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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has asked its Zaheer Abbas to advise coach Bob Woolmer to be careful while giving statements which could spoil cricket relations between the two countries.

Pakistan team touring Sri Lanka walked out of practice on Tuesday morning after they were asked to share the venue with a group playing softball cricket, according to the reports.

“It’s a disgrace,’’ Woolmer was reported as saying. “When you are on an international touring side wanting a centre wicket (for practices) and can’t get one, it looks a little strange.”

But a PCB official said details had been sought from the manager Zaheer Abbas who said it was not such a big issue and the problem had arisen because of miscommunication.

“Apparently, our team had asked for practice sessions on a full pitch in the centre but there was a softball being held there when they arrived at the ground and were requested to go to the practice pitches,” an official said.

He said Zaheer had spoken to the Sri Lankan board officials and the matter had been sorted out and the players then had practice later in the afternoon on the full pitch. “It was not such a big issue and we’ve told Zaheer to remind everyone not to overreact and to be careful while giving statements which could cause problems for everyone,” the official stated.

Reports from Sri Lanka said the Pakistan team was scheduled to practise but were informed the ground had already been allocated for a local cricket match.

“We went there for little practices and we were told that a softball match was being played, which no one seemed to know,’’ Woolmer was reported as saying.

Most Sri Lankans play cricket using tennis ball instead of a hard cricket ball, mainly for leisure, as is the case in Pakistan. The report said unable to practise the players returned to the hotel and afterwards practice was shifted to Premadasa Stadium elsewhere in Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo.

An official, in-charge of arranging practice, said it became difficult to book centre pitches as all cricket grounds had been booked months ahead because a public holiday fell on Tuesday.

Source: The News

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