KARACHI: As expected, Pakistan’s cricket chief on Monday sacked the national selectors in the wake of the country’s disastrous twin campaigns in the Asia Cup and World Twenty20 championship.
In addition, they also happily accepted Waqar Younis’s decision to step down as head coach and Shahid Afridi’s announcement that he was resigning as Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain.
On its part, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), acting on the recommendations of a special committee appointed to probe the national team’s failures, promised that it will take a series of short and long-term steps to lift Pakistan cricket.
But as usual, most of them sound like hollow promises.
A PCB statement issued on Monday evening began with the first short-term measure: “Having reviewed the report of the special committee the (PCB) chairman has accepted the recommendations therein with regard to a change in selection committee. Therefore with immediate effect the selection committee has been disbanded and a new selection committee will be announced in due course.”
About Afridi, the statement said: “Shahid Afridi was appointed T20 captain up till ICC WT20 2016. With the event now concluded and as per the recommendations of the special committee, the PCB will shortly appoint a new T20 captain in place of Shahid Afridi.”
Sources told ‘The News’ that wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed is all set to take over as Pakistan’s T20 captain.
About Waqar, the PCB statement commented: “Waqar Younis has publically resigned from his position and the PCB will now initiate the process of inducting a new coach for Pakistan team. For this purpose a panel is being formed comprising of Wasim Akram and Ramiz Raja to assist in finding a replacement for Waqar at the earliest.”
Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chairman, stressed that what the Board has taken were tough decisions.
“While the decision on selection committee, coaches and T20 captain was a tough one, in the interest of Pakistan cricket we have now taken the above steps to address the decline in our cricket,” he was quoted as saying in the PCB media release.
“I am thankful to Waqar Younis, Shahid Afridi and selection committee headed by Haroon Rashid for the services they provided to Pakistan cricket in the past and wish them all good luck in their future endeavours. PCB has not sought scapegoats or played the blame game. PCB recognizes the need for honest introspection. It is now time to move forward for betterment of cricket,” he added.
According to the PCB, the inquiry committee has concluded that the primary reason behind Pakistan’s below-par showing is the low fitness levels of the national players.
“The special chighlighted fitness of the players as a major issue in the poor performance of Pakistan team. The PCB will henceforth make fitness standards achievements conditional in the players’ contracts and with fines to be imposed on players not achieving the desired standards.”
The Board revealed that it will send the national team players to a boot camp in the mountains of Abbottabad ahead of this summer’s tour of England.
“Pakistan team’s next assignment is in England in the English summer. In order to prepare for the tough tour and as recommended by special committee a boot camp is being planned in coordination with Pakistan Army in Abbottabad to make the players physically fit for the England tour,” it said.
The trigger-happy nature of Shaharyar Khan, who is ever-available to give comments to media, has been a source of constant embarrassment for the Board which is why it was announced that PCB will soon appoint its spokesman.
“In order to curve the negativity in media regarding PCB and to streamline the media protocols, a PCB spokesman will be shortly appointed to brief the media on regular basis on all issues,” the statement said.
The Board also revealed plans for appointing a psychologist and a dietician for the national players.
“The mental toughness of the players and their dietary needs will be given special emphasis and for this purpose PCB will be shortly making appointments of psychologist and dietician on need basis for the Pakistan team,” it said.
Announcing its long-term measures, the Board said that “a reevaluation of the National Cricket Academy and Game Development will be done shortly in consultation with the relevant stakeholders.”
It added that a lot of emphasis will paid on improving the standard of fielding.
“To reverse the backward state of poor fitness and fielding, a fitness and fielding schedule will be implemented that reaches out to all first-class teams throughout the country and insists on player emoluments only after reaching required fitness levels.”
It also promised to rope in lucrative sponsorship for the much-ignored domestic cricket structure.
“After the successful completion of PSL, the focus is now on arranging PSL style sponsorship for regional cricket. This will benefit the regions immensely making them operative on a self-sustaining basis.
“A more competitive domestic first class program involving fewer teams and players is being worked out.”
The Board also said that the current PCB Committees will be reorganised shortly.
It said that the reforms will be implemented within the next three to six months, claiming that they will have far-reaching benefits.