Miandad appointed PCB's Director General

Karachi, Nov 19 (IANS) Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad was Wednesday appointed as the Director General of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

A PCB spokesman said that Miandad will take over as the Board's DG with immediate effect. Miandad replaced former Pakistan Test pacer Saleem Altaf, who was re-designated as PCB's chief operating officer earlier this month.

Miandad, 51, said that he was pleased to accept the job and he will give his best for the betterment of Pakistan cricket.

'Pakistan cricket is going through a tough phase but I'm hopeful that with an united effort we will come out of it,' he said.

Miandad, who was one of the staunchest critics of former PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf, was reportedly offered the job of Pakistan coach by the new Board chief Ijaz Butt last month. Miandad politely turned it down but told the PCB chief that he would be happy to work for the Board in another capacity.

Miandad is the third former Pakistani Test cricketer, who has been given an important position in the national cricket set-up by Butt, who himself is a former Test opener. Altaf was made Chief Operating Officer while former Pakistan captain Intikhab Alam was appointed as the national team coach soon after Butt took over as the PCB chief.