PCB to retain Shoaib in central contracts top category

[Amjid Javed]

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to retain fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar in the top category of the central contracts offered to the players although he has not played for Pakistan since January this year due to fitness problems.

A PCB official said on Tuesday that he didn’t see any major changes in the categorisation of the new central contracts and added that Shoaib was a valuable asset for the senior team and would continue to be treated as a senior player.

The eccentric fast bowler was included in the top category of the central contracts, which are divided into three categories when they were first offered to 17 players last year before the Australian tour.

The Board recently offered central contracts to 20 players but have not as yet announced the categorisation of the players.

Only Shoaib, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana and Abdul Razzaq were in the top category in the first batch of contracts given out last year.

However, since getting the central contract, Shoaib has faced fitness problems and after playing three Tests in Australia he missed out on tours to India and the West Indies.

Director Board Operations Abbas Zaidi stated that the PCB considered Shoaib an important member of the side particularly with a hectic international season ahead of the senior team.

"I don’t think his category is going to be changed. As far as his fitness problems as are his lack of match practice in recent months, we’ve plans for him," Zaidi stated.

Director Cricket Operations Saleem Altaf didn’t rule out the possibility of Shoaib being called back from England and being asked to undergo a rehabilitation and match-fitness programme at home.

Shoaib is presently in England where he is appearing for Worcestershire on a play and pay contract meaning he is being paid on match-to-match basis but he has appeared in just one four-day game and a couple of one-dayers since joining the county in early July and also didn’t play in the tour match against Australia that ended on Monday.

Sources said in the meeting held on Monday in Lahore to discuss the future plans of the Pakistan team, even captain Inzamam-ul-Haq —with whom Shoaib has not seen eye to eye —had said a lot of good words about him.

"Inzamam said that Shoaib remained an important player for the team and that he would very much like to see him play against England at home as he had always performed well against them in the past," one source said.

Shoaib, who has taken 144 Test and 186 one-day wickets, the source said, might be asked to come back and also play one or two games against the touring Australian A side.

Zaidi added the players, whose fitness remained suspect, would be tried out in the three four-day practice games planned for the Pakistan probables and assured the Board had put a mechanism into place that would test out the fitness of every player before the start of the England series.

Altaf said he would be getting feedback from the Worcestershire chief executive on the fitness of Shoaib who had recently faced some calf muscle problems.

[Amjid Javed]

PCB clears mystery over Shoaib’s selection

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has cleared the mystery surrounding the surprise selection of eccentric fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for the Asian eleven squad that will play against the African squad in three One-day Internationals this month in the South African cities —Durban and Johannesburg.

Shoaib’s selection in the 15-member squad on Monday by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) selectors astonished cricket fans, critics and players as the fast bowler has been reported to be struggling with fitness problems presently in England where he is playing for Worcestershire.

But a senior official of the PCB said the Board had recommended the name of Shoaib for selection as it had the names of some other Pakistani players to be considered for selection in the Asian eleven squad. "We recommended Shoaib’s name as we want to find out if he is fit and can play this month," a senior official, who declined to be named, said. Shoaib has not played for Pakistan since breaking down in Australia in January this year.

[mulan]

Afridi, Khan get improved contracts
Posted on 17 August 2005 - 08:34


Pakistani vice captain Younis Khan and all rounder Shahid Afridi have been given pay raises by the country's cricket board, putting them in a group of six contracted players receiving the highest salaries.

The one-year contracts offered last month by the Pakistan Cricket Board to a total of 20 players award the elite group a monthly salary of 200,000 rupees ($3,352) on top of match and tour fees.

"Younis and Afridi have performed outstandingly since last winter and deserved this promotion," PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan told Reuters on Wednesday.

The two join captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Shoaib Akhtar and Abdul Razzaq as the highest paid performers.

Younis has appeared in 37 test matches and 118 one-day internationals, scoring three centuries in his last four tests.

The flamboyant Afridi, who has played in 208 one-dayers and 19 tests, scored the second fastest hundred in one-day history against India in April.

Pakistan started awarding central contracts to its players last November in a bid to maintain a close watch on their fitness levels and discourage them from playing abroad in the off-season.

Khan added that other consistent performers had also been given pay rises and new contracts, which are divided into three categories.

The second tier group receive a monthly salary of 125,000 rupees and those in the third get 75,000.

© Reuters

[Amjid Javed]

razzaq highest paid preformer???

[mulan]

After 3 months here I've drawn the following conclusion...

You don't like the boy very much....do you...

[Amjid Javed]

Originally Posted by mulan After 3 months here I've drawn the following conclusion... You don't like the boy very much....do you...

No, im a huge huge razzaq odi fan... as far as tests go he shud neva play agen!

[mulan]

So....should there be a different tier of performance incentives and/or contracts for ONLY test players and ONLY ODI's?

If Razzaq doesn't play in tests, who'd they replace him with...

Personally I don't think either Razzaq or Malik should be in the test squad...

Don't bite my head off!!!! Please....just a personal view....

[mulan]

Could somebody please help me with the following quote:

Pakistan started awarding central contracts to its players last November in a bid to maintain a close watch on their fitness levels and discourage them from playing abroad in the off-season.

I do not understand this....Wouldn't playing abroad in the off season be a GOOD THING ?

[Amjid Javed]

Originally Posted by mulan So....should there be a different tier of performance incentives and/or contracts for ONLY test players and ONLY ODI's? If Razzaq doesn't play in tests, who'd they replace him with... Personally I don't think either Razzaq or Malik should be in the test squad... Don't bite my head off!!!! Please....just a personal view....

i agree 100% test and odi contracts shud be seperate. also malik and razzaq shud only be odi squad... so i agree 100% there also...

razzaq shud be a high earner interms of odis... in tests PCB shud be taking money off him...

[Amir]

Big mistake in my opinion, when the guy is not getting selected or fat as a cow, he does not deserve the highest pay. Personally, PCB should invoke the pay as you play contract like Worchestershire. IT is working for them, and possibly work for us.

[z10]

Originally Posted by mulan Could somebody please help me with the following quote: I do not understand this....Wouldn't playing abroad in the off season be a GOOD THING ?

i think they wanted to protect the players like duncan fletcher has done to the english players

keep them away from over exposure and to stop them from burning out

[mulan]

Originally Posted by z10 i think they wanted to protect the players like duncan fletcher has done to the english players keep them away from over exposure and to stop them from burning out

Rather some over exposure - than NO exposure

[z10]

Originally Posted by mulan Rather some over exposure - than NO exposure

why? i think the current system works well

although it has ruined the career of anderson