I want to see England playing in Pakistan again – Khan
Wasim Khan has a clear aim as he tackles one of cricket’s toughest jobs, he tells Nick Hoult
‘I would not have taken on the job if Imran Khan was not at the helm’
Wasim Khan is sitting in the Danubius Hotel next to Lord’s, just a few steps from the offices of the England and Wales Cricket Board, where he has long been tipped to take over as chief executive. For the time being, his champions in the English game – and there are plenty – are having to be patient. Instead, the only chief executive of a professional sporting club in this country from a BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) background is fixing his gaze further afield, to Pakistan. In the new year, Khan will move from the Midlands to Lahore with his family to take over the running of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Khan is one of the nine to have been interviewed to replace Andrew Strauss as director of the England team, a process from which he withdrew after he was offered the role at the PCB. Director of the England team may not have best suited his talents, anyway, but it is still a surprise at a time when the ECB is trying to engage with the South Asian community that it has allowed Khan, the first British-born Asian to sign a professional county playing contract (with Warwickshire in the 1990s), to be headhunted by a rival board.
Either way, for Khan this is a huge opportunity, and a world away from Grace Road, where he has been chief executive of Leicestershire for four years. By appointing a CEO from overseas and one with contacts at Lord’s, the PCB has signalled how important it is to attract foreign teams back to the country, and before he leaves next month, Khan is planning to meet with Tom Harrison, ECB chief executive, and chairman Colin Graves to enlist their support in starting the process of hosting regular cricket in Pakistan. County teams will be invited to play at the PCB academy in Lahore and Khan is hoping an MCC side may agree to a tour.
His most important meeting, however, will be with Reg Dickason, the ECB security officer. Without his say-so, there is no chance of an England team setting foot in Pakistan. He intends to see Dickason to find out where the holes remain in PCB security. England are not due to tour Pakistan until the winter of 2022, which will be after Khan’s threeyear deal expires, but by then he hopes to have laid the groundwork for them to play their first cricket in the country since 2005.
“With Pakistan having lots of ups and downs over the last 20 years, it is critical that we get a level of international cricket back in the country,” he tells The Daily Telegraph, in his first interview since taking on one of the most challenging roles in world cricket. “It may well be small steps getting county teams touring and visiting the fantastic national academy. Could we get an MCC team to tour? Or could we have a small number of international matches to start with, rather than a whole series? Could teams play one or two one-day internationals on their way through to the United Arab Emirates?
“I appreciate countries have a lot of security issues but, with military-style security on offer, I am keen to understand where the gaps are so we can address them. It is interesting for me to get to the bottom of those things and see what I can influence and the conversations I need to have with other countries so we can understand what we need to do to ensure they can come back to Pakistan.”
The PCB announced on Friday that eight matches in the next Pakistan Super League Twenty20 competition would be played in Pakistan, and that is how it will start. If international players go and feel safe, word will spread.
“I don’t think you can underestimate how important cricket is to the fabric of the culture of a country like Pakistan,” Khan says. “There is an embarrassment factor that cricket is being played in another country.
“It would be incredible if England played in Pakistan. I know Tom and Colin will be open to supporting us as much as they can, but I also understand there are security issues. Players and administrators need to be won over, but if there was a chance of playing a couple of games in Pakistan, that would be huge. A few years ago people were talking about how important it is to have a strong West Indies. To have a vibrant Pakistan side is vital, too.”
With the backing of the prime minister, Imran Khan, and a new chairman of the PCB, Ehsan Mani, Khan has the task of streamlining Pakistan’s national sport, professionalising a board with 900 employees, while navigating the politics of Pakistan cricket.
Khan is working on a strategic plan and intends to improve facilities at grounds but has his hands tied by the costs of basing the national team in the UAE and local politics. The lack of fixtures against India due to tensions between the countries cripples the PCB when negotiating television deals. “There has been a lack of investment in facilities and infrastructure because people have asked, what is the point? Why spend money when we don’t have international cricket?
“So it is about bringing hope back. Imran Khan is trying to professionalise institutions and bring hope back to the country and making decisions based on merit. My appointment hopefully proves that. The easier decision would have been to appoint someone in Pakistan, but there is a real appetite for change. That will be a big part of my role and Imran has led that from the front. I would not have considered this role if someone like him was not at the helm.”
Making a success of his new job would put Khan in a strong position to move into the top job at the ECB or at the International Cricket Council. He will watch from afar the progress of the ECB’S South Asian action plan, and is urging the board to not just concentrate on tapping into a rich talent pool of players.
“Boardrooms have to be representative of the communities they serve and until we start doing that it is going to be hard to build trust,” says Khan. “Until you are in positions of influence and making decisions, there is always going to be a bit of distance. We contribute far more as BAME communities than just playing the game. I am the only BAME CEO across any professional sporting club in this country. That tells you it is not just a cricketing issue.
“There is a certain level, at the moment, that people reach but are then not given the opportunity. It is not about token gestures. It is about ability and meritocracy and making sure people are given the opportunities to progress.”