After casino appearance, PCB recalls Moin Khan

KARACHI:

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has summoned back chief selector Moin Khan to the country following his surprise appearance at a Christchurch casino before his team’s World Cup match against the West Indies.

Team Pakistan’s below-par performance so far has invited a lot of criticism, with the side losing two of its opening games against archrivals India and then the West Indies in their Group B.

Pakistan can only earn a place in the quarterfinals if it manages to win all its four remaining games.

Moin’s visit has been linked to all sorts of allegations and thus the PCB decided that Moin should come back and clarify his position.

“Considering the sentiments of the public, media and various other stakeholders,” PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan has ordered Moin to return back to Pakistan immediately to explain his position vis-a-vis his visit to the casino,” the PCB official statement said.

PCB has instituted an inquiry into the incident as a follow-up of Monday’s decision to probe the matter of the visit. “Today, consultations have taken place over telephone with chief selector Moin Khan, Pakistan team management and media personnel currently in Australia and with other sources,” it further said.

While there are widespread allegations into the conduct of the chief selector having brought the image of Pakistan and PCB into disrepute, there is no concrete proof available to substantiate the allegations against Moin Khan,” it added.

Meanwhile, the touring selection committee will now be headed by team manager Naveed Akram Cheema while members will include skipper Misbahul Haq and head coach Waqar Younis.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 25^th, 2015.