PCB sacked Moin Khan to keep his prestige intact: Shaharyar Khan

Karachi: The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board Shaharyar Khan has said that the decision to call back Moin Khan from the World Cup and later sack him as chief selector was taken to keep his prestige and reputation intact after the Casino incident.

"After the Casino incident, Moin was facing a difficult situation and the possibility of a loss of reputation and prestige in the team and generally in Pakistan cricket, that's why we decided to call him back home and later sack him," Khan told Geo Super channel last night.

Khan admitted he was never in favour of sending Moin to the World Cup as chief selector.

"In the past in Pakistan cricket a chief selector has only gone for a few days or one or two matches with the team, but in Moin's case, my colleague and former chairman Najam Sethi felt since we had removed him as manager it would be a shock to Moin if he was also not allowed to go for the World Cup," Khan said.

Former Test captain Moin had to be recalled from the World Cup, which was jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, after his visit to a Casino on the night before the match against the West Indies in Christchurch. The incident turned into a major controversy in Pakistan.

After being recalled home, the PCB also removed him as chief selector after the World Cup.

Moin, who had held the dual roles of manager and chief selector before the World Cup, had already been told to chose one post before the mega event, Khan confirmed.

"The Casino visit incident was a cause of embarrassment for the board and there was considerable pressure on us from the media and other places to do something. The matter was even raised in the parliament. So it was a unanimous decision to recall him home, even though Moin was not happy with the decision," the PCB chief said.

Khan made it clear that the PCB had decided to close the chapter after Moin returned home and admitted his mistake, as there was no chance of anything new coming out of it.

Khan, a former career diplomat, however dismissed suggestions that he sacked Moin because the latter was given prime posts and went to the World Cup with the support of former chairman Najam Sethi, who presently heads the executive committee of the board.

"Look there are no differences between me and Sethi. That is incorrect. We discuss everything and at times we have differing views but no disagreements.

"In Moin's case, what happened was unfortunate but I was clear that he didn't have any role to play in the World Cup once the team was selected. But we sent him because he was already unhappy at being told to select between one of the two roles of a manager and a chief selector."

Khan also insisted that in the last few months the board had slowly and methodically done away with its employees having dual roles and said presently only the national team's bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed was doing two jobs.

"But after the Bangladesh tour even he has been told to choose one role," he clarified.

Khan confirmed that discarded allrounder Shoaib Malik could be recalled soon for national duty and dismissed reports that he had anything personal against him.

"There is no extra baggage as far as Malik is concerned. When the new selection committee feels he is required, the board will have no objection to his selection."

Making it clear that the new selection committee headed by Haroon Rasheed had been told they were responsible for the final decision on selecting touring squads, Khan said they were not bound to accept what the captain or coach had to say on selection matters.

The PCB chief also defended the decision to appoint Waqar Younis as head coach.

"Waqar was appointed coach by the previous chairman, who consulted the defunct management committee of the board of which I was a part. I think Waqar has the capacity to become a successful coach and he is doing a satisfactory job."

Khan said that in the past the Chairmen who came after his first tenure from 2003 to 2006 used to run the board like kings and admitted appointments were made due to political or other pressures.

"But now the system has changed in the board. There is a new constitution and it is more democratic. Now the Chairman is elected and can no longer run the board like a king. He is answerable to the board of governors and he can be voted out of power. At same time he has the option of approaching the courts for justice if the patron in chief of the board or government wants him removed," said Khan.