LAHORE - The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has withdrawn termination of service notices served to 55 staffers earlier this week.

PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan here on Friday said: “The vast over staffing that the current Board has inherited remains a long-term sustainability issue for the PCB. Making changes is about timing and, on reflection, the process and communication needed to be better. “As a responsible organisation, we have reviewed our decision and acted quickly to withdraw the notices.”

The PCB will continue the exercise to restructure and rationalize its staff numbers and will make necessary decisions in due course. The PCB presently has an overall strength of 710 across the country, including 361 and 70 in Lahore and Karachi offices, respectively.

Meanwhile, former cricketers have lauded PCB’s decision of withdrawing service termination notices to 55 staffers. The board faced severe criticism after it terminated services of 55 low-grade employees; the notices were on Friday withdrawn by CEO Wasim Khan. The decision received great acclaim across social media, cricketing circles as well as print and electronic media. Critics and former players also praised the timely decision by the PCB.

Former Test captain Aamir Sohail, one of the staunchest critics of the PCB, said in a social media statement: “I praise the decision by PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani to withdraw the termination notices. It was a mistake which has now been rectified by the Chairman and I hail the decision.”

Another former Test captain Rashid Latif, who is active on social media, said: “It is heartening to note that the lower-grade staffers have also been considered as part of the PCB family. During former chairman Najam Sethi’s tenure, 27 analysts were fired and despite calls for their reinstatement from all quarters, they were not reinstated.” Former Test batsman Faisal Iqbal also welcomed the PCB’s move of reinstating the staff.