Saeed has to return: PCB

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Friday that Saeed Anwar has been ruled out of the Test series in New Zealand and has to return home.

"The policy of the PCB is clear. If a player can't contribute, has to return and pave the way for someone else to do the job," director of the PCB Brig Munawwar Rana said.

Saeed was initially scheduled to leave New Zealand on Thursday but has apprarently convinced the team management to hold him back in anticipation that he would overcome the hip and groin injuries and be available for the second Test starting March 15 at Christchurch. Ijaz Ahmad, Saeed's replacement, has already landed in Auckland.

"I am sure Saeed have stayed back either because of non-availability of flights or has an appointment with a specialist. Whatever maybe the case, as the situation stands at present, Saeed will not take any more part in the series," Rana said.

Wasim Akram and Azhar Mahmood left Auckland on Thursday while Shoaib Akhtar returned last week along with Shahid Afridi and Imran Nazir.

The PCB spent millions last year in looking after the fitness of Saeed, Azhar and Shoaib. But unfortunately, their professional approach have gone down the drain because of cricketers tendency of hiding their injuries.

The headaches of the PCB doesn't end by calling the unfit players home. They face problems because of the forthcoming tours to Sharjah and England from April to June.

The ongoing eight-team Patron's Trophy would have concluded by the time the injured players had finished their recommended rests. And it would once again be upto the players to declare their fitness and the selectors to trust their words.

"Unfortunately, that's the scenario. But it is the job of the selectors to decide what they have to do," Rana admitted.

The best possible solution available at the time is to ignore these unfit players until the start of the 2001-2002 domestic season. These players should be told to play in the first-class circuit and then make themselves available for the home series against New Zealand.

Just for the record Saeed didn't appear in any first-class match after the conclusion of the Test series against England while Shoaib and Azhar earned calls for New Zealand on the basis of just one match between Pakistan and Rest of Pakistan and on the advice of the doctors.

Ironically, Wasim Akram was told to prove his fitness which he did in style by propelling Lahore Blues to title victory in Quaid-i-Azam Trophy over Karachi.

Brig Rana said since the Sharjah Cup, also involving India and Sri Lanka, would commence shortly after the tour to New Zealand ends, the PCB would decide on the captain and team by the end of this month.

"The announcement will, however, be held back and would be made once the players are back home," he said. Moin Khan's present tenure expires on March 31 while the fate of coach Javed Miandad would also be settled after the New Zealand tour though the former captain has been given a mandate until the 2003 World Cup.

The PCB official said the play under floodlights in the first Test has opened the options of Test cricket being extended into lights in Pakistan.

"Naturally, if Pakistan can agree to play in lights so that the required overs in a day are completed, I sure New Zealand will have no objections if a similar offer is made to them on their tour to Pakistan in September-October," he said.

The touring Pakistan team showed their positive approach when they agreed to the use of lights. Not many teams have agreed to allow the matches be played in lights with the recent example of England who rejected the offer last year. Pakistan also had accepted the proposal on their 1998 tour to South Africa.

He said that the itinerary of New Zealand tour has been finalized and dispatched to the touring board for approval.