PCB chief may show Intikhab Alam exit door

By Ahmed Jatt

KARACHI (TheSportsNext) September 3, 2012: Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chaudhry Zaka Ashraf has decided to do away with old legs in the cricket board by not renewing their contracts and shuffling their duties, sources told thesportsnext.com on Monday.

Sources who are responsible to implement PCB chief’s policies claimed that Mr. Zaka Ashraf is on a rebuilding course and is looking to inject new blood at the top positions of the cricket board.

They added that the name of former manager and current Director Game and Development Intikhab Alam is also in the list which the PCB boss is going to relieve in coming days.

When the TSN scribe asked the sources about Intikhab Alam’s likely removal, they said, “Yeah, you have learnt right. Zaka Ashraf is not happy with some of board's top officials and Intikhab Alam is amongst them. While the PCB boss is willing to allow some of the board officials to keep working, he is all set to stop journey of those officials who are with the board for a long time".

“Everyone knows that in the current setup, there is a strong lobby who have been getting hold of key positions in the board which may make it hard for PCB Chairman to remove Intikhab Alam”, sources added.

“Perhaps, it won’t be easy for Zaka Ashraf to remove such characters but he has experience of working in multinational culture which would help him overcoming the situation”, the sources said adding, “He (Zaka) restricted Intikab Alam earlier and now he is going to say him good bye”.

“Intikhab Alam is not alone in that list as some more board officials also will join him at exit doors of the PCB", sources claimed.

Another source who is also in PCB confirmed that Zaka Ashraf has renewed some of officials contracts and also signed some of those board officials contracts who lost their jobs recently as their previous contracts were over.

"Yes! Chairman Zaka Ashraf gave some of the board officials new contracts while some others got their contracts renewed. Wasim Bari is also among those who got new contracts (a three-month contract)”, they said adding, “Zaka didn’t offer same contracts to all and sundry and everybody got contract of different time periods ranging from three months to a year".

On the other hand, a political leader claimed that the PCB's current director games and development Mr Intikab Alam is trying to save his post as he has contacted some of the ruling party leaders. “If he gets their sympathies then he might survive”, he added.

It is merit mentioning here that chairman PCB Zaka Ashraf, who is also member of the ruling party's central executive committee and had acquired the top PCB post on political basis, has knelt down to political pressure in the past.