Shoaib Akhtar's career would have ended in 2000-01 if Dalmiya had not helped: former PCB chief
Karachi: A former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has revealed that had it not been for the help extended by the late ICC chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, fast bowler Shoiab Akhtar's career would have ended in 2000-01.
In 1999, the International Cricket Council had told the PCB that speed merchant Akhtar's bowling action was under scrutiny.
Former BCCI chief Damiya, one of India's biggest cricket administrators, served as the ICC's president from 1997 to 2000.
"Jagmohan, who had been president of the ICC and was an influential voice, supported us a lot in the Shoaib Akhtar bowling action case. He took a stand for us despite the ICC members insisting that Akhtar's bowling action was illegal," Lt General (retd) Tauqir Zia, who headed the PCB from 1999 to 2003, said.
"But due to the stance taken by Dalmiya and myself the ICC eventually conceded that Akhtar had a medical flaw in his bowling arm since birth which gave him hyper elbow extension and he was allowed to play on," he added.
Zia also said that some players might have under-performed in the 2003 World Cup because of factionalism within the team at that time.
He said on the GTV News Channel that he had asked then chief selector Wasim Bari to drop stalwarts like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Saeed Anwar from the team after the World Cup.
Pakistan failed to qualify for the super six stage of the World Cup in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
"After the World Cup I was very disappointed with the way the players had performed because it was the best possible side we could have picked for the World Cup," Zia said.
"I was hearing about these groupings and differences within the team even before the tournament and I suspected some of them under-performed because of their conflicts," he said.
Waqar captained Pakistan in that World Cup and throughout the event, there were reports about him not getting support from some players.
"I had wanted to make Wasim captain for the World Cup but many people in the board opposed this and even the ICC had its reservations because of the fixing inquiry reports," he said.
The former chairman said that after the World Cup he sat down with Bari.
"I told him now is the time to free Pakistan cricket of Wasim, Waqar, Saeed and some others. We then made Rashid Latif the captain and asked him to build a new team."
Zia pointed out that they had also dropped senior players such as Shoaib Akhtar and Inzamam-ul-Haq from the team so that a new outfit could be built.
"I thought Rashid did a good job and for a while it appeared we were rebuilding the team, but circumstances led to other things."
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Leadership issue: Cong high command will call us at 'appropriate time,' will wait, says Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Dec 20 (PTI): With the leadership issue involving him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah coming to the fore again, deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday said the Congress high command has told the two leaders as to when they will be called to Delhi to to discuss the matter.
He said that both of them will go to Delhi and meet the high command, when summoned.
"I will inform you, I won't do anything without informing you. I will not go hiding from you," Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question on him and Siddaramaiah's likely visit to the national capital to meet the party high command after the just concluded legislature session.
Asked if there was any invitation from the high command, asking him and CM to come to Delhi, he said, "they have told something to both of us, they have told both of us over phone as to when they will call us. We will go, both of us will go."
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"They (high command) have said they will call both of us at the appropriate time, we will wait for the call," the Karnataka Congress chief added.
Shivakumar's statement came a day after Siddaramaiah asserted in the Assembly that he would continue in office. He had also said that the Congress high command was "in my favour" and asserted that no decision was made on him staying at the helm for only two-and-a-half years, as per a rumoured 2023 agreement on power-sharing with his deputy.
Shivakumar, had said that he and CM Siddaramaiah have come to an agreement with the involvement of the Congress high command, and both of them will abide by it.
The power tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculations about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
The speculation was fueled by the "power-sharing" pact between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023.
Meanwhile some 'Naga Sadhus' visited the Deputy CM's residence and blessed him.
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Stating that he is going to Delhi on Tuesday to meet various central ministers, Shivakumar, who is also the Minister for water resources said, "the central government's water resources department has called us regarding interlinking of rivers."
"I will go there and discuss matters related to the state's river projects like Mahadayi, Krishna water award, Mekedatu, and Upper Badhra."
He said he will also meet the central water resources minister, forest minister, urban development minister.
"There are a lot of issues. We wanted to meet them along with MPs from the state, but still I will go and meet. Then after that, if needed, we will meet the Prime Minister also with the issues," Shivkumar added.
Hitting out at the Modi government at the Center for replacing the existing rural employment law MGNREGA, and removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from it, Shivakumar accused it of insulting the father of the nation.
He also challenged the government to remove Gandhiji's image from currency notes.
"The country wants Gandhi. People of the country will respond to it," he said.
"They want to change Gandhi's name...let them change this picture of Gandhi also," he said, showing a currency note.
"With Gandhi's name we had started an employment guarantee scheme under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and (late) Manmohan Singh (former PM), the MGNREGA.....they want to kill the scheme, so they have changed its name. A big movement will start against it from Karnataka itself," he said.
