Mudassar wants to cancel Lanka tour

Former Test all-rounder Mudassar Nazar admitted Tuesday that he had tried to get next month's Pakistan `A' tour of Sri Lanka cancelled.

Mudassar, who is the chief coach of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore, told mediamen that the tour couldn't be cancelled because it was an old commitment between the two boards. Pakistan 'A' are scheduled to tour Sri Lanka between June 10 and July 5.

The tour will interrupt the proceedings of the academy as most of the players will win places in the Pakistan 'A' team. In the first batch, 22 promising cricketers are being imparted training but the tour will affect the basic spirit of the NCA aimed to prepare the backup players for the main string. However, Mudassar said that during the Sri Lankan tour, the remaining players of the NCA would continue get training with the National Junior Academy which is also set up at the Gaddafi Stadium.

He said the bowling action of paceman Shabbir Ahmed had been changed and hoped that he would be able to deliver the goods in the days to come. Shabbir was earlier suspended from international cricket after being reported for suspect bowling action.

Australian coach Richard Dunn, who is also working in the NCA since May 25, said Shabbir had improved his changed bowling action.

He, however, said he could not give attention to off-spinner Shoaib Malik who was also reported for suspect bowling action during the Sharjah Cup in April. "I am specialist in fast bowling, sports science and coach education, so can not improve Shoaib Malik", he said.

Dunn said that another pacer Najaf Shah was a talented bowler and a good future prospect. Dunn, a former senior coach of the Australian Cricket Academy, left for Peshawar Tuesday to coach the players of the regional academy there. He would also visit the regional academies at Rawalpindi, Karachi and Sheikhupura before returning home on June 9.