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Players' revolt Senior Pakistan players clash with coach
KARACHI (Reuters) -- The Pakistan Cricket Board called a crisis meeting on Wednesday after seven national players, including skipper Moin Khan, threatened to pull out of next week's internationals with England because of a dispute with coach Javed Miandad. A spokesman for the players said Miandad and the players had disagreed over how to distribute prize money the team won for reaching the semifinals of the ICC Knockout Trophy this month in Nairobi, Kenya. Miandad was not immediately available for comment. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Tauqir Zia played down the issue but said "there was a tussle between the players and Javed Miandad." He said an emergency meeting had been called for later on Wednesday to try to resolve the crisis. "I have invited the seven players for talks. I want the issue to be resolved without any bad blood," he said. "I am even ready to increase the players' fee though the boys haven't demanded it either from the board or Javed Miandad. But I want Miandad to stay in the team along with the seven players because for us, the series against England is very important." Besides Khan, former captain Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Ijaz Ahmad and Saqlain Mushtaq have rebelled against Miandad, a former captain who holds Pakistan's record for test runs. "It has been conveyed to the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board that the players are not willing to play against England if Miandad is the coach," the players spokesman said. England arrived in Karachi on Monday on its first tour in the country in 13 years. It faces Pakistan on October 24 in the first of three one-day internationals. The visitor is also scheduled to play three tests on its 57-day tour. Miandad's first term as coach ended in controversy when he resigned on the eve of last year's World Cup after a verbal clash with his players in Sharjah. He was re-appointed in March this year and given the assignment until the 2003 World Cup. Pakistan's last cricket revolt in 1994-95 was led by Younis against Akram. The nine-player rebellion had demanded the inclusion of Miandad who had been dropped along with Ramiz Raja and Khan for the tour of New Zealand. Miandad, Raja and Khan were not recalled but Akram was replaced by Salim Malik as captain.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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