Britain's Pakistanis ask Zardari to act against PCB

Published>Mon, Aug 09 10 01:57 PM

Karachi, Aug 9 (IANS) Leaders of the Pakistani community in Britain have requested President Asif Ali Zardari to make sweeping changes in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

According to well-placed sources, community leaders told President Zardari in a meeting last week in Birmingham that Pakistan's performance on the ongoing cricket tour was embarrassing and a direct result of the PCB's poor selection policies.

Pakistan were bowled out for just 72 in its second Test against England in Birmingham last Friday. It was Pakistan's lowest-ever total against England and came just days after the tourists lost the opening Test by 354 runs in Nottingham.

'Prominent leaders of the Pakistani community living in Britain requested President Zardari to take concrete action in a bid to save Pakistan cricket,' said a source, referring to the fact that as PCB's chief patron Zardari has the right to hire or fire the Board chairman.

Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, has been under fire from various quarters for the Board's policies and many critics believe that he is directly responsible for Pakistan's disastrous performance in England.

Pakistan decided against picking senior batsmen Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan for the tour and instead opted for untested youngsters like Umar Amin and Azhar Ali, who have flopped miserably in England.

Source: Web Search