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The Rediff Interview / Lieutenant General Tauriq Zia

'I think now is the time when I will go to the president and ask for the Qayyum Commission report'

Lieutenant General Tauriq Zia, president of the Pakistan Cricket Board, says there's no place in his team for any player involved in match-fixing or betting. Speaking to Faisal Shariff in Sharjah during the recent tri-series featuring India, Pakistan and South Africa, the man who's entrusted the job of putting Pakistan cricket in order also believes that players or people should not make allegations without proof, and expressed surprise that the Qayyum Commission report, instituted by his government to probe match-fixing allegations, was swept under the carpet.

Do you think all the allegations of match-fixing and betting are baseless and mere loose talk?

The point is that if someone has proof then he should bring it out. Don’t work on suspicion, you can only spoil relations between boards and people. And if you are convinced that something is happening then bring proof ahead. If I have no proof, I have no justification to talk about it. Therefore, I am not going to talk about anything if I have no knowledge. If some team or country thinks that things like this are happening, then fine; don’t enter your team.

If you are so convinced about the allegations then please don’t bother; get out right away.

The CBFS is not after anyone to enter the tournament. Of course, they want to make, well, money and stuff, but that also means that if the CBFS is paying so much money then they also have a right over your team.

If any player is found guilty of being involved in match-fixing and betting, what action will you take against him?

Out! He will be out of the team. He doesn’t ever play. Any player, who fixes matches at the expense of the country, I have no love lost for him. I am sorry.

What has happened to the Qayyum Commission report?

I think now is the time when I will go to the president and ask for the Qayyum Commission report. I haven’t seen it myself. Had I seen it then, I would be doing things I am saying. This thing has been going on for 4-5 years and I don’t know why they have been putting it under the carpet.

I think the board at that time should have just taken a decision and fined them like the Aussies fined Mark Waugh and Warne; or they should have said that there is nothing. After all, if it is taking them so long it must be based on suspicion. And if there is no proof you should not keep the sword hanging on the players' heads... that you are involved. I have to be hundred per cent sure to take action against the players.

My style or nature is that I don’t interfere in anybody’s work. I want the report and once I have it I will take necessary action. If the report is with somebody, he is supposed to give it to me and then I will take action. I am not going to go out of my way and say 'give me the report; I want to sort this man out.'

You think there can be smoke without fire? There must be some truth somewhere out there.

If Manoj Prabhakar has spoken against the Indian team, if some of our boys have spoken against some, then they must have the conviction to come out and say this is the proof that I have. Just saying in a dressing room that the people are not performing or that matches are being sold is not the right thing to say. They have to be sure of what you say.

I was totally ignorant of all this when I took over. You have to play for yourself and for the country as well. Why should I question anybody in the team about whether he sold himself or not when I know that this is his profession and his life.

My priority is to get the team going, not to go running after some report.

Wasim, in his earlier interview with rediff.com, had said that if the morale of the team is affected by the inclusion of one player, then in the interest of the team he should not be included. What is your take on that?

It is important that the team remains united, but it is also important to find out if you are gunning for a man just like that. Then, of course, merit will come into play. Why I am saying this is because if the board starts becoming a hostage to the players then you can do nothing. Then all your ideas will go down the drain. With me it is that you play your game on the field. I will consult you when I make a team. I will consult the coach whenever I want, but the captain and coach will have to comply with my instructions. If you are interested in playing play; if not, you may leave. I will not be hostage to a player’s power. The present team is a wonderful lot and I want to take them along. Sometimes I feel like saying that these are my soldiers and I want to take them to war with me. And I would like to go to any field with these players, starting from Akram to Younis Khan.

Shoaib needs to be handled in a different way; Akram in another way. No compromise on discipline and if anything goes wrong then I will send them packing. I will not tolerate any disrepute to the country.

Will Rashid Latif be back in the side?

You can have only one wicketkeeper in the squad. Moin is the captain and the keeper. I cannot say that Moin stays captain and not keeper. Therefore, Rashid is unfortunate. When you have two or three good people then only one stays and the others have to leave. Rashid is such a good keeper and is a very good batsman. And he is a very good human being and a gentleman. I think he is a guy who talks less and performs more. I am very fond of him.

You are of the opinion that there has to be a policy of continuation but there is still a fear lurking amongst the senior players that they might be dropped. Don’t you think that they should be assured of their places in the side? Ijaz is an example.

The point is I don't think that the players need to be scared if they are performing. Take the example of the Australians. Who doesn’t know Ponting. He is one of Australia’s greatest players. He is finding it very difficult to get back into the team. Damien Martyn is doing a wonderful job. So if this can happen with the Aussies, it can happen with everybody. I think you have to keep yourself absolutely fit. But if there is no replacement available then you have to persist with these players. And then, what happens, if someone breaks down then you have no choice. But if you have a good bench strength, then the man who feels threatened will also put in his best effort. So I don’t think that any one will be kicked out if he is performing.

If he is not performing he doesn’t stand a chance to be in the team. It’s not peculiar with Pakistan; that is all over the world. My vision is clear. You stay in the team if you are performing. You don’t stay in the team if you are not performing.

What exactly do you mean by performance? There will be times when players, quality players, go through bad patches. Do they also qualify under the performance category? Or, will they still be persisted with on the basis of their class?

Rahul Dravid for one is a class act, but has been suffering since the Aussie tour. There are two things. One is class and the other is form. If you are going through a bad patch no one will mind. And let me tell you one thing, Dravid is class. He is out of form, but I think he is still number four in the world. It would be a wrong thing to kick him out of the team. Likewise, Mark Waugh is class; he has gone through a bad patch but they persisted with him and he has come good again.

Inzy is the same, but he has come back with a bang. Akram can be out of form, but the moment he is back with his fitness he stays in the team. So I have to recognize one who has form only. Anyone without class and only form, and on top of that he is also not performing, should not be in the team.

The other yardstick is the domestic season; as to how well you have performed in the domestic season. So there are players who are performing but are not in the team. If there are three good keepers you can only give one a chance. The yardstick is recognition of class and form.

People I have mentioned here have class and as far as Ijaz is concerned, I think he has done a great job for the country. Maybe his batting averages are very good. But the only point is that if you continue to have such senior players in the team who will not last till 2003, then you are being unfair with some of the junior players. They need training and international cricket. I haven’t asked Ijaz to leave but if I don’t see Ijaz playing in 2003 and is he is also out of form how do I give a chance to a youngster today who is going to go along for another two three years.

Of course, injustice can be the cause with Ijaz’s case. I am sure injustice must have been caused to him, but when I look at it from Pakistan’s point of view, I think nothing is wrong. He should be telling himself, 'okay, I have played enough and now I am stepping aside, giving a chance to a youngster'.

I gave him a chance in the last Test and he did not perform as well. 7 and 3 were his scores in the two innings. He can now be asked to coach people and give hints to youngsters.

Who is the fielding coach you have decided upon for the team?

The point is that we had people in mind. Trevor Chappel, Jonty Rhodes and Symcox were considered. But I am not going to take names anymore because we have appointed Tony as the coordinator. We have asked him for few things. So I will leave it to Tony Greig as to who he recommends and suggests. Tony will decide who Pakistan’s batting, bowling and fielding coach will be. Besides this he will also decide who Pakistan’s physical trainer will be.

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