Malik's reply rejected, Griffith contacts PCB

Pakistan set India Sept 29 deadline: Karachi, Sept 4: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has set their Indian counterparts Sept 29 as the deadline to confirm their tour.

PCB chairman Lt Gen Tauqir Zia said here at the National Stadium that although the board was aware that the ball was in the court of the Indian government, yet he insisted that the contingency plan has to be given a final shape.

"We plan to play a series against Bangladesh. The other proposal is to have a series against a World XI. Initiative can only be taken once we know exactly about the Indian approach," Zia said.

The general said he would be meeting his Indian counterpart A.C Muttiah in Dubai on Tuesday in the Asian Cricket Foundation (ACF) meeting and would give him the deadline. India are scheduled to play three tests and five one-day internationals between Dec 26 and Feb 12.

ICC Questions PCB: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has inquired from the PCB as to what steps they were taking to curb the menace of matchfixing, the PCB chairman said.

Lord Griffith, chairman of the ICC code of conduct commission, the general said, wrote to the PCB last month inquiring about the latest situation in the wake of recommendations of Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum.

"We have replied to Lord Griffith that we would be submitting a detailed report at the ICC director's meeting at Kenya next month," he said.

He said the PCB has already issued showcause notices to six cricketers inquiring from them if they wanted to challenge the decision in the court of law. The players include: Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Inzamamul-Haq, Saeed Anwar, Mushtaq Ahmad and Akram Raza.

"They have been given 10 days to respond. After that, the fines would be deducted from their accounts," the official said.

He added that the PCB also contacted its legal advisor Naveed Rasool who is evaluating the assets of the Pakistani players.

Malik's reply rejected: The general revealed that the PCB has rejected Salim Malik's reply to the showcause notice on the ground that he has only argued that the ban on him was illegal. "What he was supposed to tell us was whether he plans to challenge the decision or not. In his reply, he has not responded to this.

"The PCB has written him a fresh letter directing him to be precise and stay on track. He has been asked whether he intends to go to the court of law or not." Zia said.