Sport - Cricket;Former captains in line for keyposts in PCB

Former Test captains Majid Khan, Wasim Bari and Aamir Sohail are set to get key posts in a new-look Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headed by Ejaz Butt.

Sources in the board told PTI on Monday that Butt, since taking charge last week, has been doing his homework on the entire structure of the PCB and going through the financial position of the board.

"He has been doing his homework for sure and there is no question many of the senior officials in the current set up will be asked to submit their resignations or be sacked," a source said.

He said Majid, Bari, Sohail and former bowler Saleem Altaf, who is back in the board now after having been sacked earlier this year on allegations of leaking confidential information to the media, are among the players whom Butt has lot of confidence in.

Altaf was serving as Director of Cricket Operations in the Board until former Chairman Nasim Ashraf took charge late 2006. Within months, he was demoted to the position of Director special projects.

Altaf continued to work in this position until earlier this year when Ashraf accused him of bad mouthing him and leaking sensitive information of the board to the press.

Altaf won a reprieve in the Supreme Court where he challenged his termination orders and has been given back his old office by the new Chairman.

The source said Altaf will either be asked to continue as Director special projects and work on the 2011 World Cup organising committee or be given some other key posting.

"Butt is keen to have former players who come from an educated background and have previous administrative and managerial experience to work on his team and Majid, Bari , Sohail and Altaf are the ideal choices," the source said.

He said Majid himself was keen to come into the board again although he had turned down an offer to be chief selector.

"Majid and Bari have both held senior managerial positions in Pakistan television and the national airlines. While Majid has retired, Bari is also due to retire soon from the national airlines. Both have been great players and both would be safe choices," the source said.

Majid has served before as chief executive of the board between 1996 and 1999, while Bari remained chief selector between 1998 to 2006 before being relieved of his duties for a few months in 2003 when the board appointed Aamir Sohail in his place after the World Cup.

"Butt is still to decide who will get what responsibility and he will take his time and make decisions after returning home from the ICC meeting in Dubai this week," the source said.

"But they are the key positions of chief selector, chief executive officer, director administration, director national academy and director cricket international that these players will be picked for," the source added.