Former cricket legends suggest Mani to get rid of dead-woods

ISLAMABAD, Sep 5 (APP):Former cricket legends on Wednesday suggested the new PCB
chairman Ehsan Mani to get rid of
dead woods in the board occupying important slots and damaging the overall cricket for years.
Talking to APP, former ICC president Zaheer Abbas said Mani’s vast experience of
cricketing affairs at different designated posts would help boom Pakistan cricket and it will
surely enter into a new era of achievements.
Zaheer said the political influence that helped a few inefficient people remain glued
to their posts was spoiling cricket and their removal was imperative to revolutionize the
structure and overcome drawbacks. He hoped Ehsan Mani’s first priority would be to assign
important responsibilities to honest and competent genuine cricketers, who he said, “are
familiar with the game’s affairs”.
Responding to a question, Zaheer said Mani must bring in his own team of professionals
to guide him on cricket. “If any person stays somewhere for too long then politics get involved
and same is the case with the PCB employees,” he added.
The spin wizard Abdul Qadir endorsing Zaheer Abbas’s concern said PCB officials
including Saqib Irfan (Manager Domestic Cricket), Subhan Ahmed (Chief Operating Officer),
Haroon Rasheed (Director Cricket Operations) and Shafiq Papa were since long running the
affairs but their performance was questionable as team’s ranking was declining in international
rating day by day.
Qadir said, “These officials for the last 15 to 20 years have been filling their own
kitties and their contribution to national cricket was “sheer enjoyment of perks and
privileges.”
Batting legend Javed Miandad suggested to form a think tank comprising former
cricketers to identify grey areas and formulate a comprehensive policy for a sustainable
achievement.
Miandad also stressed the need to improve cricket structure at regional and district
level because it was the nurturing phase from where international standard’s cricketers make a
headway to national team.
Speaking about the Asian Cup to be held in the UAE from September 15, Zaheer Abbas said
teams of India and Bangladesh will give Pakistan a tough time in the mega event.
“Pakistan still has bright chances of winning the extravaganza because UAE pitches are
no stranger to our players. It is their home ground and we can expect Pakistan to bring the Cup
home,” he said.
Abdul Qadir criticizing PCB’s holding of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and Quaid-e-Azam Cup One
Day in a consecutive time frame, said it was totally out of context as a player cannot focus
on two formats of the tournaments and a due break was necessary to acquaint players with the
environment.
“Earlier this One Day Cup was held in December but I cannot understand the brains
behind PCB for holding this tournament in September along with Quaid-e- Azam trophy” he said.