Selectors finally receive salaries

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officially put its senior and junior selectors on its pay-roll when it released two-month salaries last week. The senior selectors (Aqib Javed, Mohsin Khan, Shafiq Ahmad) were employed at Rs30,000 each while the junior selectors (Rashid Khan, Shafqat Rana and Farrukh Zaman) were hired at Rs25,000 each.

The monthly salary doesn't include the TA/DA and accommodation the selectors would be entitled during the season. Interestingly, the PCB released a total fund of Rs330,000 despite making public that it suffered losses around $30million owing to India's refusal to tour Pakistan twice and New Zealand's decision to postponed a scheduled series because of escalating situation in the region.

Ironically, the PCB, about two weeks back, decided to curtail its expenses, mainly putting restrictions on travelling. In this background, the selectors were also directed to watch matches where they were bases. It implies that Shafiq Ahmad will watch Patron's Trophy matches being played at Lahore while Aqib Javed is already representing Allied Bank. However, Mohsin Khan will have to wait until Oct 26 to get into action when the matches come to Karachi from the sixth round.

Sadly, no selector was assignment to watch proceedings in Faisalabad or Gujranwala or Sialkot or Sheikhupura where some of the finest performances were witnessed from some cricketers.

Left-handed Shadab Kabir is one example who canned two centuries, two fifties and a 40 in the six innings he has played for Customs. Shadab is one of the several batsmen bidding to stage a comeback after being sidelined since 1996 when he toured England and Canada with Wasim Akram's team.