PCB starts downsize operation, releases Bari

Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has started a downsizing operation as it has decided not to extend contracts of former Test captain Wasim Bari and other former Pakistan players.

According to details, celebrated wicketkeeper, Bari, former Test batsman Muhammad Illyas, former international, Moin ul Atiq and others have not been offered fresh contracts. "The decision to not extend contracts of these employees has been taken taken at the interim management committee meeting recently," one official said.

Bari, who has also served as chief operating officer in the Board, was presently serving as education director at the PCB Karachi camp office when he was told his contract was not being extended.

"All those employees who have reached or passed the age of 60 years are being released as part of the downsizing," the official said.

A reliable PCB source told PTI that former captain Intikhab Alam, who holds several important positions in the Board, is also likely to be released soon. "These former players were employed on special contracts because of their experience and skills even after they had passed the age of 60," one source said.

The PCB in the past has talked about downsizing to curtail its expenditures as it says its revenues have been hit badly by the refusal of Test teams to tour Pakistan and also because of no bilateral cricket with India since 2007.

The board has come in for constant criticism because of its apparent lavish spending and the high number of employees on its payroll. PCB acting Chairman Najam Sethi since taking charge in July has repeatedly said he would reduce the number of employees from the current figure of around 900 as the board needed to now be more careful with its finances.