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Pakistan reports say Miandad is to resign before Test
Lynn McConnell - 2 March 2001

Pakistan's tour of New Zealand is in danger of disintegrating if a string of stories coming out of Pakistan are to believed.

A report in the Nation newspaper on Wednesday, Pakistan time, quoted a Pakistan supporter being upset enough at the state of bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Wasim Akram when they were seen leaving a Dunedin nightclub late on the night before the series equalling match which was won by New Zealand that he contacted the newspaper to make a complaint.

Pakistan management refused to comment on the incident today

However, more reports have emerged today which suggest team coach Javed Miandad is likely to resign his position before the start of the Test series starting in Auckland next Thursday.

The Nation newspaper said: "PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) sources disclosed that Miandad has decided to relinquish the coaching after being pressurised by some key PCB officials for teams (sic) humiliating defeat at the hands of the host New Zealand in the one-day series."

The report continued: "The team's performance in fielding department during the one-dayer series was disappointing and below standards, the national coach has done nothing for the improvement of the team fielding and that's the major factor of our defeat."

The comment was attributed to a senior member of the PCB selection committee.

It also said there were significant differences between Miandad and team captain Moin Khan over the playing of Shoaib Akhtar in the decisive match despite his being unfit.

The players returning home are: Akhtar, Shahid Afridi and Imran Nazir. It was said yesterday that more than three players were returning home but a meeting last night decided they would be the three.

A rumour did the rounds in Christchurch yesterday that off spin bowler Saqlain Mushtaq could be among the players sent home, however, he is still in the side.

Meanwhile, the PCB has announced that a panel of Abdul Qadir, Ejaz Faqih and Mohsin Kamal will review Akhtar's action.

Imran Khan may also be involved in the investigation into Akhtar's action.

The Nation said of Akhtar: "This is not the first time that Shoaib's action has been questioned, and combined with his fitness problems, it seems that his career is headed downward. His performance in the last one-day game against New Zealand, where he dropped easy catches of both openers who went on to score 193 runs between them and his wayward bowling were in large part responsible for Pakistan's defeat in the game and the series.

"What happens next is anybody's guess, but critics predict that his career is over."

© CricInfo


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