Pakistan’s captain Afridi on a rickshaw at opening ceremony of ICC Cricket World Cup at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka – Photo

LAHORE: Former captain Salman Butt said he did not agree with the verdict of the ICC tribunal announced on Saturday.

In a brief talk with media on arriving back here at the Allama Iqabal Airport today, he said that he was disappointed with the ICC decision and the spot-fixing law is needed to be amended.

Salman Butt said that the judge himself said that no law has so far been made on spot fixing and this is needed to be amended.

Butt said that if this law is amended then his punishment may be reduced.

The former captain said that he would plan his future strategy after the getting the detailed verdict.

LAHORE: Shahid Afridi will lead Pakistan at the World Cup, cricket chiefs said on Friday, quashing rumours that he might be replaced by Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq.

Pakistan last week announced a 15-man squad for the mega event, to be jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from February 19, but had delayed the appointment of a captain.

“PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) announces Afridi as captain of Pakistan team for the World Cup. Misbah has been announced as vice captain for the event,” the board said in a statement.

PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said the decision had widespread backing. “I had detailed discussions with team management and players in New Zealand regarding captain and vice captain and am pleased to state that everyone fully endorsed these decisions,” Butt was quoted as saying in the PCB statement.

The PCB’s decision to delay naming the captain had been criticised by former players and fans.

“It doesn’t make a difference whether Misbah leads the side or I lead the side because we both are playing for our country, I have never been after captaincy,” Afridi said earlier this week.

Misbah had backed all-rounder Afridi as captain. “I think Afridi has done a great job as captain and he has kept the team together and every player is contributing and wants to do well. He has led well,” Misbah said after his man-of-the-match performance in New Zealand on Tuesday.

Afridi, 30, who was banned for two matches on charges of ball-tampering in only his second match as skipper in January last year, has led Pakistan in 20 one-day matches, winning nine, losing ten with one ending in no result because of rain.

Pakistan are in Group A of the World Cup and open their campaign with a match against Kenya at Hambantota, Sri Lanka, on February 23.

They go into the tournament on good form after wrapping up the current six-match one-day series against New Zealand with a game to spare.

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday stressed upon the need for the United States’ support to Pakistan in pleading its case for assistance and market access before the international community.

“We need preferential market access to support our economy from the dire impacts of ongoing struggle against militancy, on one hand, and to rehabilitate and reconstruct damaged infrastructure due to devastating floods, on the other,” he added.

The President expressed these views in a meeting with a US congressional delegation, which called on him here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Monday.

The delegation included Representatives Darell El Issa, Todd R. Platts, Jason Chaffetz, Stephen F. Lynch, Brian M. Higgins and Raul L. Labrador.

Stephen Engelken, Charge d’ Affairs, Thomas A. Alexander, Senior Counsel (Majority) Committee on Oversight, Adam Pl. Fromm, Counsel (Majority) Director of Member Services and Scott Lindsay, Counsel (Majority) Committee on Oversight were also present.

Pakistan side included Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Finance Minister, M. Salman Faruqui, Secretary General to the President, Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, Chairman National Commission for Government Reforms, Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, Senator Syeda Sughra Imam, Ms. Farahnaz Ispahani and Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar besides Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and other senior officials.

Briefing media Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that matters relating to Pak-US bilateral relations, mutual cooperation, fight against militancy, Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) and security situation in the region among other related issues were discussed during the meeting.

Babar said that the President highlighted economic situation of the country during the meeting and focused upon the need for US support to Pakistan in pleading its case for assistance and market access before the international community.

“Ours is a war ravaged and flood stricken economy, and our people need priority attention and assistance to overcome financial difficulties,” Farhatullah Babar quoted the President as saying.

“Our priority is trade not aid”, the President emphasized.
The President urged the visiting delegation to use their influence to secure market access and trade for the country.

Discussing Pakistan-US relations, the President said that a long-term and stable equation marked by close collaboration and multidimensional cooperation between the two countries guarantees not only development of the country but also peace and stability of the region.

He expressed satisfaction on the progress being made through the channel of Pak-US strategic dialogue on various sectoral levels.

The members of congressional delegation appreciated the country’s struggle against militancy and assured US continued support in this regard to the people and the Government of Pakistan.

The President reiterated his call for expediting passage of ROZs (Reconstruction Opportunity Zones) legislation to create economic opportunities for the people who are worst hit due to scourge of militancy.

Discussing regional situation, the President reiterated Pakistan’s principled stance that it has an abiding interest in a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan and it firmly believes in neutrality and non-interference in internal affairs of the country.

Pakistan, the President said, would continue to support all efforts for promoting sustainable peace, stability and development in Afghanistan.

He said “we firmly believe that political approach seconded by economic development was equally important for bringing stability to the war tarnished country”.

He said that Pakistan would support all efforts for the capacity building of the institutions in Afghanistan.

The Congressmen also raised the matter of Mr. Raymond Davis, involved in the killing of Pakistani nationals in Lahore, with the President.

The President said that he appreciated their concern but the matter was already before the courts. It would be prudent to wait for the legal course to be completed, he said.

The delegation assured the President said that US administration would continue to provide all possible help to the Government in overcoming its difficulties.

FRANKFURT: German retail sales slipped by 0.3 percent in December from the previous month, figures released on Monday by the national statistics service showed, but gained by 1.2 percent for 2010 as a whole.

The provisional monthly drop at the end of the year was much better than a slump of 1.9 percent recorded in November, the Destatis office figures showed.

Germany, which has the biggest European economy, has traditionally relied on exports for growth, but lower unemployment and stronger wages have helped boost consumption and economists forecast it will help underpin activity this year.

Inflation has picked up meanwhile, reaching a two-year high of 1.9 percent in January according to Destatis data, but the government still expects growth of 2.3 percent this year, following a record post-reunification rate of 3.6 percent in 2010.