According to the standard airline and CAA conditionality, the cricket team was required to report at the PIA briefing counter latest by 5:30 am. since the plane's departure was at 7:00 a.m. But members of the team arrived in the departure lounge around 6:15 a.m. - at least 45 minutes late - with their luggage arriving at 6:35 a.m. just about 25 minutes before take-off, investigations reveal. In fact, by this time most international carriers close their briefing, allowing the 20 to 25 minutes time for the passengers to go through security check and then boarding the plane.
Thursday's Colombo-bound PIA flight, had exceeded the limits of booking by 10 per cent, airline sources said, adding that this is a normal practice with all airlines keeping in view possible misconnections or no-shows. The sources agreed that seats of all the 16 members of the cricket team, including 12 players and four officials, were confirmed on that flight but the reason for offloading of three members was ``late'' reporting for briefing. By the time the cricket team approached for briefing - 25 minutes before departure - only 13 seats were left. Investigations conducted by this reporter reveal that Moin Khan, along with his family, was first to arrive at 5:30 a.m. and was soon joined by Saeed Anwar and his wife. Coach Haroon Rasheed was next to reach the airport but interestingly the nine outstation cricketers, who were staying at Midway House, arrived at the departure lounge at 6:15 a.m. The manager of the team, Zaheer Abbas, admits that he arrived at the airport at 6:00 a.m. - an hour before departure. One can imagine how disciplined the team would be if its manager, who is himself a PIA employee, has no regard for airline regulations.
The protocol is that the tour manager - in this case Zaheer Abbas - is required to manage and coordinate the travel requirements of the team. In this background, it was the duty of Zaheer to arrive at the airport well in time, with all the team members and their luggage as well complete travel documents. If Zaheer, the former Test captain, felt insulted in doing all this, he should have assigned his deputy Aamir Hayat Rokhri to ensure that all was taken care of well in time.
Zaheer Abbas, it may be pointed out, used his influence to get his own boarding card issued even before he had reached the airport. As a good manager, he should have ensured the same for the rest of the team members. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) can also not be absolved of its responsibility of whatever happened.
Desperate attempts were made to contact Waqar Ahmad, Secretary, PCB, in Lahore but he refused to come on the line. Avoiding to talk to the media is only compounding the problems of the PCB which is already under fire from all quarters. Waqar, it may be pointed out, was being approached to get the version of the cricket board. Critics argue that the PCB is responsible for not asking the Karachi office to help out the cricket team in their departure to Colombo.
Ghaffar Ali Khan, PCB's representative in Karachi, visited the Midway House late Wednesday evening to assess if all the cricketers had checked-in and there were no other problems. But it is believed that since Ghaffar was not assigned to go the airport early Thursday morning, he preferred to stay back home.