LAHORE: Despite showing concerns over 10-member team management, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar M. Khan could axe just one member from it for the series against Australia.

Pakistan players are leaving for the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday morning for the series starting on Oct 5.

When the Pakistan team had returned home after a dismal show in Sri Lanka in August this year, then newly-elected PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan expressed his concerns over the heavy team management.

But this time, he axed only massager M. Imran, who will not be going with the team.

Moin Khan, who is wearing two hats of chief selector and manager of the team, is also going to the UAE with the squad.

He has to keep himself away from cricketers as chief selector so that their presence could not influence his selection decisions. But as manager, he will be solving minor issues of the squad on the tour that will look weird.

PCB is perhaps the only body in the world which has given the posts of manager and chief selector to one person.

Spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmad is also going with the squad. He should have stayed at home as head coach Waqar Younis, a celebrated fast bowler, is accompanying the players.

Furthermore, Mushtaq should work on a number of spinners at the National Cricket Academy, including off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who have been reported for suspect bowling action.

Pakistan will play one-off T20 match and three ODIs, for which the squads have already been announced.

The squad for two Test matches will be announced later.

Squads:

ODI: Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Asad Shafiq, Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Amin, Sarfraz Ahmed, Anwar Ali, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Raza Hasan.

T20: Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Amin, Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi (captain), Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Anwar Ali, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Saad Nasim, Awais Zia, Bilawal Bhatti, Raza Hasan.

Team management: Moin Khan (manager), Waqar Younis (head coach), Shahid Aslam (assistant to head coach), Grant Flower (batting coach), Grant Luden (fielding coach-cum-trainer), Bradley Robinson (physio), Mushtaq Ahmed (spin bowling coach), Talha Butt (analyst) and Col Azam Khan (security manager).

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2014