Cricket: Zaheer wants the chief’s chair
Former captain throws his name in the hat for PCB position.
ISLAMABAD:
With no progress made on the appointment of a new Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman – or an official extension of the current one – former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas has added his name to the list of individuals interested in the coveted post.
Chairman Ijaz Butt’s tenure ended on Saturday and with no announcement from the presidency, he will carry on in office until a replacement is named. While President Zardari’s spokesperson Farhatullah Babar confirmed to The Express Tribune that no decision has been taken so far, ESPNcricinfo reported that a move to extend Butt’s tenure was under consideration.
“I would obviously be interested in being the new PCB chairman,” Abbas told The Express Tribune. “Although no approach has been made yet, it’s such a coveted post that it will be impossible for me to say no to it.”
Abbas, who earlier expressed his desire to be Pakistan’s head coach, is part of a three-member committee formed to find Waqar Younis’ replacement. The committee shortlisted five candidates from the 37 that applied and according to its chief Intikhab Alam, a new coach will be named before the series against Bangladesh that takes place in December.
Meanwhile, the uncertainty regarding Butt’s future has also affected the committee’s hunt for a new coach, according to Abbas. The committee, with former captain Ramiz Raja in a consultant’s role, was formed by Butt but now needs to sit back until a decision is made.
“We don’t know who the next chairman will be and whether he will keep this committee or form a new one,” added Abbas. “Without knowing what’s going to happen next, all we can do is sit and wait. We had some very good applications and we also approached a lot of big names but unfortunately, few of them were reluctant to come to Pakistan and sign up for the post and the rest had commitments they weren’t willing to let go of.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 11th, 2011.
With no progress made on the appointment of a new Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman – or an official extension of the current one – former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas has added his name to the list of individuals interested in the coveted post.
Chairman Ijaz Butt’s tenure ended on Saturday and with no announcement from the presidency, he will carry on in office until a replacement is named. While President Zardari’s spokesperson Farhatullah Babar confirmed to The Express Tribune that no decision has been taken so far, ESPNcricinfo reported that a move to extend Butt’s tenure was under consideration.
“I would obviously be interested in being the new PCB chairman,” Abbas told The Express Tribune. “Although no approach has been made yet, it’s such a coveted post that it will be impossible for me to say no to it.”
Abbas, who earlier expressed his desire to be Pakistan’s head coach, is part of a three-member committee formed to find Waqar Younis’ replacement. The committee shortlisted five candidates from the 37 that applied and according to its chief Intikhab Alam, a new coach will be named before the series against Bangladesh that takes place in December.
Meanwhile, the uncertainty regarding Butt’s future has also affected the committee’s hunt for a new coach, according to Abbas. The committee, with former captain Ramiz Raja in a consultant’s role, was formed by Butt but now needs to sit back until a decision is made.
“We don’t know who the next chairman will be and whether he will keep this committee or form a new one,” added Abbas. “Without knowing what’s going to happen next, all we can do is sit and wait. We had some very good applications and we also approached a lot of big names but unfortunately, few of them were reluctant to come to Pakistan and sign up for the post and the rest had commitments they weren’t willing to let go of.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 11th, 2011.