da bet7k： The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Lt GenTauqir Zia praised showers on the national team for winningthe Sharjah Cup and reiterated that his establishment couldcontinue to look after the cricketers
06-Nov-2001The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Lt GenTauqir Zia praised showers on the national team for winningthe Sharjah Cup and reiterated that his establishment couldcontinue to look after the cricketers.In a press statement, the PCB chairman said: “Despite havingbeen starved of international cricket for the best part ofthe last four months, the Pakistan team displayed remarkableconsistency.”They were without some of the leading performers, likeSaqlain Mushtaq. But with the skipper leading by example,there for no looking back for Pakistan after some tentativestarts.”The PCB chairman said he was delighted to see the boysbacking and supporting each other. “I believe that withtheir talent and potential, this team spirit and camaraderiewouldtake this team places.”The PCB chairman defended the investment on paceman ShoaibAkhtar who came through with flying colours in the SharjahCup. “As long as I am in the saddle, no Pakistani assetwould be allowed to wither due to lack of medical attention.”Our record proves that whosoever got a fitness of medicalproblem, the board expenditiously attended to it, withoutgiving any thought to the cost of rehabilitation. “Off hand,I can recall that other than Shoaib, the PCB took care ofMoin Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Azhar Mahmood, Mohammad Sami andMohammad Zahid,” he said in a statement.He opined that the players were the most valuable assets,adding that whatever expense was made was irrelevant. Hesaid Sami and Zahid would soon be staking claims for spotsin the squad and “it is because of PCB’s timely medicalsupport to these cricketers that the Pakistani selectors nowhave the choice to select a pace quintet of indisputablequality.”The PCB boss reserved special compliments for Shoaib.”As the fastest bowler of his generation, Shoaib is a uniquephenomenon. And I was really happy to see him deliver atSharjah.”Tauqir said he was glad that PCB’s efforts to raise aformidable squad for the 2003 World Cup were on track andbearing fruit. “To me what is really important is the factthat it is now clear that the PCB’s concerted effort tobuild up a nucleus for the 2003 World Cup seem to be bearingfruit. Not only do we have a very decent core, but thetalent on the wings too has gone through intensive coachingand improved its skills levels to bring it at par with thedemands of international standards.”It gives me immense satisfaction that we seem to have comeout of the rebuilding phase, and are well on the path ofemerging as an outfit with the potential to achieve greaterthings. “In that sense, I feel that this victory is a heraldof many more.”The PCB chairman said Sri Lanka was one of the top one-dayoutfits in the world, and the manner is which Waqar Younisand his charges outclassed them in th final surely pointsout to the fact that pakistan cricket team has kept itselfwell turned, despite reduced international cricket.