The Hindu : Top PCB officials quit

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 14, 2002

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Top PCB officials quit

Islamabad Oct. 13 . Heads rolled in the Pakistan cricket establishment on Sunday with the Cricket Board chief Lt General Tauqir Zia and another top official quitting their posts a day after the national team suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Australia in Sharjah.

Shocked by the ``margin of defeat'' of the Pakistan team, which was shot out for 59 and 53 runs by the Aussies who won the second Test in under two days, Zia said, ``I could not handle the politics of the game. Enough is enough. I have done everything to lift the spirit of the game''.

An equally dejected Board Director Chisty Mujahid, who submitted his resignation along with Zia last night to President Pervez Musharraf, also the patron of the Board, said, ``We never thought they will perform like that''.

Pakistan cricket has been afflicted by periodic in-fighting and internal politics which has often dented the performance of its talented cricketers.

After the team's humiliation at the mini World Cup in Colombo last month, some key players did not find their names in the squad and team manager Yawar Saeed and coach Mudassar Nazar were also sacked.

Yet that does not appear to have helped the team's cause as Saturday's loss to Australia was the country's worst-ever setback in Test cricket. The total of 112 runs in both innings was also the fourth lowest total ever registered in Test history.

PTI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport