KARACHI, Dec 31: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday nominated former foreign secretary Shaharyar Khan as manager of the national squad for the forthcoming World Cup in southern Africa.

Shaharyar, who also served as Ambassador and High Commissioner, will take over from Brig Khawaja Mohammad Nasir, who is currently managing the Pakistan squad in South Africa.

Shaharyar was also the manager of the Pakistan side that toured India in early 1999 for a Test series and a one-day triangular tournament.

PCB, in the meantime, while announcing the World Cup team and the manager, has not named other officials who are to accompany the Pakistan squad.

The World Cup organizers in South Africa will entertain only three officials from each visiting country in an official capacity.

Coach Richard Pybus, the South African-based Englishman, and Australian physiotherapist Dennis Waight are almost guaranteed the remaining two places on the Pakistan bench while the fate of team doctor Riaz Ahmed and cricket analyst Sikander Bakht hangs in balance at the moment.

If Dr Riaz and Sikander retain their posts, the PCB will have to bear their expenses.

There is every possibility of other nominations forthcoming for the mega event in the next few days because in recent months, the cricket board had made it a mandatory to release the list of officials alongwith the names of the players at the same time.

Indications are strong that some posts will be created to please a few individuals who have been hanging around in the corridors of power because after all, the World Cup is one event where stakes are very high.