KARACHI, – Pakistan’s World Cup campaign hit another snag after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said yesterday it was probing media reports that chief selector Moin Khan had visited a casino before the loss to West Indies.
“I have spoken to Moin and we have sought an explanation from him. It is inappropriate he should be at a casino at a time when our team is not doing well,” PCB chief Shaharyar Khan told the media in Lahore.
Reports in Pakistan have said that Moin, a former test captain, had visited a casino on the night of the match against West Indies in which Pakistan were hammered by 150 runs — their worst ever defeat in a World Cup.
There was no suggestion that Moin would be asked to return.
“Right now we have not thought about it nor taken any decision to call him back. We will make a judgement after all the facts are known,” Khan said.
Moin, who was removed as the team manager before the World Cup, was sent with the team for the World Cup — a surprise move as in the past the PCB never allowed its chief selector to accompany the team on foreign tours.
The Pakistan board and team has come under fire after losing its first two matches to fierce rivals India and West Indies and also losing a one-day series in New Zealand.
The defeats have increased calls for the PCB board and management to be changed.
Even before the tournament began the management had fined some players for violating curfews, including senior squad members Shahid Afridi and Ahmed Shehzad.
Khan said that the board was also disappointed with the team’s showing so far but that the players themselves were hurt knowing they had let the people down.
“The players have promised a turnaround in remaining matches and they can still qualify for the knockout stage,” he said.
“Right now we are fully supporting the team. And the media should also support them by not overly criticising them.
“Any inquiry would be held after the team returns home to find out what went wrong.”
Pakistan face Zimbabwe this weekend.
