Pakistan's on-field performances not affected by frequent changes in PCB, says acting chairman
The newly-appointed acting chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Shah Khawar on Friday said frequent changes in the board are not responsible for the national team's poor on-field performances in the last one year.
Addressing the media here on Friday, Khawar asserted that there were several other reasons for the team's below-par showing.
“I don't think changes in the board in the last one year have affected the team. It might be a minor reason, but there are other other factors and once the new board of governors is formed and the new chairman takes charge, they will look into this,” he said.
Khawar also insisted that there was no interference from the government in the cricket board's affairs.
“It is a wrong impression that the ministry of inter provincial coordination or government interferes in cricket affairs or is taking decisions,” he said.
“The patron in chief of the board, as per powers vested in him and laid out in the PCB constitution, has taken decisions and is authorised to do this,” he added.
Khawar said the board remains an independent body and functions as such, adding that normalcy will be restored once the new board of governors is formed.
Khawar also confirmed being informed by Mohammad Hafeez, the incumbent director of the Pakistan team, that many players were more worried about their contracts in white-ball leagues rather than being focussed on job, during recent tours of Australia and New Zealand.
“This is an issue which needs serious reflection because while we don't want players to suffer financially, it is also important to make them realise, especially those centrally contracted to the board, that their first priority should always be the national team,” he said.
Khawar confirmed Hafeez met him informally on Thursday and that he did not call him for a meeting.
“Hafeez was in the board offices and he wished to see me, so I met him with chief selector, Wahab Riaz and the chief operating officer Salman Naseer and he informally conveyed his concerns to us,” he said.
Khawar said that Hafeez had also asked about getting his three-year contract in place, but was informed in return that the patron in chief would decide.
Additionally, a proper advertising process had to be followed before hiring anyone to this main post.
“He also wanted to know about some dues from the board as he had gone on a one month contract which expired on 15th December,” he said.
Team director Hafeez unlikely to get long-term contract from PCB
Pakistan team director Muhammad Hafeez is unlikely to get a long-term contract from the PCB which is presently being run by the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (Sports) through its nominees.
The former Test captain met with the acting Chairman of the board, election commissioner Shah Khawar, and the chief operating officer Salman Naseer in Lahore, to discuss the recent tours to Australia and New Zealand and about his contract.
The former Chairman of the interim committee running the PCB affairs, Zaka Ashraf, had given Hafeez a one month contract as Director of the Pakistan team on the assurance that his contract would be extended to three years.
But while the team was in New Zealand when Ashraf sent the contract to the ministry for approval he was told to hold it.
Sources said that when Hafeez met with Khawar and Naseer after returning home he was told that his long-term contract was under review by the ministry but it was also conveyed to him that the ministry is not happy with his performances in Australia and New Zealand.
The former captain was also conveyed that the final decision would be taken by the incoming Chairman now and they couldn't give him any guarantees.
Interestingly Hafeez's one month contract had expired on December 15 while in Australia and he carried on working without pay.
“Hafeez also reminded Naseer that his dues from the tour should be cleared no matter what the ministry or incoming Chairman decides,” one source said.
“Hafeez showed interest in continuing as Director of the team but the response he got was not very encouraging,” the source added.
Pakistan were whitewashed three nil in the Test series in Australia and lost the T20 series in New Zealand by 4-1.
Mohsin Naqvi, presently the caretaker chief minister of Punjab who has been nominated by the ministry to replace Zaka on the PCB interim committee, is expected to roll back the number of appointments and decisions taken by Ashraf.
