I don't follow cricket anymore: Inzamam

He represented Pakistan in 120 Tests and 378 one-dayers but retired former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has lost interest in cricket now and says he is so engrossed in his construction business that he doesn't even keep track of the national team's fortunes.

The 41-year-old said he does not follow game any more and has no desire to seek any role in Pakistan cricket.

Inzamam, who retired after the 2007 World Cup, told the "Express Tribune" newspaper that he was now more focused on his business.

"I'm retired now and busy managing my construction business so I don't normally follow cricket anymore. My passion for the game has faded," he said.

Despite being the country's second highest Test run-getter after Javed Miandad, the burly batsman said he does not enjoy following the national team's progress.

"If Pakistan is playing Zimbabwe nowadays, what interest can I have in following the team's fortunes?" he questioned.

"I don't know much about the Zimbabwe team, plus we have so many new faces whom I don't know that I don't see any point in commenting upon their performances."

Unlike other former Test greats who keep themselves involved in the game, Inzamam, who now also spends a lot of time on religious preaching tours, said he has no desire to be part of the sport in any capacity.

"I'm least interested in finding any role in cricket at any level. I have already served Pakistan cricket a lot."

Razzaq relishes Champions League cricket in India

Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq on Wednesday said he was relishing the prospect of playing Champions League matches in India, where he aims to do his bit for improved neighbourly relations.

The 31-year-old will feature in the qualifying rounds of the September 19-October 9 league for Leicestershire, the English county side who won the domestic Twenty20 tournament.

Razzaq will become only the second Pakistani to play in the Champions League after Yasir Arafat, who represented Sussex in the first year of the tournament in 2009.

"I am really very excited to be playing in India," Razzaq told AFP. "It's a great chance and I will take a message of goodwill for Indians."

The Board of Control for India (BCCI), which runs the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) as well as the Champions League, barred Pakistani players from featuring in both events after they played in the inaugural IPL in 2008.

No Pakistani team is again invited to the Champions League, an event where the winners of Twenty20 competitions in top Test playing countries take part -- but Razzaq hopes that will change.

"I hope the respective governments will negotiate to resume the Indo-Pak cricket because without India and Pakistan playing each other, cricket is deprived of a high-profile, most-watched cricket series," said Razzaq.

India stalled sporting and other ties with neighbour and old rival Pakistan in the aftermath of the 2008 terrorist attacks on Mumbai, which New Delhi blamed on militants based across the border.

But Razzaq said cricket was "the binding force" between India and Pakistan, two countries where the game is massively popular.

"Doors should always be open for sportsmen or else you change the name of cricket, because cricket is the binding force between these two countries, which we have seen in the past," he said.

Razzaq claimed that an IPL without Pakistani players is less attractive.

"When we played in the ICL (Indian Cricket League) the whole charm of that league was Pakistani players playing in India, so I hope that after I go and play the Champions League, India also open doors of IPL for Pakistani players.

"I have faced no problems playing in India and even in the worst of times people of India welcome Pakistani players with open hearts and I hope I am soon part of a Pakistani team playing against India."

There are suggestions that might happen soon.

Pakistan Cricket Board has said it is negotiating with the BCCI over a possible tour to India next year -- approved under the Future Tours Programme of the International Cricket Council.

Razzaq also hopes Pakistan find a suitable coach after Waqar Younis.

"Pakistan needs a coach who can motivate the players and don't have ego problems," said Razzaq, who was dropped after the World Cup in March.

He has so far played 46 Tests, 262 one-day internationals and 26 Twenty20s for Pakistan.

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Controversial ad terming Pakistan players match-fixers removed

A New Zealand brewery company has withdrawn a controversial ad campaign, which showed pacer Daryl Tuffey taking a dig at Pakistan cricketers over match-fixing scandals, following angry reactions from the PCB and the Pakistani community.

The Moa Brewing Co. had launched the ad campaign, featuring Tuffey, where he claims that Pakistani players are match fixers and while New Zealand win matches, the Pakistanis take home cash cheques.

The ad drew strong criticism from the Pakistani community in New Zealand with Dunedin-based former Test player and coach Khalid Ibadullah terming the campaign as "quite insulting and quite offensive".

Ibadullah also drew the attention of the Pakistan Cricket Board to the campaign, which reacted very strongly to it and decided to look into the matter.

A PCB spokesman said that the ad has been withdrawn now after the matter was taken up with the company.

The company had earlier defended the commercial pointing out that Pakistan cricket has been hit hard by match fixing allegations and that three of its top players - Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamer - were in fact banned by the ICC for spot-fixing last year.

The PCB official had said while it was true that the three players were banned for spot-fixing but that didn't give the company the right to cast slurs on Pakistan cricket.

I can play for another 2 years: Razzaq

Out-of-favour all-rounder Abdul Razzaq insists that he has at least two years of cricket left in him at least after losing out on his place in the squad as well as failing to get a central contract.

Razzaq was dropped from the national team after the World Cup earlier this year, missing the series in West Indies, Ireland and the ongoing Zimbabwe tour. However, the 31-year-old said that he was ready to make a comeback.

“I think there is some favouritism which isn’t good for cricket,” Razzaq told reporters in Lahore. “I’ve been playing for a long time on the basis of my performance. I did not play due to anyone’s favour and nor do I want to play like that.

“I was overlooked for the national team but my county stint helped me maintain my form and fitness. A player’s career is automatically extended by a couple of years when you maintain a high standard of fitness.”

However, Razzaq still had a grudge over his batting position and said that he was misused for a long time. He started off as a bowler but was used as a number three batsman in the 1999 World Cup before being pushed down the order in a bid to increase the scoring rate.

However, Razzaq said the rotation of his batting position disturbed his performance.

“With my ability, I feel I was under-utilised. It might be the policy of the team management but I feel that I won’t be able to give my best.”

‘Pakistan should aim higher’

Meanwhile, the cricketer said that Pakistan were a better team than what their place in the International Cricket Council World Rankings suggest.

“Pakistan should focus on the top three positions. We have to work hard. We need to play tougher opponents.”