PTF should learn from PCB, says Aqeel

Veteran player proposes arranging permanent neutral venue for Davis Cup ‘home’ ties

KARACHI: Pakistan’s most experienced Davis Cup player Aqeel Khan believes the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) should learn from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) when it comes to dealing with international pressure to hold home matches at a neutral venue.

Pakistan have not played any Davis Cup tie at home since 2005, which they won 4-1 against Chinese Taipei.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has placed Pakistan on their list of unsafe venues, where foreign teams cannot travel to play.

In the given situation, the players suffer the most as they not only lose home advantage and choice of surface but are also mostly forced to travel to their opponent’s turf to play their own home ties.

“The PTF needs to get things going here, we can’t expect the ITF to change their stance,” Aqeel told The Express Tribune after the team was thrashed 5-0 by New Zealand in their Group I relegation tie.

“We lost an important tie to a far better team, but playing on our home soil or a neutral venue on our choice of surface would have made a difference for sure,” continued the 36-year-old.

Pakistan returned to Group I after nine years but failed to consolidate their stay. They lost their first-round tie 5-0 to China.  “The federation needs to study the PCB model. Instead of seeking a neutral venue before every tie — which wastes valuable time — maybe the PTF can also arrange one permanent neutral venue where we can play our Davis Cup ties,” suggested Aqeel. “It will be easier for the players and we wouldn’t have to concede our choice of surface each time.”



Meanwhile, the PTF cited monetary troubles as a hurdle to the realisation of Aqeel’s proposition.

“It [having a permanent neutral venue] is a good idea, we can hold our matches in Turkey or Sri Lanka,” said PTF secretary Khalid Rehmani. “But our financial situation is far from good. We spent Rs15 million on three ties last year and the ITF didn’t compensate us. If we keep spending that much money on just Davis Cup, we’ll be hard put to run the junior development programmes. However, we’ll definitely try to work on Aqeel’s suggestion.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2016.

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