Musharraf hopes team will deliver goods

President General Pervez Musharraf has expressed the hope that the Pakistan cricket team would earn laurels in the World Cup-2003 if it played a collective game.

"Our boys have lot of talent and individually each member of the team is talented, but unluckily they lacked in moving ahead in an organised manner", President Pervez Musharraf said, while talking to reporters after unveiling the plaque of the National Cricket Academy at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Saturday.

The President said that he was not an expert on cricket but hopes the Pakistan team would deliver the goods during the World Cup which started in South Africa from Saturday.

While replying to a question, the president said that he had not so far made up his mind for awarding any incentive to the cricket team in case it won the mega event.

Last month, he had announced cash incentives for the other games according to which a gold medalist in Olympics will get Rs 10 million and of the Asiad Rs 5 million.

To a question, the President said that the strategy would be made regarding implementation of the new sports policy once the honourable court announced its verdict.

The government had announced a new sports policy in 2001 which could not be implemented after the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) moved to the honourable court against some of its clauses.

He said that the government was also paying attention for the betterment of athletes of other sports other than cricket. He said that Prime Minister had recently lifted the ban on the appointment of sportspersons in the government and semi government institutions.

"It will be more beneficial for the players of other games as cricketers are not facing problems of a job," he said.

Earlier, the Director of the academy, former Test cricketer Ramiz Raja gave a briefing to the President.

The Governor of Punjab Lt. Gen (retd) Khalid Maqbool, Chief Minister Pervez Elahi and PCB chairman Lt. Gen. Tauqir Zia were present on the occasion.