Won’t stay with Peshawar Zalmi if became chief selector: Akram

Won’t stay with Peshawar Zalmi if became chief selector: Akram

ISLAMABAD, Dec 01 (APP): Former Pakistani pacer Mohammad Akram won’t stay with the Pakistan Super League (PSL) team Peshawar Zalmi if he lands in the role of the chief selector.

Akram, who is Director Cricket for Peshawar Zalmi, has dismissed the possibility of working full-time with the franchise if he accepts the role of Pakistan’s chief selector.
“I won’t stay with Peshawar Zalmi if I start working with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) because it’s very difficult to do two full-time jobs at the same time. Although, I might consider working as a consultant for any franchise,” cricketpakistan.com.pk quoted him as saying.

Akram, who was the top contender for the role after Misbah-ul-Haq decided to resign from the position citing workload concerns, also opened up on the discussion with PCB regarding the position of chief selector.

“Working for Pakistan is an honour for anyone. I was approached for the chief selector role but there is nothing concrete at the moment. I believe other people were also approached for the same role. There was no further discussion as PSL playoffs were just around the corner and it was important for me to concentrate on the job in hand with Peshawar Zalmi,” he said.

He also cleared the air regarding West Indies’ all-rounder Darren Sammy’s role in the franchise. “As things stand, Darren Sammy will be our head coach next season and there is no chance of him playing as a player,” he said.

He also spoke about Pakistan’s chances during tour of New Zealand and the COVID-19 cases in the team. “New Zealand has zero COVID-19 cases so they will have concerns and you can’t blame them for that. I think the series will be a good one as all the talented players in Pakistan have travelled to New Zealand and it now depends on what combination that the team management plays. But winning in New Zealand is not an easy task and we will have to play some really good cricket,” he said.

APP Services