Tension escalating among PCB officials

Karachi:

The growing rift among the PCB officials came to the fore when interim chief selector Wasim Bari rushed out of the NCA premises after being confronted by academy head Aamer Sohail for conducting a fitness test on pacer Shoaib Akhtar without his permission.

Sources in the board said that Bari, who is the director of human resources, had to leave the NCA premises last evening while conducting a fitness test of fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar.

"Aamer Sohail who is director game planning and development and heads the academy asked Bari and another selector Ejaz Ahmed how they were conducting the fitness test at the academy without his permission," one source said.

He said Sohail, a former Test captain had laid down stringent rules that anyone wanting to use the NCA premises had to first get clearance from the administration there.

"Bari left when confronted by Sohail while Ejaz, who works as coach at the academy also didn't say much as the test was abandoned abruptly," the source said.

Differences between the two escalated recently when the Bari issued a notice to Sohail asking him to explain as to how he had not gone to England to attend a game development course although instructed to do so by the board Chairman.

Sohail, who didn't go because of the illness of his wife, told Bari he would offer any explanations to the Chairman not him as he was not authorised to send him any notice as both were directors.

Sohail has also recently indicated that he is not happy with the working of the board and might resign from his post as he is not getting along with the other senior officials.

This is not the first instance of top officials in the board clashing among themselves. In the past, Javed Miandad the director-general of cricket, had also resigned after having problems with PCB chairman Ejah Butt and chief operating officer Saleem Altaf.

Miandad was later reinstated but is still said to be unhappy with the way things are being run in the board.