PCB’s Medical Director resigns

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Medical and Sports Sciences Director Dr Sohail Saleem has resigned after criticism over the postponement of PSL-6 due to coronavirus outbreak.

The breach in PCB’s bio-secure arrangement for the league opened up several questions and its medical panel came under severe criticism after the PSL 6 was called off for an indefinite period. There were several positive cases in the biosecure bubble that led to postponement and widespread criticism.

Sources revealed that a PCB official blamed Dr Sohail for the flaws in the biosecure bubble arrangements for the event. Sources said that the PCB had lost confidence in Dr Sohail’s capabilities in managing the biosecure bubble and that was why the PCB had sought foreign help for future PSL matches.

Sohail has sent his resignation to the PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani.

“We are considering Dr. Sohail’s resignation request,” PCB said.

“Dr. Sohail has to serve a notice period of one month and has to assist in an ongoing investigation which led to the postponement of PSL 6,” PCB added.

But sources said Dr Sohail was made a scapegoat. They stated that the PCB had given Dr Sohail the option of resigning or he would have been suspended.

“Dr Sohail gave a bio-secure plan to the PCB but working on that was the responsibility of the board but he was asked to step down because he was the head of the bio-secure bubble,” a source said.

Dr Sohail also traveled with the national cricket team on tours to England and New Zealand to see corona SOPs in those countries. Even before travelling to England there was a tiff between Dr Sohail and another director of the board because Dr Sohail was against undertaking the tour in pandemic.