PCB pulls up Nasir but controversy far from over

The last has evidently not been heard on the controversy generated by the comments made by Brig. Md Nasir, the manager of the Pakistan team currently touring Sri Lanka. After he made some rather unwarranted remarks, blaming India and the Indian bookies for the match fixing scandal, the Indian Cricket Board, predictably enough, reacted with a strong protest. There the matter should have ended for the time being, at least. But with the Pakistan Cricket Board pulling up Nasir and with the manager himself expressing no remorse over his remarks, the controversy is set to be around for some more time. One only hopes there will be large scale repercussions.

On Friday the PCB pulled up Nasir for describing India as the `hub of match fixing.' PCB chairman Gen. Tauqir Zia called up Nasir in Colombo and reportedly conveyed his `unhappiness, anger and disappointment' over his remarks. Gen Zia is currenly in Kuala Lumpur for the ongoing Asian Cricket Council under-15 tournament. He is expected to reach Colombo on Saturday evening. But by Friday, speculation was rife that the manager could be sacked for his controversial remarks. ``I am also waiting for Gen Zia's decision. The matter is being handled on a priority basis by the PCB chairman,'' PCB director Yawar Saeed was quoted as saying. The PCB reaction followed the strong protest lodged by the Indian Cricket Board. The BCCI president AC Muthiah urged PCB to restrain Nasir as it could undermine the efforts of to normalise cricketing relations between the countries.

According to reports, Zia called up Saeed and briefed him about his telephonic conversation with Nasir. The two senior PCB officials also discussed the options available to them and one of them is to ask Nasir to resign.

A decision could well be taken in Colombo when the PCB chairman meets Javed Miandad and Rameez Raja, members of his advisory panel. It would appear that Nasir's days are numbered because the general apparently has received numerous complaints about him from the players and especially Miandad. Moreover, the PCB is piqued by both the timing and the irresponsible nature of his remarks.

Undaunted by all this, an unrepentant Nasir expressed the view that the BCCI was over-reacting.

The Pakistan manager said he was simply talking about the problem of bookies in India and not criticizing the country in general. "Doesn't everybody know that there are numerous bookies in India? Hasn't that been revealed in all of Hansie Cronje's testimony before the King Commission? Hasn't India conducted an enquiry of it's own to look into the matter? What is the need to overreact like this?" he asked. "I'm surprised they are reacting this way about something they are themselves in the process of investigating," he says. "After all, isn't India the place where Cronje's conversations were recorded and the whole Pandora's box was opened? Call it Hansiegate or India Gate or what you will."

Nasir said he had not received any word from the PCB about the matter so far. "I personally don't think they are going to say anything to me about this. But the chairman of the Board General Tauqir Zia is coming to Sri Lanka on Saturday, and I'll talk to him about the matter if he wants to," he said.