LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed on Monday dispelled the impression that only lower-grade staff had been sacked from the board and said around 40 to 45 top officials including directors and general managers had also been shown the door.

“The PCB, following an order of the Islamabad High Court, has taken the steps to reduce the number of staff which stands at 850,” Subhan said after attending the Management Committee meeting of the PCB here on Monday.

“The impression that only lower grade staff members have been removed is incorrect because around 40 to 45 upper ranked officials including directors, general managers and managers have also been asked to leave during the past few months.”

He said the PCB had provided some 350 staff members to its 14 regional cricket associations all over the country in shape of curators, groundsmen and coaches and out of them 44 had been removed after assessing their utility or the lack of it.

Subhan added that since international cricket is not being held in Pakistan, therefore, there is no need to employ such a large number of ground staff for the regional bodies.

However, he said that the management committee had decided that any aggrieved employee could submit a review appeal before the PCB chairman under exceptional circumstances.

He confirmed that the management committee had endorsed the PCB decision in introducing reforms in the board.

Meanwhile, Subhan disclosed that the Management Committee had also decided that the project of holding Pakistan Super League (PSL) should continue.

Commenting on PCB’s stance the Big Three, he said the Management Committee did not take a final decision in this regard and suggested the PCB to further analyse the situation under changing circumstances in India.

He said an ICC meeting regarding the Future Tours Programme is being held in Dhaka on April 4 and after attending that meeting the PCB would be in a better position to take a decision on Big Three proposal.

He said it was also decided to start the process of selling media rights of the series against Australia, to be held in October this year in the UAE.

Subhan added that several queries were raised in the meeting on the audit accounts 2012-13 and it was decided that in the next meeting the reply should be given to the members.

He said it was also decided to name one of the enclosures of the Multan Cricket Stadium after late Test cricketer Aamir Bashir who died in 2010.

He said the first meeting of the PCB Constitution committee was held last Friday and it had studied the PCB system and also submitted some questions.

The meeting was chaired by PCB chairman Najam Sethi and attended by members including Shaharyar M Khan, Naveed Akram Cheema, Iqbal Qasim and Shakeel Sheikh.