Sikander Bakth and Shafiq Ahmed on PCB selection panel

By Rizwan Ehsan Ali

ISLAMABAD, JAN. 8. The advisory council of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday appointed former Test cricketers Sikander Bakth and Shafiq Ahmed on the panel of the selection committee.

Ex-Test paceman Sikander Bakth and middle-order batsman Shafiq will replace Ehteshamuddin and Iqbal Qasim respectively. Wasim Bari was retained chairman of the committee.

The advisory council discussed more than two names for the post of selectors and finally decided on Sikander Bakth and Shafiq Ahmed to assist Bari.

Their immediate assignment would be selection of the team for next month's under-17 Asia Cup in Bangladesh, Rana said.

Boycott's coaching trip

The advisory council also approved former England opener Geoff Boycott's 15-day trip to Pakistan to coach youngsters in an academy at Lahore. The academy will be officially opened on January 20.

Boycott will arrive on February 5 and will train youngsters until February 20. Brig. Rana confirmed that Boycott would be paid a heavy coaching fee. Since an agreement on the amount to be paid has not yet been reached, the PCB has appointed one of the members of its advisory council, Ramiz Raja, to negotiate with Boycott.

Brig. Rana also confirmed that negotiations with former West Indian paceman Michael Holding and former South African Test off- spinner Pat Symcox were also in the pipeline.

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