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NATIONAL
World cricket boses to discuss Champions Trophy security:
Top International Cricket Council (ICC) officials will be making a presentation about security arrangements being made for the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan during a chief executives’ meeting Dubai this week. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials believe that the presentation will help in assuaging concerns among players and officials of the teams who will be competing in the Champions Trophy to be held this September. “We were informed by Mr Dave Richardson (ICC’s acting chief executive) that a senior ICC official is going to make a presentation regarding the Champions Trophy in Pakistan at the meeting in Dubai,” Shafqat Naghmi, PCB’s chief operating officer told . “The (chief executives’) meeting in Dubai will be a good platform for the world’s cricket bosses to know about the sort of arrangements we are making for the Champions Trophy,” he added. Pakistan are currently hosting an ICC delegation, which visited Karachi to examine the arrangements being made for the biennial Champions Trophy. Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi are the three venues selected to host Champions Trophy matches.
Tainted pacer could be in for a long grind:
Mohammad Asif could be facing a lengthy ban if charges that he did carry an illegal drug are proved against him. Sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told that the Board’s strict anti-doping regulation means that Asif, who was deported from Dubai after 18 days in detention, could land into further trouble in case the PCB receives a ‘negative’ report from the authorities in Dubai. Though Asif’s dope tests were found to be negative by the Dubai authorities, sources pointed out that possession of banned drugs was a punishable offence according to the PCB anti-doping regulations. The Board adopted a tough anti-doping code after facing an embarrassing situation when two of its top pacers including Asif tested positive for banned anabolic steroid nandrolone. That case was taken up by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after the two pacers were let off the hook by an appeals tribunal. When contacted a top PCB official said that the proceedings to deal with Asif’s case will begin early next week. Shafqat Naghmi, the Board’s COO, said that the PCB will deal with the matter after getting a detailed report on Asif’s case from the Dubai authorities. “Our lawyer in Dubai has informed us that a written report will be sent to the PCB this week,” he said. “We will start our proceedings after receiving the report.”
PCB raises ticket prices:
In a bid to to cash in on the popularity of India-Pakistan clash, the Pakistan Cricket Board has kept the ticket prices for the encounter between the two sides in the Asia Cup at the highest pedestal. Pakistan will play arch-rivals India on June 26 at the National Stadium in Karachi and the PCB authorities have fixed the highest ticket price for that match at Rs 2700. The rise in ticket prices has also been fuelled by Shoaib Malik-led team’s recent tri-series win over India in Dhaka. “Look the Indian team is always a sale-able side in international cricket and it is no surprise everyone wants to cash in on their popularity and standing,” Saleem Qazi, the senior marketing executive of a leading group said. The last time India toured Pakistan in 2006, the highest ticket price for an ODI in Karachi was Rs 2000. The Rs 2700 price range has been set for the top enclosures named after Hanif Muhammad, Javed Miandad and Fazal Mehmood. In the match between Pakistan and Hong Kong, the highest ticket is Rs 500 and similar price has also been set for India’s clash with Hong Kong in Karachi. The lowest ticket rate for India-Pakistan encounter in Asia Cup is Rs 100, whereas normally the general enclosure tickets cost Rs 50.
