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KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar M. Khan has said the board will soon do away with its ad hoc status and return to constitutional functioning "within two to three months".
Taking part in a Dawn dialogue interview, the PCB chief said the board was already in the process of setting up a commission to study constitutions of all the Test-playing member countries of the ICC so that all aspects of a modern constitution could be ensured in the new document.
Mr Khan also set the same timeframe for streamlining all senior appointments on the board, stressing that senior positions would be duly advertised, except that of the chief executive "which will be advertised when the time comes".
He, however, conceded that there was a "potential conflict of interest" in the manner the sitting chief executive was functioning, and promised that he would resolve the matter after discussing it with President General Pervez Musharraf, who, by virtue of his office, is also patron of the PCB. This, he stressed, would also be resolved within "three, four months".
Talking about the medical commission that was set up after the recent loss against India, the PCB chairman said he realized that the findings of the commission might not prove conclusive."
Shaharyar promises changes in PCB setup
KARACHI: The following is the edited text of the Dawn Dialogue with Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar M. Khan:
QUESTION: The PCB has been operating under an ad-hoc system since July 17, 1999. When do you plan to end this ad-hocism?
ANSWER: You may doubt my words if I tell you that I am going to do it in two or three months. Let me explain how I'll do it. Before the Indian series, I had said I would not take decisions in a hurry. The Indian tour was naturally very important for us in more ways than one. That it was finalized in a very short time made it all the more important for us to concentrate on the immediate task. Now, with the series over, I am using the off- season to do what needs to be done.
We are starting off with the PCB constitution which has certain shortcomings that need to rectified. We are forming a small commission to look at the existing constitution as well as at the revised constitution that Tauqir Zia had on his plate, but which he did not implement.
The proposed commission, comprising not more than three, four people, will study the constitutions of all the Test-playing nations, and we will then decide the nature of our own constitution. Once the constitution is finalized, I will take it to the PCB patron (the president of Pakistan) for approval. I know I am myself an ad-hoc appointment, but I am against ad-hocism. It will end within three, four months.
Q: Are you sure it is not going to take longer than that?
A: Well, my estimation is that unless the commission finds itself deeply divided over the issue, which is a possibility, we will finish the task in time.
Q: Your predecessor said similar things. Why should we believe you will be any different?
A: Fair enough, but why not judge me three or four months later?
Q: How do you feel about your recent experiment of holding international matches while ignoring local associations?
A: The associations are upset with us because previously they used to be responsible for all the relevant match arrangements, including security. We used to give them certain funds for the purpose, and at the end of the day the profits were shared. This time, however, we told them we can't do it through the associations since we had to involve people at the highest level. This time it had to be different.
Q: Was it because of the specific nature of the series?
A: Absolutely. However, some part of the money generated from the series will still be given to the respective associations.
Q: So, basically, it was a one-off venture.
A: Of course. But when the Indians visit us again, we may have to take charge. But we will revert back to the old system of asking the local associations to organize the matches when Zimbabwe tours Pakistan later in the year. I have to make a slight condition here - the associations have to prove that they have the required capability, because some of the associations are not very efficient.
Q: You have talked much about the importance of merit in all spheres, but recently you appointed two of your friends as consultants on a very lucrative package. How would you explain that?
A: Before the Indian tour started, I took three basic decisions. One of them was doing away with Zahid Bashir (the former PCB director of marketing) with whom I could not work because of his controversial reputation. Therefore, we had a vacancy in the marketing department. I looked around and consulted some people, and the general advice favoured Riaz Mahmood, a retired gentleman who had twice been chief of the Pakistan Marketing Board. That is why I picked him.
I can tell you that he is not a friend of mine. Riaz and I criss-crossed each other at Cambridge for one year. We did not follow the same courses, but, yes, we attended some social gatherings. Later, we adopted different careers and lost touch. In the last 40 years, we hardly saw each other on five or six occasions. Let me add that what Riaz did for the PCB was absolutely stupendous.
Q: What about the other consultant?
A: We needed a protocol man because a very large number of dignitaries was coming for the series. I knew that we could not handle visitors like Priyanka Gandhi, Dina Wadia, heads of various political parties and so on. It was then that I thought of having Abbas Zaidi.
And why him? Because there was no time for advertising, and I personally knew of his qualities. I used the services of a man I knew and who was available, and not because he was a friend, as you call him. He was a junior colleague of mine, and I am glad I chose him.
Q: Do you think the PCB is over-staffed, and has the LUMS (Lahore University of Management Sciences) survey said anything specific about it?
A: We are definitely over-staffed at the moment. Most of the appointments were made without observing due process. That is why we asked LUMS to conduct a survey. We will shortly see what the report says on the issue, and then we will go about setting things right.
Q: When you talk of advertising senior PCB posts, does it include the chief executive's spot?
A: Let me be absolutely clear. I will advertise all senior posts. Again, don't take my word, see what I do in the next few weeks. As far as the chief executive's post is concerned, I will advertise when the time comes. But I have to consult the PCB patron after whose approval the chief executive (Ramiz Raja) was appointed in the last regime. I am aware of that. Now when it comes to his post, I will go back to the patron and seek his approval. But for the other posts, I am free and at liberty to advertise them as I deem fit.
Q: But you are confirming that you have to go back to the patron to discuss Ramiz Raja's post?
A: Well, it is a matter of principle. When I say professionalize the whole thing I feel that it should go right through from top to bottom. When I took over I knew Ramiz - don't call him my friend - as much as I knew Riaz Mahmood. When I went to the PCB office, Ramiz was already there. A large number of people told me that Ramiz would oppose you, he would undercut you, etc. Let me say that in these four taxing months, I have found Ramiz to be fair and loyal to the PCB and as someone with integrity.
My personal impression is that he has done a commendable job. Of course, there are minor differences, but we are on the same wavelength and I am very happy with his work. But there is a principle involved and that is of incompatibility in terms of what he is doing as a broadcaster and that he is serving us without taking a salary.
Q: But at the same time he is costing the PCB somewhere in the region of one lakh rupees in perks.
A: Well, I don't know about that.
Q: But where in the world does a top official wear five hats at a time?
A: Ramiz is wearing three hats to my knowledge. He is the PCB chief executive, an ABL employee, and is also a broadcaster. There is a potential conflict of interest existing, I know. My judgment is that an actual conflict of interest did not arise. But I think a man who is the chief executive should be paid by the board, whether his salary is one lakh or five lakh, that is immaterial.
Q: But don't you feel that running the PCB is a full-time job?
A: It sure is. And with the element of salary comes responsibility and accountability. Therefore, in principle, there is a conflict that I plan to resolve after I have consulted the patron.
Q: If the patron leaves the matter to you, how will you resolve it?
A: In that case, I would definitely want to do away with any potential conflict of interest, let me put it that way.
Q: But Ramiz is on record as having admitted on numerous occasions that commentary is his bread and butter.
A: In my book, there is an obvious conflict of interest involved here, and that must be resolved.
Q: While the board maintained that criticism from former players was affecting team morale, the PCB CEO himself kept passing highly critical remarks against the team. How do you justify that?
A: Well, I didn't hear what he said on television, but I take your word for it. However, if a captain or coach says something against the players in public, I must say that is not conducive for the team's morale. But at the same time, the players should not allow these remarks to affect the morale of the side. The morale was generally good throughout the series except in the final Test when everything fell apart.
As for the former players, some of them have vested interests. I don't want to name them, but I do wish to make one exception, Zaheer Abbas. Even when he is critical of PCB policies, I find his comments to be constructive.
Q: What was the point of appointing a medical commission?
A: People have every right to say what they want. Let me give the background of why we opted for it. We had a spate of injuries during the home series. Mind you, we didn't have a single injury during the entire World Cup last year when I was the team manager, apart from Saeed Anwar being hit in the nets. The pressure was almost as intense then as it was against India. What were the reasons for so many injuries which depleted and undermined the team? I felt that a senior orthopaedic surgeon should tell us so that we may adjust our future policies accordingly.
Q: But why the need for a commission?
A: As we all saw it, Shoaib injured his wrist on the third day of the final Test. He bowled for a while before going off at a very crucial phase of the match, leaving us with just three bowlers. Later, he said he also had a side strain. I had been sympathetic to Shoaib throughout the two tours I had with him (India, 1999 and the 2003 World Cup). He is a flamboyant character who makes a lot of enemies that way because people criticize him for his antics. But on that day, he really disappointed me.
I asked him what was wrong when he came off the field and requested him to go back and at least field. You saw what happened, and I don't have to tell you because the contrast was very clear there. There was this boy (Asim Kamal) who was fighting it out for Pakistan in spite of carrying a serious injury, and here was a senior player not bothered by the team's plight. This angered me most.
I know the findings of the medical inquiry may not prove conclusive, but I do believe that I must have evidence to confront the players who do not give their best for the country.
Q: You have already retained Inzamamul Haq as captain for the remainder of the year, but what about the coach and the manager?
A: The coach (Javed Miandad) and others have done reasonably well up to now. We need to target some areas where we were found wanting. People have been calling for a fitness trainer and bowling coach, etc. We wanted to have both, but could not do so in time for the tour. I did not want to press the panic button for that would have undermined the position of the team management. The captain, the coach and the manager had all told me clearly that they had won three series since the World Cup, and they were right.
But we saw in the Indian series a number of flaws within the set up. For example, we bowled too many no-balls and wides in the one-day series, and did not bowl in the corridor. Once the series ended, we felt that we needed to put our thinking caps on to address certain problems. We are working on that.
Q: Bowling no-balls has been a persistent problem with the national team.
A: Basically we did not contain the opposition's batting, and attacked too much through Shoaib and Sami. But the thing is, how do we get it right? Do we get a foreign coach, as we tried in the past without any success? Do we change the coach? Do we get a famous player, say Ian Chappell or Richards, or do we get someone not so high-profile? Will he able to discipline the players? We had Richard Pybus and Daryl Foster, but it did not work. It has worked to an extent with Miandad. The basic factor remains: are the boys willing to adapt to modern technology?
Q: But the coach himself is unwilling to use the technology.
A: I don't think that is true. May be you are right in saying that he does not rely on technology as much as John Buchanan or John Wright. But he (Miandad) does consult, and I know that. All I can say is I think Miandad has done as good a job.
Q: But are you going to retain him?
A: I can't say right now. We will of course consult everyone. There is no simple, short solution to the problems afflicting the Pakistan team.
Q: What about the issue of central contracts? You and Ramiz have said contradictory things on this?
A: This thing was first brought to my knowledge soon after I was appointed PCB chairman. There are pros and cons regarding the issue. Some players feel the contracts may become a bit too binding on them. On our part, we fear that complacency may creep in. In a nutshell, I am not convinced that a central contract is a viable option in our context. Ramiz, on the other hand, has said that even if we decide to have these central contracts, we do not have the money to go ahead with it.
Q: Do you plan to revive 'A' team tours?
A: Not just 'A' tours. I want to have 'B' tours as well, involving academies and junior strings. We have asked the ICC to arrange for such tours. The 'A' team may even go to the West Indies to play in the domestic competition there.
Q: What about our own domestic structure?
A: Our domestic structure is faulty. Imran Khan wants teams on a regional basis. Zaheer Abbas says the departments should be encouraged because they have the money and the infrastructure to sustain proper teams. There is no consensus. We conducted two seminars in this regard and everyone agreed that the system is defective. Without a proper first-class season we can't achieve anything. I admit that it is a very serious issue and we are working on it as well.
Q: Recently, there has been a lot of criticism against you by former players. How do you react to those comments?
A: A lot of these former Test cricketers are angry with me, I think with some justification, because they feel they were not treated properly during the Indian series. We did make mistakes, but they were not intentional.
As far as the Test cricketers are concerned, I don't have to blow my own trumpet because I think I understand the game well. I have enough knowledge about cricket and have captained teams that featured Khan Mohammad and Mahmood Hussain. I have captained senior clubs; I have played at Cambridge; and played club cricket until a year ago. I have not played Test cricket, but I know a lot about cricket and its traditions. Therefore, I don't feel in anyway disqualified. Wait for a few months, and see what I do.
-The Dawn Dialogue panel consisted of Rehanullah Siddiqui, Humair Ishtiaq, Omar R. Quraishi and Khalid H. Khan.
