Daily Times

LAHORE: Former Pakistan pacer 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 Saturday on social media, adding that he would 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,” Akhtar 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. Akhtar has previously been critical of Sethi during his time as chairman. In 2013, he said that Pakistan cricket had deteriorated under Sethi, and that he needed to understand he was now “a chairman and not a TV anchor”. In 2015, after Pakistan’s heavy defeat to West Indies in the World Cup, Akhtar laid blame on Sethi and the entire PCB management. In addition, he had several clashes with the PCB as a player during a 14-year career. Akhtar’s job description and scope is currently unclear, but it appears that the relationship between Akhtar and Sethi has improved significantly.

Published in Daily Times, February  18^th 2018.