Pakistan Cricket Team Invited To America (21 Nov 1996)

21 November 1996

Cricket team invited to America

KARACHI, Nov 20: Pakistan, which has played pioneer role in promoting cricket in Sri Lanka and the Gulf region, has been offered to play the same role in the United States of America.

The United Stated of America Cricket Association (USACA) has officially invited Pakistan cricket team through his president Masood Akhtar to tour USA at a time convenient to the guests. The president of the USACA Masood Akhtar known in cricket circles as "chic" disclosed here Tuesday that he had personally delivered an official invitation letter to the top officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last week in Sharjah where he was invited by his marketing managers WorldTel. He hoped that his dream of hosting Pakistan cricket team in major cities of US will come true in near future.

Responding to queries he said the USACA had the resources and the required infrastructure to host Pakistan for a one day series. The cricket in USA, he said, was one-day based and when the USCA marketing managers hold discussion with PCB it would naturally be for the one day series.

It was really hard to tell now how many one-day matches Pakistan could play if the tour offer was accepted because cricket was quite popular in New York where a new exclusive cricket stadium would be ready by next year, in Chicago, California and Florida. Only in Los Angeles there were four good cricket grounds with turf wicket which is prepared every year by the groundsman of Essex county.

He said another proposal to invite India and Pakistan for an offshore one-day series was also on the card because there was feeling among the cricket lovers in USA that these countries along with other test playing countries could play important role in promoting the game in the States.

He disclosed that USCA had already picked 40 players after the zonal cricket championship and the trial have been set for December 6 at Miami Florida to pick 25 players . The ICC had advised all the associate members to submit 25 names by Dec 31.

The USCA selection committee, headed by former Sri Lankan Test star Dr. Cerial Ernest, a cardiologist, will watch the players at Miami on Dec 6-7-8 before coming up with 25 names. Other selectors are-Bo-Boy Ramnanan, a Trinidadian American who played for world eleven in USA in early 80s, Badar Rifai, a Karachi cricketer who has also played for USA, Ram Raghu, a Trinidadian American, Carl Lyle Miller of Jamaica who has played test for the West Indies. Roger Harper, former West Indies Test star, has been hired as coach of the USA.

Source :: The Dawn