Aamer Sohail's Dhaka no-show (1 February 1999)

1 February 1999

Aamer Sohail's Dhaka no-show

Zahid Newaz

The amount of contract between Aamer Sohail and Premier Division Cricket League champions Abahani was confidential like the silence the former Pakistan team captain maintained over his girl friend who flew here from London on the same day of his arrival in Bangladesh.

Neither the Abahani officials nor Sohail, who came here to play for three matches for the club, disclosed the amount of dollars both sides agreed. But it was clear that they signed an agreement and Sohail is going to write his name in Dhaka league for Abahani in their crucial match against title aspirants Mohammedans which began Saturday.

Newsmen understood something wrong when they didn't find Sohail in Abahani's practice ground on Friday afternoon. By the night, they became almost certain that Sohail would not play the following day, but the supporters of Abahani were not convinced.

Thousands of cricket fans thronged Bangabandhu National Stadium Saturday morning, but they were shocked when they didn't see Sohail to come to crease. What had happened to him? It was the main question of the crowd as the newsmen were speculative. Finally, it was known that the drama took place over dollars, but not on amount, rather over how it will be paid?

Abahani officials had assured Sohail that they would pay the certain amount of dollars, decided for a match, before it begins. But Sohail claimed all the dollars for three matches, he was decided to play, at a time. As both sides could not reach understanding over it, Sohail finally withdrew him from the match.

Source :: CricInfo365