Javed Miandad Lauds Indian Hospitality

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"The show was a big success and I visited seven cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Chandigarh and Kolkata," he said, adding that he had also got several coaching offers and other proposals from some Indian channels to work in India.

"But I have taken no decision as yet on what to do. But I can tell you this, the love, affection, respect and hospitality the Indian people all over the country showed towards me made me feel like I was at home with my own people," he said.

During his visit to India, Miandad also met with leading political figures like Mulayam Singh, Bal Thackerey etc.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said it had no intentions of depriving former coach Javed Miandad of his due wages under the contract he had signed with the Board.

Miandad was removed as coach in June replaced by Englishman Bob Woolmer by the PCB.

Under the contractual terms in which Miandad had 11 months remaining in his tenure as senior team coach, he will now be played 50% of the match fees given to the senior most player in the team for all One-day Internationals and Tests played by Pakistan until April 2005.

"There is no disagreement with Javed on this issue. It is clear that if he had resigned, he would not have been paid any compensation for the early termination of the contract," PCB chief Shaharyar Khan said.

"But since he left after a mutual agreement with us because we wanted to appoint Woolmer in his place under his contract with us, he will be paid 50% of the match fees for all matches played by the Pakistan team in the period his contract," he added.

The PCB chief also stated that if Javed had accepted the Board’s offer to take up an assignment as coach of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) or junior teams, he would have been paid the full amount for the duration of his contract.

Miandad was brought in as coach last year after the World Cup on a two-year contract and had completed 13 months when the Board decided to ask him to step down as senior team coach.

The former Test captain, who returned home from India, also made it clear that reports saying that he had refused to accept the %50 per cent payment of match fees, were rubbish. "I have not refused any payments. I also know that under my contract with the Board I will be paid %50 per cent of the match fees now and not full match fees," he added.

But he made it clear that while he had no problems with the Board deciding to replace him with Bob Woolmer or over money matters with them, his only grouse was that they should have taken him into confidence before reaching any agreement with Woolmer behind his back.

But Shaharyar said that while it was true that the Board did not take Miandad into confidence it was for varied reasons. "The primary reason was that we were concerned that if this issue came out in the press then it would create a bad taste and lead to statement mongering and accusations because certainly Javed has a huge following in the country and our decision would have split the cricket community," Shaharyar said.

But he insisted that he had a few days before the Advisory Council gave its final approval to Woolmer’s appointment spoken to Miandad and informed him and also asked him to carry on as academy and junior team coach. "But it was his decision to be released from the contract," Shaharyar said.

Miandad will get paid around Rs.100,000 for each Test and approximately Rs.125,000 for every one-dayer that Pakistan plays between June 2004 and April 2005. This is 50 per cent of the match fees paid to the senior most player, captain Inzamam-ul-Haq by the Board.