PCB chairman quits after humiliation

Pakistan 59 and 53 Australia 310 Australia win by an innings and 198 runs

One of the most humiliating chapters in Pakistan's cricketing history looks to have resulted in swift recriminations, with the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, General Tauqir Zia, and director Chishty Mujahid both offering to resign following their side's defeat to Australia inside two days here on Saturday.

"I met [the Pakistan president, General Pervez Musharraf] on Saturday evening and tendered my resignation," Zia said after Pakistan's loss by an innings and 198 runs. "He said he would discuss it when he returns from Turkey.

"I feel down and embarrassed with my team's performance. And although the same boys fought excellently in the first Test, I believe being the chairman of the cricket board, I have to take the responsibility of such a poor performance."

Zia revealed that he had turned down Mujahid's offer to resign. "I am not going to accept his resignation and will hopefully succeed in convincing him to continue his job," he added.

Pakistan's total of 112 runs in both innings is the fourth lowest in Test history and the worst showing since the first Test after the Second World War when New Zealand were dismissed for 42 and 54 to lose in under nine hours at Wellington.

Second day; Pakistan won toss

PAKISTAN – First innings 59 (S K Warne 4-11, G D McGrath 2-10)

AUSTRALIA – First innings Overnight: 191-4
M L Hayden c Imran Nazir b Saqlain 119
D R Martyn c Taufeeq Umar b Abdur 34
A C Gilchrist c Taufeeq Umar b Shoaib 17
S K Warne c Younis Khan b Saqlain 19
B Lee lbw b Abdur 12
A J Bichel not out 2
G D McGrath lbw b Abdur 0
Extras (b15 lb7 nb2) 24
Total (92.1 overs) 310

Fall (cont): 5-224 6-248 7-285 8-304 9-310.

Bowling: Waqar Younis 8-2-25-0; Shoaib Akhtar 14-3-42-1; Danish Kaneria 26-2-116-1; Abdur Razzaq 10.1-3- 22-3; Saqlain Mushtaq 34-2-83-4.

PAKISTAN – Second innings
Imran Nazir c Gilchrist b Warne 16
Taufeeq Umar run out 0
Abdur Razzaq retd hurt 4
Younis Khan lbw b McGrath 0
Misbah-ul-Haq c S R Waugh b Bichel 12
Faisal Iqbal c M E Waugh b Warne 7
Rashid Latif c M E Waugh b Bichel 0
Saqlain Mushtaq c Warne b Lee 9
Shoaib Akhtar c S R Waugh b Warne 2
Waqar Younis lbw b Warne 0
Danish Kaneria not out 1
Extras (nb2) 2
Total (24.5 overs) 53

Fall: 1-0 2-13 3-32 4-34 5-36 6-50 7-52 8-52 9-53.

Bowling: McGrath 6-2-5-1; Lee 5-2-16-1; Bichel 7-1-19-2; Warne 6.5-2-13-4.

Umpires: S A Bucknor (WI) and S Venkataraghavan (India).