Pakistan likely to recall Asif for Champions Trophy

04 July 2009

Posted by sanil

Karachi : Pakistan is seriously considering recalling Mohammad Asif in the 30-member preliminary squad for this September's ICC Champions Trophy after the International Cricket Council (ICC) said it would not raise any objection against the pacer's inclusion once he completes his doping ban.

An ICC spokesman has said that once Asif completes his one-year ban on Sep 22 this year, he will be eligible to take part in any international event including the ICC Champions Trophy to be held in South Africa. The biennial tournament is scheduled to get underway Sep 24.

A senior Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said that the board is seriously considering the idea of clearing Asif for the 30-man provisional squad for the Champions Trophy. Pakistan is planning to announce the preliminary squad on July 23.

Saleem Altaf, PCB's chief operating officer, said the board will soon take a decision about Asif's inclusion in the national team.

The 26-year-old Asif was banned last year after he tested positive for banned anabolic steroid nandrolone while featuring in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Earlier this week, the decks were cleared for Asif to return to national duty when the PCB fined him Rs.1 million for a 19-day detention in Dubai over possession of a small quantity of opium.

The PCB also announced that the fast bowler will be eligible for national duty after his one-year ban for doping expires.

PCB accuses India, Aus of sidelining Pak in draft FTP

03 July 2009

Posted by sanil

Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board has accused "big nations" India and Australia of trying to "marginalise" the strife-torn country in the draft Future Tours Programmes from 2012 to 2020.

The PCB had raised strong objection to the FTP drafted by the BCCI since it does not include any bilateral series between the arch-rivals and refused to sign the same unless the Indian board revises the draft.

"The draft was placed before the ICC for ratification by the executive board last month but we resisted because we were being marginalised in the new FTP," a PCB official said in condition of anonymity.

The official also accused India of being the apparent driving force behind the new draft FTP, in which they had not slotted any series against Pakistan or Bangladesh.

"We protested strongly and made it clear that we would not sign the draft FTP submitted by the four big nations," he said.

"Due to the strong protest by us, other nations including South Africa conceded Pakistan was not being given proper representation in the new FTP," the source added.

The PCB's chief operating officer Saleem Altaf said, "The ICC President David Morgan has assured us that no injustice would be done with the smaller Test playing nations and Pakistan, being a leading cricket nation cannot be allowed to be marginalised in the FTP."

However, Altaf did not reveal more details of that meeting.

The PCB source said that the four big nations had not even bothered to send copies of the draft FTP to Pakistan before it was tabled for discussion.

"That is why we protested. And we have told India they have to schedule Test series against us regardless of the political situation between the two countries," the source said.

More Indians will be added to ICC Hall of Fame: Morgan

Posted by sanil

The presence of just three Indian cricketers in International Cricket Council's Hall of Fame may have generated a controversy in the country but the game's governing body on Friday made it clear that more Indians would be added to the elite list.

The ICC said that the list would be updated annually and would have an adequate Indian representation.

"This is not the final list. I do believe that a number of magnificent Indian cricketers deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. We will soon develop a mechanism and have plans to add more players to the list on an annual basis," ICC President David Morgan said in a telephonic interview from London.

Former captains Bishan Singh Bedi, Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev are the three Indians in the 55-strong list that includes 22 Englishmen, 11 Australians, 13 West Indians, three from Pakistan, two South Africans and a lone New Zealander.

Strangely, not a single Sri Lankan made it to the list. Morgan said when updated, the list would look balanced.

"There would be balance among nations, on merit," he added.

The list does not contain cricketers who have retired post-1995.

The eminent Indian cricketers missing from the list include C K Nayudu, Lala Amarnath, Vijay Merchant, Vijay Hazare, Vinoo Mankad, Polly Umrigar, Subash Gupte, Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Gundappa Viswanath.

Among the Englishmen, W G Grace, one of the pioneers of the game, has been included but not Ranjitsinhji, who invented the leg glance and scored close to 1000 runs for England.

Morgan also took the opportunity to rubbish notions that India has been a bully inside ICC, arm-twisting the governing body because of its financial clout.

"I have never regarded India as a bully at the ICC. I refer to my experiece with India at the ICC under the leadership of Mr Dalmiya, Mr Pawar and now Mr Shashank Manohar. I do not accept that India acts in a bullying fashion," Morgan said.

He also sought to dispel the fear of an Indian takeover of the ICC when Sharad Pawar succeeds him as the ICC President.

"I have another year in office and have every confidence in Sharad Pawar that he would be a good leader when he takes over in a year's time," Morgan added.