Senate committee asks for Butt's resignation

Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board Ijaz Butt failed to come out with appropriate responses to a number of tough questions fired at him by a 12-member Senate's sports committee at the Parliament House on Monday.

The six-hour long, high-voltage meeting that began with intentions to probe into the national cricket affairs ended with calls for Butt's resignation.

"It is crystal clear that Mr Butt and his team are incapable of running the Board which is why I've asked them to resign for the sake of Pakistan cricket,"

Senator Enver Baig told media after the meeting.

Baig said that he urged Butt to quit as PCB chairman after he failed to come clear on the Javed Miandad controversy and again when he denied writing a letter to the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) to advise him against launching an audit into PCB accounts.

The PCB also drew flak over its controversial hiring and firing policies while the Senators raised suspicions of foul-play in Pakistan's humiliating 234-run defeat in their ODI series finale against Sri Lanka in Lahore last month.

Senator Tahir Mashhadi, another committee member, said that he and fellow Senators were highly disappointed at PCB management's lack of vision.

Butt attracted scathing criticism after it became apparent that he had blocked an attempt by the AGP to carry out an audit into the Board's accounts last November soon after taking over as PCB chief.

"I told Mr Butt that he talks about transparency in financial matters but in the meantime is against any public audit of the PCB accounts,"

said Baig.

"I asked him whether he wrote a letter to the AGP, advising him not to carry out an audit. But he (Butt) claimed he never wrote any such letter. It was a lie because he did write a letter and we (the committee) had copies of it,"

he added.

In the letter, Butt wrote to AGP Tanvir Ali Agha on November 10

"while I am in favour of a special audit so as to ensure transparency... our legal advisor at the PCB has raised a legal objection in relation to the conduct of the special audit".

Mashhadi, meanwhile, emphasised that the PCB chief was also unconvincing while defending his role in the Miandad issue.

Miandad, the former Pakistan captain, stepped down as PCB Director General last month saying that he was not happy with the Board decision to offer him a contract with curtailed authority.

"The PCB chairman was unable to explain to us the reasons why Miandad worked for the PCB without signing a contract for over two months. He was unable to explain why the Board tried to curtail Miandad's role,"

said Mashhadi.

Mashhadi said that when Miandad was appointed as DG, the Board issued a circular on December 4, 2008 in which it was clearly stated that a number of senior officials including Director Game Development, Director International Cricket, Director Domestic, chief selector and Pakistan coach will report to him.

But Mashhadi added that, in the contract offered to Miandad on January 27, his role was restricted to domestic development and "co-ordination with the local authorities in south (Sindh)".

"All 12 members of the committee rejected the Board's contention that Miandad should be equally blamed for the fiasco,"

said Mashhadi.

"We believe that Miandad who is a national hero was treated shabbily by the Board. We have asked the PCB chairman to sit down with Miandad and sort out the issue,"

he added.

Senator Haroon Khan, another committee member, rejected the PCB management's claim that the Board is heading towards bankruptcy.

"At the previous meeting, the Board officials told us that they just have Rs 1.5 billion in the PCB accounts and that it could get bankrupt in six months,"

said Haroon.

"It was a false figure because according to a latest statement submitted by them, the Board has Rs 2.7 billion in its accounts."

Haroon also raised a question mark over PCB's claims that a controversial development project at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium will cost a whopping Rs 470 million because of malpractices by the previous Board management.

"We had summoned the contractor and consultant of the Gaddafi Stadium project today,"

said Haroon.

"They told us that the project will cost Rs 310 million and Rs 470 million was estimated by the Board people."

When grilled on Pakistan's poor showing in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, the coach and chief selector said that they had started their tenures just three months back and needed more time to bring about an improvement in the team's performance.

The Senators also disputed PCB's claim that all-rounder Shoaib Malik had stepped down after the ODI series loss.

"In their report submitted to the PCB, the team coach and manager had recommended that Malik be sacked and Younis (Khan) be appointed as new captain,"

said Baig.

"The press reports we have been reading also say that Malik was sacked but the Board claims that the player had stepped down himself."

Meanwhile, the committee has asked the Board to rethink its hiring and firing policies. The committee also asked the Board to consider rehiring dozens of low-income employees which it fired without following any proper procedure.

Pak-Australia ODI series in Dubai from April 24: Ijaz Butt

Pak-Australia one day international cricket series will be played in Dubai from April 24 to May 7.

This was announced by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt here on Friday. PCB chairman said the test series between two countries would be held in England if the Australians could not make it to Pakistan.

"We have decided to play the five-match one-day series against Australia in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from April 24 to May 7,"

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt told reporters.

Ijaz Butt said that two ODIs will be played in Dubai and three ODIs in Abu Dhabi while one Twenty20 match will be held in Dubai.

Australia postponed their full Test and one-day tour of the country in March last year.

Lingering security and safety fears prompted Australia to refuse once again to tour Pakistan, forcing the PCB to arrange the rescheduled series at neutral venues in the United Arab Emirates.

Pakistan was forced to play their three-match one-day series against the West Indies at Abu Dhabi in November last year.

Butt said there was also a possibility of hosting the Test series against Australia at neutral venues.

"If Australia do not play the Tests in Pakistan there is a possibility of playing the Test series in England,"

said Butt.

Australia's refusal to play in Pakistan stemmed from their army's involvement in the war in neighbouring Afghanistan.

"Cricket Australia was willing to play in Pakistan but their government has refused them clearance in fear that their players may become a target because their army is among the allied forces in Afghanistan,"

Butt said.

Pakistan has been a danger zone for foreign teams since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States sparked a global "war on terror" in which the country is considered a frontline battlefield.

Pakistan had to play its home series against Australia and the West Indies at neutral venues of Sharjah in the UAE and in Sri Lanka in 2002.

The International Cricket Council also decided to transfer the elite eight-nation Champions Trophy, due to be staged in September-October this year, out of Pakistan after teams refused to tour over security fears.

Court suspends PCB ban on ICL players

The Sind High Court has temporarily lifted a ban on Pakistan's ICL players from competing in domestic cricket. Effectively, the order means the group of 19 cricketers in the league can - and some will - take part in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the domestic first-class competition. The ban on their participation in international cricket, however, remains since it is not yet a point of argument in the legal proceedings.

A letter had initially been sent by the legal firm representing the players to the Pakistan board last week to enquire about the ban. It was thought then that the matter would not be immediately be taken to court, but the players' lawyer Zahid Ebrahim said subsequent PCB prevarication over the response and another fruitless bout of discussions at the ICC board meeting in Perth prompted the legal action.

"We waited for the ICC meeting and nothing happened there. The PCB wanted a month to respond to our queries and as the domestic season is already on, we decided to move,"

Ebrahim told Cricinfo.

The matter appeared at the High Court today and immediately an interim order was passed, lifting the ban until further notice. The court has called the PCB for a hearing on February 10.

"An interim order was passed today, by a single bench High Court judge, staying the ban on these players,"

Ebrahim said.

"The court has suspended the operation of the PCB's playing condition 2.2 which bans these players from domestic cricket. A notice has been sent to the PCB to appear on February 10. The restriction was on domestic cricket only."

Eleven players are behind the motion, including Imran Farhat, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Yousuf, Mohammad Sami, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Shabbir Ahmed and Hasan Raza. Understandably, there was relief, even if it is temporary.

"This is like someone has pumped life back into us,"

Farhat told Cricinfo.

"It is a massive relief for us and we have known all along that we are right in our fight."

Farhat will now appear for his employers Habib Bank Limited in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy from the next round of matches.

"My bank have been great. Unlike other organisations, they supported me throughout this. They paid my salary every month and benefits and they really have been great."

Though there has not been active support from the present administration of the PCB, Farhat acknowledged that a more flexible stance on the matter has helped.

"The statements this board has made have been favourable to us generally and certainly they have handled it far better than the last administration and government,"

Farhat said.

"The chairman was also in Australia discussing the case and they are behind us. We haven't been in touch with them at all, but you can sense that this administration wants to help. Cricketers know how cricketers feel. It is in the interests of Pakistan."

Ironically, deteriorating relations between India and Pakistan mean that a cloud hovers over the very future of Pakistan involvement in the ICL, which currently involves a team consisting of only Pakistan players, Lahore Badshahs, besides players in other teams. But Farhat is optimistic it will be sorted out.

"I think they [ICL] are looking at options to make it work, different venues maybe. But I am hopeful something good will come of that."

The key to this case now may well be the stance and slant of the board and their policy. In the early days of the present PCB administration, officials such as Javed Miandad openly argued for the bans to be removed. But Miandad has now gone and Ijaz Butt, the chairman, has struggled to properly grasp the nuts and bolts of the issue. He had been extensively briefed by the board's legal team about the case before the ICC meeting in Perth. Whether or not the issue was brought up there is not currently known.

No immediate statement of any intent was forthcoming from the board.

"Let us receive the copy of the order and study it first,"

Saleem Altaf, chief operating officer, told Cricinfo.

"But a court order is a court order and we will have to respond accordingly."

The ICC will also be interested in studying the details of the order, as the case may well have repercussions for ICL players around the world. It is understood that the PCB will contact the ICC as soon as the order has been examined.

All countries’ll be given full security: President Zardari

Officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) here today met with President Asif Ali Zardari, who is also the Patron-in-Chief of the board.

The President directed to improve the performance of the national cricket team.

Present at the meeting held at the Aiwan-e-Sadar were chairman PCB Ijaz Butt, CEO Saleem Altaf, director-general Javed Miandad, director HR Wasim Bari, federal minister for sports Pir Aftab Jilani, federal secretary sports Ashraf Khan and Sindh minister for sports Dr Muhammad Ali Shah.

The PCB officials gave briefing to the President on the projects of the board, Champions Trophy scheduled in September-October, Sri Lanka’s recent tour of Pakistan and other matters.

Ijaz Butt told the President that the PCB would organize an international tournament in memory of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, on which the President assured him of his fullest cooperation in this regard.

The President welcomed the Sri Lankan team’s tour of Pakistan and said that Pakistan is a safe country for sports.

He said that the foreign countries must tour Pakistan and the government would provide them every possible security.

In view of Pakistan’s worst defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka in the recent home series, President Zardari directed the PCB officials to improve the performance of the national team.
The President distributed prizes among the prominent performers in the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Twenty20 Championship.

PCB demands report on Pakistan’s worst defeat

The predictable fallout from a disastrous loss to Sri Lanka in the series-deciding ODI at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore has begun with the PCB asking Shoaib Malik and the Pakistan team management to submit a detailed report of the loss by Tuesday.

Pakistan were bowled out for just 75, their lowest total at home, and it resulted in their heaviest defeat ever in terms of runs, by 234 runs, in the third ODI third ODI on Saturday. Malik, coach Intikhab Alam and chief selector Abdul Qadir have also been summoned by the senate's sports committee to explain the reasons behind the loss.

"I have instructed Yawar Saeed (manager) and coach Intikhab Alam to give their detailed comments on the defeat in the next two days so that we can find out what happened. The board wants to know what has to be done to rectify the situation and set things right,"

Ijaz Butt, chairman of the PCB, said.

"We can't tolerate such poor performances from anyone. Like others I am also surprised at the way our batsmen played but I can't make any further comment until receiving a detailed report,"

he added.

A number of aspects of the performance are likely to come under the scanner, from the dropping of Sohail Tanvir, to going in with three spinners when all the talk had been of using pace.

Salman Butt's decision to go off the field with two overs left in the Sri Lanka innings, which eventually prevented him from opening the innings and requiring a re-jig in the batting order was another in a long line of costly mistakes. Asked whether the team management was aware of the rules, Butt said the opener had been told by the manager, but got late.

"It could be one of the reasons because [Salman] Butt was one of the in-form batsmen. However, there is no excuse too be bowled out for just 75,"

the chairman said.

Pakistan down to fifth position in ODI rankings

Pakistan have slipped one place to fifth in the ICC One-day International ranking table following their 2-1 series defeat at home to Sri Lanka.

Although Shoaib Malik’s team won the first ODI of the series in Karachi, it then proceeded to lose the second and third matches after impressive displays by the visitors.

That means Pakistan lost three ratings points and dropped below New Zealand into fifth place on the table.

For their part, Sri Lanka has gained two ratings points from that series and as a result stay in seventh position but they are now just one point behind England in sixth spot.

Meanwhile, Nuwan Kulasekara, the Sri Lanka medium-pacer, has climbed to No.2 in the ICC rankings for ODI bowlers after an impressive run of performances since his return to the team in April 2008. In that period, he has taken 40 wickets at an average of 18, including five wickets in the last two ODIs of the series against Pakistan, where he wrecked the top order to help his team win both the games by sizeable margins.

Kulasekara moves ahead of team-mate Muttiah Muralitharan — who is now in fourth place — while Australian left-armer Nathan Bracken has fallen to the No. 3 spot.

Two Bangladesh players — Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza — have made it to the top ten after a series of notable displays against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe at home. Shakib — who has climbed 15 places to reach No. 6 — has taken 11 wickets in his last six ODIs at 10.81, while Mortaza, now ranked ninth, has fared just as well, with 14 wickets in as many games.

For Pakistan, Sohail Tanvir’s failure in the first two ODIs against Sri Lanka — he conceded 85 runs in 12 overs for a wicket and was promptly dropped — has cost him a place in the top ten. He slips ten places to No.17.

ICL's push for recognition

The PCB has once again indicated it is keen on bringing back ICL players into the fold, with chairman Ijaz Butt urging the ICC to resolve the current policy of most national boards excluding those involved with the unsanctioned league from playing international or domestic cricket run officially.

"We don't want our players to be banned because they have contracts with the ICL,"

Butt was quoted by PTI.

"But unfortunately we can't do anything unless the ICC changes its stance on this issue."

The Pakistan board, under its previous administration, had announced a ban in December 2007 on six players who took part in the ICL's inaugural tournament, and since then 13 others had joined the league, including batsman Mohammad Yousuf. Among those banned are former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood and Mohammad Sami. Surprisingly, the ban does not apply to coaches and officials, with Moin Khan guiding Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in the domestic circuit.

"The PCB has not directly banned the players, We have banned them under the ICC rules,"

Butt said.

"The rules state that no tournament can be held without the home board's permission and, in the case of the ICL, the Indian board [BCCI] does not recognise it as it runs its own league, the IPL."

The BCCI had been instructed by the ICC to conduct talks with the ICL - which had approached the ICC for recognition - but Butt said he was not aware of any progress on the matter, which would be discussed at the ICC executive board meeting in Perth on January 31. Butt felt it won't be long before the official stance on the ICL is changed, as the ICL had a strong legal case.

"I don't think this ban will be there for long. Because the ICL is back to talking about taking legal action, if necessary, if the ICC or Indian board does not recognise it. And let me make it clear here the ICC lawyers have indicated ICL has a strong legal case."

When he took over in October, Butt had talked of a possible merger between the ICL and the BCCI-run IPL, though the Indian board is yet to confirm any such development. The new PCB administration has been vocal over the stance on ICL players, with Javed Miandad, former Pakistan captain and now the board's director-general, questioning the rationale of the bans.

Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 1st ODI, Karachi

Pakistan 220 for 2 (Butt 100*, Manzoor 83) beat

Sri Lanka 219 (Sangakkara 49, Anjum 4-42, Gul 3-30)by eight wickets

A country starved of international cricket for over six months celebrated with a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka to take a 1-0 lead in the series, thanks to the efforts of Salman Butt and Khurram Manzoor, who made light work of the 220-run target. Pakistan took full advantage of a jaded Sri Lankan side still circumspect with their form after struggling against weak sides in the recent months.

Sri Lanka were outclassed particularly in the batting and the wounds are taking way too long to heal. Their relatively potent bowling attack struggled to script a turnaround for the team's fortunes as a whole and with the first breakthrough coming as late as the 38th over, it was curtains for Sri Lanka.

Pakistan's discipline, impressive for a team denied of opportunities to play as a unit in the last year, carried them through. Save for a poor start with the ball, there were no other signs of rustiness and the positive body language showed they were happy to be back and performing against stronger opposition.

The start to the chase wasn't electric but watchful. It was a contrasting approach to Sri Lanka's earlier in the day, as the batsmen saw off the opening bowlers, who kept things fairly tight. That the Powerplays cost only 32 and 23 runs respectively, didn't cause too many worries in the Pakistan camp as they chased a below-par score.

The question was whether Pakistan would hold their own against the spinners, and their preparations against Ajantha Mendis seemed to pay off as they played him effectively off the hand. The plan was to get forward and smother the spin as most of Mendis' deliveries appeared to skid through.

Mendis was duly punished for ten runs in his first over, which included two forceful shots by Manzoor square of the wicket on either side. Mahela Jayawardene placed a slip to induce a mistake but Manzoor frequently glided deliveries past that fielder, even bringing up his fifty off one such deft touch.

The consistent Butt carried on his solid touch from the previous year - which he scored 861 runs - with some neat flicks past midwicket off Nuwan Kulasekara. He used his feet well against the spinners, playing down the line and with the turn. When Sanath Jayasuriya was brought on to effect a breakthrough, Butt slogged him for boundaries over midwicket.

His partner wasn't quite so assured at the start though and often made the mistake of shuffling across too far and cramping himself for room to cut. He gained in confidence as the innings progressed but perished at the stroke of the third Powerplay, caught and bowled by Muralitharan, after giving the bowler the charge but failing to get the elevation.

Butt pushed Mendis to deep cover to bring up his tenth ODI fifty. His ability to convert his fifties into bigger scores showed why he was among the top run scorers last year. He was surprisingly out of touch in the Abu Dhabi ODIs against West Indies in November, but today he shrugged off his recent indifferent form when he pushed a single to long-on to bring up his eighth ODI ton and fourth in the last 12 months.

It was a lesson on how to bat on this wicket, which played true to its prediction as a batting track. Sri Lanka's batsmen had the advantage at the toss but floundered after a strong start. The insecurities of the middle-order slowly surfaced as Pakistan clawed back, applied the pressure and restricted Sri Lanka to a total much lower than projected after the early blitz.

The experiment of asking Dilshan to open clicked and his heaves and slashes, effective but not necessarily attractive, showed why Sri Lanka missed him during the Bangladesh ODIs. Umar Gul, fresh from a stint in Australia, found success as early as his first over, getting Dilshan caught and then trapping Jayasuriya in front.

At the end of the 14th over, Sri Lanka had raced ahead with 89 on the board but the dismissals pegged the scoring back to the point from which they never recovered. Kumar Sangakkara swept the spinners, grafted away and was happy pushing the singles - he took 26 in all.

Kapugedera and Jehan Mubarak threw away their wickets, while Sangakkara perished off an upper cut, taken athletically by Butt at point just short of his fifty. In the end, it was Pakistan's first and second change bowlers who did most of the damage, after the hype surrounding Shoaib Akhtar's inclusion.

Sri Lanka don't have any time to regroup, with the second game scheduled for tomorrow. Pakistan will look for a series win and bring more smiles back to the faces of their fans who were given a second chance after India's pull-out.

ICC asks Pakistan about Asif case

The International Cricket Council has asked officials in Pakistan to explain what action they plan to take against fast bowler Mohammad Asif over his drugs arrest, an official said Thursday.

The 26-year-old fast bowler was detained in June for nearly three weeks for possession of opium as he was returning to Pakistan after playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Dubai police deported him without charge, saying the quantity of illegal drugs found was insufficient, but he was barred from the United Arab Emirates for life.

Pakistan’s Senate standing committee has recommended that Asif be banned for life over the Dubai drugs case, the latest in a series of troubles for the cricketer.

"We have received an email from ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat accompanied by the Dubai detention report,"

the Pakistan Cricket Board's chief operating officer, Saleem Altaf, told a foreign news agency.

"This is the first time we have seen this report and our lawyer is looking into it and soon we will form a committee to take action on it,"

he said.

Altaf said the PCB would follow the normal course taken for a discipline violation after receiving the ICC's query, explaining that the process had been delayed due to a change in leadership at the PCB.

A PCB spokesman said a three-man committee had been set up to review the Dubai report on Asif's detention and make a recommendation "in due course".

Asif is also facing a possible two-year ban after failing a drugs screening test during the inaugural IPL season last year. He was due to appear before the IPL doping tribunal on January 24.

Altaf, himself a former paceman for Pakistan's national team, said the PCB would not rush to conclusions over what he termed a "sensitive case."

"We are talking about a player's career,"

he said.

Asif and fellow paceman Shoaib Akhtar failed drugs tests in 2006. A PCB tribunal banned Akhtar for two years and Asif for one year but that decision was overturned on appeal in a move criticised by the ICC.

Asif has played 11 Tests and 31 one-day matches for Pakistan since making his debut in Australia in early 2005.

Senate recommends life ban for Asif

Pakistan's Senate sports committee Tuesday recommended that troubled fast bowler Mohammad Asif be banned from cricket for life over his detention in Dubai last year for opium possession.

The 26-year-old fast bowler was detained in June for nearly three weeks as he was returning to Pakistan after playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Dubai police deported him without charge, saying the quantity of illegal drugs found was insufficient, but barred him from the United Arab Emirates for life.

Asif told prosecutors he had used the opium, but claimed he believed it was simply a herbal remedy that would boost his energy.

"Youngsters will be encouraged to take drugs if Asif is not banned for life,"

committee member Enver Baig told a hearing at which officials from the sport's governing body were asked to testify.

The committee demanded that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) launch a full probe into the incident, saying Asif's actions had tainted the country's reputation.

PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said he had not yet seen a report from Dubai prosecutors about the incident, even though it was leaked to the media on Sunday.

Asif is also facing a possible two-year ban after failing a drugs screening test during the inaugural IPL season last year. He was due to appear before the IPL doping tribunal on January 24.

Asif and fellow pace-man Shoaib Akhtar failed drugs tests in 2006. A PCB tribunal banned Akhtar for two years and Asif for one year, but that decision was overturned on appeal.

Umar Amin new face in Pakistan's 15-man squad

Nineteen-year-old batsman Umar Amin has been rewarded for his impact on the domestic season with a call-up to Pakistan's 15-man squad for the first ODI against Sri Lanka on January 21 in Karachi. The team, the first picked by a new-look selection committee headed by Abdul Qadir, has gone back to traditional Pakistani strength, pace, but is not entirely without surprise.

Amin was the second-highest run-getter in last month's RBS Pentangular One-Day Cup, scoring 254 runs at an average of 84.66 and strike-rate of 89.12. A sound left-hand top-order batsman, he has impressed on several Under-19 tours and was also part of Pakistan's Under-19 squad at last year's World Cup in Malaysia.

"He is a real prospect and the coach and captain were both keen to have him in the squad, to encourage him and groom him further,"

Salim Jaffer, one of the selectors, told Cricinfo.

"He has impressed a number of people this season."

But pace it is that dominates Pakistan's thinking ahead of the three-match series. Sohail Khan returns having missed the Abu Dhabi series against West Indies in November as does the skiddy, all-round option of Yasir Arafat. Ahead of both are the first-choicers, Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul and Iftikhar Anjum, thus giving Pakistan six options. The wickets, it is a given, will be quicker and bouncier than have been seen in recent times.

"The selection committee spoke to the coach Intikhab Alam about the plan for the series and we have picked a squad according to that,"

Jaffer said.

"Our strength is pace and we believe our options there are stronger than Sri Lanka's so we have gone for that."

But there are some surprises in this squad, prime among them the exclusion Nasir Jamshed. Arguably Pakistan's find of a lean year in 2008, Jamshed has been overlooked despite being in the runs domestically. Jamshed missed the Abu Dhabi matches after pulling out at the last minute with an illness and was replaced by Khurram Manzoor.

A fair rather than spectacular return in those three ODIs has meant Manzoor retains his place over Jamshed, though it is learnt the spot was the focus of considerable debate and disagreement between the committee. One selector was in favour, but was ultimately ruled over by the other two.

There was also some friction over the dropping of Fawad Alam, the allrounder, who has become a regular squad fixture over the last year. As much as a lack of impact, it is thought Pakistan's preference for pace in this contest went against him.

The only spinner in the squad is offspinner Saeed Ajmal, which means there's no place yet for legspinner Danish Kaneria, who was hopeful of a one-day call-up with the change in the PCB management. Kaneria was surprisingly promoted to the top grade of central contracts and noises coming from the new management had suggested he may get a look-in under these selectors, having long been outside of Pakistan's ODI thinking. But a poor showing in the Pentangular one-dayers seems to have gone against him for the moment.

Sri Lanka's visit will be the first test for Shoaib Malik after he was given an indefinite extension as the team's captain earlier this month.

Pakistan squad : Shoaib Malik (capt), Misbah-ul-Haq, Salman Butt, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal (wk) , Sohail Tanvir, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Iftikhar Anjum, Saeed Ajmal, Khurram Manzoor, Sohail Khan, Yasir Arafat, Umar Amin.

Sri Lanka ODI squad announced for Pakistan

Sri Lanka's cricket selectors Friday recalled in-form Tillakaratne Dilshan for an upcoming three-match One-day International series in Pakistan.

The middle-order batsman, who played his last one-dayer at home against India in August 2008, has so far scored 2,994 runs in 152 matches with one hundred and 14 half-centuries.

Dilshan was in impressive form during his team's 2-0 Test series victory in Bangladesh recently, scoring 162 and 143 in the final Test in Chittagong to become only the fourth Sri Lankan to hammer two centuries in the match.

However, he was not named immediately in the squad for a triangular one-day series starting in Bangladesh Saturday. Zimbabwe are the third side.

Fast bowler Dammika Prasad, part of the Test team in Bangladesh, was not included in the 15-man squad for Pakistan to be led by middle-order batsman Mahela Jayawardene.

Veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya retained his place in the one-day squad which had two young players in former under-19 captain Angelo Matthews and Thilina Kandamby.

Sri Lanka agreed to tour Pakistan after India cancelled the January-February series due to simmering political tensions between the two countries over the Mumbai attacks.

The three one-dayers will be played in Karachi (January 21), Lahore (January 24) and Faisalabad (January 27).

Sri Lanka will then return to Pakistan in mid-February for two Tests, in Karachi and Lahore.

Sri Lanka one-day squad: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Chamara Kapugedera, Jehan Mubarak, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilina Kandamby, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Farveez Maharoof, Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Kulasekera, Thilina Thushara, Angelo Matthews.

Shoaib and Kaneria earn top contracts

In a fitting indication of the extremes within which Pakistan cricket operates, Shoaib Akhtar has been awarded a central contract for 2009 and been placed in the top of three categories. This time last year, Shoaib had been demoted to a special retainership category for players whose form and fitness were in doubt. He refused to take it and instead responded angrily, sparking a sequence which eventually saw him being banned and fined by the board.

Shoaib played just three Twenty20s in a four-nation tournament in Canada and missed all of Pakistan's other commitments through injury or the ban. But under another new administration and team management he has been reinstated to the premier rank of Pakistan's players.

Mohammad Asif, as expected, finds himself out of the picture altogether, with no place in any of the categories. He is currently suspended by the PCB after testing positive for steroids during the IPL last year. It was another controversial year for Asif who was also held at Dubai Airport on suspicion of possessing a recreational drug, before being released after 19 days with the charges dropped. His fall has been as swift as Shoaib's rise: at the beginning of last year, he had been promoted to the top category.

The contracts were awarded after inputs from Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam, Abdul Qadir, chief selector and Yawar Saeed, the team manager. The other winner in the new contracts - and another example of the vague criteria applied by the administration - is Danish Kaneria. Last year, Kaneria was demoted to category C, a decision which prompted considerable criticism at the time. Yet, without playing a single match for Pakistan in 2008, Kaneria finds himself in category A this year.

Salman Butt and Umar Gul also move up after impressive years. But Sohail Tanvir, Pakistan's best ODI bowler in 2008, will rightly ask why he is in the same group as Yasir Hameed, Faisal Iqbal and Mohammad Hafeez, none of whom played for Pakistan last year.

Seniority, said the PCB, played a significant role this time. Last year, a mix of seniority, performance, fitness and discipline had been factored in while awarding the contracts.

"The central contracts were devised by coach Intikhab Alam, manager Yawar Saeed and chief selector Abdul Qadir and the main criteria was seniority of the players,"

Salim Altaf, chief operating officer PCB, told reporters.

Salaries for each category remain the same, a boost given speculation in recent weeks that the board would cut down salaries in the face of a severe financial crunch. That means category A players receive Rs 250,000 per month, category B Rs 175,000 and category C, Rs 100,000.

The retainership category has been removed this time and no winning bonuses will be on offer as they were last year but match fees for Tests have been increased from Rs 250,000 per match to Rs 350,000.

Category A Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan, Danish Kaneria, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Salman Butt, Umar Gul

Category B Yasir Hameed, Faisal Iqbal, Mohammad Hafeez, Sohail Tanvir

Category C Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Abdur Rehman, Yasir Arafat, Fawad Alam, Khurram Manzoor, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Khan, Wahab Riaz, Samiullah Khan Niazi, Sarfraz Ahmad, Nasir Jamshed, Umar Amin, Azhar Ali

Pakistan to play five ODIs in BD next year

Pakistan will tour Bangladesh to play five one-day internationals in March next year, an official said Wednesday.

Pakistan have not played a bilateral series in Bangladesh since 2002 although they toured the nation to play a tri-series in May this year.

"There is an opinion that Pakistan has been isolated at international level but it's not correct and we have arranged tours for the team,"

Pakistan Cricket Board chief operating officer Salim Altaf told reporters.

"As part of our team playing more cricket we will play five one-day matches in Bangladesh starting the tour on March 3,"

Altaf said.

Pakistan has been deprived of quality cricket on home soil as foreign teams have refused to tour over security fears.

India pulled out of next month's planned visit to Pakistan after New Delhi refused to clear the tour as tension mounted between the two countries in the wake of terror attacks in Mumbai last month.

Pakistan have also arranged a stop-gap series of five one-dayers and three Tests with Sri Lanka next month.

Altaf said he hoped Australia, who postponed their tour of Pakistan in March this year over security fears, would play five one-day matches in Pakistan in March-April next year.

"I have talked to Cricket Australia on the five-match series and there is always the option of playing Australia at a neutral venue if they have any reservations on playing in Pakistan,"

said Altaf.

Australia have not toured Pakistan since 1998.

ICC meeting on Jan 31 to decide Champions Trophy in Pakistan

The holding of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan would be decided at the meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The two-day ICC meeting will be held in Perth from January 31 next year.

Spokesman ICC Samiul Hasan Burney told Geo News that it was decided in the previous meeting of the ICC executive board that holding of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan would be decided in view of the security situation during the Indian team’s tour of Pakistan but now the situation has been changed after India refused to tour Pakistan. Therefore, decision about holding the tournament would be made in the two-day meeting, beginning on January 31 in Perth.

Sri Lanka confirm Pak tour

Sri Lankan Cricket Board has confirmed on Friday its team would tour Pakistan in the third week of January.

Director media Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Asif Sohail while talking to Geo News said Sri Lankan Cricket Board chairman Arjuna Ranatunga has made it confirm that Sri Lankan team would tour Pakistan in the third week of January.

Asif Sohail said Sri Lanka would play three tests, three one-day matches and a 20twenty match during the tour.

PCB spokesman said PCB is finalizing the schedule of Sri Lankan series, which would be announced likely within couple of days.

India calls off Pakistan cricket tour

India has called off its proposed cricket tour of Pakistan next year amid simmering tension between the nuclear-armed neighbours over last month's Mumbai attacks, an official said on Thursday.

"The proposed tour of the Indian cricket team to Pakistan stands cancelled,"

Rajeev Shukla, a senior official from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, told reporters.

India were scheduled to play three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match during the five-week tour from January 6 to February 19.

"We received a communication from the government stating that in the present circumstances, it is not feasible to tour Pakistan,"

Ratnakar Shetty, chief administrative officer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said, without elaborating.

He said no discussions had taken place over whether the series could instead have been played at neutral venues.

Shetty denied that the decision could wreck the next Cricket World Cup, which is meant to be jointly hosted by India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"It will not affect the 2011 World Cup as that is a different tournament,"

he said, adding he believed that relations between the Indian and Pakistani cricket boards would not suffer due to India scrapping the tour.

But Pakistan cricket officials said they were unhappy with Thursday's announcement.

"We take this decision as disappointing -- something which will hurt Pakistan cricket badly -- but it was beyond our control,"

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt told a foreign news agency.

Indian Sports Minister Manohar Singh Gill had said last week he was not in favour of the team playing in Pakistan when "people from their soil were indulging in mass murder in India."

It was to have been the fifth series between the two countries since 2004, when cricket ties resumed after a 15-year gap caused by cross-border tensions.

Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar had said it would be "impossible" for India to tour Pakistan in the current climate.

"Diplomatically, there has been a fall-out between the two nations and I don't see why cricket won't follow suit. So at the moment it is impossible to go ahead with the tour,"

he told a television channel recently.

The tour was first put in doubt when the Indian government denied permission to the national junior hockey team to visit Pakistan.

Punjab beat Federal Area in Pentangular Cup

The Punjab Stallions defeated Federal Area Leopards by 98 runs in the first match of the Pentangular Cup One-day cricket tournament here in Saturday.

Federal Area Leopards won the toss and elected to fielf first in the match played at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Punjab Stallions scored 305 runs for the loss of eight wickets in the allotted 50 overs.

Captain Shoaib Malik batted aggressively and made 86 while Nasir Jamshed hit 40.

Sohail Tanvir captured four wickets and Shoaib Akhtar claimed two wickets.

In reply, Federal Area Leopards were all out for 207 runs in the 42nd over. Afaq Rahim top scored with 55 while Mansoor Ahmed took three wickets.

Despite the presence of senior players of the national team, the stadium was seen empty as very few spectators watched the match.

Shoaib Malik said after the match that he is a professional player and wherever the series would be held he would go there to play under the directive of the PCB.

Asif apologises for repeated mistakes

Mohammad Asif, the Pakistan fast bowler, has apologised to the nation for his repeated misdemeanours. Asif, who was in tears during an interview to a TV channel, vowed to come back a reformed man.

"I have committed mistake after mistake and for that I apologise to the nation,"

Asif said on the Geo Super channel.

"I have disregarded the green Pakistan blazer but I promise that if I get the next chance I will be a totally changed player."

Asif has been at the centre of controversies during the past 15 months. Before the World Twenty20 in South Africa in September last year, fellow fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar struck him with a bat. Asif did not face any caution but Akhtar was sent back home. In June this year, soon after the IPL, Asif was detained at Dubai airport for allegedly possessing opium. He was released after 19 days. In July the IPL announced that Asif's urine sample had tested positive for nandrolone, which was confirmed by the B sample as well.

Asif, though, appealed against the results of his test, on the basis that the level of the drug varied in both samples.

"They announced the report of the test after two and a half months and are now not conducting any hearing,"

Asif said.

"It's piling frustration on me and I anxiously wait to get cleared so that I can resume my cricket."

Asif has been suspended by the PCB from all forms of the game pending the result of the IPL inquiry. The board had ordered an investigation into his Dubai detention, but it is unlikely they will take any action on that front soon.

He had previously tested positive for nandrolone just before the 2006 Champions Trophy in India. Though he was banned for one year by a PCB tribunal, the punishment was overturned a month later on appeal.

PCB decides to insure cricket events, series

David Borman, representative of a British insurance company, gave a briefing to the officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regarding insurance.

The PCB sources told that the board has decided to insure the cricket events and the series to avoid any monetary loss in case of cancellation or postponement of cricket events and series in the present circumstances.

In this regard, the PCB has contacted a British company a representative of which gave a detailed briefing to PCB chief operating officer Saleem Altaf and other officials at the National Cricket Academy here on Wednesday.

He told a procedure of insurance through which monetary loss of the board can be minimized.

Earlier, the previous management of the PCB had also insured an Australian series and had to bear a loss of about Rs 55 million on account of premium.