KARACHI: Backing former captain Majid Khan as the first choice for the all-important post of PCB chairman, ex-Test fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz on Friday insisted that Pakistan cricket requires the services of former players possessing unquestionable integrity in order to get the game back on the right track.

“Currently, Pakistan cricket is in a complete shambles. To get out of this quagmire, we need honest and dedicated persons and I reckon former captain Majid Khan will be a very good candidate for the position of PCB chairman,” said Sarfraz when asked by Dawn to give his views on the probable changes in the PCB top brass following a string of miserable performances by the national limited-overs teams in recent contests — the Asia Cup T20 and the World T20.

Earlier on Friday, the Federal Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada while briefing the National Assembly on the team’s pathetic show in the World T20 said some significant changes were expected in the PCB. The name of Majid, the minister added, had been forwarded to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the patron of PCB, for the post of chairman.

However, sources close to the PM House said the name of former Test batsman and current ICC president Zaheer Abbas had nearly been finalised as the next PCB chairman.

Sarfraz cited some major positives in case Majid, generally known in cricketing circles for his integrity and unbending discipline, was installed as the Board chief.

“First and foremost, [as PCB chief] Majid will get rid of the gambling menace that has ruined our cricket over the years. Secondly, he will control undisciplined individuals in the Board who have time and again damaged our system including our team. And thirdly, Majid is known across the cricketing world for his noble and honest nature, and if he gets the PCB reins, the move will definitely send a very positive message from Pakistan cricket to the outside world,” Sarfraz said.

The ex-pacer added that he had a strong feeling that the days of the present PCB regime were numbered now. “The current PCB set-up, serving the interests of a few high-ranking people, is not going to remain in the saddle for long.”

When asked for some suggestions for reviving Pakistan cricket, Sarfraz was adamant that bringing genuine cricket-related persons was the key.

“Presently, the entire PCB set-up has very few cricketing persons at key positions. How can we expect proper cricketing decisions when the PCB Board of Governors doesn’t have a single cricketer in its fold?” he asked.

“[To take a fresh start] professional and dedicated game-related people with a clean record should be brought into the system; [the newly created] executive committee should be dissolved; academies should be established in all regions and coaches of the respective region should be involved there; appropriate authority should be given to everybody; and above all our cricket must remain vigilant at all times against the gambling mafia,” he advocated.

Commenting on the matter of appointing national team head coach, Sarfraz categorically said the coach should be the one who lives in Pakistan and could motivate the players to give their best. “The head coach should be a person who can stay in Pakistan during off-season also so that he can give his full output. The head coach’s coordination with local coaches in different regions of Pakistan will be paramount for sustained development of our younger generation of cricketers,” he said.

Responding to a query if Rahul Dravid can coach India’s U-19 and ‘A’ teams, why Pakistan’s legendary cricketers cannot work at the grassroots, Sarfraz said: “Unfor­tunately, it’s all about making money, higher positions are more lucrative as simple as that.

“If you take my case, I have always gone down to the grass-roots to train budding players of U-16, U-19, ‘A’, regional teams and talent hunt programmes.”

Expressing his views on the inaugural PSL held in the UAE earlier this year, Sarfraz reckoned the event did not benefit Pakistan cricketers, particularly on the eve of much more demanding Asia Cup and World T20. “PSL was just a useless exercise, the combination of players the teams had there did no good to Pakistan in the Asia and World T20. And the results proved that there was a world of difference between PSL and cut-throat international clashes.

“And if you notice while our players featured in PSL, teams like India, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand played bilateral series in the lead-up to the World T20, which in the end certainly served the cause of these teams better,” Sarfraz concluded.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2016

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