August 16, 2007	Thursday	Sha’aban 2, 1428

LAHORE, Aug 15: Pakistan cricket on Wednesday was rocked by yet another controversy after reports filtering in from various quarters said a group of players, led by Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik, demanded removal of Pakistan Cricket Board’s Director Cricket Operations, Zakir Khan before the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.

Coming on the heels of the recent Shoaib Akhtar saga involving Zakir and other PCB officials and the furore over the Indian Cricket League, the shocking news of player-PCB row spread like wildfire on Wednesday. Soon afterwards, a member of the Pakistan team informed Dawn on condition of anonymity that a number of senior players including Younis Khan, Shoaib Akhtar and Abdul Razzaq featured prominently in the bunch of disgruntled cricketers who allegedly called for the ouster of Zakir for his high-handed attitude with them and for his arbitrary decisions in various team matters.

According to sources, the players had made a similar complaint after the first phase of the fitness training camp in Abbottabad but PCB chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf, sensing the remergence of player-power, refused to entertain their protests.

However, Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik, when approached, emphatically denied reports of any fall out between the players and the PCB. “There is no truth in these reports. I am in Sialkot and I have not received any kind of complaints against Zakir,” he told Dawn on Wednesday.

None of the PCB officials could be contacted to comment over the nasty development which threatened to disrupt the team preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup.

With the PCB chairman currently out of the country, neither Chief Operating Officer Shafqat Naghmi nor media director Ahsan Hameed Malik were available to confirm or deny the ugly row.

Meanwhile, sources said former Test captain Inzamam-ul-Haq also held a detailed meeting with all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Yousuf early Wednesday. Both Razzaq and Yousuf are yet to sign the central contracts despite the expiry of Pakistan Cricket Board deadline of Aug 15 for the same.

Younis Khan, who is currently playing in England has also not met the deadline of signing the central contract. It has been reported that Younis intends to consult his lawyer before signing the contract.