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LAHORE,July 11: Special legal cell, havingservices of experts, is being constituted to start legal proceedings against those who have been maligning the Pakistan cricket team with unsubstantiated allegations despite the fact that it has brought honour to the country with outstanding performance during the last six months.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Khalid Mahmood, shortly after presiding over the meeting of the council, told a crowded Press conference at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday afternoon that the house unanimously eulogised the excellent achievements of the team and fully supported it. He said that there had been no ``fixing of the final'' of the World Cup and vested interests and certain groups were deliberately tarnishing image of the team for ulterior motives.

``Performance of the present Pakistan team in the seventh World Cup has been exhilarating. It reached the final of the contest with resounding successes! Topping the group league and super sixes stage and outplaying New Zealand in the semi-final was by means a mean achievement? Only victory of the team in the World Cup at Melbourne in 1992 can be termed better. Does the team with such an outstanding record deserve the treatment it had been meted out?'' thundered Khalid Mahmood, who is known for his cool and composed posture during such press encounters.

The PCB chairman admitted that the performance of the team in the final was below expectations but it could not be attributed to match-fixing or merry-making. ``In fact the two allegations were self-contradictory'', asserted Khalid Mahmood. However, he disclosed that the PCB council agreed to certain reasons behind the dismal performance of the Pakistan team during the final.

Khalid Mahmood said that a big cause of failure of the team in the final was problem of injuries to not less than six players. However, the fact was deliberately kept secret so that the team-members did not get too demoralised and the Australia side did not gain psychological advantage by getting the information. They were: Yousaf Youhanna, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Ejaz Ahmad, Abdul Razzaq, Moin Khan and Saeed Anwar.

Some umpiring decisions at crucial moments of the final also went against the unlucky Pakistan team. ``Benefit of doubt in cases of Shahid Afridi and Inzamam-ul-Haq, who were given out, should have gone to the batsmen. That also contributed towards total batting collapse of the team,'' opined Khalid Mahmood adding that behaviour of the pitch and weather also went against Pakistan team.

Khalid Mahmood revealed that a social factor also had a very bad effect on the Pakistan team. ``Many relatives and friends had reached England and they kept on pestering the Pakistani players for all sorts of favours like getting tickets and free accommodation etc. and that distracted the players from focusing on the final'', said the PCB chairman.

Also present at the press conference were vice-captain Moin Khan, PCB treasurer Hafiz Manzoor Husain, legal adviser Ali Sibtain Fazli and many council members.

Moin Khan briefed the council in the absence of skipper Wasim Akram, who is in England and the team manager Dr Zafar Altaf, who is currently in Kathmandu. Moin Khan lamented that the morale of the Pakistan team had touched the lowest ebb after being meted out very ``shabby treatment'' and being criticised despite working hard to reach the final.

``All the players shut themselves into their rooms after a meeting at dinner at 9:10 pm and according to my information, no one stayed out of the hotel as alleged by many'', said Moin Khan.

Moin Khan denied any player had breached the code of conduct during the World Cup. Rather,team showed excellent discipline and no untoward incident occurred.

Contradictinga news that eight national cricketers had tendered their resignation in disgust, Moin Khan said that he had not signed that statement.

``Some fellow-cricketer may have issued the statement due to frustration due to bad treatment and included names of other players on his own'', pointed out the vice-captain.

He said that the cricketers played for honour but such insulting treatment was disheartening.

Replying to a question, Moin Khan said that Saeed Anwar's decision to change the grip instead of his bat,might have disturbed his concentration in the final, but he preferredto play with that bat because he had hit back to back centuries with it.

Moin Khan said that he and some senior players along with skipper Wasim Akram had decided to opt for batting first after winning the toss.

``On the day of the final, it rained. Although the sky was somewhat overcast, when the pitch covers were removed. The pitch looked dry and favourable for batting. We took what appeared to be a correct decision. Even the Australian captain said that he would have batted first had he won the toss'', stated Moin Khan.

Reverting to other points of agenda of the emergent meeting, Khalid Mahmood said that the house decided to take guidance from the federal government in connection with cricketing relations with India.

``The PCB will fulfil all its international commitments if the government gives go ahead signal'', said Khalid.

Khalid Mahmood said that the PCB had requested one-member judicial commission headed by Justice Malik Muhammad Qayyum to also include the allegations on the Pakistan team about ``fixing the World Cup final'' in its inquiry.

Replying to a question, Khalid Mahmood said that the PCB would ask the Ehtesab Bureau about its claim of having ``solid proofs'' of the Pakistan team's involvement in match-fixing during the final.

Ali Sibtain Fazli said that the PCB was fully assisting the judicial commission and was even ready to pay travel expenses of the former captain and coach of the Pakistan team Javed Miandad to come and explain the facts which compelled him to tender his resignation.