Thirteen Pakistan players sign central contracts

Thirteen out of the 27 Pakistan players offered central contracts last month by the PCB have so far signed up. Though there is a delay, the rest are expected to sign up soon.

Some players, including category A seniors Shoaib Akhtar and former captain Shoaib Malik, have already signed the contracts. It is understood, however, that a delay in the formation of the central contracts review committee, has held up the rest of the contracts.

The board formed a four-man committee, including chief selector Abdul Qadir, junior selector Mohammad Ilyas, chairman Ijaz Butt and former director general Javed Miandad, to review the contracts, particularly in terms of younger players they might want to put on a retainership.

But the resignation of Miandad and the absence of terms of reference of the committee have stalled its working. Now, some senior players, it is believed, want to work out small details with Butt before putting pen to paper.

"The rest of the contracts will be signed soon. We don't forsee any real problems with it,"

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

Shoaib, Kaneria asked to explain statements

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially asked Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria to explain recent statements the pair made in the media about the newly-awarded central contracts.

Kaneria and Shoaib suffered in the new list announced last month by the board; the former was demoted from category B to C, while the latter was taken off the list altogether and only handed a retainership.

In his column on bigstarcricket.com, Kaneria said he felt he deserved more respect as an established senior player in the side and was not satisfied with the board's explanation of his demotion. "I am not complaining and frustrated for financial reasons, it is just an embarrassment for me and it pains me very much. I have spoken with the PCB but there does not seem to be any sign that my situation is going to change.

"[PCB] officials have said that part of the reason for my demotion is that I only play Test cricket, but this is not my fault. I have always been desperate to be given a chance to prove myself as a wicket-taker in ODIs but never have had that opportunity on an extended basis. My behaviour has always been good on tours, I am rarely injured, what more do I have to do?"

Shoaib, meanwhile, has refused to accept the retainership on offer to him and also criticised the board for inconsistency in their policies over the weekend. These are the comments over which the board has pulled him up.

"I was made a scapegoat after Pakistan lost the Test and ODI series in India,"

he said.

"I bowled my heart out with 17 overs during the Bangalore Test just to hear that I was unfit and now, suddenly, the PCB considers me fit enough to lead a team in the Pentangular Cup.

"I wanted to play the ODI series against Zimbabwe for getting match practice but was dropped from the team on the flimsy pretext that I was unfit."

He later questioned how a player who had barely played any cricket over the last few months could retain a category A contract, while others who had played were demoted.

"It is all double standards,"

he concluded.

Letters have been sent to the players asking them to confirm these statements and explain them if needed. They have one week to respond.

Danish Kaneria faces disciplinary action

Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, may land in trouble after criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board's policy on central contracts and the board's top officials have referred his case to the disciplinary committee.

Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, said the board has taken notice of Kaneria's column on a website in which he questioned the central contracts policy after being demoted to Category C in the new list announced last month.

"We have a clear Code of Conduct and if Kaneria is found guilty of violating it then he will face strict punishment,"

Ashraf told the News. Kaneria, who has played 51 Tests, wrote in his column that he was frustrated at being bracketed with players who have played fewer matches than him, like newcomer Fawad Alam.

"I have played 51 Tests now and once I pass Abdul Qadir's 236 Test wickets, hopefully this year, I will then only have the fast bowlers ahead of me - Waqar Younis, Imran Khan and Wasim Akram,"

he wrote.

"I just feel that achievement deserves a bit more respect. I am respected more when I play at Essex."

Ashraf said the board cannot overlook public criticism of its policies by players contracted by it. Kaneria's case would be discussed by the disciplinary committee later this month.

"We devised a transparent formula to evaluate the players,"

he said.

"The players were promoted, demoted, dropped or inducted (in the central contracts list) on the basis of that formula."

He did speak on the Shoaib Akhtar saga, making it clear that the fast bowler will only be able to win back his place for the home series against Australia if he proves his fitness in this month's Pentangular Cup.

"We don't care about stars or their celebrity status. For us, the best player is one who is fit, in form and gives his best for the team,"

Ashraf said.

"As far as Shoaib is concerned, he should know the only way to get back to the team is by justifying his place and he can only do that by proving his form and fitness in the Pentangular Cup."

Ashraf rejected the impression that Shoaib's refusal to sign a retainership contract would block his re-entry to the Pakistan team.

"If he doesn't want to take the retainer, it's his decision. We won't stop him from playing for Pakistan on that ground."

Kaneria Hurting After Contract Demotion

Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has vowed to "prove people wrong" when Australia visit Pakistan next month after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) demoted his contract status.

The PCB handed the 27-year-old spinner a Grade-C contract, which under the new contract system puts him among the young and inexperienced members of the team.

Kaneria has played 51 Tests for his country since making his debut against England in 2000, and has claimed 220 wickets in that time to place him fifth amongst Pakistan's all-time wicket takers.

"In one way I don't feel I have to prove myself because I have shown what I can do already, but I am keen to prove people wrong and perform well against the very best when Australia arrive in March,"

Kaneria wrote in his diary on www.bigstarcricket.com.

"It is still hurting me. I have been Pakistan's highest wicket-taker for the last four years and am now one of the top three or four in terms of seniority having made my Test debut in 2001."

"I have played 51 Tests now and once I pass Abdul Qadir's 236 Test wickets, hopefully this year, I will then only have the fast bowlers ahead of me - Waqar Younis, Imran Khan and Wasim Akram."

"I just feel that achievement deserves a bit more respect. I am respected more when I play at Essex."

He added:

"But now I find myself bracketed with players who have just come into the Pakistan system and behind players like [Umar] Gul and [Mohammad] Asif, who are great bowlers but have not been able to stay fit much in the last six months and have not played as much cricket as me."

"I am not complaining and frustrated for financial reasons, it is just an embarrassment for me and it pains me very much. I have spoken with the PCB but there does not seem to be any sign that my situation is going to change."

While Kaneria has enjoyed success at Test level, he has been largely overlooked for one-day internationals, taking just 15 wickets in 18 appearances since his debut in 2001.

"Officials have said that part of the reason for my demotion is that I only play Test cricket, but this is not my fault,"

he added.

"I have always been desperate to be given a chance to prove myself as a wicket-taker in one-day internationals but never have had that opportunity on an extended basis.

"My behaviour has always been good on tours, I am rarely injured, what more do I have to do?"

Misbah-ul-Haq elevated to vice-captaincy

Misbah-ul-Haq has been appointed Pakistan's vice-captain, capping a remarkable six-month rise from near-obscurity to one of the country's senior players. As a result, Misbah has also moved into the top category of Pakistan's new central contracts, announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today.

This time last year Misbah wasn't even on the fringes of the national squad, but a surprise call-up for the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa began a dramatic turnaround in fortunes. Heroic performances in the tournament and a fantastic Test series in India subsequently cemented his middle-order spot.

"The board's governing committee decided to appoint Misbah as vice-captain after a very detailed discussion,"

Nasim Ashraf, chairman PCB, said at a press conference.

"He is both a junior and senior player. He has a great relationship with the captain and is very much part of the team's think-tank."

Misbah's appointment will last till December 2008, an attempt to stabilize a post that saw three different candidates in six months last year. It might also be seen as a snub to Younis Khan, who was vice-captain - and stand-in leader - during Pakistan's tour to India. Younis subsequently announced his willingness to lead Pakistan, having turned it down earlier last year and been a reluctant leader in India.

The news is not so good for a couple of other senior players, most notably Shoaib Akhtar, with whom the board has apparently run out of patience. He has been demoted from the top category to a retainership, especially created for players who have suffered from fitness, form and disciplinary problems, but who have represented Pakistan over the last couple of years.

There had been speculation in the days leading up to the announcement that Shoaib would miss out, a result of the manager's report of the India tour, in which both his attitude and fitness were criticised. As such, his demotion to a retainership means he is now in the same boat as players such as Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Mohammad Sami, Faisal Iqbal and Yasir Hameed

But Ashraf denied that Shoaib - or any other senior player - had been targeted.

"We have a format by which we judge every player, in which things like fitness and discipline are very important. We didn't discuss individuals but a system. Obviously our aim is that every player moves to category A, which means that they are all performing well."

Shahid Afridi and Danish Kaneria also find themselves pushed down after indifferent performances over the last six months, which formed the basis of the new year-long contracts. Abdur Rehman and Sohail Tanvir have been rewarded with their first contracts, as the PCB cut down the number of contracted players from 20 to 15.

The board insists they have applied a formula which takes into account a number of weighted factors, including performance over the last six months, fitness, discipline and seniority. The retention of Mohammad Asif in the top category on this basis will undoubtedly raise questions: injuries have meant he has played only one ODI and two Tests since the last contracts were announced in July 2007.

As well as the three basic categories, another has been created to recognise the achievements of players who have impressed in domestic cricket or are emerging prospects on the fringes of national selection. Category A players will receive a Rs 250,000 (US$4016) monthly retainer, category B players Rs 175,000 (US$2811), category C players Rs 100,000 (US$1606) and category D players Rs 75,000 (US$1204). Retainerships are also of Rs 75,000 a month.

Category A: Shoaib Malik (capt), Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Mohammad Asif, Misbah-ul-Haq

Category B: Kamran Akmal, Salman Butt, Umar Gul, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir

Category C: Abdur Rehman, Yasir Arafat, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Danish Kaneria, Fawad Alam

Category D (emerging players): Sarfraz Ahmed, Nasir Jamshed, Afaq Raheem, Khurram Manzoor, Naumanullah, Sohail Khan, Zulfiqar Jan, Wahab Riaz, Shoaib Khan, Samiullah Khan

Central contracts to be awarded by end of January

Contracts to be based on performance - PCB

	With performance rather than seniority having a say in the central contracts, Misbah-ul-Haq might end up the biggest winner

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will ignore ignore players' past status and award new central contracts based purely on "commitment and importance to the team cause". The contracts, according to Nasim Ashraf, chairman PCB, will be based on a formula devised by the board last year that awards performance over seniority and status.

"We intend to make the central contracts fiercely competitive and a player will have to earn his place in the list regardless of his past status,"

Ashraf told The News.

"We will ignore star value and award the contracts purely on the basis of a player's commitment and importance to the team cause."

The national selection committee has recommended 30 players for the contracts but the PCB will trim the list to 22 players before presenting it to the governing board which is set to meet on January 25.

The central contracts, together with a host of other issues, were discussed in a meeting chaired by Ashraf and attended by a number of senior officials, including Talat Ali, the team's manager, national selectors and several academy coaches.

"The main purpose of the meetings was to find ways to improve team spirit and unity among our players. Everybody was convinced that we cannot improve our performance without having completely disciplined players in the national team,"

Ashraf said.

BCCI okays $400,000 sign-on fee for Warne

Shane Warne will be the Indian Premier League's most expensive signing, at a cost of US$400,000 for the first season, set to kick off in April 2008. The finance committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India met in Mumbai on Friday and approved several decisions taken by the IPL's governing council regarding payment of its players.

The fee quoted for Warne is the signing amount for him to be part of the player pool from which franchises will bid for the rights to employ players within their ranks. With Brian Lara reportedly being paid US$1 million to appear in the Indian Cricket League, and the market heating up over the two rival leagues, Warne and similar big-ticket signings could rope in well in excess of US$1 million, sources revealed.

The second-highest signing-on fee has, not surprisingly, been paid to Glenn McGrath, whose nifty line-and-length bowling see him join up for US$350,000. Stephen Fleming, whose agents flirted with the ICL but in the end held back - to the extent that Fleming was one of those present at the IPL's launch - also nets US$350,000.

Mohammad Yousuf, who had reportedly signed with the ICL before being lured away by the Pakistan board - which made no effort to stop Inzamam-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq or Imran Farhat from joining the unrecognised league - has signed up with the IPL for US$330,000. A surprise entrant in the top five - and at the moment the list does not include current Australian or Indian cricketers - is Shoaib Malik, who is guaranteed US$300,000.

The ICL, which is nearing the end of its inaugural edition, will hand out approximately Rs 18 crore [approx. US$4.5 million] in total prize-money for its 16-day tournament.

The fees have been decided for only 34 of the 49 cricketers signed up by the IPL, sources said, and, of these, only 11 have received [partial] advance payments. The only player to receive payment in full is Yousuf, not surprising given that he was once a dead certainty to join the ICL. It is understood that McGrath is among those who have been given a sizeable advance.

The 29 others who have received contracts:

[All amounts in US$]
Australia Justin Langer 175,000

Sri Lanka Farveez Maharoof: 150,000, Kumar Sangakkara: 250,000, Mahela Jaywardene: 250,000, Muttiah Muralitharan: 250,000, Sanath Jayasuriya: 250,000, Nuwan Zoysa: 100,000, Dilhara Fernando: 150,000, Chaminda Vaas: 175,000, Lasith Malinga: 200,000

Pakistan Mohammad Asif 225,000, Shahid Afridi: 225,000, Shoaib Akhtar: 225,000, Younus Khan: 225,000

West Indies Shivnarine Chanderpaul 175,000

New Zealand Daniel Vettori 225,000, Jacob Oram 200,000, Scott Styris 150,000, Brendon McCullum 175,000

South Africa Loots Bosman 150,000, AB de Villiers 175,000, Albie Morkel 200,000, Graeme Smith 225,000, Herschelle Gibbs 225,000, Shaun Pollock 200,000, Ashwell Prince 150,000, Makhaya Ntini 175,000, Mark Boucher 175,000, Jacques Kallis 200,000.

Abdul Razzaq asks for more time to sign Central Contract

LAHORE: Pakistan cricket team’s allrounder Abdul Razzaq will leave for England Thursday to play county cricket for Worcestershire. He has asked the Pakistan Cricket Board to allow more time for signing the central contract.

Talking with reporter Sohail Imran in Lahore, Abdul Razzaq said that after not being selected for the national team, he has decided to play county cricket to keep himself fit and for this he has signed one-year contract with Worcestershire.

Abdul Razzaq said that there is no security in Pakistan even after signing the central contract and whenever they want they expel the players from the team.

He demanded that the security of player’s income should be included in the central contract.

He said that he is consulting with his lawyer in this regard and this is why he has asked for more time to sign the central contract.

He said that he has not made any decision about playing Indian cricket league.

Yousuf set to sign central contract

Mohammad Yousuf is expected to sign his central contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board over the next few days, though uncertainty remains over the future of Abdul Razzaq, another player yet to sign the contract.

The two were surprisingly omitted from Pakistan's Twenty20 World Championship squad and coupled with the delays in signing their contracts have stirred speculation about the future of both players.

It had been suggested that the two were refusing to sign up as protest at their exclusion and even that both may take up lucrative offers with the Indian Cricket League (ICL) instead. Yousuf, however, clarified to Cricinfo that the delay on his part had only been because he received the contract late.

"I only saw the contract yesterday [Thursday]. My lawyer is going through it now and I see no problem in signing it once the lawyer has seen it, which should take a day or two,"

Yousuf said.

The PCB had set a deadline for August 10 as the last day for all players to sign their contracts but an official said that the deadline would be extended for Yousuf.

"He had been away for the last few days and there was no communication but now he has informed us that his lawyer is going over the contract. There should not be a problem in giving him a couple of extra days to go over it and inform us of his decision,"

the official said.

The situation for Razzaq is not so straightforward. Despite repeated attempts, the board has not been able to contact him to get an answer. Additionally, Razzaq's comments on a TV show recently, where he attacked the board and the selectors for his exclusion, have strained relations.

"We have heard nothing from Razzaq at all. Today is officially the last day for signing up but in cases, as with Yousuf, we can extend it. But that is only if there is some communication,"

said the official.

When asked what that meant for Razzaq's future, the official said,

"In light of his comments on a TV show recently and his refusal to get in touch, despite repeated attempts from our side, it could be a tough situation. You can draw your own conclusions about his future from that."

However, in what appeared to be a late climbdown, the board issued a statement saying the four players had been given an extended deadline - until August 15 - to sign their contracts.

"Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Yousuf received the contracts only a day before due to their unavailability. PCB has extended the date for signing the contracts for these four players {including Younis and Kaneria} in order to give them enough time to review before signing. They can now sign their contracts by August 15, 2007."

Razzaq, unavailable for comment, was said to be one of seven Pakistan players approached by the ICL; if he doesn't sign up with Pakistan, it will only increase speculation that he may sign up with the ICL.

Younis Khan and Danish Kaneria are the only others who haven't officially signed the contracts but they have informed the board that they have accepted the terms and conditions. Both are currently playing county cricket in England and are expected to sign the contracts soon.

Central contracts list finalised; Inzamam snubbed

KARACHI: National selectors have ignored former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq while finalising a list of 30 players to be submitted today to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for issuance of central contracts.

Well-placed sources told ‘The News’ on Tuesday that the members of the national selection committee have reached a consensus on the list of players to be recommended for new central contracts. They have decided against recommending Inzamam for a central contract but have opted to keep in the list all other leading national cricketers who were previously given contracts by the PCB.

Sources said that the selectors have snubbed Inzamam mainly because they do not think that the 37-year-old batsman is valuable for the Pakistan team any more.

However, the official reason to be given for his omission would be the fact that Inzamam is only available to play Tests following his decision to retire from ODIs.

Inzamam was at the helm of Pakistan’s disastrous World Cup campaign this March when they crashed out of the 16-nation spectacle following defeats against the West Indies and underdogs Ireland. The Multan-born player resigned as Pakistan captain and also announced quitting ODI cricket following the debacle.

Sources said that the Board has given clear instructions to the national committee that is headed by former Test cricketer Salahuddin Ahmed to only consider players who are available for national duty both for Tests and one-dayers.

Inzamam, who has 8813 runs from 119 Tests and is one of the highest run-getters in ODI cricket (11739 runs from 378 games), fell out of favour with top PCB officials following the World Cup disappointment and was later singled out as the chief villain behind the disaster by a probe committee appointed by the Board.

The selectors were asked by the Board to submit a list of 30 players whom they believe should get central contracts.

The PCB officials will discuss this week the list to be submitted by the national selection committee and will later award central contracts to 20 players. The contracts will come into effect from July 1.

A new pay formula, which the PCB official say would reward performance more than seniority was approved by the Board’s ad-hoc committee in Bhurban last week.

The PCB suspended the previous contracts following Pakistan’s first-round exit from the World Cup in the Caribbean.

Sources said that the selectors have included several young players in the list including talented all-rounder Fawad Alam and pacers Najaf Shah, Abdul Rauf and Mohammad Irshad. Second string players like batsmen Hassan Raza and Asim Kamal have also been recommended.
The selection committee that also includes former Test cricketers Shafqat Rana and Saleem Jaffar has also included discarded Test opener Imran Farhat in the list.

The left-handed batsman was fined by the Board last month over misconduct. Imran had an argument with the chief selector after he was dropped from the Pakistan squad for a three-match series against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi.

PCB meeting suggests ‘one first-class championship’

KARACHI: For the third time in an eight-year span, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to tamper with the domestic cricket structure, aiming to put the various regions and departments together in a single first-class championship.

Among the various decisions taken regarding cricket within Pakistan, in a domestic cricket meeting arranged at the hill resort of Bhurban on Saturday, one detailed that now there will be “one first-class championship including regions and departments”.

This experiment has been conducted before. A total of 23 teams were put together in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Championship in 1999-00 and again there were 24 teams in the same competition held in 2002-03.

On either occasion, a department — Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) — emerged as the champion. In both instances, the system of having separate tournaments for regions/associations and departments was embraced again in subsequent seasons. The PCB meeting lists the “promotion/relegation system” at number two, something which is already in vogue here. The hope to have “overseas players” in our domestic cricket is expressed again.

An item mentions there will be “regional selectors plus PCB representatives” for each team. First-class cricketers are to be compensated — monetarily, most probably. The PCB also intends to “monitor” matches.

Club and school cricket will be run by associations but is to be financed by the PCB. There will be input of regions/associations in selection of regional coaches and funds will be raised for regional cricket associations “locally”.

There will be a sub-committee of the Board, the purpose of which was not quite clear and it has been suggested that regional and department representatives will form an “Advisory Council”.

More old wine in new bottles is the idea that “selection of regional teams not limited to squad but allowed to select any (guest) player”. The Regional Development Managers (RDMs) and Regional Development Officers (RDOs) will “support regional set-ups”.

The Pentangular tournament will be “for the 100 best players — provinces or zones”. The advisory council will meet quarterly, but initially it will have monthly meetings.

The structure of the first-class method will however be worked out in detail later. All national players will be urged to play first-class (domestic) cricket: “through central contracts”.

The next meeting of the PCB Advisory Council is to be held in Karachi on July 16. In Bhurban, the meeting was attented by all regional presidents, representatives of the eight departments that play first-class cricket, ex-cricketers and PCB officials and was chaired by the PCB Chief Dr Nasim Ashraf.

Shorter World Cup means less money, says official

Officials from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will meet on June 18 in the Pakistani summer resort of Bhurban to discuss matters relating to the 2011 World Cup, according to Saleem Altaf, the chief executive officer of the World Cup organising committee.

Altaf, speaking to The News, said that the officials from all four countries jointly hosting the World Cup would work out a method to meet initial expenses in the setting up as well as the running of the various organising committees.

Altaf said that the issue of generating seed money for the organising committee is expected to be settled during the meet.

"We need around US$500,000 for the initial expenses. This amount will be shared equally by the four boards,"

said Altaf. He stated that the organisers of the World Cup would also take steps towards opening a joint account during the meeting.

In addition, officials from India would speak on their experience of hosting the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy and on the expenses involved. The frequency of future meetings of the central organising committee and the setting up of local organising committees would also be discussed at the meet.

"We have to see whether all the boards are ready to put the local organising committees in place by February 2008, three years before the World Cup,"

he said.

On the issue of a shorter World Cup, Altaf said that the final decision would come from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

"A shorter World Cup would mean less money and we are not happy with that. But the final decision would come from the ICC executive board,"

he explained.

Pakistan not to extend contracts of support staff

The Pakistan board has decided not extend the contracts of trainer Murray Stevenson and physiotherapist Darryn Lifson who had been working as the team's support staff under coach Bob Woolmer.

"We are not extending the contracts of Woolmer's support staff after their tenures finished this month," PCB operations director Zakir Khan told AFP.

Lifson and Stevenson, both from South Africa, were hired on Woolmer's recommendation in 2004. The duo were with the Pakistan team during the World Cup and they returned to South Africa two weeks after Woolmer's death.

Khan said the PCB was assessing its options on hiring a new trainer and a physiotherapist. "We have identified some new people and will hopefully decide before Pakistan's tour to Scotland early next month," said Khan. Pakistan are due play one-off internationals with India and Scotland in Glasgow after which they will head to South Africa for the Twenty20 World Cup in September before visiting India for five ODIs and three Tests.

Pakistan are also due to choose Woolmer's successor later this week.

Inzamam days away from make-or-break Test selection

KARACHI: Pakistani selectors are likely to make a call in the next few days that would make or break former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq’s fading Test career.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has asked the national selectors to submit a list of 30 players out of which around 20 would be awarded new central contracts next month.

Under normal circumstances, it would have not have been a particularly tough job for chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed alias Sallu and his two colleagues — Shafqat Rana and Saleem Jaffar. But for the selectors, the ticklish issue is that of Inzamam.

It is now, more or less, their call whether Inzamam would be allowed to continue his Test career after having stepped down as Pakistan captain following the national team’s humiliating first round exit from the World Cup in March.

Inzamam, one of Pakistan’s most successful batsmen, also decided to retire from one-day cricket after the World Cup debacle but made it clear that he intends to continue playing Test cricket.

If the selectors do not include the Multan-born maestro in the 30-man list, then it would be game over for Inzamam. And if they do, then the PCB, which had announced its plans to rebuild the Pakistan team, would distance itself from the issue saying that it were the selectors who thought that Inzamam was still good enough to be awarded a central contract.

The PCB is to award ‘performnace-based’ central contracts to the country’s top 20 players next month.

Shafqat Naghmi, the Board’s Chief Operating Officer, has said that the selectors have been asked to submit the names of at least 30 players as soon as possible. He has also said that if the selectors include Inzamam in the list, then he would be retained on the list of the contracted players.

A selector, when contacted, confirmed that the committee has been asked to submit the list. However, he said that the selection committee would take its time before recommending players for central contracts.I

nzamam, 37, has fallen out of favour with top PCB officials since the World Cup debacle. He was later singled out as the chief villain behind Pakistan’s disastrous World Cup campaign by a probe committee appointed by the PCB.

Sallu was one of the members of that probe committee which labelled Inzamam as a dictator in its report.

Insiders say that top PCB officials and the national selectors are unwilling to select Inzamam in Pakistan’s Test squad but neither of them is ready to bell the cat.

One of main reason for this approach is the fact that Inzamam is regarded among the most accomplished of Pakistani cricketers.

He is one of the highest run-getters in ODI cricket having scored 11739 runs from 378 appearances. Inzamam is also the second highest scorer in Test cricket for Pakistan with 8813 runs from 119 Tests. In fact he just needs 20 more runs to overtake former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad as the all-time top scorer for Pakistan in Test cricket.

Former Pakistan captain Rameez Raja has been rooting for Inzamam, saying that the national team needs him as a top class middle order batsman.

There is also an element of sympathy and some former Test cricketers have urged the PCB to allow Inzamam a swansong by fielding him in the home series against South Africa in September-October this year so that he can break Miandad’s record of most Test runs for Pakistan.

Inzamam's fate hangs in balance

Karachi: Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq's fate hangs in balance as the Pakistan Cricket Board has asked the national selection committee to submit a shortlist of 30 players, 20 of whom will get the new central contracts by July 1.

Chief Operating Officer of the PCB Shafqat Naqmi said Inzamam would get a contract if picked by the selectors.

"Inzamam will certainly get a central contract if he is among the shortlist
finalised by the selectors,"

Naqmi said on Friday.

"The selectors will give us at least 30 names and we will then pick the best 20
for the year old new contracts,"

he said, adding the new contracts would be approved by the board's ad-hoc committee at a meeting in Bhurban on June 16 and would be given out by July 1.

Inzamam announced his retirement from one-day internationals and stepped down as captain after Pakistan were eliminated in the first round of the World Cup. The 37-year-old, however, expressed his wish to continue playing Test cricket.

Although Inzamam has insisted he wants to continue playing Test cricket, sources said neither Chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf nor other senior officials are in favour of extending his career.

Sensing this, former chief executive of the board and ex-captain Rameez Raja has pleaded with the selectors to include Inzamam in the Test side, as the team still needs his experience for a few more years.

On bringing in new contracts, the PCB, after scrapping the old ones with the players after the World Cup, has made it clear that the fresh ones will be based on performances instead of seniority, as was the case in the past.

Sources said there would be a fixed retainer amount for all players. Besides, there would be bonuses for individual performances.

For example, apart from getting the monthly retainer if a player scored a fifty or hundred he would get additional money as per his contractual terms.