IMPRACTICAL: The PTF official said Aisam’s issues are valid, as travelling and playing in any event right after taking part in a Grand Slam will not be easy. PHOTO: FILE
The Indonesian Tennis Federation had requested PTF and ITF to move the dates of the tie from July 17-19 to July 14-16, as they will be short on staff during the Eidul Azha holidays.
The proposed dates will cause problems for the PTF, since Pakistan’s veteran Davis Cup player Aisamul Haq Qureshi will be taking part in Wimbledon, which will conclude on July 12. The schedule will make it impossible for Aisam to represent his country at the Davis Cup tie if the dates are revised.
PTF secretary Khalid Rehmani said that the players’ convenience is at the top of the federation’s priority list. “It is the PTF’s policy to give priority to the players, after all they are the ones who compete on the field,” Rehmani told The Express Tribune. “We will not agree to any revision in dates without consulting with Aisam and Aqeel [Khan]. They are a very important part of the Davis Cup campaign.”
According to Rehmani, it would be prudent for Indonesia to go by the original schedule since all ties of Group II in other zones are taking place on the same dates. “Since Indonesia said that their staff won’t be available, the ITF had asked them to hold the tie at a neutral venue. However, the hosts did not avail the offer since it would cost them a lot more,” said Rehmani.
The PTF secretary added that in the latest ITF correspondence, the international body has asked Pakistan after their committee’s third meeting to agree on the July 14-16 dates. “If we don’t have our players available on these dates, we’ve already sort of lost the tie,” commented Rehmani. “Therefore, we’ll be consulting with our players first before replying to the ITF on this.”
The official concluded that if all options are exhausted, the PTF will have to go ahead with what the ITF asks them to do, since they are the governing body.
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