PCB to review its liberal media policy

The Pakistan Cricket Board has said that it would review its policy towards allowing players to write columns and do television shows.

Lahore, Dec 5 : The Pakistan Cricket Board has said that it would review its policy towards allowing players to write columns and do television shows.

The recent decision of the PCB came after vice-captain Younis Khan caused a stir by writing that he was not consulted about playing Shoaib Akhtar in the ongoing second Test against India at Kolkata.

Younis, who was leading the team due to the injury to skipper Shoaib Malik, wrote in his column that he was not consulted on playing an unwell Shoaib Akhtar and the team management had decided on the matter.

Younis also said that he would have done things differently if it had been his decision to finalise the playing eleven.

The platform chosen by the senior batsman to distance him from the team selection has understandably caused a stir in the PCB, which has allowed its players to write columns and appear on television shows during the India tour.

"Our guideline to the players is clear. They have to get their columns vetted by the media manager of the tour before submitting it for publication," Shafqat Naghmi, PCB's Chief Operating Officer, said.

"In the case of Younis, we don't know right now if the media manager approved his article. But, we are in the process of finding out, because his comments were a bit surprising in the middle of a match," he added.

"We might have to review the policy of allowing players media freedom at our next governing body meeting," Naghmi said.

Interestingly, media manager Ehsan Malik admitted that he had not seen the column.

Team manager Talat Ali was not happy with what Younis had to say in his column.

Sources in the Pakistan team said that the comments by Younis did upset the captain, the manager and the chief selector.

ANI