The Pakistan Cricket Board's move to invite former greats for delivering pep-talk
to the World Cup-bound players has not found favour from former captain
Javed Miandad, who thinks it's too late to organise such meetings. 
A PCB official confirmed that chairman Naseem Ashraf
had contacted greats like Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram
to discuss preparations for the World Cup.
Miandad confirmed that Ashraf had called him.
"I told him I am very busy and I will see if I can take
time out to meet with the Pakistani players," said Miandad, who appeared
in six World Cup tournaments including the one in 1992 when Pakistan emerged
champions.
But he made it clear that he was not keen to take up the PCB
offer at present when Pakistan are moving from one crisis to another and their
World Cup campaign appears to be in a bad shape.
"This is not the right time to do anything. I don't think
any general pep-talk will make any difference. You can only help with particular
problems in the team. They should tell me what they are inviting me for,"
Miandad said.
"This is not the right time to invite us. If they wanted advice from us
they should have invited former greats well before time," he added.
"If players have any problems anyone is welcome to call me and seek advice,"
said Miandad.
Appreciating the good intention behind Ashraf's effort, Miandad, the veteran
of 124 Tests, said the initiative was taken a bit too late.
"I think only the present coach and captain can now resolve
the issues in the team which is still capable of doing well in the world cup
if everyone performs to his optimum," Miandad said.
Miandad himself has remained coach of the national team on three separate occasions
and the last time he was replaced in 2004, current coach Bob Woolmer took over
from him.
Meanwhile, the PCB officials said no arrangements had been
made to send off the team in a grand fashion as was done in 2003 when Pakistan
were eliminated in the first round of the World Cup.
"There will just be a quiet reception by president Pervez
Musharraf and it would be attended by selected players and some board officials.
The team will be given a quiet sendoff as we don't want to raise expectations
of people and create hype," one official said.
The Pakistan team starts training in Lahore from February 23,
but doubts remain over the fitness of fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad
Asif and Umar Gul who will undergo fitness tests later this month.
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