Talking to journalists at the conclusion of the national training camp at the Qadhafi Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, Ramiz Raja said that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief executive Majid Khan held a detailed meeting with the touring squad and had warned them to obey the code of conduct failing which severe punishment would be awarded to them. He said that the self-disciplinary committee headed by paceman Aaqib Javed was constituted as was done during last Pakistan tour to Sri Lanka. The committee could punish the members of the team for breaching code of conduct, he said. Ramiz Raja said that Inzamam-ul-Haq and Ejaz Ahmad were members of the committee.
Coach Haroon Rasheed said that the discipline in the team would be his top priority during the tour. He admitted that various indiscipline incidents taking place in the past could not be stopped.
When asked what measures he would take to check the alleged betting and match-fixing practice of his team Haroon Rasheed said that PCB chief executive has warned the team that a strict action would be taken against any player found in this dirty practice. He said, however, it was very hard to prove these charges. He said that scandals had been reported in this regard but no single case had been proved correct. He said that Indian cricket board was sending a special observer with its team to watch the movement of their players. PCB did not send any observer,he said.
While replying to a question, Ramiz said that Pakistan side was strong as its most of the players had played more than 150 one-day international matches. He said that Indian team was also in good position, but the exclusion of Prasad, Mongia and Anil Kumble could affect their performance.
Haroon Rasheed said that no team could predict victory in one-day cricket matches, specially when two equally balanced team were competiting with each other. He said that both the teams would depend on their strong batting orders. He said that despite the absence of pacemen Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, Pakistan had an edge over Indian in bowling department. ``We have match-winner bowlers like Aaqib Javed, Saqlain Mushtaq and Muhammad Akram,'' he said. Haroon said that fielding would play a vital role in every match of the series and he had tried his best in the camp training to improve it.
Talking about the fitness of the team, Haroon Rasheed said that slogger Shahid Afridi and paceman Kabir Khan were facingminor fitness problems, but these would be removed before the start of the series. While replying to a question, Ramiz said that he was ready to leave captaincy whenever Wasim Akram was declared fit for the game. To another question, Ramiz said that Aamir Sohail was a good player but his exclusion was the decision of the PCB selection committee. He said that he with Saeed Anwar would open the innings and Shahid Afridi would be sent as opener under special circumstances. He said that Shahid Afridi was basically a bowler and trying to become a regular player.
Haroon Rasheed said that he did his best to improve the bowling style of Shahid Afridi, but it would take more time. He said that due to wrong use of hands, Shahid Afridi had been used to bowl short-pitch ball, giving an easy chance to batsman to pull him every where at the ground. The 17-member Pakistan squad will leave here for London enroute Canada in the wee hours of Wednesday.
The team is: Captain Ramiz Raja, Saeed Anwar, Inzimam-ul-Haq, Ejaz Ahmad, Salim Malik, Hassan Raza, Moin Khan, Shahid Afridi, Aaqib Javed, Saqlain Mushtaq, Kabir Khan, Azhar Mahmood, Muhammad Akram and Muhammad Hussain. Coach:Haroon Rasheed.