PCB chief orders probe in Pak failure

PCB chief orders probe in Pak failure
KULDIP LAL

COLOMBO, JULY 13: Pakistan's cricket chief has ordered a probe into his team's dismal Singer Cup campaign even as rivals South Africa and Sri Lanka prepared for Friday's final. "We certainly want to know what went wrong," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, General Tauqir Zia said before the team left for home on Thursday morning.

Pakistan, the pre-tournament favourites to win their fourth successive one-day title, lost all their four league matches in the tri-series. The dramatic slump in form blotted an ardous, but fairly successful four-month tour which saw Pakistan win one-day titles in Sharjah, the West Indies and Bangladesh, besides an impressive 2-0 victory over Sri Lanka in the Test series.

Team coach Javed Miandad, however, brushed aside suggestions that the long tour took its toll on the players. "The players were not physically tired, it's just that nothing went right for us in this tournament," he said. "We could not get enough runs on the board for the bowlers to have a chance."

Pakistan slumped to 19-6 within the first hour of the do-or-die clash against South Africa on Wednesday, allowing Shaun Pollock's men to enter the final with a seven-wicket victory. Pakistan's bowling lacked sting in the absence of leading all-rounder Wasim Akram, who opted out of the tournament for personal reasons.

Worse still, veteran fast bowler Waqar Younis was served a one-match suspension by match referee John Reid of New Zealand for tampering with the ball, the first cricketer to be banned for the offence. Waqar missed the return clash against Sri Lanka on Sunday because of the ban, and was reportedly not picked for Wednesday's game on disciplinary grounds.

"It was a form of punishment for bringing Pakistan's image a bad name," a team source said, adding Waqar would be investigated further after the team returned home. "The PCB is determined to clean up the game in Pakistan and will go to any length to ensure that," the source said.

LANKA FAVOURITES: South Africa, meanwhile, were buoyant for Friday's day-night final at the Premadasa stadium after the emphatic victory over Pakistan. Sri Lanka will start as favourites after winning both their league matches against South Africa, but Pollock said his team was peaking at the right time.

"We are settling down now after learning some harsh lessons early on the tour," the South African captain said. "It's a new day, a new game. Hopefully it will be our turn to win this time."

Jacques Kallis has shouldered the batting with two back-to-back knocks of 83, but it is the bowling of rookie paceman David Terbrugge that has given hope to the South Africans. Ignored for the first three games, the 23-year-old dazzled with a four-wicket burst on Wednesday to send Pakistan crashing out of the series. Terbrugge more than made up for the poor form of Mortantau "Wayward" Hayward, and will not only be a certain starter on Friday but also a strong contender for the three-Test series to follow.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will bring back seasoned Left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas, who was rested for the last league match on Tuesday.