Danish Kaneria, former Pakistan leg spinner slammed outgoing CEO Wasim Khan and believes his departure is a blessing for Pakistan cricket. Wasim Khan stepped down as the CEO of the PCB on Wednesday and his resignation was accepted.
Wasim Khan, who took charge as the PCB CEO in 2019, vacated the position four months before the end of his contract. He revealed that it has been an honor to serve Pakistan cricket but felt the time was to move on and spend more time with his family.
Danish Kaneria Questions Wasim Khan’s Role In Pakistan’s Improvement As The Leg Spinner Blames Him For Failure To Convince England To Tour Pakistan
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Danish Kaneria felt Wasim Khan hardly did anything good for Pakistan cricket. The 40-year-old accused the former CEO of being power-hungry and wealth-oriented. Danish Kaneria also blamed Wasim Khan for failing to convince England to tour Pakistan.
Pakistan’s cricket board said its chief executive had resigned, two weeks after New Zealand and England abandoned tours in the country over security concerns. New Zealand Cricket called off their first tour of Pakistan in 18 years just as the first ODI was due to start in Rawalpindi earlier this month.
Their decision was swiftly followed by England’s cancellation of a planned short tour too next month. PCB gave no reason for Wasim Khan’s resignation, but said it would meet later to “consider the matter”.
“What has Wasim Khan done for Pakistan cricket? He has only ruined Pakistan cricket by running behind money. When Ramiz bhai requested him to work for 30% less money, he declined as the powers were snatched away from him. Khan’s misuse of power damaged and harmed Pakistan cricket. If he had such contacts with England, why couldn’t he convince them to tour Pakistan?”
Pakistan’s much-anticipated home season this year was in a hapless situation as both New Zealand and England withdrew from their scheduled tours of the nation. The decision by both cricketing boards faced severe backlash from the PCB, who had to cope with massive financial losses.
Danish Kaneria Backs Aaqib Javed To Become Director Of Pakistan Cricket
Danish Kaneria said he expects the PCB chairman Ramiz Raja to create a director’s position and dissolve the CEO’s spot. He tipped former paceman, Aaqib Javed, to fit well in the new position, stating he has great credibility and will work well with Ramiz Raja.
“I predict Ramiz bhai to do away with the CEO position and expect Aaqib Javed to occupy the director’s position. He has done wonders as he has worked with Lahore Qalanders. I have also worked with Javed in the National Cricket Academy and he is a zero-tolerance type of personality. There is also a great understanding between Javed and Ramiz bhai.”
Wasim Khan is the latest to depart from the Pakistan cricket circle, following former coaches Misbah-Ul-Haq and Waqar Younis’s resignation. The Men in Green find themselves slightly unsettled by multiple off-field issues ahead of the T20 World Cup, where the team’s selections were also questioned.
Wasim Khan, who is British with Pakistani heritage, had made huge efforts to revive international cricket after a 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team sent Pakistan into isolation for years. Hired on a three-year contract in 2019, he had organized Pakistan’s tours of England and New Zealand amid severe Covid-19 restrictions last year.
Pakistan has only hosted South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe since the 2009 attacks.