Salim Malik eyes Pakistan batting coach position; to file a petition against PCB in High Court

Pakistan's former captain Salim Malik, who was banned for his involvement in match fixing, will be filing a petition in the High Court to force the Pakistan Cricket Board to come out with a clear stance on considering him for the position of batting coach of the national team. (File photo: Salim Malik)

Aftab Gul, the legal counsel for Malik told PTI on Thursday that the board had yet to respond to his client's Application for the batting coach position for which he had applied within the deadline given by the board.

"The PCB is not giving us a clear answer on whether they consider Malik eligible for the position or not and we are going to file a petition in the High Court for this," Gul himself a former test player said.

Malik, 49, played 103 Tests and 283 ODIs before a judicial inquiry tribunal recommended a life ban on him in 2000 for his involvement in match-fixing.

Since than the board has declared him persona non grata and kept him away from all cricket activities.

But Gul said the life ban on his client had been cleared through a Supreme Court decision.

"A copy of that is already with the board and since there is no ban on him now he is eligible to work in any position in the board or with the team," Gul said.

"We will be asking the High Court to instruct the board to come out with a clear statement on Malik's current status whether they consider him a banned player or what," Gul said.

Malik was also considered for a position at the national academy in the tenure of former Chairman Ijaz Butt but apparently the ICC intervened and had the PCB rule out the former captain for any job.

Gul said the court's decision had also been sent to the ICC. "There is no ban on Malik now," he said.

The PCB had asked interested candidates to submit CVs for the batting coach position recently and Malik has also applied for the post.