LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken some major decisions in what is termed as the first phase of right sizing of the staff, abolishing the posts of Directors of International and Domestic Cricket while the staffers and employees who have crossed the retirement age of 60 years and those who are working in the non-functional department of the PCB’s Radio Station are likely to go home after a thorough scrutiny.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan confirmed to Dawn on Monday that the PCB had decided to cut short the strength of its staff, though not in a drastic manner but only gradually.

“Yes, the PCB has decided to run the international and domestic cricket departments with general managers now and we have also decided to merge different departments with each other to reduce the load,” he said.

“Currently, nine directors are working in the PCB set-up and it is too difficult for the chief operating officer to coordinate with them, so the numbers of directors are being reduced gradually,” he added.

No response yet from BCCI on bilateral series: Shaharyar Khan

It may be mentioned that currently two Test cricketers Intikhab Alam (domestic) and Zakir Khan (international) are serving in the PCB as directors.

When pointed out that two important departments dealing directly with the game of cricket are being hit in the first phase while the other seven directors dealing with non-cricketing affairs remain untouched, Shaharyar said it was a part of long-term planning and gradually other directors’ utility would also be assessed under the policy after scrutiny.

“We have also decided to run the estate department under a manager from now on after merging it with the human resources department,” he disclosed.

Moreover, the chairman said that the PCB had shelved its plan to launch its own radio station and hence all the staff from that department would be axed. He disclosed that a good number of eight or ten employees who had already crossed 60 years of age and did not have much utility or necessary work in the Board would also have to go. “But again, we are not pushing a panic button as the process will be completed in phases,” he clarified.

About Intikhab and Zakir’s future, the chairman said they might be adjusted at some other suitable posts. “Intikhab Alam is a very senior cricketer and employee of the PCB and we will give him some other suitable job. But the moment I can’t comment further on the issue,” he said.

When asked if Intikhab could be given an adviser’s role, as approved by the Board of Governors, the chairman said he had not yet decided any name in this regard but hinted that his new advisers will rather be from the modern era of the game.

The chairman, while acknowledging the fact that no cricketer was part of the Board of Governors despite a two-man quota, said a constitutional amendment has to be made in this regard which could take time. However, he added that he may hire the services of two Test cricketers as advisers for the time being.

“I wanted to appoint Wasim Akram and Ramiz Raja as my advisers but after both have been appointed as ambassadors of the Pakistan Super League, I am considering some other names now. But it is not easy to find out a suitable persons on this post,” he said.

“I would love to appoint both Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan as my advisers but they are still playing the game,” Shaharyar said.

Commenting on the financial burden the Board has to bear in shape of payment of salaries to all staff of regional cricket associations, the chairman said the PCB is looking for sponsors to buy off the regions and take care of them but so far the response from the sponsors was not very encouraging although the situation might improve in the near future.

Speaking about the key issue of dealing with the Indian cricket board (BCCI) for the bilateral series, Shaharyar said he has not received any response as yet to his letter written to BCCI a few days back, asking it to confirm the series in the UAE in December this year.

“I am still hoping for a positive reply from India which could be received any time.”

Though both India and Pakistan had signed MoUs to play six bilateral series in the next eight years, the BCCI is unlikely to get permission from its government to play against Pakistan, mainly because of strained political relations between the two governments.

The PCB is desperate to play the above said series against India, as it is expected a huge revenue of US$50 million, but so far it’s all attempts had failed to convince India to confirm the series.

There are reports that in case of not hosting India, a large size down-sizing and cutting short other expenditure will be the only solutions to avoid any big financial crisis in future.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2015

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