PCB to buy bulletproof buses

The PCB governing board has sanctioned the purchase of bulletproof buses to ensure best security protocol for visiting teams, and thus address some of the security concerns that have prevented international teams from touring Pakistan over the last three and a half years.

Pakistan has been a no-go zone for major international teams after the attack on Sri Lankan team - their bus was shot at by gunmen near Gaddafi Stadium in March 2009, and the attack injured five cricketers and killed six security men and two civilians. Since then, Pakistan have been playing their 'home' series abroad, and the PCB has been trying to bring international cricket back to the country. Now, the PCB hopes it can be revived as early as next year, following the successful staging of two exhibition Twenty20s involving an International World XI in Karachi last week.

The PCB relies heavily on the government with regards to providing the visiting teams' security. The bullet proof buses will be an additional safety measure for visiting teams, ensuring box security while travelling. The buses were sanctioned at the PCB governing board meeting on Thursday in Abbottabad, the garrison town north of Islamabad.

"To ensure best security protocols for international teams, the Board of Governors unanimously approved the purchase of bullet proof buses," the PCB said in a statement. "The members noted that the step would enable the PCB to achieve higher security measures for the teams visiting Pakistan in future."

Apart from working on security protocol, the PCB has been working on identifying potential new venues for international cricket across the country and upgrading them to international standards. The board had visited the Abbottabad cricket stadium and, at the meeting, approved a Rs 12.5 million budget for its upgrading and development.

Earlier this year the PCB had identified a 35-acre piece of land in Islamabad, where a stadium that is meant to be the biggest in the country, with a capacity of capacity of 50,000, will be developed. "The board unanimously decided to name the stadium after Mohtarma Shaheed Benazir Bhutto," the PCB statement said.

The stadium will be in the Shakarparian area of Islamabad, with multiple facilities that include a cricket ground, a cricket academy and lodging facility. According to the Memorandum of Understanding between the PCB and Capital Development Authority (CDA), the PCB will receive 70% of the revenue generated by the stadium, while the CDA will take 30%.

Also at the meeting, the governing board reviewed the progress made in bringing together Pakistan's proposed Twenty20 league. "The board was updated on the progress thus far and a roadmap was shared with them," the statement said. "The board appreciated it as a positive initiative for the revival of international cricket in Pakistan." The league is planned for March 2013, immediately after Pakistan's South Africa tour, which ends on March 24.

The board also sanctioned the use of Kookaburra balls in domestic cricket, terming it a 'positive step' for the improvement of the domestic game. The PCB is yet to introduce the balls in the ongoing President's Trophy; the fifth round of the tournament, starting from November 2, will be played with the imported balls.

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At least three bids expected for new IPL franchise

For the second time in as many months, the BCCI's mandarins will assemble on Thursday in an attempt to find a new franchise owner for the IPL. Their last attempt was foiled when the owners of Deccan Chargers rejected the sole bid by PVP Ventures to take over the then beleaguered (and now terminated) Hyderabad franchise on September 13, and the BCCI would be hoping Thursday does not see a repeat.

It's unlikely the new invitation to tender - floated by the board on October 14 after India's Supreme Court upheld Chargers' termination - won't attract bidders. When the BCCI top brass meet in Mumbai on Thursday, they would be hoping to have "at least three" bidders for the new IPL team that would feature in at least five editions of the tournament from the 2013 season. "Around half a dozen tender documents have been bought by prospective owners, so it cannot be said that the response has been negative," a BCCI insider told ESPNcricinfo.

The lower base price is expected to draw more interest from bidders. When the Sahara group bought the Pune franchise in 2010, the base price was $225 million for 10 years. It was learnt that this time, the BCCI has set the base price at Rs 60 crore ($11.2 million) per year for a period of five years.

Though the BCCI bigwigs were tightlipped over the expected winning bid amount, a market expert, requesting anonymity, said he "won't be surprised if the winning bid is around Rs 600 crore ($112 million) for five years".

Recently, Kamla Landmarc group had offered to buy Chargers hours before they were terminated for Rs 1250 crore ($231.5 million) payable over ten years, according to Ajay Vazirani, senior partner of Hariani & Co, legal advisors to the group.

"If the base price is lowered, then it will certainly become an investor-friendly entity," Prahlad Kakkar, the leading ad filmmaker, said. "What has been happening till now is the cost of the team is so high that the only option to make money is to sell the team. A lowered base price suddenly makes it more viable for a lot of investors."

The tender had invited bids with respect to 12 cities: Ahmedabad, Cuttack, Dharamsala, Hyderabad, Indore, Kanpur, Kochi, Nagpur, Noida, Rajkot, Ranchi and Vizag. Among those who will most likely submit their bids are PVP Ventures, whose efforts to buy Chargers last month went in vain. And don't be surprised if the Ahmedabad-based Adani group and Noida-based Jaypee group end up bidding for their home cities. However, with the BCCI having imposed stringent measures when it comes to the termination clause by adding a performance deposit, investors will think long and hard before bidding for the team.

Meanwhile, the IPL governing council, which meets on the sidelines of the bidding process, will discuss a host of matters regarding IPL 2013. The main issue will be to decide the fate of the Chargers players. The governing council could decide to send all those players back into the auction pool.

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Habib Bank remain unbeaten

Habib Bank secured their fourth win in as many matches in Pakistan's President's Trophy when they defeated State Bank by 129 runs in Faisalabad. State Bank's win was grounded on a first innings total of 327, which featured a Younis Khan ton and 91 from Rameez Aziz. Fast bowler Ehsan Adil took 8 wickets for 79 in the match, ensuring State Bank never breached the 200-run mark, while part-timers Ahmed Shehzad and Aftab Alam also took 4 wickets apiece.

Younis made 101 after Habib Bank won the toss and chose to bat first, and shared a 101-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Aziz. Saad Altaf and Mohammad Ali ground out five top-order wickets between them for State Bank, before legspinner Kashi Siddiq took care of the tail with 4 of his own.

In response, State Bank could only manage 198, as Adil accounted for four of the top five. Only Usman Saeed made a fifty for State Bank, before Shehzad decimated the lower order with 4 for 7 in 2.5 overs. With a first innings lead of 129, Habib Bank declared their second innings at 148 for 5. Adil and Alam then completed the victory, taking eight wickets between them as they dismissed State Bank for 148 on the final day.

Habib Bank sits atop the President's Trophy ladder, with 33 points.

National Bank drew with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in a high-scoring match in Lahore, where both teams posted first innings totals in excess of 300, before National Bank made 428 in their second innings. There was only time for two overs in the fourth innings before stumps were drawn on the fourth day.

Qaiser Abbas' 106 provided the backbone for National Bank's 323, after being asked to bat first, and though PIA had them at 151 for 5 on the first day, a 136-run partnership for the sixth wicket propelled National Bank towards 300 before the tail took them beyond it. Aizaz Cheema took 4 for 81 among the PIA bowlers.

PIA also produced a lone centurion in response, though they had seemed headed for a large first innings deficit before he sparked a revival. Wahab Riaz and Abbas had reduced PIA to 144 for seven before Shoaib Khan snr batted alongside the tail for his unbeaten 121, taking part in a 125-run partnership for the eighth wicket, before putting on 53 for the ninth. When PIA were eventually dismissed, they had a 13-run lead.

National Bank then made 428 in the second innings, effectively making a result impossible, despite the urgency with which Amim-ur-Rehman compiled his 137 from 168 deliveries. Bilal Munir and Umair Khan made half-centuries, while Anwar Ali took 5 for 115.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines ground out a 32-run victory against Port Qasim Authority (PQA) in Sialkot, after PQA were dismissed for 215, having been set 247 to win. On the final day, PQA had progressed to 161 for 5, needing 87 to win, but lost their last five wickets for 54 as Samiullah Khan and Mohammad Hafeez took four second-innings wickets apiece. Samiullah finished with 7 wickets for 112, but PQA's left arm spinner Azam Hussain's 10 for 91 could not prevent defeat for his side.

Mohammad Rizwan's 91 and Ali Waqas' 56 took Sui Gas to 266 in the first innings. Rizwan struck 13 fours in his innings, striking at 77.14. Azam dismissed Rizwan and Waqas, as well as Misbah-ul-Haq as he took 4 for 41 in the first innings. In response, PQA made 244, with Saniyal Ahsan the only batsman to make a half century, with 61.

A six-wicket haul by Saeed Ajmal was one of the highlights of a drawn game between Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited and Water and Power Development Authority. It was Ajmal's 27th five-for in a first-class game but it was not enough to turn the momentum completely in favor of ZTBL, who were behind by eleven runs in the first innings.

Batting first, WAPDA rode on Sohaib Maqsood's 110 to get to 294 all out after Abdul Razzaq helped remove middle-order cheaply. The allrounder took his twelfth five-wicket haul but ZTBL began poorly in their reply. Only Haris Sohail withstood the challenge, hammering 115 in his first first-class appearance of the season. He had been away in South Africa playing in the Champions League T20s for Sialkot Stallions, and missed the first three games for ZTBL.

Ajmal then took six wickets in WAPDA's second innings which was kept alive by Kaleem Ahmed's staunch 70 which he made in more than five hours at the crease.

Mohammad Irfan and Yasir Ali fashioned Khan Research Laboratories' (KRL) fightback as they beat United Bank Limited (UBL) by four wickets at their home ground in Rawalpindi. The pace duo picked up three wickets each in the UBL second innings to reduce them to 143 all out, which added little to the 29-run deficit KRL had sustained in the first innings.

After being put into bat, Abid Ali's first century of the season helped UBL post 319 all out, despite a four-wicket haul from left-armer Irfan. Half-centuries from Zain Abbas, Saeed Anwar jnr and Naved Yasin got KRL close but they were bowled out for 290 runs. Fast bowler Mohammad Irshad took five wickets and four were taken by left-arm spinner Kashif Bhatti in the KRL first innings.

Irfan and Ali broke through early in the second innings, to restrict UBL to 143. It left enough time for KRL to chase down the 173-run target, which they did in 39.4 overs, picking up their second win. UBL are winless after four games.

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Cook ready for India challenge

In early days of England's 1992-93 tour of India, the pair of Mike Atherton and Phil Tufnell wandered around the streets of Kolkata, admiring and swallowing at once the beauty, chaos and stench of the City of Joy. The pair were bunking as room-mates on their first trip to India and Atherton recounts an interesting story in his autobiography Opening Up.

As they ambled along the streets, the duo ended up sitting "cross-legged" in front of a fortune teller, who had lured the Englishmen in with the offer that for a small fee he would have his caged parrot pick the Tarot cards which would reveal their immediate future. Superstitious, both men acquiesced. The pair's fate, the fortune teller warned, was "bleak" for the next couple of months, but would pick up from February 24 - the day before the England tour ended. Needless to say, England lost the series 3-0.

Security concerns will not allow England's newly installed Test captain, Alastair Cook, to find himself squatting in the promenade by the Gateway of India, a happy hunting ground for fortune tellers. Then again, Cook does not need a stranger to tell him what lays in store when he lands in India.

The reintegration process of Kevin Pietersen back into the England dressing room; how to conquer spin, England's Achilles for the many debacles over many decades; installing a suitable and long-term opener to replace Cook's predecessor, Andrew Strauss, with whom he had a prolific partnership; and, importantly, rediscovering the team's winning ways are the main hurdles for Cook and England's team director, Andy Flower, on the India trip.

The rights and wrongs of the Pietersen issue have all the makings of a bestseller but if England want to stand up on Indian soil confidently, they need their best player of spin and they need to embrace him despite his faults. Some have argued that England won the 2009 Ashes largely without Pietersen but then playing India in India on turning tracks is a different proposition to Australia at home. Among current England batsmen, Pietersen has the best scoring rate against Indian spinners in India of 3.57. Of the touring squad, only Cook and Pietersen have made centuries in India, with the pair both passing 1000 runs on the subcontinent since Cook's 2006 debut.

On Thursday, before England departed to India via the UAE - where the squad train over the weekend - Cook said several times that Pietersen was "desperate and keen to pull his England shirt on", because with the three lions on his chest Pietersen has shown the ability to bring down the opposition single-handedly.

Cook acknowledged the bitterness of the past two months, as Pietersen was dropped immediately after his heroics at Headingley in the second Test against South Africa. Earlier this week Strauss himself said that it would not be an easy healing process. Cook recognised the difficulty but indicated strongly that he wanted to move forward.

"It has been a difficult two months for us as an England side but for me as a captain the best possible outcome has happened," Cook said. "We have got a world-class player back in our team. It has been a tough couple of months for Kevin but he seems very contrite. He is desperate to be back playing, doing what he does best - scoring runs for England. As a captain that is what all I want. I want him to come back into the side as he was to score match-winning runs like he did in Colombo, like he did at Headingley. I am sure he will be desperately keen to do that. As a captain I wanted our best players in the team because that is how we know we can get the best results."

Asked if it would be easy for the team management and his team-mates to give Pietersen respect and expect the same in return, Cook agreed that it would take time for the reconciliation but said the first positive steps had been taken. According to Cook the key was to develop the same team ethos that had seen England climb to top of the Test rankings last year with consistent performances.

"Clearly we know how important team spirit and team harmony is because that is where all our strength has been in the last couple of years and it shows in the results," Cook said. "We know how hard we have to work at that to make sure we continue on that front. We will be working as hard as we can in the coming months to put the team in that spirit that we know makes us perform well."

Keeping his house in order is bound to keep Cook occupied, but he is more keen to focus on England's biggest challenge: countering the menace of spin. Last year, England were blanked 5-0 in the ODI series in India. The 3-0 whitewash by Pakistan in the UAE is not even twelve months old and the subsequent struggle in Sri Lanka only re-emphasised their continuing agony against the slow bowlers.

"We know how important playing spin is," Cook said. "We did struggle in UAE, but the amount of work we did towards the latter part of the tour and then in Sri Lanka, we need to get as close to that point as soon as we can and build from there. Because we know how important playing spin is and how important first-innings runs are."

Cook was also not that concerned that the absence of any specialist spinner in the first warm-up game against India A was a smart trick by the Indians to protect their trump card. "What happened in UAE against Pakistan highlighted exactly where were at: we did struggle there. But I thought the improvements were made in Colombo and Galle. To draw a Test series out there was a really good achievement. It is important how we train against spin and how we start."

England last won a series in India in 1985. The last time they won a Test match was when then-captain, Andrew Flintoff, played the role of DJ-cum-captain in Mumbai. Cook did not play that match. He will be desperate to play a leading role this time around; importantly he will need all hands on the deck.

"We have a real, tough challenge ahead of us as a side," Cook said. "It has been almost 30 years since we won in India so that shows the challenge ahead but I am very confident in this squad that we can go out there and do something special."

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Dead rubber washed out, Delhi Daredevils finish top

Delhi Daredevils v Titans Match abandoned without a ball being bowled
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Heavy rain after the toss in Centurion meant the final league match of Champions League T20 was abandoned without a ball being bowled. With that, Delhi Daredevils finished at the top of the group, and drew Lions in their semi-final in Durban on Thursday. Titans will take on Sydney Sixers at home venue, Centurion, on Friday.

The teams, both of whom had already qualified for the semi-final, were two points apart, and the result of the match could have had an impact on the final standings.

Keeping the relatively low stakes in mind, Daredevils had rested captain Mahela Jayawardene to give David Warner a hit. Ross Taylor lost the toss for them.

Titans had also made two changes to give Paul Harris and wicketkeeper Mangaliso Mosehle a game, but it was not to be.

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India is England's biggest challenge - Prior

Matt Prior, the England wicketkeeper, believes that winning a Test series against India in India equates to a bigger task than beating Australia away, which England did for the first time in 24 years in 2010-11.

Later this week England depart for a training camp in Dubai before the four-Test tour of India, where they will be seeking a first series win since 1984. In the latest edition of Alison's Tea Break, Prior describes winning on the subcontinent as "the final frontier" for a team who are determined to climb the Test rankings again after losing their No. 1 status to South Africa at home earlier this year.

Prior's contention is perhaps one of the reasons why he was central in attempting to smooth Kevin Pietersen's return to the England set-up ahead of the India series. Prior was one of the senior England players to meet with Pietersen ahead of his return to the Test squad. He was also quick to pick up the phone to Pietersen in the aftermath of the batsman's extraordinary press conference at Headingley when he stated "it's tough being me" in the England dressing room.

"I've seen Kev, we had a good chat or meeting, whatever you want to call it," Prior says. "Obviously I don't want to go into too much detail about what went on in the meeting but the important thing about it is KP playing for England will make England a better team. He is a phenomenal player, we all know that.

"The really important thing is that we are all pulling and moving in the same direction, and whether it be KP, or myself - if one person steps out of line in the other direction, it's tough. Our team ethic and team ethos has been the most important thing in our success over the last couple of years and we want to make sure we look after that and make sure we can get it back to where it was."

Prior explains why he felt compelled to speak to Pietersen after the second Test against South Africa, what he felt it achieved and the extent to which he believes England can recapture the dressing room ethos that he feels has been central to the team's success over the last couple of years.

"To be honest, all the time it was KP having an issue with the ECB, IPL, etc, but the minute he said he had an issue with the dressing room, it suddenly became the players' problem," he says. "I felt the only thing to do was to say 'Right, what are your issues?' Kev will probably admit he did a few things wrong but if one of our senior players is saying he's struggling in the dressing room then it would be wrong of us not to look at it and say, 'Okay what are we doing that's making him feel that way?' So it works a bit both ways."

In the interview, Prior also discusses what makes for a successful and happy dressing room and the importance of trust and respect in a team game, as well as reiterating his desire to get back in the one-day and Twenty20 squads once again for England.

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Off-field issues compromised Perth's preparation - North

Marcus North, Perth Scorchers' captain, confirmed that breaches of team discipline harmed the squad's Champions League campaign but would not name which players were involved.

"All I will say is that there are players that played today and players that didn't play today that let the team down in preparation last week," North said at Scorchers' final appearance in the tournament. "Last week, against Delhi, there are players in our side that didn't reach the standards of preparations that we require from them. It was not the night before the game against Delhi, but our preparations for the Delhi game in Cape Town."

The Scorchers' lost that match by three wickets, after posting a below par 121 for 5 and were knocked out of the tournament because of that. They also lost the opening game against Titans in Centurion and had one washout but came back to earn a consolation win in their final game.

Knowing that the result would have no bearing on their chances, the Scorchers made three changes to their starting XI. Their leaving out of both Marsh brothers, Shaun and Mitchell, and Nathan Rimmington led to speculation that those were the players who had breached team protocol, especially since the Marsh brothers have been in trouble for misbehaviour previously.

North did not verify that but stuck to his line about giving everyone a run in the event. "We brought 15 players over for this tournament, it was a dead rubber for us and we wanted to give those guys an opportunity to play in a big tournament like this," he said.

Scorchers' coach Lachlan Steven had earlier said there would be "further discussions about things" once the team returned home, hinting that some corrective measures would be taken. But North could not say whether there would be any action: "I have no idea. I can't speak on behalf of Cricket Australia."

Instead, he chose to focus on the reasons for the teams' poor performance in South Africa, especially after they were expected to do better. "It's been a frustrating campaign for us. We had the Titans first, who were very hungry on their home patch. And then in Durban against Kolkata, [we were] very much on our way to posting a winning total … " North said. Rain came down with the Scorchers on 91 for 2 and they did not get back on the field.

"Against Delhi we came back against a side who have four players who have been international captains [Mahela Jayawardene, Ross Taylor, Kevin Pietersen and Virender Sehwag] and are so good that David Warner can't even get a place. It was good to get a win today. Titans' Martin van Jaarsveld, who I played with at Glamorgan, came to me and said we should do them a favour and we did." Scorchers' victory meant both the Titans and Delhi Daredevils qualified for the semis.

What awaits the Scorchers once they're home is uncertain, especially after national chairman of selectors John Inverarity told SEN radio station that there needed to be "some changes," at Western Australia to "recapture their culture". North dismissed the seriousness of that comment when he said, "He is not part of Western Australia management."

The team has suffered a few barren years, having last won silverware in 2004, and are believed to have a number of behind the scenes problems. North did not delve into any of them but said he is "excited" for the season ahead. In the meanwhile, he thinks his countrymen at Sydney Sixers could go on to win the Champions League and called them the "best performing unit" of the tournament.

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Hopkins 'bitterly disappointed' at not making semis

Auckland captain Gareth Hopkins' final Champions League Twenty20 press conference was over. There were no further questions from the small media contingent and all that was left was for him to get up and leave the room. "I'd like to just one say more thing," Hopkins said. "Everyone that we have met here in South Africa has been really hospitable and made us feel very welcome. We've had a great time, thank you."

It is rare that an engagement with reporters ends like that. But for the duration of Auckland's stay in South Africa - which reached one month yesterday - that is how they have conducted themselves. They have been affable, courteous and genuinely excited about being part of the event, even though when they arrived, they weren't guaranteed a place in the main draw.

As soon as the qualifiers began, it was obvious that Auckland would be strong contenders, if not the best side of the six. Theirs were the only batsmen who looked at home in the pacy and bouncy conditions, testament to the time they spent training in the country from September 22. When they beat Kolkata Knight Riders in their first match of the main draw, the fairytale did not seem to have an end. But it did, and it was not a happy one.

Auckland lost heavily to Titans, had a washout against Delhi Daredevils and came off second-best to a wounded Perth Scorchers side. Both their defeats could be blamed on the bat. Every time Auckland found themselves under pressure, they struggled to come up for air.

"I'm not going to make excuses for our batting," Hopkins said. "Our No.5 batsman and further down only batted twice in five games but there are no excuses. We are good enough. One thing I will say about today is that we should have learnt from how Perth played. Their batters took a bit of time to get in. With us losing wickets continually, it was very hard to score at seven or eight runs an over."

Still, their regret was not falling over the final hurdle but leaving it for the last to jump over it. Hopkins pinned their bowing out before the knockouts on the match against Titans in Durban. Auckland were bowled out for 113 in pursuit of 173. "That game did hurt us. We thought the score was about par but we can look back and say we could have done better there," he said. "It's about isolating every game. You have to treat every game as a final."

That was the way Auckland approached the preliminary round but seemed to lose a bit of that intensity against tougher opposition. "If we look back in a few years we'd probably say that making the main draw was good," Hopkins said. "But given our position and the belief in the team at the moment, we believed we could make the semis and then the final. We're bitterly disappointed."

Despite their obvious sadness, Hopkins was able to smile through it to point out some of the positives. "Winning was definitely a highlight," he said. "I enjoyed seeing my mates' successes on the park - things like Azhar Mahmood's innings against Hampshire and the team performance against Kolkata. That was one particularly sweet because they beat us off the last ball in the qualifiers last year so we got our own back this time. We were really happy with that."

Auckland were by some distance one of the teams, and the only qualifier, to hold their own at times - delightful as Yorkshire were, they were also outplayed much more. And for that, the Champions League can claim success over their much criticised format and structure.

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Dhaka Division begin season with victory

Dhaka Division got off to a winning start in the National Cricket League by beating Rajshahi Division by 127 runs at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur. It was their first victory in the first-class competition after the divisional side was split and the Dhaka Metropolis team was formed last season.

Dhaka were aided by their opponents' poor luck, after Rajshahi had their captain Mushfiqur Rahim and leading bowler Saqlain Sajib collide on the first day. Sajib was disoriented due to the impact and didn't take part in the rest of the game, while Mushfiqur was only available for Rajshahi's second innings. The defending champions were in shambles as they chased 261 to win, and were bowled out for 133. Mahmudullah picked up four wickets, while Shahadat Hossain took two.

Dhaka's fightback began in the second innings, in which they trailed by 62 runs after they were bowled out for 116 in the first innings. Dhaka were rescued by a 100-run fifth wicket partnership between Nadif Chowdhury and Mosharraf Hossain and by a 97-run seventh-wicket stand between Abdul Majid and Nurul Hasan. Mosharraf, Majid and Nurul scored fifties to push the total past the 300-mark, which was enough against a team that had only nine batsmen.

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Ijaz Ahmed charged in forgery case

Ijaz Ahmed, the former Pakistan batsman, has been charged by a local court in Lahore in a forgery case. The case has dogged Ijaz since 2009, when he was arrested after a police complaint by a property dealer, for forging a cheque, and spent six weeks in jail before being released on bail.

The court hasn't issued an arrest warrant and adjourned the hearing until November 10, ordering the prosecution witnesses to appear in court. Judicial Magistrate Imtiaz Ahmed said that Ijaz was on bail and was facing a trial with respect to issuing false cheques worth Rs 10 million (about $104,000).

In 2009, police officials at the Gulberg police station in Lahore said two property dealers had filed a complaint against Ijaz for issuing them cheques that had bounced. At time he was the arrested, he was Pakistan's national fielding coach.

Ijaz, 44, played 60 Tests and 250 ODIs and was a member of the Pakistan team that won the 1992 World Cup. He was earlier on the selection committee and is currently the fielding coach at the National Cricket Academy.

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