Miandad demands apology from the PCB

Javed Miandad has sent a legal notice to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) demanding a public apology for terminating his coaching contract in June 2004. Miandad was provoked by the recent comments by Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chairman, regarding the circumstances leading to his axing.

Shaharyar had remarked, though he later said he had been quoted out of context, that there were "other reasons" besides the home loss to India for sacking Miandad from the coaching job. "My lawyer has dispatched a legal notice to the board," Miandad told The News, a Pakistan-based daily. "And we have asked them to give an unconditional public apology within seven days or face further action."

Miandad said that he had been hurt and upset with Shaharyar's remarks and felt that his reputation and credibility in the cricket circles had been affected. "They should have had a valid reason for terminating my services because the performance of the team under me was not bad at all."

It was Miandad's third term as the coach of the national team but the first time that he had been removed from the post. "In my earlier tenures I left myself for various reasons but this time PCB removed me without giving any valid reason. I didn't complain. But Shaharyar himself recently admitted they removed me for reasons other than the defeat to India. That statement has hurt me a lot. I don't think such a contractual violation can be made anywhere else in the world."

Muhammad Ali Qureshi, Miandad's lawyer, said that the PCB had seven days to apologise, failing which the future course of action would be decided. He justified the move by saying, "My client has not sent a legal notice for any monetary reasons. But it is an attempt by him to fight for the respect of all Pakistani sportsmen and officials who don't deserve to be treated in such a manner."