Pervez Jamil Mir, the media manager of the Pakistan World Cup team, told an inquiry committee on Friday that the team had been focussing more on religion than cricket, a Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman told Daily Times. Mir recorded his statement before a three-member World Cup probe committee – appointed by the PCB – at the Service House. Former Test cricketer Ejaz Butt heads the committee whose other members are Salahuddin Ahmad and Salim Altaf.
“The committee had a long session with PJ Mir, who gave his views on Pakistan team’s defeat in the World Cup 2007,” said the PCB spokesman. “The committee had an open session with Mir who offered his candid views on the team’s poor show in the West Indies.” Today, former member of the PCB selection committee Ehteshamuddin and all rounder Shoaib Malik will appear before the committee.
Reuters adds: Mir told Reuters, “I told the committee that the players were not focussed on cricket in the World Cup. They were more into religion.” Mir said he was disturbed to see focus on cricket missing in the team in such an important tournament. “I told the committee that Pakistani players, rather than pray privately, tried to make it a public spectacle,” he said. Mir said he had told the committee of incidents to highlight his point. He said that some players, led by captain Inzamamul Haq, even made it a point to pray in the galley of aircrafts on flights rather than privately in their seats. A member of the committee, which has to give its report in 30 days, said Mir’s statement was disturbing. |