Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Cahduahry Zaka Asrhaf said on Thursday that merit is the criteria for the selection of the bowling coach whose name will be announced shortly to improve the performance of the team.
“We have only one consideration in our mind which is merit and the bowling coach is being selected under a similar arrangement,” said the PCB Chief while speaking at the unveiling of event logo of Pak-Australia cricket series here at National Cricket Academy.
Bank Alfalah presents Cool and Cool Pak-Australia series in which three one day internationals and three T-20 games will be played from August 28 to September 10.
Also present on the occasion were Subhan Ahmed, Chief Operating Officer PCB, Owais Ashraf, COO Cool and Cool, Adnan Anwar Khan, Group Head Retail Banak Alfalah, Usman Ishaq, Executive Director Zong and Naureed Awan and Rao Umer Hashim of TransMedia.
Ch Zaka said the bowling coach is being selected through a laid down procedure and a committee is thoroughly monitoring the entire process to ensure that the most suitable professional be attached with the team management to lift the pace bowling department.
“We just cannot select a coach if a former player announces his availability and willingness and everyone who so ever is has to go through a procedure in order to meet all the requirements,” he answered when his attention was drawn that Shoaib Akhtar is ready to serve Pak cricket in the role of a bowling coach.
The PCB Chief said the performance of Pak U19 team in the World Jr Cricket Cup will be ascertained after receiving report from the team management. “In the initial part of the tournament our team’s performance was quite good but then onward its failed to show consistency and could not achieve desired results in the event,” he said.
He expressed the optimism that Pak team will show premier performance against Australia by putting collective efforts and hard work. “The PCB is taking every measure to lift the overall performance of our team and hiring a bowling coach is also the part of similar efforts,” he added.
He expressed his gratitude to the sponsors for supplementing PCB’s efforts for the development of the cricket. “We appreciate the support that we are receiving from Pakistan’s corporate sector.”
The Chairman PCB said: “It gives me great pleasure to introduce the sponsors for the upcoming Pakistan vs Australia series being played in UAE later this month. We appreciate the support that we are receiving from Pakistan’s corporate sector and thank them for their sincere efforts. On behalf of PCB we thank our current sponsors Bank Al Falah, Cool and Cool, Zong and MMA for their participation in the upcoming series.
I hope that fans would get to watch very entertaining contest. We wish Team Pakistan best of luck for the series.”
Adnan Anwar of Bank Alfalah said his organization has over a decade long association with PCB and Cricket and their prime objective of extending sponsorship is to patronage national cricket. “We will continue our association with cricket in years to come.” Subhan Ahmed, while answering a question said wicket keeper Zulqaranin Haider has been served a notice and to appear before PCB’s committee for his recent out-burst on the selection committee and re-call of wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and selection of Akmal brothers in the national team.
“Cricket is the most popular sport in the country and we believe that corporate entities need to keep on investing in this sport to develop the game at the international and grass root level. This will considerably motivate young talent in our country to come forward and exhibit their cricketing skills and make us proud as a nation.” He further said that as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility Bank Alfalah has been committed to actively support sports and cricket in particular year on year since 2005 and will continue to sponsor cricketing series played by our national team.
“He (Zulqarnain) comes under PCB code of conduct necessary proceedings are being initiated and he has been asked to strengthen his claims with the provision of evidences what so ever he has,” said PCB official and added: “The committee will probe the matter before finalizing its recommendations.”.
