July 14, 2008	Monday	Rajab 10, 1429

LAHORE, July 13: While criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) policies, former Test captain Aamir Sohail has demanded of President Pervez Musharraf, the Board’s patron, to replace current chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf with an honest and knowledgeable man in order to save the game of cricket from further damage.

While talking to reporters here on Sunday, Aamir said that the massive damage brought to the game and all the new controversies that you see associated with it these days is all due to the wrong policies of the current chief.

“PCB’s new chairman should be a good combination of cricket and administrative knowledge, which are essential to run the affairs of the game,” he said.

Aamir, a former chief selector, was of the view that the cricket circles were waiting eagerly for President Musharraf to take action against the PCB chairman. He also felt that it is about time the patron realised he is losing credibility in the cricket circles because of his apparent support to Dr Nasim Ashraf.

“The responsibility also lies with the president, who as Patron appointed Dr Nasim Ashraf as the PCB chairman. The whole cricketing nation is burning with curiosity as to what action he takes against the man’s reckless decisions about Shoaib Akhtar and director cricket operations for World Cup 2011 Saleem Altaf, particularly after the courts gave a decision in the two cases against the board,” he said.

Also critical of the tapping/bugging incidents in the board’s headquarters, Aamir said that the ones responsible for the unlawful act should themselves quit before the law takes course.

Aamir argued that the PCB belongs to the cricketers and the public and it is not the property of doctors and bureaucrats.

“There is no big secret about why you are doing these illegal things. It is because you feel threatened by the true professionals. Is sacking an honest technocrat just so he is unsupportive of the wrongdoings corporate culture?

“It shows your mindset, that you can only work with incompetent officials who just dance on your tune,” Aamir remarked.

He said the patron should select the PCB chairman through an advisory board comprising former Test cricketers and experts and the post should also be advertised.

About the imposition of tax on cricket, Aamir proposed that the money gathered through it should be spent for the betterment of other sports.

He regretted that the unprofessional handling of Shoaib’s case has made Pakistan a laughing stock in the world of cricket. The case, he said, could have been handled by giving the bowler a chance to prove his fitness in the field.

Aamir was also critical of the National Cricket Academy (NCA). He said that unfortunately coaching at the academy was being provided by ordinary form cricketers, who only concentrate on changing the bowling action and batting stance of the cricketers.

“The NCA coaches emphasise more on theory rather than encouraging natural talent to flow,” he added.