LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board managing director Wasim Khan on Monday said a long-term plan aimed at enhancing the working of the PCB will be introduced in which all departments of the Board will be judged on the basis of their performance.

“We have evolved a long-term plan by introducing a performance-based formula to assess the working of every department at the PCB,” Wasim said while talking to a small group of reporters here at the Gaddafi Stadium.

In his first interaction with the media, Wasim said the Board is very clear about its development plan and only right people for the right job will be retained at the PCB.

“We will be setting different targets for each department and will evaluate the overall performance of the PCB and its allied departments on yearly basis to know where we stand as compared to other cricket boards which are role model for us because of their high-quality performance and managerial polices,” he said.

Wasim on the occasion said while the PCB is considering forming the national selection committee and appointing new coaching staff, it will take up the subject of national captaincy later.

“Currently, the PCB is considering two models for the selection committee: first one is already existing of one chairman with some members and second is to also include six provincial teams’ head coaches [of new domestic system which is under discussion] for giving their input to the chief selector. But nothing is final as yet,” PCB managing director Wasim Khan told a small group of reporters here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Monday.

“The new chief selection chief will be a person with good reputation who has played a good number of international matches,” he added.

Wasim said as the outgoing chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq did not show interest to carry on the same post, he would not be considered for the said position.

However, he added, Inzamam keeping in view national interest did not hesitate to change his decisions for the World Cup -- by recalling Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Amir into the national squad -- after overlooking both in the first place.

Wasim said the national team coaching staff’s performance of the last four years, and not just of the 2019 World Cup, would be considered by the Cricket Committee, which he heads, to present recommendations to the PCB chairman for taking necessary action. The committee is scheduled to meet on Aug 2.

“It will not be fair if we consider the coaching staff’s performance only of the last six months,” he maintained.

Commenting on the national captaincy, Wasim said leadership qualities would be the main criteria.

“After finalising the [national] selection committee and coaching staff we will move to the subject of [national] captaincy as enough time is left before Pakistan play their next [bilateral] series against Sri Lanka,” the PCB official said.

“We have shortcomings in developing captain. Everybody is wondering who will be the next skipper if Sarfraz Ahmed does not remain at the helm. A man having leadership qualities is more important factor in picking a captain, and not only that he is performing [well] either with bat or ball,” he said.

To a question, Wasim agreed that a check-and-balance system should be in place to make selectors and coaching staff accountable for any bad performance of the team.

Meanwhile, Wasim said a security team from Sri Lanka was coming to Pakistan next month to monitor the security arrangements before sending their team to Pakistan for the series being staged later this year.

He said international security agencies in their report about the security situation in Pakistan had conveyed to FICA that it was manageable in Pakistan, which the PCB managing director reckoned a major positive development for cricket in the country.

Speaking on the chances of resumption of bilateral series between Pakistan and India, Wasim said though both the boards were enjoying a good relationship, it was up to the Indian government when it would give green signal to the BCCI to allow their team to play Pakistan.

“Pakistan is ready to play India at any place,” Wasim stated.

He said though the PCB despite India not playing bilateral series against Pakistan for many years has survived financially, the resumption of cricket between the arch-rivals would have been more beneficial.

Regarding the next edition of Pakistan Super League, Wasim said though the PCB had a plan to hold all matches of the 2020 PSL in Pakistan during February, as a contingency plan, the UAE venues would also be available for the matches.

“The PCB was planning to add Multan and Rawalpindi for holding PSL matches.”

About the proposed domestic system based on six provincial teams, Wasim admitted that the time for it was running short as the PCB was still waiting for an approval of its patron -- Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said soon the PCB officials would meet the PM.

“The future of players of the departments will be saved as a result of the implementation of the new domestic system, in which players affiliated with departmental teams will not be playing,” Wasim said..

However, he added, cricketers of 90 cities from across the country would also earn money by playing at inter-city level and later at the provincial level.

He said the ICC Test championship, starting from September and the 2020 T20 World Cup were the main priorities of the PCB.

Responding to a query, he said tainted opening batsman Sharjeel Khan would have to go through a rehab programme to return to competitive cricket.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2019