LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has withdrawn Balochistan First XI head coach Faisal Iqbal from the National T20 Cup after the former Test batsman confirmed his employers Pakistan International Airlines were looking into a matter, which he hoped would be resolved soon.

The PCB said it would be unfair on Faisal as well on his side and the tournament if he competed in a major domestic tournament until he had resolved and settled the matter with his parent organisation.

The PCB added Faisal would be reintegrated with his domestic side as soon as PIA gave him a clean chit along with a No Objective Certificate (NOC). Until such time, Wasim Haider will act as the Balochistan cricket team’s interim head coach.

It is learnt that Faisal is facing a departmental inquiry about his educational document.

The first assignment of the Balochistan team is participation in the National T20 Cup starting from Sept 30 in Multan.

Muhammad Asif Khan adds: Faisal is being probed by the PIA for providing “wrong information at the time of his appointment” in 2003.

A show-cause notice, served to Faisal a few months ago, claimed that the Matric certificate, submitted by the former Test batsman, has discrepancies as compared to the employment form filled up by him at the time of his appointment.

“You were inducted in PIA on 27.10.2003, on contracted basis and at the time of your induction, you submitted copy of your Matric certificate, which was sent for verification to the concerned board and the Board of Secondary Education, Karachi has declared your Matric certificate as forged/tampered vide their letter dated 18.11.2019, as per Board record, your name is Faisal Muhammad Iqbal and your date of Birth is 05.08.1980, and the copy of Matric certificate which you submitted is not issued from BSEK. However, as per your employment form you mentioned your name as Faisal Iqbal and your date of birth is 30.12.1981, duly signed by you”, the show-cause notice read.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2020