Bringing Test-playing teams to Pakistan top priority: PCB MD

Monitoring Desk

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Managing Director Wasim Khan on Sunday said bringing Test-playing teams to the country remains his top priority, as he reiterated the need to revive international cricket here.

Wasim, while addressing a press conference in Lahore along with PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani, said all efforts were being made to fully restore international cricket in Pakistan. “We are targetting Test-playing nations. T20 cricket alone cannot achieve the goal of restoring international cricket here,” he said.

The newly appointed managing director, who most recently served as the chief executive of Leicestershire County Cricket Club, acknowledged the need for improvement in domestic cricket structure in order to bring consistency in the national team’s performance. “Our actual problem is at the grassroots, in the system,” Wasim said, adding that the system wasn’t strong and the outcome was visible in the performance of the cricket team, particularly in Tests. He pointed out that any long-term change would take time to implement, and that the results would not be visible in mere six months’ time.

He added that the PCB’s job was to examine the system of domestic cricket and strengthen cricket at the grass roots.

PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani, addressing the press conference, praised Wasim Khan’s contributions to cricket and said that he brings a wealth of experience and leadership skills to the board.

Mani acknowledged that Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure was lacking in quality, and vowed to implement steps to strengthen it.