Chairman, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Lt. Gen. Tauqir Zia has congratulated the Pakistan captain Waqar Younis and the entire team on its triumph in the three-nation Sharjah Champions Trophy. "Sri Lanka are one of the top one-day outfits in the world, and the manner in which Waqar and his charges outclassed them in the final surely points out to the fact that Pakistan cricket team, has kept itself well tuned, despite reduced international cricket", said the PCB Chairman.

"What makes me especially delighted in that each of the boys was backing up the other. I believe that with their talent and potential, this team spirit and camaraderie would take this team places.

"Despite having been starved of international cricket for the best part of the last four months, the Pakistan team displayed remarkable consistency. They were without some of the leading performers, like Saqlain Mushtaq. But with the skipper leading by example, there was no looking back for Pakistan after some tentative starts.", said Lt. Gen. Tauqir Zia.

"To me what is really important," said the PCB Chairman, "is the fact that it is now clear that the PCB's concerted effort to build up a nucleus for the 2003 World Cup seem to be bearing fruit. Not only do we have a very decent core, but the talent on the wings too has gone through intensive coaching and improved its skill levels to bring it at par with the demands of international standards."

"It gives me immense satisfaction that we seem to have come out of the rebuilding phase, and are well on the path of emerging as an outfit with the potential to achieve greater things. In that sense I feel that this victory is a herald of many more. Keep it up Waqar and the boys".

The Board's policy of investing heavily in speed merchant Shoaib Akhtar, and keeping faith in him when he kept breaking down for the better part of one year, had come up for some criticism in the print media. "As long as I am in the saddle, no Pakistani asset would be allowed to wither due to lack of medical attention. Our record proves that whosoever got a fitness or medical problem, the Board expeditiously attended to it, without giving any thought to the cost of rehabilitation. Off hand I can recall that other than Shoaib, the PCB took care of Moin Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Azhar Mahmood, Sami and Mohammad Zahid" said he.

"Players are our most valuable assets, and I think whatever expense was made is irrelevant. You might be aware that Sami and Zahid would soon be staking claims for a spot in the squad. And it is because of PCB's timely medical support to these cricketers that the Pakistani selectors now have the choice to select a pace quintet of indisputable quality. As the fastest bowler of his generation, Shoaib is a unique phenomenon. And I was really happy to see him deliver at Sharjah", concluded the PCB Chairman.

Khalid Butt
Media Manager
November 5, 2001

© PCB