ISLAMABAD Former Pakistan captain Intikhab Alam has urged the country's cricket board to appoint a new chairman 'as soon as possible' to salvage the national team's international season.

'It's been almost a month now that the Pakistan Cricket Board is without a chairman, it's absolutely imperative for the president to announce the chairman as soon as possible,' Alam said Monday.

'Whosoever is appointed, he must have some experience and a recognisable figure in the cricketing fraternity,' Alam advised. 'It will save precious time of getting along with the officials of other cricket boards.'

Since Ashraf's resignation, the scheduled Champions Trophy limited-overs tournament in Pakistan was postponed for a year due to security fears of some leading cricket nations.

In the absence of a chairman, other board members have been attempting to fill the gap in the country's international cricket schedule.

So far, only a four-way Twenty20 tournament featuring Sri Lanka and minnows Zimbabwe and Canada is finalised in the second week of October at Toronto.

A proposed triangular limited-overs series including South Africa and Sri Lanka could not be finalised because the South African players were exhausted after touring England.

Plans to play a one-day series in Sri Lanka were also shelved because of lack of sponsors interest.

The PCB has now invited the West Indies to play two test matches in November, but the formal request is still being considered by the Caribbean officials.

With no international cricket in the near future, four players - captain Shoaib Malik, Rao Iftikhar, Kamran Akmal and Sohail Tanvir - took time out to take part in a Bollywood movie filmed in South Africa, while other Pakistan cricketers have joined the National Cricket Academy to undergo physical training sessions.

'No matter how much time you spend in gym and nets, playing competitive cricket is the only way you can keep yourself in good touch,' Alam said.

Alam, a burly leg-spinning allrounder who led Pakistan in 17 of his 47 test matches between 1959-77, advised the national players not to skip the domestic cricket season ahead of a series against India in January.

'India have beautifully designed their international calendar, they played against Sri Lanka last month, the Australians are coming there in October, while they will also play against England at home before coming to Pakistan,' Alam said.

The PCB still hopeful the West Indies will travel to Pakistan after playing three limited-overs internationals in Dubai.

'If the series against the West Indies could not go ahead we would have only few Twenty20 international matches against Sri Lanka, Canada and Zimbabwe in Toronto and three ODIs against the West Indies,' Alam said.

'That's why the only option our cricketers have is that they should not skip the domestic cricket this season for preparation of series against India.'