Shaharyar's gesture may yet salvage Stanford game

The $5 million winner-takes-all Stanford 20/20 SuperStar game between West Indies and South Africa due to be played on November 10 might still happen after Shaharyar Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), said his board would be willing to "bend over backwards" to accommodate the match.

The 20/20 game was officially cancelled earlier this week after it emerged that the PCB were unable to shift dates of the West Indies' tour to Pakistan, which begins with the tourists' arrival on November 7, two days after the end of the Champions Trophy in India. The first Test is scheduled to begin on November 11.

But according to the Barbados-based The Nation News, Shaharyar is willing to adjust the schedule by a few days to accommodate the match. Shaharyar revealed that he learned on Monday that the PCB had informed the WICB it was unable to shift the original dates, as requested.

Shaharyar said, "Because we hold the West Indies board in such high regard, I said we must bend over backwards to accommodate them, even if it meant bumping into our national 20/20 tournament. I spoke to my board which said we couldn't do a week, but we could squeeze in four or five days."

He added, "I was about to convey this (to the WICB) when I was told the Stanford exercise was off. It meant we were back to the original schedule. I await the West Indies board's final comment on this."

The WICB subsequently released a statement announcing their pleasure at the PCB's stance to accommodate the WICB and shift the dates for the tour. Ken Gordon, the board president, said, "This is very good news to me as we have tried to keep our commitment to do all within our power to shift the tour dates. In fact, I wrote several letters to the PCB and clearly these have finally swayed the Pakistan board in our favour. As soon as I get formal confirmation of the PCB's decision, I will convey it to Mr. Stanford. I hope it is not too late to reinstate the game against South Africa."

However, these late developments might not amount to much as Allen Stanford, the businessman who conceived the SuperStar game, released a statement soon after stating it would be difficult to reinstate the match and attacking the WICB for their lack of communication throughout the whole matter.

Stanford said, "The cancellation of the Super Star match was based on a letter written by the president of the WICB, dated 25th August, in which it was conveyed that there was absolutely nothing that could be done with the dates for Pakistan and that Mr. Ken Gordon, as quoted in his letter, had conveyed his disappointment to the PCB Chairman, Mr. Shaharyar Khan.

"After receiving this communication from Mr. Gordon and realising the level it had gone to with the PCB and much contemplation on the issue, the extremely difficult decision was made to cancel the match. Subsequent to this, South Africa was informed, agreements with suppliers were cancelled and the Super Star squad that were training in Antigua were informed and the camp was discontinued because of the irresolvable issue with the Pakistan tour dates.

"At this stage it would be unprofessional to reinstate all of this to accommodate what appears to be a lack of efficiency and miscommunication on the part of the WICB, the very organisation who assured us the dates could be accommodated."

As things stand at this stage, the match is off; a PCB official confirmed to Cricinfo that the tour is scheduled to go ahead as per the original itinerary. But Shaharyar was due to contact Gordon from London to discuss the matter further. Given that the PCB is now willing to accommodate a change in schedule of four to five days as well as the financial stake of the 20/20 contest, it isn't entirely beyond the realm of possibility that the situation may change once again.

Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of Cricinfo

© Cricinfo

sheharyar is a looser
he always backs off when he could take it all for his country

WC2011 , Darrell Hair are prime examples

however this time i am not that dis appointed with khan , since Windies seem to su[pport us on Hair issue , so it wont be bad if we reward them for their support