Mentors refuse to quit after tourney scrapped

Four mentors refuse to quit, want PCB to pay Rs 20m in compensation

KARACHI:

Mentors appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for last year's Champions Cup are refusing to step down despite their roles being declared redundant. While Shoaib Malik has resigned voluntarily, the remaining four — Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Waqar Younis — are holding out, potentially forcing the PCB to pay Rs 20 million in compensation.

Details have emerged that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had appointed five mentors for the Champions Cup in August last year. These included Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, and Waqar Younis. From the beginning, their hefty monthly salary of Rs 5 million each had been a topic of debate.

Recently, the PCB decided to scrap the Champions Cup due to unsatisfactory results and replace it with the Pentangular Cup. Logically, this also meant the mentors were no longer needed. Sensing the inevitable, Shoaib Malik resigned voluntarily, but the remaining four have maintained silence.

Sources say some of them are deliberately waiting to be officially dismissed so they can claim compensation—four months' salary amounting to Rs 20 million as per their contracts. A few days ago, the PCB unofficially conveyed through informal channels that their services were no longer required, expecting they might resign on their own. However, since that hasn't happened, the board may be forced to explore other options.

Sources further revealed that during their job interviews, these mentors had claimed they were forgoing lucrative opportunities — coaching gigs, TV shows, commentary, and league contracts — to serve the nation. That emotional pitch helped them secure record-breaking salaries. Ironically, many of them continued with their other engagements despite being appointed by the board.

After only a few months of paying hefty salaries, the authorities realized the initiative wasn't yielding the expected benefits. Reportedly, some mentors have even warned the PCB that if removed, they would launch criticism campaigns on media.