Don't keep everyone on tenterhooks, India told

The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, expressed his dismay over the recent developments taking place across the border which might end up with India backing out from its promise to play in Pakistan.

India are scheduled to break their 12-year-old deadlock of playing a Test in Pakistan when they figure in the Asian Test Championship match at Lahore between Sept 12 and 16. But reports from India suggest that all the concerned authorities were passing the buck to others after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) applied for fresh permission in the backdrop of Agra Summit failure.

The Indian media, without identifying government officials, have said that the government had withdrawn its permission to play and send the Indian team to Pakistan in multinational tournaments.

The Pakistan board, earlier this year, suffered losses estimated to be around $15million when India cancelled its scheduled tour to Pakistan for three Tests and five one-day internationals.

Zia, also speaking in his capacity as president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), refused to indulge himself as to what was going on between the Indian board and the Indian government. But he did express his displeasure on the overall scenario when he said: "You (India) can't keep everyone on tenterhooks and say okay we are coming and we are not coming.

"I deal only with the Indian cricket board and not the Indian government. The only information I have is that India is coming to Pakistan." Zia, who unusually remained aggressive throughout the press conference at the National Stadium on Saturday, repeated that India or no India, the Asian Test Championship will be played as planned.

"The Asian Test Championship will go on whether India comes or not. My opinion as the chief of the ACC is that the championship must go on. You have plans and a schedule and you must carry on with it. As far as I know, they are coming because they confirmed it to me board to board," Zia said.

He repeated that Indian cricket chief A.C Muthiah had told him that since his board has the permission from the Indian government to play or tour Pakistan for multinational tournament, he is sending his team for the Asian Test Championship match. Zia admitted that India's refusal to come to Pakistan would derail the steps taken by the two heads of the board to promote the game in the continent. He also agreed that the tournament would be meaningless without India.

"Even without Pakistan or Sri Lanka, it will be meaningless. "The ACC's effort to is keep everyone together." He said India was a major partner and so are Pakistan and Sri Lanka and hopeful Bangladesh tomorrow. He said he had been repeatedly saying that if the Asians were not together, neither good and competitive cricket can be played nor it can be developed cricket in the continent.

"We want to learn a great deal more from each other. We want to put our umpires on top, we want to have a lot of coaches and good players. Probably the Indians have more money than all the boards. Therefore, the development will suffer if India doesn't come. The public will be deprived of good cricket.

The general refused to talk about his recent statement to Times of India in which he was quoted him as saying that as an Army general he would not like India to come to Pakistan but as chairman of the PCB, he would like to have India here."Please keep me as the chairman of the PCB. It is much convenient between you and me. Nevertheless, I don't think that I said it in the manner in which it has been published."

The director of the PCB, Brig Munawwar Rana, replying to questions relating to Richard Pybus, said discussions were still in progress. He said the England-born South African-based trainer has been offered a three-month contract and the PCB were waiting for his confirmation of approval.

Zia, defending PCB's decision to continue to chase Pybus, said the team thought he was a good coach. "Therefore, we will like to keep the wishes of the time and mine," he said while revealing that Pybus had passed a remark that there was communication problem between him and the players.

Asked if Pybus declined a three-month coaching offer, the PCB supremo said alternate plans can be made quickly. "If there is a total blockade, then one will have to think something else."

He said bowling coach Daryl Foster would be joining the camp on Sunday for two weeks. Zia expressed his desire to keep him until the New Zealand series in the interest of the fast bowlers but said it was unlikely as the Australian was a busy man.

Regarding the alleged corruption investigations against Inzamam-ul-Haq and Wasim Akram, the PCB boss said neither the International cricket Council (ICC) nor the ACU had approached him to make the two players available to interview them in connection with the England tri-series.

Asked if match-fixing was still rife in cricket, Zia diplomatically said: "There is no proof." Zia said if Waqar was appointed a long term captain, he would relax and then might become a liability which will leave the PCB with no other option but to "kick him out".