Squad comprises five pugilists including Commonwealth Games medalist.
KARACHI:
Pakistan pugilists will depart today for Jakarta, Indonesia to compete in the 21st edition of the President Cup Boxing Tournament that starts tomorrow.
July 1, 2011
Pakistan and England fight out thrilling draw
Sohail, Shakeel score for Greenshirts in 4-Nation tournament. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
AMSTERDAM:
In a fast and furious last six minutes, Pakistan lost the lead, regained and settled for a 2-2 draw with England at the Rabo 4-Nation Cup.
July 1, 2011
India were held up by rain Rain spoils India’s party
WI recover through Chanderpaul, Samuels in second Test. PHOTO: AFP
BRIDGETOWN:
India were held up by rain, and a defiant sixth-wicket stand between Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels on the second day of the second Test against West Indies.
July 1, 2011
MUMBAI: Pakistan have been pencilled in to tour India Future tours programme: Pakistan to tour India in 2012
The two archrivals could play three Tests and five ODIs in March and April 2012. PHOTO: FILE
MUMBAI: Pakistan have been pencilled in to tour India for a full series of Test and One-Day Internationals (ODI) next year, in what would be a breakthrough in relations that were hit by the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks.
July 1, 2011
Maria Sharapova outgunned big-hitting German youngster Sharapova outguns Lisicki to storm into Wimbledon final
The Russian fifth seed overcame a slow start to overwhelm German Sabine Lisicki. PHOTO: AFP
LONDON:
Maria Sharapova outgunned big-hitting German youngster Sabine Lisicki in straight sets to power into her first Wimbledon final for seven years.
June 30, 2011
Pakistan slated to tour India in 2012
Pakistan have been pencilled in to tour India for a full series of Test and one-day cricket matches next year. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
MUMBAI: Pakistan have been pencilled in to tour India for a full series of Test and one-day cricket matches next year, in what would be a breakthrough in relations that were hit by the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The International Cricket Council governing body’s latest Future Tours Programme shows that the two South Asian rivals could play three Tests and five one-day internationals in March and April 2012.
India is designated as the host of the series, but an ICC spokesman told AFP on Thursday that the list was provisional and indicated that the matches were likely to be played at a neutral venue.
Any series would be organised entirely by both countries’ governing bodies, he added.
No one was immediately available for comment at the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
India severed cricketing links with its neighbour after the Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people and which New Delhi blamed on outlawed militants based across the border in Pakistan.
No major international cricket side has toured Pakistan since gunmen attacked the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in March 2009, killing eight people and injuring seven others.
Pakistan now plays “home” games in the United Arab Emirates, England and New Zealand.
India last played Pakistan in this year’s World Cup semi-final at Mohali, beating them in a keenly-watched encounter attended by the two countries’ prime ministers Manmohan Singh and Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Afterwards there were calls by players and politicians for the resumption of cricketing links, as millions of fans were missing out due to the neighbours’ strained political ties.
India’s foreign secretary, Nirupama Rao, even said that the country was ready to send its team to Pakistan, if provided full security.
The Pakistan Cricket Board welcomed Rao’s statement and said it was exploring options for playing a series at a neutral venue.
The last time Pakistan played a Test match in India was in the southern city of Bangalore in December 2007. India won the series 1-0.
Apart from the World Cup semi-final, their last one-day international on Indian soil was in November 2007 in Jaipur. Pakistan won the match but lost that series 3-2.
June 30, 2011
ICC bans government involvement in cricket boards
The reform will be hugely controversial in Pakistan, where the president is the cricket board’s patron. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
HONG KONG: Cricket’s governing body on Thursday banned countries from appointing politicians to national cricket boards, vowing to free the sport from undue government influence.
The International Cricket Council told a media conference in Hong Kong that it had made the decision to uphold “the important principle of free elections and the independence” of the sport.
“It was agreed that all member boards must implement the provisions before annual conference June 2012 and a further 12 months – to June 2013 – would be allowed before any sanctions be considered,” the ICC said in a statement issued in Hong Kong.
The reform, which allows the ICC to suspend a member country in the event of government interference in the running of a national cricket board, will be hugely controversial in Pakistan, where the president is the cricket board’s patron. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will also be hit by the change.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) could not immediately be reached for comment.
Chairman Ijaz Butt has been criticised by former players, politicians and media for being a political appointee of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party.
The PCB has already sent a legal notice to the ICC on the amendment and has threatened legal action if the constitution is changed.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the ICC’s full council after four days of talks between the chief executives’ committee and executive board at glitzy hotels in downtown Hong Kong.
“This is a significant step towards achieving best practice and together with the independent governance review, I am excited by the commitment of the ICC to introduce best possible corporate governance,” ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said.
June 30, 2011
Pakistan and England fight out thrilling draw
Sohail Abbas was in form against England as he opened the scoring with his 328th goal for his country. PHOTO: FILE
AMSTERDAM: In a fast and furious last six minutes, Pakistan lost the lead, regained and finally settled for a 2-2 draw with England at the men’s 4-Nations tournament here Wednesday.
The day’s other match – which like the England Pakistan clash had been held over from Tuesday because of a thunderstorm – saw hosts Netherlands beat arch-rivals Germany 2-1.
Pakistani legend Sohail Abbas was in form against England as he opened the scoring with his 328th goal for his country, slotting home Pakistan’s only penalty corner.
Khawaja Junaid, Pakistan manager, believes Abbas is approaching complete fitness.
“His fitness is much better than at the World Cup last December and we are focusing on getting him into perfect condition for the London Olympics,” Junaid said.
Abbas was suspended late in the match, followed immediately by Richard Smith equalizing for England.
Shakeel Abbasi scored a short-handed goal for Pakistan, two minutes from time while Abbas was still under suspension.
Barry Middleton deflected in a pass from outside the circle for England’s equalizer, seconds later.
Jason Lee, England coach, was unhappy with the result.
“We should have won comfortably as we had chances to score more goals,” Lee said.
Netherlands beat Germany in a fast flowing game, both breaking through the middle of the pitch.
Thilo Stralkowski scored for Germany in the first half.
Taeke Taekema converted a penalty stroke and Quirijn Caspers scored for Netherlands in the second half.
Paul van As, Netherlands coach and Markus Weisse, Germany coach agreed the game was a good spectacle.
“It was a fast, interesting game with a lot of action in both attacking circles,” Weisse said.
The tournament has become a round-robin competition with no final after the cancellation of Tuesday’s matches.
On Friday, Pakistan takes on Germany and England play Netherlands.
June 30, 2011
Imran Khan backs ICC ban on government meddling
Khan said the amendment will help Pakistan as in the current set-up there is no transparency and accountability.
KARACHI: Pakistan’s legendary former captain Imran Khan on Thursday welcomed a decision from cricket’s governing body to ban political appointments, calling for a total revamp of the national board.
The ICC executive board on Thursday gave cricket boards 12 months to implement free elections and another 12-month grace period to enact the changes before any sanctions would be considered.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), whose chairman Ijaz Butt was appointed by the president, was not immediately reachable for comment but it has threatened legal action in the past if the constitution is changed.
Khan told AFP that the PCB now had a chance to become a real institution if the system was overhauled.
“The amendment will help Pakistan as there is no transparency and accountability in the current set-up,” Khan told AFP.
“But to gain full benefit, Pakistan must fix the cricket structure with a new constitution on regional grounds where officials are elected.”
Khan said the changes could allow Pakistan to perform better.
“If we have our cricket structure right, Pakistan has more talent than anywhere in the world, and we will dominate the world,” said Khan, who led Pakistan to their only World Cup title in 1992.
Former PCB chairman Arif Abassi said reform had long been needed.
“I resigned in 1996 because there was uncalled for government interference when I wanted to make the PCB a private company with shares,” said Abassi.
Abassi said the ICC was after Pakistan after a slew of public irregularities and said: “It’s now time we find the right people to overhaul our system and who know how to do it,” he said.
But fellow former PCB chief Khalid Mahmood rejected the ICC imposition as a violation of Pakistan’s independence.
“The ICC has no business to tell us how to run our cricket,” said Mahmood, calling for legal action if necessary.
“We must resist on this and although legal action is the last resort, one has to back it because we have to draw a line on sovereignty,” said Mahmood.
Former spinner Iqbal Qasim thought Pakistan would have trouble in enacting the change.
“While other Boards like England and Australia have a proper system, Pakistan will face some problems in implementing the change and they will need to overhaul the system from grass-root level,” said Qasim.
“We need to think out a proper plan, be it with the government’s help, to implement the change in two years.”
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are also directly affected by the amendment as their cricketing affairs are similarly run on government directives.
June 30, 2011
ICC annual conference: Gather support to block ICC’s move, says Mani
ICC’s decision to include non-Test playing nations in the 2015 World Cup has been welcomed by Ireland, whose performance in cricket’s showpiece event was commendable after they triumphed over England through a Kevin O’Brien miracle. PHOTO: AFP
Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani has said that Pakistan can still save the current rotational system – of appointing the governing body chief – from being removed ahead of the Full Council meeting that takes place tomorrow.
A decision on doing away with the rotational policy of appointing ICC presidents and amendment to the constitution, that bars government’s intervention in cricket affairs, will be key agendas of the meeting tomorrow which will also bring down curtains on the ICC annual conference in Hong Kong.
Under a new proposal, the Executive Board will decide the process and term of office, subject to certain qualification criteria, removing the current rotational system and fixed tenure of appointment
If approved, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Bangladesh, who are next in line for presidency, will be affected.
Although both countries have hinted at opposing the move, their rejection will not be enough to block the proposal.
However Mani, who was the ICC president from 2003 to 2006, urged the PCB to gather support from the Full Members in order to block the resolution.
“The PCB still has time to block the resolution,” Mani told The Express Tribune.
“They should gather support from the other ICC Full Members especially the Australia, England and Sri Lanka boards.
“It’s an Indian board conspiracy and I’m surprised why other boards haven’t raised their voice against the proposal yet. The change will bring uncertainty within the organisation and will result in rift among the member countries.”
The PCB has already served a legal notice to the ICC on constitutional amendment aimed at avoiding undue government interference, but the former ICC chief was not convinced with the Pakistan board’s decision .
“The best way to oppose unwelcomed proposals is to gather support. Legalising the matter won’t help much.”
Minnows included in 2015 World Cup
Paving the way for Associate Members, the ICC has reversed its previous decision and approved a 14-team format for the 2015 World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand.
The decision came on the opening day of the two-day meeting of the ICC Executive Board in Hong Kong yesterday.
The continuation of a 12-team format for the ICC World Twenty20 events in 2012 (Sri Lanka) and 2014 (Bangladesh) has also been approved.
It was also confirmed that the World Cup in 2019 would be a 10-team event with the top eight in the ICC rankings earning their qualification automatically.
The remaining two places will be decided by a qualification competition.
The Executive Board has also approved recommendations regarding the Decision Review System, revised format for one-dayers and prohibiting use of runners.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 29th, 2011.
