Altaf slams PCB for leaking probables list

Saleem Altaf, an official of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has criticised his employers for leaking the list of 30 players for the Champions Trophy ahead of the official announcement, set for Monday. Altaf, who was recently sacked by the board for leaking sensitive information to the press only to be reinstated by the high court, suggested the board was guilty of double standards.

The probables list apparently found its way to a Lahore-based Urdu newspaper though its unknown as to who in the board is responsible.

"They accused me of leaking out sensitive information to the media," Altaf told PTI. "Now the board and its senior officials should be asked who leaked these 30 names which were only available with the top officials."

Altaf, the PCB's director-special projects, was sacked on June 12 before the Lahore High Court granted him temporary relief pending the resolution on the writ filed by his lawyers. The board moved the Supreme Court against the lower court's decision but the Supreme Court upheld the decision.

The PCB was originally scheduled to announced the list of probables on Thursday, but had to postpone it by four days due to confusion over the eligiblity of the fast Shoaib Akhtar who is on the list. In addition, four players require the approval of a board committee as they are not on the list of 26 players with central contracts or retainerships.