PCB should ‘come clean’ on Kaneria, Malik non-selection issue: Basit Ali
By ANISunday, January 16, 2011
ISLAMABAD - Former Pakistan cricket team selector Basit Ali has launched a scathing attack on the Pakistan Cricket Board for mishandling the non selection of Danish Kaneria and Shoaib Malik, and urged it to come clean on the matter.
Malik and Kaneria had met the PCB’s Integrity Committee prior to the announcement of the 30-member preliminary squad for the World Cup, but neither of them was cleared for selection, leading to both expressing dissatisfaction and confusion.
“Why are the PCB [officials] not clarifying the situation? Instead we have a scenario where the players do not know the full reasons why they have not been selected and the Board are not helping in this matter,” PakPassion.net quoted Basit, as saying.
He said there had to be consistency from the PCB regarding all players, and that there should not be one rule for a particular player, and another rule for others.
“When the spot fixing allegations were made against Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, the Board stopped the players from using any PCB facilities, stopped them from playing domestic cricket and cancelled their central contracts. So what is different now, if Malik and Kaneria have wronged, then why are they being allowed to play in domestic cricket, why are they still on central contracts and why are they being allowed to use PCB facilities. What is so different this time around?” he questioned.
Basit also felt that the silence maintained by the PCB on this issue was not helping matters, and that the board should have handled the matter with more clarity.
“If Malik and Kaneria are not in the clear, then why just stay silent, the Board should confirm what Malik and Kaneria have not been cleared over, instead of this silence which only just adds to the speculation,” he said.
“If the Board are not prepared to explain what the situation is with both players, then they should allow both players to be made available for selection, as this standoff between the players and Board is certainly not helping Pakistan cricket at all. There has to be consistency on these matters,” he added. (ANI)
