KARACHI:
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Selector Mohsin Khan, who had planned to hold a press conference on his future, has decided to put off the move and will meet the PCB management after the board offered to hold a dialogue.
Khan, on Tuesday, had cited differences on team selection for the Test series against West Indies and had threatened to resign since, according to PCB officials, his preferred players were crossed out from the list.Wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal, who performed well in the last Test series against New Zealand, and opening batsman Khurram Manzoor were excluded without Khan’s consent with middle-order batsman Faisal Iqbal’s name also causing controversy.
It is understood that the selection committee had selected Manzoor when it thought a 16-man squad had to be picked. However, when it dawned upon the selectors that only 15 were to be named, Manzoor was excluded from the list.
The chief selector was also against retaining all-rounder Hammad Azam for the Test leg of the tour. Khan, who decided against speaking bluntly on the issue, confirmed he had differences with the board and threatened to reveal all in a press conference that was cancelled after a PCB media release advised him against it.
“The chief selector is holding a press conference without the PCB’s permission,” read the release. “This will be a violation of the code of conduct and would be unfortunate.”
PCB defends selection process
The board also dismissed doubts on the selection criteria, insisting team was selected according to the board’s policy.
“The process, in which the selection committee finalises the squad, gets approval from the PCB chairman before it is announced,” the statement added. It also ruled out intervention of the tour selection committee – that chooses the playing eleven – in selection matters for the squad.
The board has invited Khan to the PCB head office in Lahore today to clear up the issues. (WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY UMAR FAROOQ)
Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2011.
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