Pakistan to play positive cricket on Indian tour (22 January 1999)

22 January 1999

Pakistan to play positive cricket on Indian tour

By Our Sports Correspondent

LAHORE, Jan 21: "We are going to play positive cricket during the tour of India and are not bothered by any sort of security threats as sports and politics are totally different things."

This was stated by team manager Shaharyar M. Khan, captain Wasim Akram and coach Javed Miandad while talking to journalists after attending a briefing at the PCB headquarter. They expressed their resolve to entertain the cricket-crazy millions of India by playing Tests and One-day International matches during this tour being undertaken after a lapse of 12 years. The 16-member team with four officials flew off to New Delhi from Lahore on Thursday afternoon.

The Pakistan team manager Shaharyar M. Khan, who is a senior diplomat and specially appointed manager for this tour, said that Shiv Sena could not disturb the tour as millions of cricket fans in India were waiting for it.

Shaharyar Khan, who was Pakistan ambassador to India, said that he held a special meeting with Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif before attending the briefing at the PCB headquarter. The Prime Minister, he added, was very keen for Pakistan tour to India.

The Pakistan Government took a very wise and bold decision of not cancelling the tour as politic should not be mixed up with sports, he said.

He was sure that as far as his job was concerned the tour would be successful.

Captain Wasim Akram said that the team was not under any sort of pressure and would play and enjoy good cricket in India.

Paceman Wasim Akram said that Pakistan team was even ready to play at Mumbai which was the home city of Shiv Sena.

He said that three times security assurance, given by Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was enough and he thought now there was no reason to cancel the tour.

Coach and celebrated cricketer Javed Miandad said that the people of India want that the Pakistan team to play there because they want to enjoy good cricket.

He said that the current situation was not a new one for Pakistan as it had always toured India under tense situation.

Javed Miandad said that the briefing given to the players was very fruitful and would help them to deal with any situation easily.

Wasim Akram and Javed Miandad were fully satisfied on the selection of the team and expressed the hope that the boys would deliver goods.

While replying to a question, Javed Miandad said that Wajahatullah Wasti and Mohammad Naveed were new openers, indeed, but they were capable to come upto the expectations.

It had been happening in past that a new player had played a much better game than to his senior colleague, Javed Miandad said.

Talking about the omission of former captain Aamir Sohail from the touring party, Javed Miandad said that it was the decision of the PCB selection committee.

Source :: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)