Extra baggage

If memory serves me right, when Captain Imran Khan was playing a cricket match in Karachi, the chief selector entered the dressing room and the skipper told him you cannot enter. Entry into dressing rooms is restricted and other than players, coaches, manager, physiotherapist etc nobody – including the chief selector etc – is allowed inside.

In any case, the role of the chief selector is to finalise the squad and once that is done, the match selection team makes decisions for individual matches. May we know how many other national team chief selectors, other than the host team, were accompanying them on a tour with all expenses borne by their cricket board? What purpose was served by the director international who is accompanying the team? From chairman PCB, to MD and numerous other officials, all were present in UK, although they had no role to perform. This problem is not just with the Pakistan Cricket Board, but with the Pakistan Olympic Committee too. Similar is the case with hockey, squash, football etc. Many times the number of accompanying officials to the Olympics exceed the number of players participating in various events. Pakistan needs to take appointments in various sports boards seriously instead of considering them dumping grounds for the welfare of a few.

G Zaman

Peshawar