The Pakistan Cricket Board is ready to "provide facilities at its state of the art National Cricket Academy to train and groom players of associate members of the Asian Cricket Council," according to IANS. A PCB official, demanding anonymity, said that the board had "completed its homework to provide the facilities on demand to countries like China, Bahrain, Iran and Maldives." The official said, "PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf extended offer to the ACC associate members, and PCB would provide all kind of support to improve skills of their players at our training academies." Ashraf "extended this offer during the meeting of the ACC Development Committee in Islamabad on Monday," which was scheduled to discuss the development aspects of the sports in the region (IANS, 9/26).
HELP! I NEED SOMEBODY: The PTI reported that Asian Cricket Council CEO Ashraful Huq of Bangladesh has "made it clear that his organization cannot help in reviving int'l cricket in Pakistan, as it is the responsibility of the International Cricket Council." Huq said, "The ACC can't do anything to revive international cricket in Pakistan, this has to be done by the ICC." PCB Chair Ashraf, meanwhile said that "his foremost priority is to bring int'l cricket back to Pakistan." He also urged all the member countries to "help Pakistan in its cause." Ashraf said, "Our main task is to bring back international matches to our country, as our people have been deprived of watching their team play at home" (PTI, 9/25).
