June 17, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 12, 1429

LAHORE, June 16: Former Test cricketer Salim Altaf, who was recently sacked from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as director general special projects said his expulsion was a targeted one and the PCB wanted to induct someone who could protect the vested interests of the top officials during the World Cup-2011.

“When the time is about to come to start working on the World Cup project, the chairman has decided to bring in a new man and I believe my dismissal was made simply to adjust Ahmad Farooq, a bureaucrat who is currently working as the event director of the ICC Champions Trophy,” said Salim while talking to Dawn.

“All the drama was staged by PCB chief operating officer Shafqat Naghami to bring in his friend (Farooq) on this post,” Salim asserted.

Last Thursday, the PCB terminated Salim Altaf’s sevices after he was accused by the Chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf of leaking confidential news to journalists and some outsiders. “I would like to ask Dr Ashraf that when he has only been sharing the information with his hand-picked management, how can I leak any secret information to the media,” Salim quipped. “First of all there is no secret dealings in the PCB, since it is a public institution and the people have the right to be aware of its affairs. But even if any sensitive news has been leaked by me I must be informed about it,” he said.

“Though the chairman bugged my telephone which was absolutely unlawful, I can bet that my voice in the tape is only showing concern over the irregularities in the financial and management affairs of the PCB which is not a sin but a service for the cause of the cricket,” he argued. “I believe the truth always comes out and sooner or later and the public will come to know that what is going on inside the PCB for the past 19 months,” he said.

“Was it I who reduce the PCB kitty by Rs 2 billion in just seven months (June 30, 2007 to Jan 31, 2008) and was it me who opened accounts with 24 banks, mainly of B-graded rankings, just to earn commission on deposits,” Salim asked. “And what action did the chairman take against Nadeem Akram who misguided the Governing Board in quoting a hefty amount of Rs 90 million for six generators?”

Salim said even his foes could not raise fingers on his integrity and honesty as he always tried to save the PCB money. “I had earned thousand of dollars by engaging a multi-national company to provide kits to the Pakistan team. Earlier, the PCB was paying hefty amount to a company based in Dubai to provide kits,” he said.

“I tackled the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) who were asking for 800,000 pounds as compensation for Pakistan team’s refusal to take the field at the Oval Test in 2006. Eventually, they had to drop their demand.”

“It was due to my creditability that the Surrey County released the first installment (of 80,000 pounds) of a total sum of 240,000 pounds which were generated for the Oct 8 earthquake victims through a Twenty-20 match against England. Surrey released it on the condition that only I (Salim) will look after the project,” he recalled. “But when the installment was received, the project was given to Nadeem Akram despite written assurances made to me.” I am consulting with my lawyers to go in the court of law to seek justice,” said Salim. “A presentation to the patron of the PCB, President Pervez Musharraf would also be given over the case in next the couple of days,” he concluded.