LAHORE, Oct 24: Taking three major decisions on Friday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sacked the national team coach Geoff Lawson and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Shafqat Naghmi while naming former Test cricketer Salim Altaf as Director General.

Lawson’s two-year contract was to expire in August next year but his first and last meeting with the new chairman PCB Ijaz Butt took place on Friday which ended with his removal. Lawson’s hand-picked trainer David Dwyer’s services, however, are still on as Ijaz has, so far, not raised any objection over his performance.

“Lawson met me in my office on Friday morning in the presence of Zakir Khan [Director International Cricket]. The meeting lasted for more than half an hour and later Zakir was asked to leave the room, on Lawson’s request. Our one-on-one meeting hardly continued for another three minutes before the decision to have him removed was taken,” Ijaz told Dawn.

Elaborating on the three-minute meeting, Ijaz said: “Lawson said that he would continue as the team’s coach only if I had confidence in him. Otherwise he asked me to pay him his dues so that he could be on his way. So, I arranged to pay him his dues.”

Ijaz, it may be mentioned had already expressed his candid opinion about Lawson, declaring him “useless” in his maiden press conference earlier this week.

When asked about the reason behind Lawson’s removal, Ijaz said that it wasn’t required of him to provide any reason when the PCB was paying the coach all his dues.

Ijaz said both the decisions, about Lawson and Naghmi’s removal, were taken after getting the consent of a good number of Governing Board members.

Later, PCB’s lawyer Shan Gul told the media that according to the contract signed with Lawson by the previous management of Dr Nasim Ashraf, under clause-II, either party (PCB or Lawson) could end the agreement at any time after settling the dues.

According to the letter of termination of consultancy agreement, a copy of which was obtained by Dawn, Lawson was hired as a consultant on a full-time basis in the capacity of a national coach for the Pakistan cricket team vide the consultancy agreement dated Aug 20, 2007.

“PCB’s new management has decided to terminate the consultancy agreement mentioned above by giving you three months salary in lieu of the notice period as is envisaged in clause-II of the consultancy agreement. Your consultancy agreement, therefore, stands terminated immediately. A three months’ pay cheque is being enclosed herewith as required under the agreement.”

Lawson, however, had already drawn his salary in advance, till Dec 31, 2008. A cheque of the remaining 14 days’ salary has been given to the coach, who refused to meet the media and remained in his room at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) even though a good number of reporters had gathered there to hear his side of the story.

Pakistan’s lone achievement during Lawson’s tenure was playing the final of the first Twenty20 World Cup which it lost to India. Pakistan lost the home series against South Africa and the away one against India. The team also failed to qualify for the Asia Cup final, which was held in Lahore and Karachi in June-July. Moreover, Pakistan’s world ranking dropped to the 6th spot, both in Test and One-day, which was around three, before he joined.

Lawson joined the Pakistan team in place of the South African coach Bob Woolmer, who died during the World Cup 2007 soon after Pakistan failed to qualify for the top eight stage.

Meanwhile, Naghmi’s removal was expected as well since Ijaz was also not happy over his performance. Though the PCB did not give any reason for his (who happens to be a top bureaucrat) ouster, it is said that there happen to be several reasons behind his being sent back to the cabinet division.

Tampering with the team selected by the then national selection committee headed by Salahuddin Ahmed and drawing a house rent of about Rs75,000 per month despite living in the NCA for free are two of the main ones pointing towards misuse of power, inside sources revealed.

The termination letter issued to Naghmi reads: “You were employed as chief operating officer by the PCB through a contract dated Oct 1, 2007. Clause-V of the contract stipulates that your services are terminable upon payment of consideration in lieu of notice of one month.

“The chairman and members of the Governing Board of the Pakistan Cricket Board have decided to remove you from your position as chief operating office with immediate effect.

“A cheque is being endorsed herewith to satisfy the requirements of the agreement. You are therefore directed to immediately hand over the charge of your office to Mr Salim Altaf.”

Interestingly, on Oct 1, 2007, Naghmi took the charge of COO from Salim.