Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shaharyar Khan has slammed Cricket Australia (CA) for withdrawing the Australian Under-19 side from the upcoming U-19 World Cup to be staged in Bangladesh.
Australia have withdrawn from the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh later this month because of concerns over the “safety and security” of the squad, Cricket Australia said in statement on Tuesday.
Australia postponed a Test tour of Bangladesh in October for similar reasons and Cricket Australia (CA) Chief Executive James Sutherland said the situation had not improved.
The PCB chief expressed disappointment over CA’s decision and said that the International Cricket Council (ICC) should ‘look into the matter’.
“If any team pulls out of a confirmed event, it should be asked to pay a penalty amount to the hosts as they work hard to prepare for the event,” said Shaharyar while talking to the media in Karachi on Tuesday.
Pakistan has been a victim of similar withdrawals — the latest being the Board for Control of Cricket in India’s (BCCI) refusal to play a bilateral cricket series.
The Indian and Pakistani boards had signed a pact for six bilateral series between 2015 and 2023, beginning with Pakistan’s home series in December.
India have not played a bilateral Test series against Pakistan since 2007, though they did host them for two T20Is and three ODIs between December 2012 and January 2013.
Any hopes for the series were diminished when the Government of India did not allow the BCCI to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan.
Yasir ‘mistakenly’ took the wrong medicine
According to Shaharyar, Yasir Shah, who tested positive for a banned substance and could face a long-term ban, took the wrong medicine by mistake.
Pakistan’s ace leg-spinner was provisionally suspended by the ICC on December 27 after testing positive for chlortalidone, which appears in the World Anti-Doping Agency list of banned substances.
Under the ICC’s anti-doping code, failed drug tests result in a four-year ban, unless the offence is deemed unintentional which could lead to reduced suspension.
“Blood-pressure problem runs in Yasir’s family and he took his wife’s medicine mistakenly,” said the PCB chief.
Shaharyar said the PCB will appeal to the ICC to minimise Yasir’s potential ban.
