017).

The new deal means that teams like the West Indies and Pakistan may not get the same public billing as world cricket’s other two heavyweights-South Africa and England.
Australia already visits India, the financial heartland of the modern game, for either Tests or one-day internationals every year, and commences a seven-game ODI series in Vadodara on Sunday.
Under the new arrangement, which is not yet set in stone but has the provisional backing of the International Cricket Council, India would come to Australia almost as often, visiting for Tests one summer and one-dayers the next, news.com reports.
“The objective has been to spread the quality of touring teams over the period so that we get better value for the fans. If we get it right, we could have India touring here in four out of six years during the next FTP period,” said Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young.
There is an obvious benefit to hosting India more regularly - the value of television rights to CA when India’s stars are in town exceeds television revenue for an Ashes tour because of the huge, cricket-mad population on the subcontinent. (ANI)

Ramiz says retaining of Younis as captain has ended uncertainty in Pak cricket

Lahore, Oct.21: Former Pakistan cricket captain Ramiz Raja is pleased with the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to retain Younis Khan as the captain of the national squad, saying the rejection of Khan’s resignation would improve the team’s performance.
“I am happy that the decision has been taken and a period of uncertainty in our cricket has been ended that started with Younis’ resignation,” Raja said.
“It was necessary to continue with Younis as captain to ensure the rebuilding process of the team was not derailed and we keep on improving as a team which has done well this year,” he added.
Raja also expressed happiness over the ending of the controversy, saying the incident was harming the image of the game.
“This controversy was bad for the image of Pakistan and that is why I am happy that it has ended and the board has also shown some strength,” The Daily Times quoted Raja, as saying.
He, also supported Khan over his reaction to the match fixing allegations, saying any person would have reacted in the same manner as he (Younis Khan) did.
“Any sane person would react in such a manner when such allegations are made against you despite giving your best for the team. The players now need to concentrate on the coming Test series in New Zealand and Australia, which are very important for us,” Raja added. (ANI)

JAMSHED DASTI

Karachi: Jamshed Dasti, the parliamentary sports committee chief who ignited a storm by hurling match-fixing charges at the Pakistan cricket team earlier this month, says that he wants to ensure that cricket is run in a professional manner in the country.

Dasti told reporters here on Tuesday that he believes that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not functioning properly. He said the committee will try to bring administrative changes within the Board.

He claimed that the committee had complete support of President Asif Zardari, who is PCB's chief patron.

Dasti came under fire last week after Pakistan captain Younis Khanresigned because of the allegation of match-fixing against his team during the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa.

Dasti took a swipe at the PCB, saying that the senior Board officials were trying to avoid an audit which he believed should be carried out soon.

"During the stint of the previous PCB chairman, there were huge financial scams. This board is also trying to avoid having an audit of its funds which is why its officials are raising hue and cry over the function of the sports committee."

Dasti said in a TV interview that he suspected Pakistan threw its matches against Australia and New Zealand and later summoned PCB chairman Ijaz Butt and Younis Khan for a meeting at the Parliament House in Islamabad.

Younis resolution likely by Monday

Little clarity has emerged from two key meetings within the Pakistan Cricket Board centering around the future of Younis Khan as captain of Pakistan.




Younis met Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, on Thursday in Lahore and Butt then presided over a meeting on Friday with the chairman of selectors, Iqbal Qasim, the coach Intikhab Alam, the team manager Yawar Saeed, associate manager Shafqat Rana, and the team's vice-captain Shahid Afridi. Younis had been invited, but had informed the chairman that he would not be able to make it.



The PCB was unwilling to make any official comment on the conclusions of either meeting, save to say that a final announcement will be made "in the next couple of days." That is likely to be on Monday, after Butt meets the PCB governing board and discusses the matter with them as well. "We will make an announcement soon," Butt told Cricinfo. "I will not comment on either meeting but will say only that today's meeting was a regular debriefing of the kind we hold after big series and tournaments. We wanted to address issues and concerns arising out of the Champions Trophy. Younis had told me he would not be able to attend so there is nothing in his absence."



At least one board official, closely monitoring the situation - which arose with Younis' resignation at a National Assembly hearing looking into match-fixing allegations earlier this week - is privately confident that Younis will return. "The meeting with the chairman went fairly well yesterday from what I know. Younis told him what he would like and they are fairly just requests, so I expect they will be accepted and he will return," the official told Cricinfo.



Reports in local media yesterday said that Younis had asked for a guarantee of his captaincy tenure till the 2011 World Cup, but both the official and sources close to Younis have denied such a demand was made. "He is realistic enough to know that such a long-term assurance is not possible in Pakistan," the official said. "But he does want the board to announce him captain for longer than just on a series-by-series basis. Maybe for the next six months or so, but more than a specific time he just wants some stability so he can plan how his team will be and how it should play."



The other matter supposedly discussed at Younis' meeting with Butt is possibly more telling. Younis, it is believed, wants to streamline the process of selecting the final XI; during the Champions Trophy, as many as five people were often involved in selection, including the captain, vice-captain, coach, manager and associate manager. Younis wants the panel to be reduced: captain, coach and a member of the selection committee at home and captain and coach on overseas tours.



Friday's meeting is believed to have discussed these conditions. Additionally, Qasim wants senior players in the team to have a meeting among themselves, to clear the air so to speak, over issues that have been floating around the team since Younis took over. Even though the board has denied it, speculation over the role of a lobby, led by Shoaib Malik, and Afridi's own desire to be captain, in trying to undermine Younis' authority is rife.



There are those close to Younis who believe, however, that the situation remains 50-50. "The conditions he has laid down at the meeting are things he has been requesting over the last 6-8 months. Not much has emerged about how the meeting with the chairman went but those two conditions were laid out. If the board doesn't agree to them, or compromises further on it, I can't see Younis changing his mind and coming back."

MEETING B/W YOUNUS N BUTT

Younis Khan and Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, have held a meeting in Lahore on Thursday to decide over the former's return as captain of Pakistan. The PCB released a short statement saying that a "detailed discussion was held" between the two, the details of which will be announced in the next few days.




Unconfirmed reports in the local media suggested that Younis presented to Butt a list of conditions under which he would reconsider taking up the lead role again. Chief among them was a required confirmation that he would remain ODI captain till the 2011 World Cup. There were also suggestions that Younis was unhappy with certain members of the team management and sought personnel changes.



Younis handed in his resignation as captain earlier this week, at a National Assembly committee hearing looking into allegations of match-fixing, after Pakistan's semi-final loss to New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy. Butt, however, refused to accept the resignation and has remained hopeful that he can get Younis to change his mind.

ALEEM DAR

Dismissing suggestions that umpiring in the ICC [ Images] Champions Trophy [ Images ] semi-final between Pakistan and New Zealand [ Images ] was biased, ICC elite panel umpire Aleem Dar said mistakes are bound to happen from match officials as they too are human beings.

The Pakistan umpire also came in support of his colleague Simon Taufel, who was openly criticised by a senior member of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and accused the Australian of favouring New Zealand in the vital match.

"Umpires are human beings and can make mistakes. I don't think Simon Taufel gave a wrong decision on purpose. Anyone can make mistakes, even I have made errors on the field," Dar told reporters at a function organised by the PCB to felicitate him for winning the ICC Umpire of the Year award.

Dar was presented with a cash award of half million rupees and a special souvenir by PCB chairman Ejaz Butt at the function held at the National Cricket Academy.

Dar also said he is in favour of utilising modern technology in cricket.

"In cricket the umpires will always be central figures but where modern technology is available for their assistance it should be used," he said.

Dar said he is proud to win the award for Pakistan and dedicated it to his father who had backed him a lot in his career.