PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf declines BCCI invitation for IPL final Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf, who was invited by the BCCI to watch the final of the Indian Premier League, on Saturday declined to attend the event citing his busy schedule at home.

"Zaka Ashraf is tied up in some commitments in Pakistan at the moment so he wouldn't be going to attend the final for which he was invited by the BCCI," the spokesman said.

Sources in the board said Ashraf had been advised to not visit India because of the spot-fixing scandal that had hit the mega-event last week.

"It was thought it would be better now for him to remain away from the IPL spotlight as other boards have also indicated their representatives will not be in Kolkata for the final," one source said....more    
09:44 PM, May 25, 2013

Why Asad Rauf is under investigation, asks PCB Karachi: PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf on Friday said they have no clue why Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf was under investigation in the IPL spot-fixing scandal and why he has been withdrawn from the Champions Trophy. Rauf is under police scanner for involvement in spot-fixing, although nothing concrete has come out yet. "The ICC has told us they were withdrawing Rauf from the Champions Trophy panel, but so far we don't...  
03:46 PM, May 24, 2013

I have not retired, clarifies Mohammad Yousuf Karachi: Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf Tuesday rebutted media reports that he has retired from international cricket. A few TV channels flashed the news of his retirement, forcing the Test discard to come up with clarifications. "I am already out of the Pakistan team and haven't played top class cricket for a while now so what is the purpose of me announcing any retirement," the 38-year-old cricketer said. "The selectors are...  
06:34 PM, May 21, 2013

PCB chief Ashraf refuses to comment on IPL spot-fixing Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board chief Zaka Ashraf has refused to comment on the spot-fixing scandal that has hit the Indian Premier League, referring to it as an internal matter of the BCCI. The PCB chief said that his board had taken a number of steps to prevent its players from getting involved in corrupt practises. "I can assure you that even when our team plays in the Champions Trophy next...  
06:53 PM, May 19, 2013

Pakistan backs BCCI on Siva's ICC appointment Karachi: Pakistan has supported the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) in the controversial appointment of L Sivaramakrishnan as a player's representative in the ICC, saying that it voted against incumbent Tim May due to its own disliking for the Australian. An official in the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed that the PCB voted against May when his nomination came up and after the BCCI put forward the name of Sivaramakrishnan for a...  
10:23 AM, May 17, 2013

Not plotting move to oust Ashraf, says Sohail Karachi: Pakistan's former captain, Aamir Sohail has reacted strongly to reports that he was engineering a move to oust Zaka Ashraf as chairman of the PCB after the Pakistan Muslim League's victory in the general elections. Ashraf interestingly became the first elected chairman of the board just few days before the elections were held on May 11 with many former heads of the board and players criticising the haste and...  
10:56 PM, May 16, 2013

Clause makes Pakistan players answerable to team management Karachi: Pakistan's cricketers who are presently in Scotland preparing for the Champions Trophy, have had to accept clauses in their new central contracts, which make them answerable to the team management at any time during the tour as part of anti-corruption measures taken by the board to avoid a repeat of the 2010 spot-fixing scandal. Official sources in the PCB confirmed that the vigilance officer, who has flown to Scotland...  
10:35 PM, May 16, 2013

Sohail Tanvir wants to shed T20 specialist tag Karachi: Pakistan's left-arm pacer, Sohail Tanvir is looking at a full season with English county, Hampshire to shed the tag of being a specialist T20 player. Tanvir, who will leave later this month to join Hampshire for a full season after getting clearance from the Pakistan Cricket Board, said he wanted to use the opportunity to show everyone he was good at any format of the game. "The irony is...  
08:53 AM, May 15, 2013

Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan handed Pakistan contracts and pay rise
by
Islamabad: The Pakistan Cricket Board has surprisingly awarded axed allrounder Shahid Afridi and batsman Younis Khan category A contracts while increasing their pay by 15 percent. Both players were dropped for next month's Champions Trophy, but will be given monthly retainers of around $3,600. Test and one-day captain Misbah-ul-Haq, Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez and offspinner Saeed Ajmal were also given category A contracts. Fast bowler Umar Gul, Umar Akmal and...  
06:26 PM, May 14, 2013

Zaka Ashraf defends manner of his election as PCB chief Karachi: Stung by the criticism over the manner in which he has become the first elected chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board, Zaka Ashraf on Friday insisted that the process adopted by the PCB was according to recommendations of the International Cricket Council. Ashraf has come in for sharp criticism from former heads of the Board and former players over the manner he was elected as PCB chief on Wednesday under...  
11:06 PM, May 10, 2013

Latif to move court against Ashraf's election as PCB chief Karachi: Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has said that he would challenge the manner in which Zaka Ashraf was elected Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman under the new Constitution by filing a petition in the High Court. "After my first petition, the PCB introduced a few amendments to its constitution. However, it is not as democratic as it should be. There are loopholes [in the new constitution] which I want...  
01:18 PM, May 09, 2013

Zaka Ashraf's appointment as PCB chairman challenged Islamabad: A former member of the PCB's board of governors filed a petition in Lahore High Court on Wednesday against the election of Zaka Ashraf as the new Pakistan Cricket Board chairman. Mohammad Anwar said in his petition that "unbridled powers are conferred upon the patron for the appointment of the chairman without following the open and transparent selection process." The PCB's 11-member board of governors earlier chose Ashraf after...  
11:27 PM, May 08, 2013

Zaka Ashraf becomes Pakistan's first elected chief
by
Islamabad: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Zaka Ashraf on Wednesday became the country's first elected head of the sport, winning a four-year term under a new constitution approved earlier this year. The International Cricket Council (ICC) directed all its members to run their boards democratically and without government interference, threatening sanctions for any board that did not meet its requirements by June 2013. Ashraf, 60, has been PCB chairman since...  
07:28 PM, May 08, 2013

Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram confident of Pakistan's good show in England Karachi: Former Pakistan captains Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram are hopeful that the national team can win the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in England. The PCB has asked Miandad to assist the batsmen in the national training camp underway in Abbotabad while Akram is also there to work with the pace bowlers. Both the greats have spent hours working with the players since reaching Abbotabad two days back. According to...  
10:41 AM, May 06, 2013

Ex-players not happy with Woodhill as Pak batting coach Karachi: The appointment of Trent Woodhill as batting coach of the Pakistan team for the ICC Champions Trophy has not gone down well with the majority of former players, including Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram. Woodhill, who has not played first-class cricket and until last year was the associate coach of the New Zealand team, is set to join the team in England for the upcoming tournament. Miandad, who is...  
10:30 AM, May 06, 2013

Pakistan cricketers expect pay hike with new central contracts Karachi: Pakistan's top cricketers are expecting the PCB to give them another pay hike when the new central contracts for the year 2013 are given before the team leaves for the ICC Champions Trophy. Sources close to some of the players told PTI Sunday that they were expecting a pay raise as their options for revenue earning were limited in comparison to players from other countries. "Two senior players are...  
10:30 AM, May 06, 2013

Afridi's interview on Champions Trophy squad riles up PCB Karachi: Shahid Afridi has irked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for giving an interview to the media after his omission from the 15-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in England, following which the board is contemplating a disciplinary action against the flamboyant allrounder. Afridi told the Jang newspaper that it was captain Misbah-ul-Haq who didn't want him in the team. "It's the captain's decision to drop me," he told...  
08:59 AM, May 02, 2013

Pakistan drop Afridi from Champions Trophy squad
by AFP
Lahore: Pakistan on Monday axed Shahid Afridi from their 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy following the allrounder's below-par performances in South Africa and a domestic competition. The 33-year-old, who still holds the world record of fastest one-day century - off 37 balls made against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1996 - has not taken a single wicket in his last six one-day internationals. Undoubtedly the most popular player in...  
11:55 PM, Apr 29, 2013

Ahmed Jamal - Pakistan's new fast bowling hope
by AFP
Karachi: Little-known bowler Ahmed Jamal has vowed to make a name for himself after winning a nationwide "King of Speed" competition launched by cricket chiefs to unearth a new Pakistani quick. Pakistan boast a proud history of pacemen including the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar and Jamal showed he has the pace to frighten batsmen with a fastest delivery of 143 kilometres (88 miles) an hour....  
04:49 PM, Apr 29, 2013

PCB to examine rejection of Kaneria's appeal against ban Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would legally examine the dismissal of the appeal made by leg-spinner Danish Kaneria against his ban on charges of spot-fixing. An ECB panel in London had rejected Kaneria' appeal against the life ban, handed out to him over charges of spot-fixing. PCB Chairman, Zaka Ashraf said the Board lawyers will examine Kaneria's appeal verdict. "We will ask our lawyers to analyze the outcome of...  
08:18 PM, Apr 27, 2013