LAHORE- Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar M Khan has said that professionalism and merit will be criteria to run the board’s affairs adeptly.
“Each department of the board will be strengthened in line with the norms of professionalism, specialization and integrity while merit-based selection of players at every level and continuity of the reform process will be ensured and serious efforts shall be made to revive international cricket in the country,” said Shahryar while speaking at the meeting of the board’s directors held here at the Gaddafi Stadium.
The meeting was attended by PCB chief operating officer Subhan Ahmad, chief finance officer Badar M Khan, director media coordination & implementation Amjad Hussain, director cricket operations (domestic) Intikhab Alam, director cricket operations (international) Zakir Khan, director hr & administration Brig (r) Sajid Hameed, director marketing Syed Badar Refaie, director game development Haroon Rashid and acting director security & vigilance Col M Azam Khan.
While outlining a broad framework for PCB, Shaharyar stressed the need to develop cricket at school level and expressed concern over lack of cricket fields in majority of schools across the country. “I have decided to take up this matter with the government to make a policy decision to make it mandatory to have sports grounds in every school.”
The PCB chief urged director cricket operations (domestic) Intikhab Alam to develop a plan to strengthen school cricket based on international models. “There is a dire need to impart coaching at youth level, especially for players between the ages of 14-18 years,” he added and asked Intikhab to make arrangements accordingly.
On the issue of return of international cricket to Pakistan, Shahryar said: “PCB needs to make provisions to have ‘A’ teams and U-19 teams from Australia, New Zealand and other countries to visit Pakistan. We must also take necessary measures to have international teams visit Pakistan.”
The PCB chief asked the senior management of the board to ensure ‘zero tolerance’ against illegal betting and match-fixing as enshrined in the new constitution of PCB.”