Riaz Pirzada says he has forwarded former cricketer Majid Khan’s name for position of PCB chief to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) Sports Minister Riaz Pirzada on Friday apprised the National Assembly on Pakistan cricket team’s poor performance in World T20 tournament, saying that majority of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials only focus on perks and privileges.
“PCB’s affairs are being run by non-cricketers, majority of whom are merely focusing on perks and privileges rather than national team’s performance,” said Pirzada.
The minister said that it was a matter of great concern that the national team was unable to perform well and failed to live up to Pakistan cricket’s past glory.
Previously, former head coach Waqar Younis met with the sports minister on March 31 to share his grievances with PCB and the problems facing Pakistan cricket. Pirzada had said that he heard Waqar’s case and would forward his own report to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
In Friday’s address to the National Assembly, Pirzada said that short term measures were being taken for the team’s improvement, which included a new selection committee as well as addition of new coaches.
He also said in order to familiarise players with England’s environment a training camp would be set up in Abbottabad.
MAJID, THE NEW CRICKET CZAR:
Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Members of National Assembly (MNA) Khalida Mansoor and Surriya Asghar invited attention of the Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination to a matter of urgent public importance regarding poor performance of Pakistan Cricket Team during the T-20 World Cup 2016, causing grave concern among the public.
Addressing the House, Riaz Pirzada said that Majid Khan’s name has been forwarded to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for PCB chairman’s post.
He said the national cricket team disappointed the nation with their poor performance.
Bowlers did well but batsmen’s performance was disappointing, he added.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Shaharyar Khan ruled out the possibility of his resignation in the wake of the national team’s debacle in the Asia Cup and World T20 events.
After speculations were rife that Khan, irate at the leakage of confidential reports from the board and even otherwise, had decided to tender his resignation, he told the media last Friday in Lahore he has no intentions of resigning.
The 82-year-old insisted there was no truth in the media speculations he had decided to resign.
“There is no truth in the rumours that I am considering stepping down,” he added. The PCB chief said he had got the report of the fact finding committee and would comment on it after going through it.
Pakistan was knocked out of the World T20 after losing three of its four group matches, including a loss to rival India. Shaharyar Khan has also served as PCB Chairman from 2003-2006.
The fact finding committee was formed to find out the causes for the team’s poor show in recent T20 internationals including the two major events.
