Urdu-only for Pakistan cricketers

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Urdu only for Pakistan cricketers

The Pakistan cricket team have been banned from speaking in English at
World Cup news conferences to prevent players from being misquoted.  The
players will speak only in Urdu, said former player Pervez Mir, the team's
press liaison officer. The decision was also taken "because 2007 is our
national tourist year and we are promoting Pakistan as well," said Mir in
Montego Bay, Jamaica. "This is the perfect platform to promote and expose
our language."

He added that a Pakistan player had been misquoted in Trinidad following
the gas leak that led to the team being evacuated from their hotel earlier
in the week. "A journalist spoke to Danish Kaneria and asked him what he
thought about the gas leak and he tried to play the incident down and said
'It happens'. "But when the report came out the journalist quoted him
saying 'It happens at home as well'. "So we would rather avoid these kinds
of incidents and speak in Urdu at official times."

The team's coach, Englishman Bob Woolmer, is not a recognised Urdu
speaker, and will presumably not be bound by the rules. Pakistan play West
Indies in the World Cup opener at Sabina Park, Jamaica on Tuesday in Group
D. Ireland and Zimbabwe complete the group.


Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/cricket/other_international/pakistan/6440511.stm

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