ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board’s director domestic cricket Haroon Rashid on Monday said chances of spot-fixing convicted players Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt returning to the national squad are remote.

Briefing the Senate Standing Commit­tee on Inter-provincial Coordination (IPC) which met here at Parliament House with Senator Mohammad Yaqoob Khan Nasar in the chair, former Test cricketer Haroon reckoned right-arm pacer Asif did not fulfil the fitness level required for international cricket.

Earlier, Senator Faisal Javed queried Haroon about the status of Asif and ex-national captain Salman both of whom were found involved in spot-fixing during Pakistan’s 2010 tour to England; later after completing their jail terms and bans imposed by the International Cricket Council, they were allowed by the ICC to play cricket but both of them had not been given chance to represent the country, added the Senator.

Responding to this, Haroon said Mohammad Amir’s case was different from Asif and Salman, noting when the spot-fixing case surfaced Amir was under 19 years of age and confessed to spot-fixing before campaigning for the ICC and the PCB against the menace of fixing. Whereas Asif and Salman, Haroon added, had not confessed to their involvement in spot-fixing, until they were declared guilty.

“I think, instead on focusing on these two players, the PCB is concentrating on [developing] young players, who have [potentially] long careers ahead,” Haroon said.

Earlier while answering another question, Haroon said there was no rift between national team’s head coach Mickey Arthur and veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez.

PAKISTAN IMPORTS ITS OWN MADE BALL!

Earlier, the committee was surprised to know that Pakistan for its domestic matches imports Duke cricket balls from England. Senator Faisal told the committee that cricketers have been complaining that the PCB recommends Duke ball of England, which is originally manufactured in Sialkot.

The senator said the ball is expensive for cricketers who had to purchase it for around Rs10,000. To this, Haroon admitted that Duke ball is imported from England. “The ball is available in market for Rs8,000,” Haroon said. “The Sialkot-based factory, which makes these balls, despite efforts made by the PCB is not ready to [directly] supply these balls to us.”

Meanwhile, the committee showed its displeasure over national athletes’ poor performance at this year’s Jakarta Asian Games and national cricket team’s dismal show in the recently-concluded Asia Cup where Pakistan could not reach the final. Speaking on the occasion, Senator Mushahidullah Khan said the entire system of sports in the country is faulty and it badly needs improvement.

NAROWAL SPORTS CITY PROJECT

The committee came down hard on the Pakistan Sports Board and IPC ministry officials for executing the multi-billion rupees Narowal Sports Stadium project, which is in fact a provincial subject.

Senator Sardar Mohammad Azam Khan Musakhel, a committee member, noted that the PSB had failed to construct a football stadium in Chaman, which is a hub of football, but it constructed the Narowal stadium.

PSB officials when it comes to constructing Chaman stadium claimed that sports has been devolved to provinces but they constructed Narowal stadium, which was also a provincial subject, underlined the Senator. The committee members asked the PSB officials about the legitimacy of the Narowal project.

To this, IPC secretary Jamil Ahmed said proper inquiry into the matter was required, requesting the committee to recommend an investigation on the same.

It is relevant to note here that Narowal Sports City project was the brainchild of former minister for interior and ex-minister for planning and development Ahsan Iqbal for his home constituency. Currently, the case is being probed by FIA and NAB. Recently, FIA also held former PSB director general Dr Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera and some other officials for alleged corruption in this case.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2018