BY Abdul Jabbar Faisal
ISLAMABAD (January 31, 2020):-Former Test spinner Iqbal Qasim will chair the revamped Pakistan Cricket Board Cricket Committee, which will meet on a quarterly basis, it was announced on Friday.
Iqbal, a veteran of 50 Tests and 15 ODIs, will lead the panel that will also include Wasim Akram (former captain and now a respected commentator), Urooj Mumtaz (chief selector and representative of women’s cricket), Umar Gul (former Test cricketer and representative of current domestic cricketers) and Ali Naqvi (former Test opener and representative of the match officials).
In addition to the five, PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan and Director – International, Zakir Khan, will serve as coopted members.
The PCB Cricket Committee’s remit will be to advice PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani on cricket-related matters, including but not limited to the performances of the national cricket teams and their managements, domestic cricket structure, high-performance centres and playing conditions.
The Committee will have the powers to invite relevant personnel for its quarterly meetings to assist as part of its evaluation, assessment and recommendation process.
PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said: “I welcome all the distinguished members in this PCB Cricket Committee and look forward to working with them. I am delighted we have been able to put together a wide-ranging, knowledgeable, experienced and respected group whose commitment and involvement in the game is second to none.
“These members are representatives of all key stakeholders within the game. More importantly, and in line with our policy, they are completely independent, which, in turn, will assist the PCB management to further improve the health of the game in Pakistan.”
Iqbal Qasim said: “I am pleased the PCB has considered me for this important assignment and will try to utilise all my cricket and corporate experience and knowledge in the successful delivery of my responsibilities.
“The PCB Cricket Committee comprises members who are avid followers of the game, are on top of all matters related to the game in Pakistan and, therefore, with collective wisdom, will make recommendations that will help the PCB to improve its strategic direction.
“The game belongs to the people of Pakistan and we all are equal stakeholders in this. I think anyone who thinks can make a positive and meaningful contribution to Pakistan cricket, should come forward and play their active part.”
About the members:
Iqbal Qasim – Played 50 Tests and 15 ODIs in which he took 171 and 12 wickets, respectively. He also took 999 first-class wickets in 246 matches from 1971 to 1992. He has previously served the PCB in various roles, including team manager, chief selector and member of Domestic Tournament Monitoring Committee (DTMC). He is one of the executives at the National Bank of Pakistan.
Ali Naqvi – Hit a century on his Test debut against South Africa in 1997 in Rawalpindi. He played five Tests and 115 first-class matches, scoring 242 and 5,881 runs, respectively from 1997 to 2011. He is presently a member of the PCB Elite Panel for Match Referees.
Umar Gul – Played 47 Tests, 130 ODIs and 60 T20Is from 2003 to 2016, taking 163, 179 and 85 wickets, respectively. He is still an active domestic cricket and took six wickets in five matches for Balochistan. In the National T20 Cup, he bagged four wickets in seven matches at an economy-rate of 9.35.
Urooj Mumtaz – Played one Test, 38 ODIs and nine T20Is from 2004 to 2010, taking 2, 36 and six wickets, respectively. She captained Pakistan in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 in Sydney, and presently is the chair of women’s selection committee and acting head of the PCB’s women’s wing.
Wasim Akram – An ICC Cricket Hall of Famer, he played 104 Tests and 356 ODIs in which he took a total of 916 wickets and scored 6,615 runs, respectively. Following his retirement from international cricket in 2003, he has become one of the most respected and knowledgeable commentators, and has worked for all the leading sport channels at all the major ICC events.
