LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has been appointed as advisor to the country’s cricket board’s interim Management Committee chairman Zaka Ashraf on Monday.

According to sources, Misbah will also head the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) cricket committee on an honorary basis.

The 49-year-old returns to the PCB for the first time since he was sacked by the board’s former chairman Ramiz Raja as Pakistan’s head coach. Before that, he had also served in dual roles as the national side’s head coach-cum-chief selector.

Zaka roped Misbah in for the advisory roles after the ex-batter had volunteered his services to the PCB. The formation of the cricket committee was also Misbah’s idea, well-informed sources told Dawn.

“The remaining members of the cricket committee will also be finalised after consultation with Misbah in the next couple of days,” sources said. “Misbah wants to serve the national cricket without any salary and that is a noble gesture witnessed by the PCB after many decades and the board wants more such people to come forward and serve the game of cricket as the trend of paying high salaries in the PCB should end,” sources quoted Zaka as saying.

A new selection committee is also set to be formed “after input from Misbah” comes in the coming days.

Pakistan’s most successful captain in Test cricket, Misbah will also represent PCB in the International Cricket Council’s cricket committee, sources said.

Meanwhile, former Test pacer Sarfaraz Nawaz has also reached out to Zaka, offering his voluntary coaching services.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2023