PCB bans employees from doing TV commentary

PCB chief Shahryar Khan has decided to ban employees from doing TV commentary

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has banned all its employees, including its former international and first-class cricketers, from undertaking commentary duties on television from now onwards. The decision to do so comes after the intense criticism they faced for allowing selectors Haroon Rasheed and Azhar Khan to do commentary during the national super eight T20 tournament in Faisalabad. They had also allowed bowling coach of the National Cricket Academy in Pakistan, Mohammad Akram, to commentate on the recently concluded historic series between Pakistan and Zimbabwe.

"The Board has realised it was a mistake to allow Haroon or even Akram to sit as commentators and this will not happen again," a senior PCB official said.

Of late, a number of players contracted to the PCB, including the likes of Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali, have appeared to give their expert views on television. The PCB seem to be unhappy with these developments and are in the process of reviewing their media policy pertaining to players.

"In recent times a number of these players have come and sought permission from the Board to work for television channels during a series after first committing to the assignment," the official added.

In the future, the official informed that the PCB will permit players only in special cases as the board wants them to focus on their primary job of performing on the field.