Amir can get Visa under special provision: Rizvi

Muhammad Asif Khan

Karachi: The debate on Muhammad Amir’s return to the national team has picked up pace however the fast-bowler has to cross yet another barrier even if he gets selected to represent Pakistan again. On a question about Amir’s eligibility to get the visa to enter any other country, the legal adviser to the PCB, Tafazzul Rizvi said a special provision [character waiver] could assist Amir in getting permission to enter a country. “Any country’s visa to a person who has been to jail for a crime is unlikely however there is a special provision as well through which the same person can be granted permission”, said Tafazzul Rizvi while talking to this correspondent for News One TV.

“The relevant visa authority can grant him [Amir] visa if character waiver is provided. This is a specific category for such cases”, added Rizvi

Muhammad Amir along with Salman Butt and Muhammad Asif was jailed in London for hatching conspiracy to defraud book-makers. The trio involved in the notorious spot fixing case of 2010. Muhammad Amir, in view of the amended ICC code, was permitted to enter domestic cricket circuit before the expiry of his five-year suspension while Asif and Butt were let of the hook in September this year after the expiry of their mandatory suspension.

Muhammad Amir has recently been summoned to the national camp for the New Zealand tour.

“Amir’s lawyers have to provide necessary documents and we have been in touch with them to prepare his visa application accordingly in case he is get selected for the national duty”, concluded Tafazzul Rizvi

 

 

The writer is a sports journalist in Pakistan, heads the sports department at News One TV & tweets @mak_asif

PSL: Arif Abbasi feels associations not taken aboard

Muhammad Asif Khan

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has crossed another major land-mark towards the much awaited Pakistan Super League (PSL) as the players’ draft concluded on Tuesday, with all five franchises completing their squads, however a former PCB administrator, Arif Ali Khan Abbasi has indicated a few ‘loopholes’ in the process. Arif Abbasi feels the absence of the associations from the process and said that it had killed the spirit of nationalism. “Associations should have been taken aboard in the players’ selection process. It will never be a national tournament unless associations are involved. Look at the multinational T20 leagues around the world there is nobody else selecting their teams except for the associations because it’s their team”, said Arif Abbasi while talking to this correspondent for News One TV

The former chief executive of the PCB also cast doubts over the drafting process, saying that bidding would have been a lot better option. “I don’t understand the mysterious selection criteria, there are over 35-year old in the emerging category, how can they emerge now? Also there should have been an open bidding for players, it would have evoked a lot of interest and would have been a huge marketing ploy as well”, stated Abbasi

On teams’ collective price, Arif Abbasi said that much more could have been earned. “$93 million are nothing, it should have been much much more. It was not probably handled by professionals”, felt Arif Abbasi

Arif Abbasi, who is regarded amongst country’s top sports’ administers also said that around a month left for the mega-event however the publicity, according to him, is below-par. “Month is very little time and I don’t see any hype. The people at the helm must pick up the pace now”, concluded Arif Abbasi

 

 

The writer is a sports journalist in Pakistan, heads the sports department at News One TV & Tweets @mak_asif

Sethi terms reservations over icon-list exclusion uncalled-for

Muhammad Asif Khan

Karachi: Reportedly a few senior players including veterans Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan have voiced concerns over being excluded from the list of iconic players in the Pakistan Super League, however the man behind the much awaited T20 extravaganza, Najam Sethi, seems unmoved and of the view that world’s best T20 player were accommodated in the 5-man elite list. “Only five icon players from the world’s top T20 players are selected. Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi are better than others in the country therefore were picked for the top category”, explained Najam Sethi, while talking to this correspondent for News One TV.

The Pakistan Cricket Board earlier announced its icon players for the upcoming league. The list comprises Chris Gayle, Kevin Pietersen, Shane Watson, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik.

“I think reservations in the regard are uncalled-for”, feels Sethi

The five PSL teams [Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Islamabad] will buy one icon player each, who will be fetching $200,000. Apart from the icon players, 25 players are placed in the Platinum category, who will be receiving $140,000. The other categories are Diamond ($70,000), Gold ($50,000), Silver ($25,000) and Emerging ($10,000).

On the matter of PSL franchise owners’ resentment over the tax levied on their final bids, Najam Sethi brushed aside the impression that the owners were kept in the dark. “This is not true, nothing was shielded. The franchises were informed in writing in bid documents about all such matters including tax liabilities”, said Najam Sethi

“In fact, I approached the finance minister, Ishaq Dar to give them [franchises] tax exemption but he refused”, concluded Najam Sethi

 

The writer is a Pakistani journalist, heads the sports department at News One TV & tweets @mak_asif