Miandad suggests way to reform trouble-stricken PCB to Zardari

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) director general Javed Miandad has been pushing for radical reforms in the board, including enhanced powers for himself, and has conveyed his suggestions to Pakistan President Asif Zardari in this regard.

“After Javed was given a patient hearing by the President, the former captain conveyed some suggestions to improve the way the board is governing cricket affairs in the country,” the Daily Times quoted a source, as saying.

“Miandad has asked for enhanced powers and also to have a direct say in purely cricket issues like selection and team affairs, he disclosed, adding that Javed also “spoke to President Zardari about the continued sidelining of a talented and experienced player like Younus Khan.”

The source further revealed that Zardari then directed a senior bureaucrat to meet Butt and tell him clearly that certain recommendations and suggestions made by Miandad must be implemented. “This senior bureaucrat from the Presidency also met with Ijaz in Lahore a few days back and conveyed to him clearly what the President wanted done,” the source said, adding that Butt assured him that the suggestions made by Miandad would be implemented on an immediate basis.

But after Butt left for London, no suggestions were implemented, except one, which was a 15 percent salary hike of all board employees below the rank of general manager or manager in the board, which Butt immediately implemented and signed, informed the source.

He said Miandad was now waiting to see how Ijaz would handle the instructions, as he was confident that if this time Butt would not implement the directives coming from the Presidency, he would be sacked by Zardari.

Butt, who has been facing scathing criticism from all quarters for the way he has handled the spot-fixing scandal or allowed things to get out of hand in the team, has also been blamed for interfering in purely cricket and team matters, something which no chairman had done in the past. (ANI)