Absence of Shoaib, Asif a big disadvantage

LAHORE—Former Chairman, Pakistan Cricket Board, Lt Gen retd Tauqir Zia said that the absence of banned fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Muhammad Asif will be a big disadvantage for Pakistan in the home series against West Indies.
“It is set back for Pakistan team that it would be without its two main bowlers and extra efforts are needed from other bowlers to overcome the factor of their absence”, he told reporters here on Sunday after inaugurating the Lahore Gymkhana Real Media Cup cricket tournament.
He said it will be a tough series for Pakistan as West Indies is in superb form at the moment which was evident from their performance in the ICC Champions Trophy. Answering a question he said the major task would be left to be done on other bowlers to put the opposition under pressure because of an under-strength Pakistan pace battery. He said he has gone through the judgement of the three- member anti-doping commission of Pakistan for banning Shoaib and Asif for using stamina enhancing drugs and said both of the bowlers were given strict punishments.
“I believe a bit harsh punishments have been given to them but it is a good sign that PCB has formed a review commission to hear their appeals and I firmly believe there is still room to reduce their respective punishments as they don’t have that much higher level of (19-Norandrosterone) in their bodies,” he asserted.
Gen Tauqir called for preparing lively wickets during the Pak-West Indies series and said lifeless wickets would not serve any purpose. “ I have heard that slow wickets are being prepared for the home series and doing so will be a mistake as whenever we have done a similar act in the past it has back-fired “,he said adding,” We have a good pace attack and lively wickets suit to our bowlers and can help us in achieving our set goals”. Former PCB Chairman termed banning controversial ICC umpire Darrell Hair a “good step” taken in the larger interest of cricket and said the umpire was not enjoying good reputation among most of the cricket playing countries after his role for alleging Pakistan in ball tempering in the Oval Test which Pakistan team forfeited under protest.
“He was a good umpire but his stand against Pakistan in the Oval test raised many questions on his performance which forced the members countries to go against him and ICC took a good decision while respecting the feelings of its affiliated members countries”, he said.
Gen Tauqir welcomed the decision of ICC for lifting life ban from test cricketer Atta ur Rehman banned for committing perjury in an international march fixing scandal. “The decision comes a bit late but any how it is good for Atta to come out of wilderness and to resume his cricket activities to earn his livelihood “,he said. “Even the Indian Cricket Board is giving some relaxation to life banned captain Azhar ud din by inviting him to cricket related functions and I would say PCB should follow such precedents and may put in efforts to lift life ban from former captain Salim Malik.”—Agencies