Zakir to oversee international cricket

PCB continues shuffling as the govt challenges Ashraf reinstatement.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure has often been defined as ‘rotten’ and ‘obsolete’.

Failure to produce greats like Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram is said to be a result of a flawed domestic system in the past few years; and the man at the helm of affairs during the best part of this period was Zakir Khan, a former Pakistan Test fast-bowler.

Seemingly, Zakir’s failure to reform the domestic circuit had no adverse affect on his resume as the Pakistan Cricket Board promoted him to the post of Director International Cricket yesterday.

Before his stint with domestic cricket, Zakir served as general manager, international cricket.

The board announced on Thursday that the 50-year old will replace senior colleague and former Pakistan captain Intikhab Alam, who will oversee domestic affairs in addition to his responsibility as the Director Game Development.

The announcement coincided with government’s challenge of Zaka Ashraf’s reinstatement as PCB chairman.

Zakir’s promotion is another initiative that the PCB has taken after Ashraf was restored by the Islamabad High Court last week.  Within hours after Ashraf resumed charge, the board fired legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi, who assisted the ‘now defunct’ Interim Management Committee (IMC) on legal matters.

The PCB also hurriedly called a governing board meeting last Saturday with most of the important members opting out.

This week, the PCB advertised vacancies for coaches for the national team besides forming a committee to hunt the best candidates for the slots, a consultancy plan for the 2015 World Cup was also revealed.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2014.

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