Kamran Akmal closes in on PCB central contract

By Babar Malik

ISLAMABAD (TheSportsNext) July 24, 2012: Former Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal is closing in on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) central contract after he was recalled into the national fold.

The PCB selectors finally put an end to the exile imposed on Pakistan’s best wicketkeeper-batsman, as per the statistics, and decided to give him a chance to exhibit his skills in the upcoming One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates.

It is important to mention here that Kamran Akmal had been out of favors of the PCB selectors after a disappointing tour to Australia where his poor show attracted match fixing allegations and he has been selected in the national team only after the integrity committee of the cricket board and the International Cricket Council cleared him of all charges.

Apart from Kamran Akmal, fast bowlers Mohammad Sami and Mohammad Talha were also recommended by a A PCB committee, headed by Intikhab Alam.

Sources told local media, "A decision on offering central contracts to additional players will be taken when the Chairman PCB Chaudhry Zaka Ashraf returns from abroad”.

Mr. Chaudhry Zaka Ashraf is currently enjoying vacations with his family in the United States.

The decision to exclude fast bowler Mohammad Sami from the PCB central contract sparked a heated debate in Pakistan as the pacer was already included in the players for the tour to Sri Lanka and nobody could understand PCB’s double standards.

It is important to mention here that the Pakistan Cricket Board pays 313,000 rupees worth of monthly retainer to the players falling in A Category, 218,000 rupees to the ones in B Category, and 125,000 rupees to the cricketers to be found in C Category.