'ACC cannot play further role for Pak-India cricket series'

Chief executive Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Syed Ashraful Haq said that the uncertain situation of the cricket series between Pakistan and India is thought provoking but we cannot play further role to make the series certain.

In an exclusive talk with Geo News, Syed Ashraful Haq said that the Pak-India series is the biggest event not only in Asia but in the world of cricket and everybody wants this series to be held in time.

He said that if the Pak-India series is postponed due to political reasons then the game would be badly affected.

He said the Asian Cricket Council cannot play enough role to make this series certain because this matter is to be finalized not by the boards but the two governments have to deal it.

Dr Nasim Ashraf assumes charge as president ACC

The Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Dr.Nasim Ashraf has earned another distinction when by taking charge of President of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on Sunday.

He has assumed the charge of the continental body for the two-year term after the Annual General Body (AGB) meeting replacing Arjuna Ranatunga of Sri Lanka.

Castrol Asian Cricket awards

Sourav Ganguly has been named the Castrol Asian Cricketer of the Year at the awards handed out in Karachi. Ganguly, who made his way back to the Indian side in December 2006, also won the best overall batsman prize for his outstanding performances in 2007. He was the highest Asian run-getter in Tests in 2007, with 1106 runs, including a career-best 239 not out against Pakistan, besides scoring 1240 runs in ODIs.

Indians and Sri Lankans dominated the inaugural edition of the awards. Muttiah Muralitharan, the joint leading wicket-taker in 2007 with 49 scalps, was honoured with the best overall and best Test bowler. His team-mate Kumar Sangakkara, who reached the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings last year, was awarded the best Test batsman while Farveez Maharoof was the best ODI bowler.

Sachin Tendulkar's phenomenal 1425 runs in ODIs last year fetched him the award for best ODI batsman while Gautam Gambhir, the second highest run-scorer in the World Twenty20, bagged the Twenty20 award. Yuvraj Singh was presented a special award for his six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad in the World Twenty20 in South Africa.

Pakistan's winners included the leading wicket-taker in the World Twenty20, Umar Gul (best Twenty20 bowler), and surprisingly, Kamran Akmal (best fielder/wicketkeeper). Akmal's form has slipped since 2006 and he was dropped from the squad for the Asia Cup after his poor showings.

Among other awards announced, Shoaib Malik, the Pakistan captain, was named the Pakistan Cricketer of the Year, while Ahmed Shehzad, who performed creditably with both bat and ball in the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia, won the prize for the best junior. Pakistan legend Hanif Mohammad was also honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The awards are based on the Castrol Performance Index - a comprehensive points system which takes into consideration batting, bowling and fielding performances of each player against all teams in all international matches, in all three formats - Tests, ODIs and Tweny20s, during a calendar year.

Pakistan will not withdraw as Asia Cup hosts - Ashraf

Nasim Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has said that Pakistan would not back down as hosts of the Asia Cup, scheduled in June. Ashraf has reacted to an offer by his Sri Lankan counterpart Arjuna Ranatunga to host the tournament due to the security situation in Pakistan following former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination.

"There is no way we would withdraw as Asia Cup hosts, then I don't know why they [Sri Lanka] had to make such an offer,"

Ashraf told the News in Karachi.

Ranatunga confirmed that Sri Lanka was willing to act as a back-up should both sides agree on a neutral venue but left that decision to Pakistan.

"We have written and asked Pakistan if we can host the Asia Cup,"

Ranatunga told AFP in Colombo on Thursday.

"It's a sensitive issue, but we will understand if Pakistan refuse us."

The PCB had earlier ruled out hosting Australia in a neutral venue for the home series in March and April. General elections were due to be held in the country on January 8, but have now been postponed to February 18. A security delegation from Australia is expected to arrive after the elections and Ashraf has expressed confidence that both series would go on as planned.

Sri Lanka offers to host Asia Cup if Pakistan opt out

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has approached Pakistan with an offer to host the upcoming Asia Cup cricket tournament as violence continues to wrack the country, the island's cricket chief said Thursday.

The six-nation limited-overs tournament is scheduled to be played in Pakistan in June, but instability following last month's murder of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has put sporting fixtures under threat.

"We have written and asked Pakistan if we can host the Asia Cup,"

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) chief Arjuna Ranatunga told AFP on the sidelines of a news conference to promote tourism.

"It's a sensitive issue, but we will understand if Pakistan refuse us,"

said Ranatunga, who led Sri Lanka to victory in the 1996 World Cup.

Defending champions Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates and Oman are due to take part in the tournament, the continent's premier one-day event.

He also said Sri Lanka was willing to host the upcoming Test series between Australia and Pakistan if no agreement was reached on the venues.

Pakistan this week ruled out moving the March-April series to a neutral venue, despite security concerns voiced by some Australian players following a wave of suicide bombings and riots since Bhutto's death.

"If both sides agree to a neutral venue, I hope they will play here,"

said Ranatunga.

"It will be nice to have them over. It will be a good boost for the game and for tourism."

When Australia refused to tour Pakistan in 2002, the series was played in Colombo and in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Asia Cup to go ahead as scheduled

The ninth Asia Cup will be played in Pakistan next June, as originally planned. This was confirmed by the executive board of the Asian Cricket Council, which met in Delhi.

The teams taking part are defending champions Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, along with Hong Kong and United Arab Emirates. The previous edition of the Asia Cup was held in mid-2004, with Sri Lanka defeating India by 25 runs to claim the trophy.

The Asia Cup was initially scheduled for April 2008, but it was postponed to accommodate the Indian Premier League, a franchise-based Twenty20 tournament organised by the Indian board.

There was speculation that the Asia Cup could be postponed again because of the political situation in Pakistan but Nasim Ashraf, the president of the Pakistan Cricket Board, allayed those doubts by saying he had received an assurance from the BCCI that India would participate in the tournament.

The details of the fixtures will be released at a later date.

Organisers not to open joint account for 2011 World Cup

BHURBAN: Cricket World Cup 2011Organising Committee has decided not to open joint account for the mega event, in its first meeting in this northern Pakistani hill resort on Monday.

The meeting was attended by Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India Sharad Pawar, CEO of Bangladesh Cricket Board Mehmood-ur-Rahman, chief executive Sri Lankan Cricket Board Dilip Mendies and other top cricket officials of the South Asian nations hosting the 2011 cricket World Cup.

The committee was looking at common visas for India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, following a pattern established by Caribbean nations for this year's competition, officials said.

PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf said that the committee would ask the ICC for grants to develop cricket grounds in all four countries,

"like they gave to the Caribbean countries,"

said Ashraf.

Ashraf said that Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad would host the World Cup matches in Pakistan.

The inaugural ceremony of the event will be held in Dhaka, while Lahore and Colombo will host semifinals and final of mega event will be held in Mumbai.

The organizers promised to hold a spectator-friendly tournament with affordable ticket prices.

"We promise a spectator- and media-friendly World Cup in four years time,"

said Sharad Pawar, chairman BCCI.

"We will make unrelenting efforts to make the event a spectacular one so that more and more people come and watch the best cricket,"

said Pawar.

"We assure that prices of the tickets will be affordable to the local paying capacity,"

said Pawar.

He said the committee was looking at common visas for India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, following a pattern established by Caribbean nations for this year's competition.

"The possibility of a common visa will also be explored through talks with governments,"

said Pawar.

The meeting also chose Pakistan's eastern cultural hub of Lahore as the headquarters of the World Cup 2011.

The four countries from the subcontinent beat a joint bid from Australia and New Zealand to stage the 2011 World Cup. Australia and New Zealand will now have the 2015 edition.

The next organising committee meeting will be held in India in November-December this year.

Imran won’t be able to keep Chennai date

KOLKATA: The Asian Cricket Council (ACC), who will organise a seminar in Chennai on the eve of two Afro-Asia Cup matches there next month, has ‘lost’ its star speaker and legendary cricketer — Imran Khan.

“There are too many things happening on political front in Pakistan and, so,
Imran has expressed his regrets for not participating in the seminar. We’re
disappointed,”

ACC chief executive Syed Ashraful Huq said. The seminar, with `Leading Cricket’ as its theme, will be held on June 8.Huq said Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene and senior pro Shaun Pollock, a former South African captain, are “certain” to participate. Jayawardene is captaining Asia and there’s a good chance Pollock is going to be Graeme Smith’s (injured) replacement as South Africa captain.

“ICC President Percy Sonn’s death has come in way of a meeting involving
Africa’s selectors. We’ve been busy making arrangements for Saturday’s funeral
in Cape Town,”

is what somebody involved with selection process said.

A decision is expected in a day or two.

“Right now, there are plans for two Board chiefs (India’s Sharad Pawar and
Pakistan’s Dr Nasim Ashraf), too, to take part in the seminar,”

Huq added.

Besides a representative from women’s cricket, there could be a guest speaker from Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

Afro-Asia Cup gets underway in Bangalore on June 6. Edition No 1 was hosted by South Africa in August 2005.

Gul likely to replace Vaas in Asia squad

KARACHI: Pakistan medium pacer Umar Gul is in contention to feature in next month’s Afro-Asia Cup for Asia following Sri Lanka fast bowler Chaminda Vaas’s withdrawal from the competition to be played next month.

Gul, 24, was not even considered among the reserves for the 14-man Asia’s squad but is now likely to play in the Afro-Asia Cup because of the pull-out of the team’s two key pacers including Shoaib Akhtar.

“I personally believe that Umar Gul can be a good replacement for Vaas because
he is a good pacer and is in fine touch these days,”

said Mohsin Hassan Khan, a member of the selection committee that picked Asia’s earlier this month.

Mohsin, a former Pakistan Test opener, told ‘The News’ on Friday that the selectors will have to look for a pacer to replace Vaas because neither of the two remaining reserve players chosen for Asia’s one-day squad is a fast bowler.

“We had kept three standbys and one of them was Bangladesh’s fast bowler
Mashrafe Mortaza. But he has already replaced Shoaib Akhtar and now we will have
to look beyond the pool of players we have got for the Afro-Asia Cup to find
Vaas’s replacement,”

he explained.

Mohsin and three other selectors from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka chose Asia’s squad on May 11 in Dhaka.He said that the other two reserve players are Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi and young wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik from India.

“I believe on current form Afridi could have been a good choice but we need a
fast bowler to come in for Vaas,”

he added.

Vaas, Sri Lanka’s most successful fast bowler, withdrew from the Afro-Asia Cup just days after Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was dropped from Asia’s squad because of suspect fitness.

The news that Vaas has opted out of the event came from Kangadaran Mathivanan, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Secretary, who said that the bowler, who is currently involved in county cricket with Middlesex, will not be able to play in the Afro-Asia Cup because of his county commitments.

Vaas joined Middlesex to play in the early part of the English season before he returns to Sri Lanka mid-June to play in the home series against Bangladesh.

Mohsin said that the exit of Shoaib and Vaas would weaken Asia’s pace attack.

“Shoaib and Vaas are among the world’s most experienced and accomplished fast
bowlers and there absence would be felt by Asia,”

he said.He said that either Gul or Indian pacer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth should replace Vaas.

“But the final decision would be made after a discussion among the selectors,”

he added.

Gul, who has taken 61 wickets from 14 Tests and has 39 ODI wickets from 30 games, is a key member of Pakistan’s pace attack.

Asia led by Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene would meet Africa in the Afro-Asia series which is due to get underway with a Twenty20 game on June 5 followed by a three-match ODI series in Bangalore on June 6 and in Chennai on June 9 and 10.

Asia Cup to be held in Pakistan next year

Asia Cup will be next held in Pakistan from April 17 to May 3 next year after a gap of two years, according to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The tournament was scheduled to be held in 2006 but was postponed due to an already-packed international schedule for the four Test playing nations.
"We could not hold the Cup in 2006 as the international calendar was packed. None of the Test playing teams had the time to squeeze in the tourney," said Ashraful Huq, chief executive of the ACC.
Referring to the 2010 Asian Games to be held in China, where Twenty20 cricket will be a part of it, Huq pointed out ACC's efforts to induct China into its fold. "The biggest job at hand is to get China to play cricket."
There would be eight teams, the four Test playing nations India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka - as also four qualifiers from the continent.