PCB mulling age-cap of 70 for officials

The India cricket board under Supreme Court directive will have a mandatory agecap of 70 years for its administrators and Pakistan Cricket Board is also mulling having a similar age-cap for its officials. The PCB is currently headed by 82-year-old Shaharyar Khan. The board officials are also thinking of not giving assignments to officials who will cross that age-cap. "The board has now drawn up a shortlist of potential candidates all former test players who will be given assignments with the teams in future," a source told PTI.

Last year after the tour to England the board had ended the contract of former captain Intikhab Alam as manager of the senior team and with the board as he was 76. It appointed 68-year old Wasim Bari as the Pakistan team manager. The source further said that it was also decided that any appointment of a former player even from the shortlist who is 60 or above will have to be ratified by the board Chairman.

The list of former players who will now be appointed as managers of various teams include Iqbal Qasim, Haroon Rasheed, Talat Ali, Moin Khan, Jalaluddin, Nadeem Khan, Iqbal Sikander. The board has also prepared a list of coaches who will be assigned with the A and junior teams.

Meanwhile in another example of the many U-turns taken by the board sources have confirmed that former Test batsman, Basit Ali, who was removed from his position as head coach of the women’s team and Chairman of national junior selection committee has been brought back into the fold. "It has been decided to bring Basit back as chief junior selector just days after the Chairman sacked him for being involved in a physical brawl with former international, Mahmood Hamid at the national stadium during the national ODI Cup," the source added.

Don’t replace Misbah: Miandad

Former Pakistan great Javed Miandad has blamed the country's weak domestic cricket structure for not finding a replacement for 42-year-old test captain Misbahul-haq. "The problem is we don't have anyone to replace Misbah. Everywhere in the world there's a system in place and players come and go, but unfortunately we didn't adopt any such system. Why are we now asking Misbah to leave? Have we prepared any replacement for him? Unfortunately the answer is no and now it's entirely upto Misbah to decide himself when he wants to quit."

When Pakistan lost the second Test at Melbourne, there was strong speculation that Misbah would retire. He himself had hinted at exiting, showing his own poor form with the bat.

But Misbah led the side in Sydney and even after Saturday's defeat he didn't indicate when he plans to quit Test cricket. "That's the unfortunate part of Pakistan cricket. Misbah knows it very well that there's nobody who could lead the Test side,” he said.