Akram shifted to academy role

The PCB has relieved Mohammad Akram from the role of national bowling coach only to appoint him as head coach of the national cricket academy (NCA).

The PCB said in a statement that the decision was taken "in consultation with Mohammad Akram in order to strengthen grass-roots cricket through additional training camps and procedures for upcoming youngsters". He will work with the national team, the statement said, whenever required.

Akram has also been drafted into a six-man selection committee, headed by Moin Khan, along with former wicketkeeper Saleem Yousaf and batsmen Shoaib Mohammad, Ijaz Ahmed and Wajahatullah Wasti.

Akram, earlier this year, had signed a two-year contract as bowling coach but was facing an uncertain fate with the coaching panel as another former fast bowler Waqar Younis was expected to roll in as head coach of the national team. Now the PCB abolished the role of bowling coach.

The PCB has also announced a six-man selection committee, inducting Wasti who has been working as head coach of departmental team ZTBL and Yousaf, who has been working in the customs department in an executive post.

Shoaib was the fielding coach with Pakistan during the Asia Cup and World T20, while Ijaz is the NCA's fielding coach.

For Yousaf and Shoaib, this is their second stint as a selector, having been involved in 2003 when the committee was headed by Aamir Sohail. Wasti, who last played for Pakistan in 2000, has been coaching on the domestic circuit since he retired from playing in 2010.

The PCB setup has been in extensive transition after the Zaka Ashraf regime. The newly-announced selection committee will be the first full-time panel in the last 10 months after Iqbal Qasim decided to not renew his contract - since then, an interim selection panel has been functioning.

The new selection committee effectively replaces a trio of long-serving members - Azhar Khan, Saleem Jaffar and Farukh Zaman - who had been engaged in selection affairs since 2007.

The selection committee's first assignment will be to pick the squad for the Sri Lanka tour in August this year, following the upcoming summer camp from May 6 to June 6 in Lahore.