By Muhammad Asif Khan
Karachi: In a surprised development, as many as 30 employees of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) have expressed displeasure over the ‘non professional’ conduct of the ACB chairman, Atif Mashal and refused to continue under him.
One of the disgruntled officials told this correspondent, on the condition of anonymity, that the board affairs were not being run in a professional manner.
“There have been a lot of unwarranted decisions in the recent past. Atif Mashal has been appointing his favourite people on key posts without merit”, he said
Recalling one of the recent meetings at the ACB headquarters in Kabul, he said a newly appointed high-ranked official raised some perplexing objections during a discussion about the upcoming domestic league, Shpageeza. “Can you imagine, a cricket board official lacks even the basic knowledge of the game?
How would you feel if he suggests holding an event with a tennis ball to reduce cost? A newly appointed high-ranked official in fact suggested the same when he was informed about the cost of one [kookaburra] cricket ball”, the unhappy official revealed
On the other hand the Chairman of the ACB, Atif Mashal brushed aside all the accusations and hoped the issues would be amicably resolved. “These are internal issues which will be settled down soon. As chairman, I have taken all decisions in the best interest of Afghan cricket”, Atif Mashal told this correspondent from Kabul.
This is pertinent to mention here that Afghanistan had recently been granted Test status by the International Cricket Council.