NEWS_ROUNDUP_CRICKETER_SEP-OCT93

Cricket News From World Over - (Sept-Oct) Shahid Mahmood (Pakistani Cricketer - Oct, 1993)

Inderjit Singh Bindra and Jagmohan Dalmia wre elected President and Secretary, respectively of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The 52-year-old Bindra won by 17 to 21 votes to take over from Madhavrao Scindia whose two-year term had ended. The other office-bearers elected were Rajendar Zar, Raj Singh Dungarpur, Gautam Roy, Manohar Joshi, and N. Venkat Rao. The Indian Board of Control was planning to open a dialogue with tough-talking Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray to persuade him to soften his stand towards Pakistan team's scheduled visit to India in November. Thackeray had declared that his Hindu Fundamentalist party would not allow the Pakistani team to play on Indian soil. Two senior Pakistani cricket officials arrived in New Delhi on September 29 according to sources in the Indian capital. The visit came in the llight of reported statements emanating from Islamabad on Pakistan's reluctance to playa six-nation tournament (in November) and the three-Test series in India, citing security problems as the reason for not going to India. The Hindu-revivalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has distanced itself form moves to disrupt Pakistan's cricket tour to India, believing politics should not be mixed with sports. Sushma Swaraj, spokeswoman for the BJP, was reacting to threats by Shiv Sena-an extremist Hindu group ans stong BJP ally-that Pakistani cricketers would be prevented from playing cricket in India. Former Test opener Chetan Chauhan, a BJP memeber of parliament has also appealed to the Shiv Sena chief to withdraw his threat, saying "all sports lovers in the country will share my sentiments." Pakistani skipper Wasim Akram vowed there will be no repeat of last year's upset in the second International Cricket Sixes tournament, which was unveiled at the Kowloon Cricket ground in Hong Kong in October 1. The West Indies will play one Test match, a three-day match and three One-day Internationals against Sri Lanka on their tour of the island starting from December 1. The three-day match will be played in the southern city of Galle and all the others in Colombo. Former West Indies skipper Viv Richards took Hong Kong by storm when he arrived there for the Second International Sixes tournament, greeted by hundreds present at the Hong Kong Kai Takj International Airport on September 29. He had a broad smile and was ready to show a broad bat to his opponents. Former Test cricketer Haroon Rasheed complained that his employers United Bank Limited (UBL) faced a difficult time to the non-participation of players of international repute in the Wills Cup. He felt that the non-availability of star players was adversely affecting the prestigious Wills Cup One-day National Cricket Tournament. The ball tampering controversy, which marred last summer's series between Pakistan and England, is likely to erupt again when a libel suit against England batsman Allan Lamb goes to the court in November. Lamb has been sued by former Pakistan fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz. Former England captains Graham Gooch and David Gower are also likely to appear in the London High Court for this particular case. Former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas has been drawn in the lottery to lead the Bangladesh Cricket Control Board (BBCB) team at the six-a-side cricket carnival to be held in Singapore on October 9 and 10, in which nine nations would be competing. Pakistan will not send its team to the international cricket tournament in India in November unless the safety of its players is assured, President for the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCP) Justim Dr Nasim Hasan Shah declared. A stylish batsman in his heyday, Rohan Kanhai will accompany the West Indies cricket team as manager in the forthcoming sixnation Golden Jubilee Tournament beginning in India from November 7. India's cricket authorities have acted to stop the leading players from taking part in exhibition matches that clash with official games. It was decided that cricketers would not be allowed to play exhibition games without the approval of the Board and any player ignoring that ruling will be suspended. The fixture between an Asian XI and a World XI in Manchester became the second cricket match of the season to be abandoned because of crowd invasion. Only a few days ago, the game played at London's Crystal Palace in aid of charity of Imran Khan's cancer Hospital had met a similar fate. Former Pakistan captain and now a member of the National Selection Committee, Zaheer Abbas, hoped that Pakistan would soon bounce back to the top of the cricketing world. He personally felt that places for an off-spinner and a genuine all-rounder was still vacant in the national team. Sri Lanka has retained Arjuna Ranatunga as captain for the one-off home Test against the West Indies and separate limited overs tournaments in Sharjah and India. Saleem Malik, after leading Habib Bank Limited (HBL), to two emphatic wins in as many days, threatened to pull out of the remaining matches of the 13th Wills Cup, if the security arrangements were not made at the ground. Disgusted by the incidents of the spectators running on to the field at the UBl Sports Complex in Karachi, Saleem said he was seriously thinking in terms of returning to his hometown Lahore instead of risking himself to another game in similar situation. India have turned down an invitation to play a series of limited overs matches in New Zealand in January next year. A spokesman of the Indian Board of Control stated that the New Zealand proposal for four one-day games was not acceptable, adding that they wanted a longer tour than the one offered. Former Test cricketer, Hasib Ahsan who has become the Chairman of the National Selection Committee once again, said that the immediate task in front of his ewly-appointed committee was to raise a strong combination to tackle Zimbabwe at home and then send the best possible team to New Zealand. National chief Selector Hasib Ahsan has expressed his delight at the return to the game of amster leg-spinner Abdul Qadir who bagged four wickets each in first two games in the Wills Cup. "Qadir has been a great asset for us. A fit Qadir will bring in the experience in our attack which we have lacked," Hasib was quoted as saying. The Management of United Bank Limited (UBL) has penalized four cricketers Waqar Younis, Inzamamul Haq, Mushtaq Ahmed, and Basit Ali, for missing the 13th Wills Cup. They have been asked to explain why they proceeded to Hong Kong for a private tournament at a time when the bank needed them for the One-day National Tournament. Meanwhile, Waqar Younis has also been sacked from the captaincy. West Indies all-rounder Carl Hooper has signed a new deal with Kent that will keep him as the county's overseas player unitl 1997. Kent, for whom Hooper made his debut last season, will also have first option of his services in 1995 should he not be required by the West Indies when they tour England. Australia's burly pace bowler Merv Hughes was reported to be going on a crash diet in a bid to prevent a recurrence of a knee injury which has ruled him out of the forthcoming Test series against New Zealand.