While inaugurating the summer training camp run by a private cricket academy at Pindi Cricket Stadium, he said that the PCB would take over the stadiums at Rawalpindi and Faisalabad probably within a week under an understanding with Chief Minister Punjab Ch Pervaiz Elahi. The PCB has already taken over the Multan Stadium.

He also announced that lights would be installed at cricket stadiums of Faisalabad and Multan. "We will try to complete this task before the England cricket team's tour in October this year," he said.

He said international standard facilities like shades for spectators and dressing rooms for players would be developed at these stadiums before the 2005-06 season. Shaharyar said that PCB would take strict action against including overage players in junior teams. "We have already taken action against Rawalpindi while inquiry is in progress in six other cases for the same offenses."

The PCB has issued a letter to RCA, informing them that on a protest by Islamabad, an inquiry was conducted and it was found that an overage player was included by them in the recently-concluded Rawalpindi Region Inter-District Under-19 Championship match. The letter says the winning points have been transferred to Islamabad which would thus emerge as eventual title winners.

Shaharyar emphasised that quality coaches should serve in private academies if they were to get the PCB-approved certificates for plying their business. He urged the youngsters to work hard on physical fitness. "National coach Bob Woolmer recently found that our A team visiting Namibia lacked fitness," he said.

Also present at the function were PCB Regional Development Manager for Rawalpindi, Col (r) Naushad, former PCB Director Brig (r) Munawwar Rana, former RDCA Secretary Ashraf Qureshi, cricket promoter Shakil Shaikh and many others.

In an informal chat with reporters later, Shaharyar said that he would soon attend the meetings of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in London and would again press for induction of neutral umpires at both ends in One Day Internationals.

Shaharyar would also be awarded fellowship by Cambridge University during his England visit.

This article appeared in The Nation on 16 June 2005

(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only. This article is published courtesy of The Nation
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