'Asian Test Championship as scheduled'

By Rizwan Ehsan Ali

ISLAMABAD, AUG. 23. The Asian Test Championship will be held as planned despite India pulling out of the competition, a top official of the Asian Cricket Council said on Wednesday.

Indian government had refused to allow it's team to travel to Pakistan for the scheduled September 12-16 Test match in Lahore. Indian government had said that the team will be allowed only if Pakistan government stops sponsoring terrorism in Kashmir.

``All the Indian matches of the championship will now be considered as walkovers,'' ACC secretary Zakir Hussain Syed told this correspondent. It means the three remaining teams - Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh - will be awarded full points. ``It's a great setback for Asian cricket. I fail to

understand why the Indian government refuses to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan. On the other hand, it allowed the snooker, volleyball and hockey teams to visit Pakistan. Why singling out cricket?,'' he asked.

The officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) showed a letter of clearance from their government when ACC met in Lahore in May this year. According to that letter India could compete against Pakistan in any multilateral tournaments, featuring more than two teams.

Zakir said that it will be a huge financial loss to the ACC, after India pulling out of the championship. Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board had lost around $15 million after India pulled out of the three-Test series last year. The opening Test of the championship will be played between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Multan from August 29, and a 14 member Bangladeshi squad arrived in Karachi late Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Gen. Tauqir Zia, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, said on Wednesday that if the International Cricket Council (ICC) did not put his foot down, its 10-year cricket plan would be in serious doubt.``It's time the ICC should resolve such issues authoritatively, otherwise the ICC knock-out tournaments and it's 10-year programme will be in jeopardy,'' the general said in a statement.

``Cricket should not be held hostage,'' Tauqir said and it is likely to suffer a great blow in Asia, which has seen phenomenal growth in the last couple of decades.''

Tauqir, who is also the president of the Asian Cricket Council, was surprised that the Indian government had not objected to its team's participation in the SAF Games to be held in October in Islamabad. ``It is now clear that cricket is being singled out by the Indian government,'' he said.

``Already the ACC, and the PCB, have suffered a lot because of Indian government's dilly-dally,'' he said in reference to Pakistan's $15 million loss which the PCB had to bear after India cancelled its three-Test tour of Pakistan late last year.

``It's a shame that a continental event of this magnitude doesn't have a title sponsor and television rights remain unsold. I think cricket in the sub-continent is the ultimate loser.''

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