Moin's captaincy depends on fitness

Moin Khan will be retained as Pakistan captain for next month's tour to England if he confirms his fitness and availability for the tour.

"If Moin is fit and available, we will stick to him in lieu with our policy of consistency. However, if he is unavailable, Waqar Younis will be retained," the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Lt Gen Tauqir Zia told reporters Thursday.

A recurrence of knee injury sidelined Moin from the ongoing tri-nation one-day competition in Sharjah. A similar injury had kept him away from a triangular tournament in Singapore last year. On both the occasions, Waqar Younis did as excellent job as make-shift captain.

"I have asked the selectors to announce the team by April 23 so that there is enough time for the selected players to prepare themselves mentally and physically for the rigorous tour," Zia said.

Zia's statement comes at a time when the PCB is facing criticizm from all and sundry after the team's poor performance in New Zealand and coach Javed Miandad's removal.

But the PCB stand on Moin Khan confirms that despite some unnecessary and avoidable controversies, the establishment is making desperate efforts to put Pakistan cricket back on track.

Moin said he was keen to tour England but added that he wanted to be more than confident about fitness.

"I don't want to be a liability. If I have to tour England, I have to be absolutely sure than I can play in all the matches.

"I have confirmed my availability to PIA for the one-day tournament. I will appear in the second round matches. I am sure that the competition would provide me an excellent opportunity to judge my fitness level," he said.

Moin said captaining Pakistan would be an honour but said the decision would entirely be the board's. "I think I have learnt a lot in the recent times. I might not be a perfect captain but I think I am making steady progress.

"A lot depends on the results of the team and lately we have not been performing consistently" he said.

"When people say Steve Waugh is a great captain, then they should also look at his team's record. Naturally the captain is in the firing range when his team is not winning.

"Pakistan has the most talented players. It's just a matter of all being fit and clicking at the right time. With the support we have got from the PCB in the recent times, time is not far when the team will start winning and things would start falling in the right places."

Tauqir Zia, who is been making desperate efforts despite having advisors of limited visions, further said the PCB has approached former Western Australia and Kent coach Daryl Foster to take over the charge of the Pakistan team.

"We are looking for a foreign coach and I think Foster is the best choice," the general said.

Foster has recently worked on remodelling the controversial action of Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar.

Zia was hoping that a deal with Foster would be finalized before the team leaves on May 2 for England which would enable the Australian to become the second foreign coach to be hired by Pakistan.

South African Richard Pybus was fired after just three months following a 3-0 routing by Australia in 1999.