Zaheer Abbas manager for England tour, Pak to avoid chopping

Lahore, June 6 (UNI) Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has retained former captain Zaheer Abbas as the team manager for the side's England tour and decided to do away with the customary chopping and dropping of players at the drop of the hat so that it doesn't affect their run-up to next year's World Cup.

After the PCB Ad hoc Committee meeting here yesterday, the board retained Zaheer Abbas as manager for the team's tour of England.

Zaheer was appointed manager of the team that toured Sri Lanka earlier this year.

Director of Board Operations Abbas Zaidi told ''The News'' that the Board has decided to do away with the practice of frequent chopping and dropping of players which could affect the team's World Cup prospects.

''More or less everybody agreed that there shouldn't be any chop and cut till the (2007) World Cup,'' Mr Zaidi said.

PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan, members of the Ad-hoc Committee, coach Bob Woolmer, skipper Inzamam-ul Haq and chief selector Wasim Bari attended the meeting.

Woolmer, Inzamam and Bari were invited in the meeting to discuss Pakistan's plans for the future tournaments, including the World Cup.

''Our job was to update the Committee on our selection process and to inform its members about our plans for a series of international assignments for our national team at home and abroad in the coming months,'' Bari said after the meeting.

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