PCB to appoint Wasim Bari as new team manager

When contacted, former captain refrained from commenting and asked to wait for official announcement

LAHORE: Pakistan cricket team will travel to the UAE for the series against West Indies with a new team manager, Wasim Bari.

Current team manager Intikhab Alam’s contract will expire on September 30 so the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to appoint Bari as his replacement.

On Friday, Bari, on PCB’s invitation, spent the day at the headquarter of the cricket board at the Gaddafi Stadium and met with Chief Operating Officer (COO) Subhan Ahmed and a few other officials.

Sources close to the matter claimed that all matters have been finalised and Bari’s appointment will be announced soon.

“Yes, I am in Lahore and have met with PCB officials,” said Bari when contacted by Express News regarding his appointment. “Right now, I can’t comment on this topic. Let us wait for the official announcement,” he added.

Bari represented Pakistan in 81 Test matches and 51 ODI matches.

The former wicketkeeper has earlier held many positions within the PCB. He was appointed the interim chairman of selectors in place of Abdul Qadir in June 2009.

Bari has also served as the PCB's COO for more than a year. He stepped down from the post in November 2010 but was appointed Director of Education and Training only after a month — a post created within the PCB as a part of their revised anti-corruption measures in the aftermath of the spot-fixing controversy.

As a manager, bari will take charge after Eidul Azha and will travel with the T20I team to UAE on September 18. His appointment will end with the team’s tour to UAE but can be extended for tours against New Zealand and Australia.