Shoaib Akhtar appointed adviser to PCB chair

KARACHI (Monitoring Desk): Former star cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has been appointed as the adviser to the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on cricket affairs, the board’s head said Friday night on social media, adding that he will also take on the role of its brand ambassador.

Akhtar, 42, holds the record for the fastest ball delivered in recorded cricket history (100.2 mph). He responded positively to the announcement, saying he wanted “to take Pakistan cricket to the next level”.

“Looking forward to work with @najamsethi and #pcb to take PAKISTAN cricket to the next level,” Shoaib wrote in response to Sethi’s tweet.

I am “honored to be chosen for these positions in @TheRealPCB ,will work with same passion as i did when playing.Thank you once again,” he added.

From 1997 to 2011, the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ represented Pakistan in 46 Test matches, 163 one-day internationals, and 15 Twenty20 internationals, taking a collective 444 wickets in the three formats.