Sohail's selection was under pressure: Majid Khan (20 Aug 1997)

20 August 1997

Sohail's selection was under pressure: Majid Khan

By Our Sports Reporter

KARACHI, Aug 19: The chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Majid Khan, on Tuesday admitted that Aamir Sohail returned to the national team because of `outside pressures'. He made these comments at the Karachi Press Club's programme, `Meet the Press'.

"Aamir (Sohail) was selected for the Asia Cup because of outside pressures. You know and I know who were pressurising us, so I don't want to name anyone," Majid told a well-attended gathering of sports scribes. Majid's straightforward reply came when he was asked if the PCB was approaching the Sports Ministry, as advised by the chairman of the disciplinary committee, to seek evidence which Aamir Sohail claims he has submitted to it.

"Mr Mushahid Husain (when he was an Adviser) said on the floor of the National Assembly that there is no evidence to betting and match-fixing as alleged by Aamir Sohail," said Majid Khan.

The PCB chief agreed that the decision of the Executive Council was to ban Aamir Sohail for two years if he failed to `substantiate betting and match-fixing he levelled against his team-mates'. "We were forced to select Aamir Sohail," Majid admitted.

Majid Khan, who is being widely criticised for preparing a seven-month long domestic schedule, also tried to justify his decision.

"Previously, a player used to prepare himself mentally and physically for just two months as both the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy and the Patron's Trophy used to end in four months. Under that format also, there was home and away schedule which has been retained in this scheme." Majid emphasised that another major advantage of this format was that if a player was dropped from the national team, he would have a chance to regain his place by playing in either the Patron's Trophy or the Quaid Trophy. "Then we have to organise training camp. For example, the Pakistan team is scheduled to go to South Africa in January/February next year. With the domestic circuit still on, we will have first-hand information about the fitness and form of all the players."

Majid said it will also be a great opportunity for the associations to find sponsors and increase their earnings. "We have also made efforts to find sponsors for the associations. But the multinational companies are just reluctant to take a step forward. Hopefully, everything will be sorted out very soon," claimed Majid.

On the World Cup accounts, Majid Khan said Pakistan received most of its share from the profit before he took over as the chief executive on May 20, 1996. "From that money, we have cleared most of the dues as money was borrowed on lease from the National Bank.

"As far as US$20 million is concerned, it is lying in a joint account in an England bank. That amount will only be released once the tiff between Doordarshan and the Indian cricket board was settled."

However, when Majid was pressed to elaborate the earnings and financial position of the PCB, he parried the queries saying: "You will be told in due course of time."

Asked why there had been severe controversies from the time he has taken over the cricket affairs, Majid said: "The controversies were not as serious as the media made them. I think, they have been blown out of proportion."

Majid Khan also defended the appointment of Ramiz Raja as captain saying: "What other choice we have?"

Majid gave details of golden jubilee cricket celebrations saying: "The first and the last international match of the season will be played in Karachi. We have awarded matches to all the other major cities and I look forward to their cent percent role in celebrating the country's 50th anniversary."

Majid urged that the media should give more coverage to the team which has five world record holders. "I promise you if any other team in the world had so many world record holders in a single unit, they (media) would have taken the team sky-high."

Majid, when asked why he put Hasan Raza's record in jeopardy, said: "Tell me, can you not buy fake age certificates?"

Source:: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)