December 06, 2007	Thursday	Ziqa'ad 25, 1428

KOLKATA, Dec 5: Former Pakistan captain Asif Iqbal has asked the Indian cricket body (BCCI) to pay their selectors as handsomely as Pakistan does.

Pakistan’s three-member selection committee comprising chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed (Sallu), Shafqat Rana and Saleem Jaffar are getting heavy salaries and perks by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The BCCI which is richest in the world had announced it would pay salaries to its five selectors but later postponed the move.

Asif, who watched the second Test between India and Pakistan on invitation of the Cricket Association of Bengal, added that the BCCI could make its selectors accountable by paying them.

“PCB pays its selectors. India should also use this policy. If you pay selectors and put them in a proper position of accountability, responsibility increases,” Asif said.

“They [India’s selectors] deserve to be paid. Accountability comes these days when you are paid for responsibilities,” the former captain added.

On Pakistan’s handicap in the current Test series against India, Asif said it was lack of a permanent opening pair.

“The issue of openers hasn’t been solved yet. We are still struggling to find a regular opening pair.

That’s a setback for Pakistan as middle order gets exposed quickly, like we saw in the first Test in which Younis Khan and Mohammed Yousuf did not perform and we lost,” he concluded.—PPI