Pawar may call on Musharraf

Indian federal minister and Board of Control for Cricket in India president Sharad Pawar is expected to call on Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf during his forthcoming visit to Pakistan.

A special plane will take Pawar to the International Cricket Council meeting in Karachi on January 12 and from there he will travel to Lahore to watch the first Test between Pakistan and India, starting at the Gaddafi stadium on the 13th.

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"It is likely that the BCCI president might call on the President in Islamabad anytime after the ICC meeting. The date and time however is yet to be finalised," a government official told this correspondent.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that Pakistan is considering playing a Twenty20 fund-raising game against India ahead of the one-day series, which gets underway in Peshawar on February 6.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board is considering the option of arranging a Twenty20 match against India to raise funds for the earthquake victims. The PCB would propose the idea when Board of Control for Cricket in India president Sharad Pawar visits Pakistan to attend the ICC meeting, and later to watch the India playing Pakistan in the first Test, starting in Lahore on January 13," the PCB official said.

He said all depends whether the BCCI wants such a match ahead of the one-day series.

"The matter would be discussed with Sharad Pawar and if he agrees to the proposal we will go ahead and arrange the match," he said.

The official further said that in case of a disagreement, the PCB might donate all the earnings of the third day-and-night international, to be played in Lahore on February 13, for the victims.

"Like we did against England, we might donate the entire earnings of the Lahore one-dayer for the President's Relief Fund for the Earthquake Victims' Rehabilitation," he said.