Pakistan to raise Australia stand in ICC meet

KARACHI (Reuters) - Pakistan will raise Cricket Australia's policy not to tour the country over security fears but travel to India at the International Cricket Council (ICC) next month, sports minister Najamuddin Khan said. Khan will attend ICC's executive board meeting as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is without a chairman since August and is being monitored by the sports ministry. "Australia can play in India although even there, unfortunately, there have been bomb blasts but they're refusing to tour Pakistan," he told Geo News channel. Australia have refused to tour Pakistan over safety and security concerns for its players following a spate of suicide bombings. They were among the teams who declined to play in this month's Champions Trophy in Pakistan citing security fears, forcing the tournament to be postponed until late next year. However, Australia are in India to play four tests after accepting security assurances from the Indian board despite a series of bomb attacks in New Delhi, including one on Saturday. "I will raise this issue with the ICC and talk to the Australians also," he said. "I think they are opting double standards and following different policies for Pakistan and India which is unfair to our cricket." Khan said he would try to convince the other boards to give fresh dates for the eight-team Champions Trophy. "We'll try our best to keep Champions Trophy in Pakistan because we are assuring foolproof security to all teams and we want our cricket to flourish."

Source: www.cricbuzz.com

$9 million agreement with Dubai sports city

KARACHI (Reuters) - Pakistan has signed a three-year, $9 million agreement to play its one-day internationals and Twenty20 matches in Dubai, the country's cricket board said on Thursday. The deal with Dubai sports city comes after failed attempts by Pakistan to convince teams to tour the country after a slew of bombings in recent months. Pakistan had sought new opponents after the postponement of a test tour by Australia and the ICC Champions Trophy, both because of security concerns. "We have signed the deal with Dubai sports city," Shafqat Naghmi, chief operating officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told Reuters. "It gives us option of playing international cricket and also improves our financial health." He said the agreement will feature a tri-series in 2009 after construction of the cricket stadium in the Dubai sports city is completed. Informed sources said the PCB will be paid $1.5 million for each event, as well as a $100,000 appearance fee to each player for every tournament played in the emirate. In 2002, Pakistan played West Indies and Australia at neutral venues after the teams refused to tour the South Asian country in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. The West Indies has been invited to go to Pakistan to play two tests immediately after the two teams finish a one-day series in Dubai from Nov. 12-16. However, Naghmi said its players had also expressed security concerns about touring Pakistan.

Source: www.cricbuzz.com

Akhtar allowed to play domestic event

Pakistan cricket authorities said Tuesday that controversial paceman Shoaib Akhtar can play in a domestic cricket tournament -- just one week after barring him from the same event. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Akhtar can play in a Twenty20 event without paying a 90,000-dollar fine that he owes from an earlier disciplinary breach, contradicting an earlier statement from a PCB legal adviser. The 33-year-old paceman was banned for five years in April for criticising the PCB's failure to award him a central contract. It was later reduced by an appeals commission to 18 months but the commission also imposed the fine. Lahore High court suspended the ban in July but upheld the fine. "We never barred him from playing the domestic event," PCB chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi told AFP. Akhtar was not initially included in any of the 13 teams due to compete for the national T20 title from October 4-8 after PCB legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi said last Tuesday that Akthar could not play. But his name was included recently in the Islamabad team for the event, which will serve as selection test for a four-nation event in Canada. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Canada are competing in the event, which will be held in Toronto from October 10-13. The PCB last month included Akhtar in a 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy, but two days later the PCB changed its stance and said Akhtar could only play if he paid the fine. The trophy was, however, postponed for 12 months over security fears. Akhtar returned home early Tuesday after playing two first-class matches for Surrey in the English county season. He managed just one wicket in two matches and failed to help Surrey avoid relegation to Division Two. Akhtar said he will play in the domestic event. "I am disappointed on not getting the number of wickets I wished but I have just returned from fitness problems so it will take some time to gain full rhythm," he said. "I will play in the domestic T20 event to prove my fitness and want to play for Pakistan as soon as possible," said Akhtar, whose last match for Pakistan was the third Test against India at Bangalore in December last year.

Source: www.cricbuzz.com

ICC changes Oval forfeiture to draw, England v Pakistan, The Oval, 2006

July 3, 2008, Darrell Hair awarded England five penalty runs in their second innings for ball tampering

The ICC has changed the result of the controversial Oval Test between England and Pakistan in 2006 from an English victory to a draw, following pressure from the Pakistan Cricket Board during the annual ICC meeting in Dubai.
"The board decided the result of the match should be altered. The change is from an England win as a result of Pakistan's refusal to play to the match being termed abandoned as a draw," the ICC said. "The board's decision is based on the view that in light of the unique set of circumstances the original result was felt to be inappropriate."
Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was Pakistan's captain during the Test, welcomed the ICC's decision. "I am very happy about it. This decision and the fact that we were cleared of ball-tampering charges proves that we were correct in our stance," he said. "This proves that what happened there was because of one man (Darrell Hair). It is sad that he is still there."
The Test was originally awarded to England by umpire Darrell Hair after Pakistan did not come out to field after tea on the fourth day, following accusations of ball-tampering.
Pakistan had, at the time, been in a strong position in the match, having secured a first-innings lead of 331 and removed four England batsmen second-time around. There was nothing at stake in the series, with England already leading 2-0 after wins at Headingley and Old Trafford, but the eventual forfeiture was the first in the history of Test cricket. The removal of England's win could affect their standing in the ICC Test Championship - they are currently third on 110 points, one ahead of their next opponents, South Africa, on 109.
The result had huge off-field ramifications as well. Hair went on to be suspended from the ICC elite panel, and though that decision was overturned last year when he took his employers to the High Court in London, the initial decision formed the basis of Pakistan's appeal for a rethink of the result.

source: www.circinfo.com

Shoaib's ban reduced to 18 months

The Appellate tribunal, legal counsel of the Pakistan Cricket Board, reduced the ban imposed on controversial paceman Shoaib Akhtar to 18 months and fined him for Rs. 7 lakh.
The tribunal was hearing an appeal from Shoaib against the five-year ban slapped on him by the disciplinary committee of the PCB in March. The verdict was delivered in Lahore on Saturday.
He was allowed to play in the Indian Premier League after the tribunal suspended his ban for one month.

The 'Rawalpindi Express' was earlier banned for five years for violating code of conduct while under probation period.
Last year, Shoaib was banned for 13 international matches and fined Rs. 3.4 million ($120,300) for four breaches of discipline including striking team mate Mohammad Asif with a bat before Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa and put on two-year probation.

Source: www.rediff.com