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The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, on Saturday accused the print media of triggering controversies before the start of the season.

The usually soft and patient Tauqir came out blazing all guns against the newsmen in front of his chamber after having invited a select group of journalists for a luncheon at the National Stadium.

"I want to know what your (media) problems are with the establishment, players, selectors? I have been observing for the last year and a half that whenever a tournament/series is round the corner, controversies start," he said with reference to recent statements given to the press by skipper Waqar Younis, former captain Saeed Anwar and contradictory explanations of chief selector Wasim Bari on the exclusion of senior players from the ongoing training camp.

"And it only starts from here (Karachi)," the general said without mentioning the names of the newspapers and scribes. As the general continued his mindboggling and out of context tirade, Brig Munawwar Rana, Yawar Saeed, Waqar Younis, Wasim Bari, Mohsin Khan, Faqir Aizazuddin, Khalid Butt, Prof Sirajul Islam Bukhari et al continued to enjoy every minute of it.

"Sometimes (it is reported) that Wasim Bari has no "clue" what he is selecting, sometimes Waqar Younis is (reportedly) saying that he will not play if he is not consulted while finalizing the team, sometimes Saeed Anwar's statements are coming.

"You (mediamen) sort out one issue with me today: do you want to build the team or you want to take it down. The choice is yours," he said as the mediamen were left dumbfounded. Team manager Yawar Saeed on Tuesday had said he had no problems with the media though he presented a file of newspaper clippings of an English daily to the general. Waqar Younis, when inquired by the media during Tauqir's tirade against the media, didn't say he had been misquoted but urged support and backing of the media.

As Tauqir's speech continued, his tone got more harsher. The PCB chief claimed he was more knowledgeable, educated and tried to rest all the blame on the media rather than looking for the bloopers his establishment has been committing from time to time.

"No matter how much you criticize me or the PCB, I don't care. "At least my education is more that you all (media) while my style of working and knowledge of the game is at least more than a million times than you, barring a couple," he claimed.

However, that "knowledge" was exposed when he first said Wasim Bari had played 87 Tests, a fact also confirmed by Bari though the former wicket-keeper has played 81. He also did not know that skipper of the team Waqar Younis was 29 and not 34 or 35 as stated by Tauqir Zia.

"There is a long list (newspaper clippings) here and three, four newspapers are writing the same thing in different styles. One way is to build, the other is to criticize and the last is to rag. You are all the same people which means everyone has something else is mind which is why they are ragging.

"Wasim Bari has been ragged too much. Wasim Bari has played 87 Tests and there are only few who are better than him in the country. He is being ragged for a year or so," he complained. "Look at a story (under the captain) "Are selectors justifying their jobs?". Its a damn good thing if it is analytical or objective. But the report says Shafiq Papa and Mohsin Khan came late.

"They are selectors and if the camp starts at 4.00pm, it doesn't mean they have to be present at 4.00pm. It's not that there will be a parade and they have to be present. "I mean, these things can be avoided."

© Dawn