Pakistan likely to agree on neutral venues

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is liklely to give thumbs up to International Cricket Council's proposal of rescheduling domestic international commitments on neutral venues.

In an emergency meeting at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the top hierarchy of the PCB accepted in principle, Sharjah and Morocco as the neutral venues. Also in the meeting, the PCB have apparently decided to name Mudassar Nazar as coach of the team for this month's Sharjah Cup.

Mudassar is favourite to replace England-born South Africa based Richard Pybus who refused to travel to Pakistan to coach the team for the desert competition which is to run between Oct 26 and Nov 4. Although all the decisions were finalized, which met under the chairmanship of Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, the official announcement is expected to be made sometime Thursday.

The PCB will be proposing Sharjah and Morocco as the alternate neutral venues during the ICC's executive board meeting scheduled at Kuala Lumpur between Oct 15 and 19. The Pakistan authorities will be making the presentation if the ICC sticks to its words and offers them the option to play its international home matches on neutral grounds until the political situation eases out in the region.

Malcolm Gray, the ICC chairman, Monday had hinted that Pakistan's home Test matches would have to be played on foreign soil. The Australian, while saying nothing had been decided, admitted that it was a possibility the game's controlling body was looking at.

New Zealand cancelled a scheduled tour to Pakistan On Sept 13 while a proposed three-match one-day series against Sri Lanka also failed to materialize. The West Indies have also expressed reservations on their tour to Sri Lanka and Pakistan because of security concerns.

Furthermore, according to ICC's 10-year plan, India is scheduled to cross borders three times. After refusing to honour its commitments earlier this year, India are now slated to play Pakistan in 2004.

Pakistan finalized the two centres after Cricket Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) vice-chairman Abdur Rahman Bukhatir Tuesday rendered his services to bail out Pakistan from the crisis erupting in the aftermath of terrorist attacks on the United States. While Sharjah has organized the highest number of one-day internationals, Morocco is also the brainchild of Bukhatir who is planning to take limited overs cricket to North Africa.

The ICC is also registered at Morocco because of tax reasons. While finalizing Sharjah and Morocco as the neutral venues, the Pakistan cricket authorities also examined and discussed the financial aspects - sponsorships and television rights. However, the PCB decided in principle that its curators would prepare pitches on the neutral venues so that Pakistan not to lose the so-called home advantage.

Pakistan cricket administrators may not like it but the national team has won more matches abroad than at home because on tours they play sporting tracks rather than the barren, lifeless and opponent's friendly pitches at home. Pakistan has lost its last four successive home series since 1998.

As regards Mudassar's appointment, he has been preferred over Sikander Bakth because of his experience and most importantly, the former Test opener will not cost the PCB a single penny. Mudassar is the National Cricket Academy in Lahore's chief coach and is already drawing attractive salary. The allrounder also coached the Pakistan team on the 1992-93 tour to the West Indies.

Sikander was the assistant to Pybus in August when Pakistan prepared and played for the Asian Test Championship opener against Bangladesh.