LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar M. Khan on Thursday said a pool of players for the 2015 World Cup would be decided on Sept 16, adding that the national Twenty20 captain would also be announced the same day.

In an exclusive interview with Dawn here, Shaharyar said the PCB Governing Board cricket committee would hold a meeting a day before the selectors meet, to chalk out a strategy for the World Cup. However, he added, the cricket committee would not discuss the formation of the squad which he maintained was the selectors’ domain.

Meanwhile, on national Twenty20 captaincy, Shaharyar said: “On Sept 16, the Board will only announce the T20 captain while the squad will be named later after the national T20 event [starting in Karachi on Sept 17].”

Different names, the chairman said, were being considered for the T20 captaincy, adding presently it was not appropriate to name any one.

“I only praised the fighting spirit of Fawad Alam during a recent media talk in Karachi; I never said he would be the next T20 captain.”

To a query, the PCB chairman expressed his concern over the formation of the incumbent selection committee (a six-member body), emphasising every member of the committee should have appropriate time to watch maximum possible domestic matches. He however said: “Nothing will be done in hurry in order to follow the policy of continuity.”

Whether any immediate changes to the selection committee would be made while the new domestic season was about to begin, Shaharyar said it was not possible but added that changes could be expected from the next season.

Asked if it was because he was restricted to take decisions as the selection committee, team management and five-year long domestic structure had been announced by Sethi just days before he (Shaharyar) took charge, Shaharyar said the PCB wanted continuity for the stability.

However, the chief added that after the 2015 World Cup performance of every player would be analysed before making any change.

Expressing his views on Saeed Ajmal, just two days after the ICC banned the off-spin wizard for an illegal action, Shaharyar held the PCB officials partly responsible for the fiasco.

The ICC, Shaharyar noted, had introduced new rules to curb chucking at the last meeting held in Cardiff. But, he lamented, the PCB officials could not follow these new rules — ultimately resulting in ban on Ajmal, the main weapon of Pakistan bowling armoury.

He said Saqlain Mushtaq, the inventor of ‘doosra’, had been hired for some specific period to assist Ajmal whom, he stressed, needed a couple of months rest from the game to help him correct his bowling action.

He indicated that the PCB would not appeal against the ICC’s suspension of Ajmal, saying the effort would entail too many risks.

In case of Ajmal’s unavailability for the World Cup (due to the action issue), Shaharyar said, the scenario should be treated as a challenge for Pakistan cricket. “It would be a challenge for us to prepare another spinner as no team could rely on just one player.”

But when reminded that Pakistan’s back-up strength was weak in many positions (both in batting and bowling), he agreed and said soon he would tour India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to start new programmes to hold series for Pakistan ‘A’ and U-19 teams on reciprocal basis for raising proper reserve of players.

Noting chucking in cricket was a chronic problem, he said when he was PCB chairman some eight years ago “there were 23 such cases but now this number has swelled to 35”.

“The PCB has also started work to set up its own bio-mechanic lab, imported some seven years ago. Unfortunately, it could not be installed [earlier],” he said. “Our lab is more advanced compared to the one set up by India in Chennai.”

The PCB boss dispelled the impression that the lab could not be set up because no foreign expert was ready to come to Pakistan to work on it. “We have our own experts available locally and we may need just one [foreign] manager to operationalise the lab that will help us a lot check the menace of chucking,” he said.

Giving his word on the resumption of Pakistan-India bilateral cricket, the PCB chief hoped the series would be revived though at a neutral venue.

“Apart from the political reason, I do not see any other obstacle in Pakistan hosting India in the UAE next year,” Shaharyar said. “Without playing against India, we can’t raise our financial strength and during my next visit to India I will try to make sure the upcoming series.”

He said the foreign teams would be invited to Pakistan and in the first phase minor cricketing nations would be asked to visit.

To a question, he agreed how eight top regional and departmental teams of the first-class competition held in 2013 could be elected as members of the powerful Governing Board for three years, due to just one-year performance.

“Yes, I know it is one of the major anomalies. Look, what will happen if last year toppers go down next year and new champions come out in their places in the upcoming series. So, logically it will be better that the toppers of every season get a chance to become member of the GB every year,” he reckoned.

Citing some anomalies in the newly passed constitution of the PCB, Shaharyar, a former diplomat, acknowledged it required some amendments.

He said a judicial commission would be formed soon to prepare necessary amendments in the constitution.

To a question, he said corruption was rife at the district and regional levels, adding a monitor would be appointed for every two regions to look into their affairs closely.

“Once we succeed in ending corruption at the grassroots level our domestic cricket structure will start delivering positive results automatically,” he said.

He also agreed that voting right should only be given to those clubs, which showed best performance in their respective city, while others should only be given playing right.

The Governing Board meeting would be held every month while the general council meeting once in a year, the PCB chief concluded.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2014