Pakistan: PCB in the throes of finding a captain (13 Aug 1998)

13 August 1998

PCB in the throes of finding a captain

By Samiul Hasan

KARACHI, Aug 12: The top officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are desperately trying to reach a consensus on the captaincy issue but all their efforts have gone in vain.

According to reliable sources, the chairman of the PCB, and majority of the councillors, are supporting Aamir Sohail but they are strongly opposed by chief executive.

Sources said preliminary discussions on the captain were held in order to avert the crisis in Sunday's executive council meeting which at this stage looks inevitable.

Informed sources claimed that Majid Khan has categorically rejected Aamir Sohail's name and in fact has put his weight behind Mohammad Wasim and Rashid Latif.

However, the two names have been rejected by some of the councillors who suggest that either Salim Malik or Wasim Akram be installed as captain.

But because of the match-fixing and betting tag attached with their names, they too have been set aside.

Sohail was the vice-captain on the recent tour of Africa and led Pakistan to victory at Durban when Rashid Latif was injured. In 1996, he skippered Pakistan to victory over Sri Lanka in the triangular series in Singapore but lost immediately in Sharjah.

Majid's opposition to Aamir Sohail is quite understandable as the latter misbehaved with the chief executive earlier last year. After a disciplinary hearing, Sohail was banned for one months.

But things changed when Mahmood took over. He lobbied for Sohail and succeeded in making him the vice-captain though he was initially favoured to win the captain's job.

While there appears strong support in the council for Sohail, another interesting idea has been floated by a couple of councillors who want Javed Miandad to be appointed player, captain and coach. It is to be seen if the suggestion would impress the other members of the council as Miandad retired after the 1996 World Cup and since then has played just one game for KCCA in the National One-day Championship semi-final against Allied Bank.

Miandad's last first-class game was against Zimbabwe in the 1993-94 season.

While there is difference of opinions on captain, consensus has reached on coach as sources said Javed Miandad is being unanimously supported by Khalid Mahmood and Majid Khan.

According to sources, the PCB has agreed to Miandad's terms and conditions.

"Money is irrelevant if we get the best man who at the moment appears to be Javed Miandad," sources close to Khalid Mahmood said.

As far as Mohsin Hasan Khan is concerned, he is expected to be made incharge of Pakistan A and Under-19 teams. Pakistan A is scheduled to participate in the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia, World Super Eight competition in Australia (in October) besides touring New Zealand (in November) and hosting England A in February-March next year. The Under-19 assignments include home series against South Africa Under-19 in January next year.

Basit Ali is set to retain captaincy for the Commonwealth Games for which the team has already been approved.

The following is the eight-point agenda for Sunday's meeting:

Source:: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)