Theres a lot of uncertainty and there always seems to be these big decisions to be made a leading daily quoted Gilchrist as saying. It is an important time for cricket, everyone has identified that players and administrators but as was the case throughout my career you just take the advice of the experts in the security field he added. An International Cricket Council task force led by ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat met senior Australian cricket identities in Melbourne last Friday to brief them on the latest security measures for the tournament and Sri Lanka has been suggested as an alternative host for the Champions Trophy CA officials said they had no consideration of an alternative venue at this stage and were awaiting further feedback from the ICC. Pakistan officials remain confident the tournament will go ahead.

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Javed Miandad called for an in depth inquiry into the affairs of the Pakistan Cricket Board before Nasim Ashraf is allowed to leave the country following his resignation as its chairman and Miandad said Ashraf was an American passport holder and could possibly leave the country soon but he should not be allowed to go abroad without a full and proper inquiry into the affairs of the Board during his tenure since late 2006.

Miandad a vocal critic of PCB, feels Ashraf`s faulty policies had led to a downslide in Pakistan cricket and there was a need for him and his team to be held accountable and this culture of people holding foreign passports leaving the country as soon as they are forced to leave their powerful positions must stop. They must be held accountable for their deeds. Shaukat Aziz the former Prime Minister had gone abroad and no one could do anything against him said Miandad who played 124 Tests & he also asked the ruling government to place Ashraf`s name on the exit control list ECL. I fear Ashraf will also leave for the states soon so his name should be put on the ECL until the probe into cricket affairs is completed.

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The fast bowler was served a legal notice yesterday by the legal counsel of the board who said the fine had to be paid as per court orders or Akhtar would be dropped from the Pakistan squad for the Champions Trophy. Akhtar was handed a ban of five years by the board in March which was reduced to 18 months by an appellate tribunal in June which however fined him seven million rupees and he then filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court asking for the ban and fine to be overturned.

The court suspended the ban but has not passed any order on the fine. His petition will be heard from next month. Sources close to Akhtar said the fast bowler was extremely disheartened after getting the fresh notice as he has started serious training for the Champions Trophy. He feels this is another attempt by some people in the board to cause him mental anguish and try to disturb his preparations for the tournament.

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 Since that system has been abolished quality players have stopped coming up he said. Inzamam said he was not against having region based domestic cricket but the positive of having departments and banks play domestic competitions was that players got employment and had to compete for places against strong opposition. In regional cricket there is disparity between the teams in terms of players strength and that is harming our domestic cricket. We have to revert back to promoting departmental cricket or we will not be able to produce players of the caliber of a Javed Miandad or Wasim Akram Inzamam said & Former captain Imran Khan has been one of the biggest supporters of having region based domestic cricket and has been vocal in his opposition to allowing departments and banks take part in 1^st lass cricket but Inzamam noted that it was because of departments that standard of domestic cricket was high and players got a chance to shine at the top level. We should promote regional cricket but at the same time need to enhance status of departmental cricket. There should be competition between the 2 he said. Inzamam himself was first picked for Pakistan after a record breaking year for United bank which had spotted him at the junior level. Last season, the cricket board introduced monthly retainers and match fees for players appearing for regional associations in domestic tournaments and from this season has allowed teams to even have one or 2 overseas guest players to enhance the quality of domestic competitions. Inzamam said unless the domestic structure was improved Pakistan would struggle to win against big teams. What is of concern is that in last two years we have not played a series to our potential. We do win one match here and there but not a full-fledged series and this is a very serious issue. He also called for the induction of senior professional cricketers into the board. The board is involving former players at the coaching level and in some administrative positions but by and large there is a need to have senior player involved in the running of the game in the country the former captain who had played 120 Tests and 378 one-dayers said.

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