Meeting of the PCB general body was held at the Qadhafi Stadium, with PCB chairman Khalid Mahmood in the chair. After a marathon session which lasted from 2 pm to 9:15 pm, the PCB chief executive Majid Khan briefed mediamen about the decisions of the house during a Press conference. The following were electedfor the next term:
Mian Muhammad Munir (LDCA), Ashraf Qureshi (RDCA), Azhar Zaidi (LCCA), Nusrat Azeem (KCCA), Yar Mohammad Solangi (HDCA), either Asif Shah (PDCA) or Justice Ijaz Yousaf (QDCA).
It was decided that the last-named two will mutually agree to recommend the name of one person for the membership. Up till now, one of the two members of Peshawar Division Cricket Association and Quetta Division Cricket Association had been becoming a member of the council by rotation. The house recommended that after a proper amendment in the constitution, representatives of both the divisions would become members.
PCB Chief Executive Majid Khan said that according to a decision, 25 to 30 senior players available in the country, would be called for joining a camp to be organised in Lahore. Emphasis will be laid on physical conditioning of the players during training. Side by side, experts, psychologists and psychiatrists will deliver lectures to the boys for motivation and to instil in them the spirit to do well on the playground during Tests and international matches.
``This, in fact, is the first phase of our preparations for the World Cup to held in England in 1999'', informed Majid Khan.
Similarly, 25 or 30 under-19 boys would be picked up all over Pakistan to prepare a national youth team which will tour England in July. The process of selection has been started by the two selectors Zaheer Abbas and Shafique Ahmad Papa by picking some boys in Karachi. They will visit other centres of the country and select boys for the junior camp.
The PCB chief executive said that the associations and departments, whose teams take part in first-class matches had also been asked to condition their players for the next season.
Majid Khan said that the accounts up to June, 1995 were passed by the house. However, it did not approve the accounts for the year 1996 due to technical reasons. A committee would be formed to investigate into the accounts of that year. Nusrat Azeem and Mian Muhammad Munir were named to help the treasurer in probing into the accounts including those of the 1996 World Cup.
The PCB Public Relations advisor Lt.-Col. (retd.) Rafi Nasim said that the general body condemned the former PCB set-up for not maintaining the accounts of the World Cup in proper shape and leaving lacunas in them.
The house recommended an amendment in the PCB constitution to give representation to both the Peshawar Division Cricket Association and the Quetta Division Cricket Association in the executive council.
Majid Khan said that a committee would be formed soon which will scrutinise the applications of the departments and make their physical check up. According to the constitution, every department is required to form five teams, who should take part in the zonal competitions while their main team should participate in the first-class competitions. Every department was required to have two playgrounds also.
Sui Gas and NDFC were given associate membership and rights to play in the Grade II competition.
In all, 32 members attended the general body meeting. A representative of the LCCA, Mian Misbah-ur-Rahman and a representative of Pakistan Navy did not take part in deliberations of the house.
While replying to a question, Majid Khan said that another meeting of the PCB would be held before September next. He said that the PCB executive council could meet early next month.
``In fact, we are waiting for completion of elections of the executive council. Its meeting will be convened soon because it is to take some important policy-decisions like appointment of the chief selector and captain of the senior team,'' concluded Majid Khan with a smile.