Thaindian News

Islamabad, Oct 3 (ANI): Pakistan’s National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Sports has summoned Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt, along with the national team coaches, manager and the chief selector for a hearing on October 11, in order to discuss the disastrous England tour.

“The hearing is being held to review the performance of the team in England, the controversies that took place in England and the way the PCB has handled things so far,” the Daily Times quoted Iqbal Muhammad Ali, the chairman of the committee, as saying.

“The committee wants to know the reasons for the shoddy performances and also how the Pakistan team got entangled into such serious controversies. We also want to know the reason for Butt’s statement against the England board and his U-turn and to review the selection process,” he added.

Iqbal said the committee members were concerned over the continued refusal of the board to recall former captain Younus Khan to the national squad.

“We want to know the reason for why Younus is being constantly ignored when all the other players who were disciplined after the Australian tour have been brought back into the team. We want to ask the chairman to explain what crime has Younus committed that he (Ijaz) is not willing to give clearance to the selectors to pick Younus,” he disclosed.

He personally felt Younus was “the best choice to lead Pakistan” in the upcoming Test series against South Africa, revealed the chairman, and also informed that the committee members wanted to review the performance of the then manager Saeed, who had stepped down after the England tour.

“We want to be absolutely sure that in future the PCB appoints a manager who is very strict and disciplined and will not tolerate the sort of things that took place in England and led to the spot-fixing allegations against us that have damaged the image of Pakistan cricket,” he said. (ANI)