LAHORE, Oct 19: The meeting of the new chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ijaz Butt with the national selection committee and captain Shoaib Malik without coach Geoff Lawson marks questions on the latter’s future with the Pakistan team.
The newly-formed selection committee headed by Saleem Jaffer as chairman and Ijaz Ahmed and Shoaib Mohammad as members along with the Pakistan captain had a detailed meeting with the chairman Ijaz Butt and discussed various important matters on Saturday.
But as Lawson did not attend the important meeting, especially after the short tour of Canada, it raises some doubts about his future.
Lawson a former Australian fast bowler joined the Pakistan team as coach in August last year to replace Bob Woolmer, who died during the World Cup 2007 in the West Indies soon after Pakistan failed to go beyond the first round.
Lawson’s future came under debate the first time during the Asia Cup held in Pakistan in June-July this year. But then chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf, who had appointed Lawson, denied all reports about his disassociation with the team.
However, sources said that there was a move to remove Lawson, but according to his contract, the PCB would have had to pay him heavily, if fired him before Sept 30. That forced Dr Nasim to keep him with the team, sources said.
Though the former Australian fast bowler has expressed his will to complete the two-year term with Pakistan, the new chairman in a press statement, issued soon after his appointment on Oct 7, said that he was not happy with the performance of the coach.
Sources said it was unconfirmed whether Lawson had any interaction with the new chairman to discuss the Canada Twenty20 tournament or not.
“I have no knowledge if Ijaz and Lawson made any contact as the coach is in Pakistan since Oct 15 after completing the tour of Canada with the Pakistan team,” sources said.
Besides, giving the statement about Lawson’s performance, the new chairman had also announced that as the PCB head he has the right to pick his own team to run the board.
Giving a positive response to the announcement, chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed was the first one to resign while helping the new chairman pick his own team. Following Salahuddin, one of his members Shafqat Rana and the team manager Talat Ali also resigned.
However, Saleem Jaffer, a member of the previous selection committee was retained and elevated as chairman of the new committee for an interim period. Interestingly, all who resigned did not meet the new chairman.
Meanwhile, administrative changes are also on as director human resources Nadeem Akram was the first whose contract was suspended on Saturday.
A letter has been written to the federal government to call back its two officials, Shafqat Naghmi and Mansoor Suhail, currently working as chief operating officer and media director, respectively.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that the new chairman has ordered the security staff not to allow any employee to take away any official document out of the headquarters. The orders were issued after some key officials tried leaving the stadium with some important files.