Dr Junaid Ali Shah protests at PCB’s hefty fee again

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The President of the Asghar Ali Shah Foundation and two-times former provincial Minister, Dr Syed Junaid Ali Shah, has lashed out at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for charging exorbitantly for the purpose of holding club level tournaments.

“I had protested loudly earlier in the presence of the then PCB Chairman, Najam Sethi, who had agreed to review the hefty charges in the interest of the game. He is no more a part of the PCB but those in power should have taken the responsibility to do the needful. It’s really sickening to have such regulations which pollute the atmosphere and damage the interests of the game,” he remarked during the media launch of the 24th Dr M A Shah Night Trophy Cricket Tournament 2019 at the Asghar Ali Shah Stadium, Karachi, on May 2. 

“Since all the seven knockout games, starting from quarter-finals, have to be telecast live on Geo Super, we have deposited the PCB fee of Rs 15 lacs but we have done it in protest and we will continue fighting for the cause of the game,” he stated.

"As a mark of protest against the policies of the PCB we didn't have our matches televised last year but obviously we didn't wish to deprive the cricket community and we have chosen for the live telecast of our knockout matches as we used to do in the past," he added.

Dr Junaid Ali Shah, who is also the President of the Karachi Hockey Association (KHA), didn’t mince words in stating his displeasure with the existing policies of the sports bodies at the national level. 

“Be it the PCB or the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), they are often found in the news for the wrong reasons. They seem to be pursuing their own agenda without realizing the gravity of the situation and the harms their actions or inactions cause from time to time,” he regretted. 

Meanwhile he disclosed that the Asghar Ali Shah Foundation, established by his illustrious father, Dr Syed Muhammad Ali Shah, will continue meeting the costs of the Dr M A Shah Night Trophy Cricket Tournament. 

The tournament, to be contested by a total of 16 teams, to be divided equally in four groups for the preliminary rounds, will be offering attractive prize money with the winners to receive Rupees five lacs and the runner-up to get Rupees two and a half lacs.

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Resumption of international cricket in Pakistan delayed further

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The proposed Twenty20 games between a Pakistan XI and a World XI, which were rescheduled to be held at the National Stadium, Karachi, on August 4 and 5, had to be postponed again and the new dates will be announced at a later stage.

The Sindh Sports Minister, Dr Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, who planned to organize back to back matches over the weekend, announced the decision, adding that the fresh dates will be worked out with the consultation of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). 

These matches were originally planned to be staged in Karachi in the last week of May.

“The decision to postpone the series Pakistan XI and World XI was taken in an emergent meeting of the Asghar Ali Shah Foundation as it was practically not possible to bring in the overseas players at such a short notice,” Dr Shah revealed. 

“I am in touch on a regular basis with Sanath Jayasuriya, the legendary Sri Lankan all-rounder, who will be leading the World XI in the series against Pakistan. He has assured me on numerous occasions that neither he nor any of his teammates have security concerns playing in Pakistan,” the Sindh Sports Minister stated.

“We also have the whole-hearted blessings of the government. Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, and the Governor of Sindh, Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan, have pledged fool-proof security arrangements for the visiting cricketers and we are fully geared to meet the challenge,” Dr Shah asserted. 

“It’s our endeavour that the full-strength Pakistan side should be fielded against the World XI which features some very experienced hands which would make the matches competitive as well as entertaining,” he thought. 

 “Any thing other than the national team won’t be befitting the occasion. The international cricket is returning to Pakistan and the moment has to be celebrated. We are confident that this series will open the doors to the resumption of Test matches and One-day Internationals in Pakistan which have not been held since 2009,” Dr Shah emphasized.

There were some positive indicators having suggested that the international cricket in Pakistan may finally be resumed following an understanding reached between Dr Shah and the PCB Chairman, Chaudhary Zaka Ashraf. 

The PCB had initially refused to cooperate with Dr Shah when the Asghar Ali Shah Foundation, with the collaboration of the Government of Sindh, desired holding the two matches during the month of May. 

The situation changed following the lengthy meeting between Dr Shah and Zaka Ashraf in London but the bureaucratic hurdles or the red-tape of the PCB didn’t allow things to be worked out on a fast track. 

Dr Shah also offered to extend the Twenty20 series between World XI and Pakistan XI to three matches instead of the originally planned two. They were also willing to have the matches in Karachi, Lahore or any other venue the PCB deemed proper. 

The response from the PCB was lukewarm and the bottom-line seemed to be discouraging the Asghar Ali Shah Foundation to do something the Board had not been able to do on their own. The PCB had failed in persuading Bangladesh to tour Pakistan even briefly for a few matches and their egos might have got hurt if Dr Shah, on his own, succeeded in roping in a bunch of international cricketers to play in Karachi.

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Dr Shah and PCB to jointly stage World XI series in July

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The international cricket in Pakistan may finally be resumed next month following an understanding reached between the Sindh Sports Minister, Dr Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman, Chaudhary Zaka Ashraf.

“I have had a lengthy informal meeting with the PCB Chairman in London recently. We have agreed in principle to make it a joint venture and the details are being worked out. We are due to meet again, this time formally, later this month to finalize the matter,” Dr Shah revealed in an interview the other day. 

“Since the PCB has showed willingness to work jointly with the Asghar Ali Shah Foundation for the resumption of international cricket in Pakistan, we may extend the Twenty20 series between World XI and Pakistan XI to three matches instead of the originally planned two. We can have matches in Karachi, Lahore or any other venue the PCB may desire,” the Sindh Sports Minister, showing flexibility, remarked. 

He had adopted a different stance earlier which led to the postponement of the two matches which he had announced to organize in Karachi on May 25 and 26. 

“It’s our mutual desire to hold the three-match T20 series in the middle of July, upon the return of Pakistan’s team from the tour of Sri Lanka. The period between July 14 and the start of Ramazan around July 21 is being considered as the window of opportunity. Since the T20 and ODI specialists will return home before the Test series, we can also play host to these matches a little bit earlier,” Dr Shah felt. 

When inquired about what role his Foundation will be playing in the event of the PCB hosting the matches, he explained that the Board will be looking after all the organizational matters and his body will only bring in the contracted players to Pakistan. 

Dr Shah has indicated that the contracts with the players will be revised if they were to appear in three matches instead of two. 

He was confident that all the players, who had signed to play in May, will be available to come for a short period for Pakistan in July. 

Sanath Jayasuriya, the former Sri Lankan all-rounder, is due to lead the World XI which also features Andrea Nel, Justin Kemp, Loots Bossman, Charl Langeveldt and Paul Adams (South Africa), Jerome Taylor, Adam Sanford and Jermaine Lawson (West Indies) and Owais Shah (England) with Alvin Kallicharran, former West Indian batting great, being the manager. 

There’s a strong possibility of these matches getting staged if the PCB Chairman indeed has made up his mind to work jointly with Dr Shah or even let him do it on his own. But the kind of system prevailing in the society nothing could be taken for granted. There’s still a long way to go it seems.

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