Mohsin to head PCB's powerful Cricket Committee

Former Pakistan Test opener Mohsin Khan was on Friday named as the head of a powerful Cricket Committee of the Board, which also includes former stalwarts Wasim Akram and Misbah-ul-Haq.

Mohsin, who was also a former head coach and chief selector of the national team, will be working with former captain Akram, who he, ironically, has described as "tainted" several times in the past.

Appearing on different television channels in the recent past, Mohsin had always advocated the need to remove "tainted" players from the Pakistan cricket set-up.

While pushing his argument, Mohsin had hinted towards, Akram, Waqar Younis and others, who were fined by the Pakistan Cricket Board in 2000 on the recommendations of a match-fixing inquiry commission for not cooperating with the inquiry.

Mohsin later told the media that he was briefed by the Board Chairman and Chief Operating Officer on the issue and he was 99 per cent satisfied there was no authenticity in the allegations investigated against Akram and other players.

PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani told the media in Lahore that the committee would be overseeing the appointment of the national selection committees and the national team coaches besides formulating playing conditions for domestic matches.

Till now the Board Chairman held the supreme authority to make all the key cricket appointments.

Mani said the committee will also meet with chief selector and coach (men, women and junior) three times a year and also review plans for the development of umpires, referees and curators.

"The committee will also receive annual assessment of performance from management on umpires and referees and look at preparation and quality of pitches," he said.

The committee also includes former captain of the Pakistan team Urooj Mumtaz , Director of International Cricket Zakir Khan and Director Domestic Cricket Haroon Rasheed and Director Academies Mudassar Nazar.

Zakir will be the secretary of the cricket committee.

Subhan Ahmed, who is the Chief Operating Officer of the Board, also made it clear that the selection committee will continue to function independently and the cricket committee will not interfere in the working of the team management.

"But they will oversee performances and guide the Board on these issues," Ahmed said.

"The committee does not have decision making powers and will purely guide us on making decisions.

"Given the stature of these cricketers we will be taking very seriously the recommendations of this cricket committee," he added.