IMAGE: Ijaz Ahmed junior now appointed coach by PCB. Photograph:TwitterFired four years ago following allegations of match-fixing, Ijaz Ahmed junior has been controversially appointed head coach of the Pakistan squad for the Asian Emerging Nations Cup, to be held in Karachi and Colombo in December.
The Pakistan Cricket Board's move raised eyebrows but a PCB official insisted Ahmed was already doing coaching in domestic cricket after an inquiry found nothing against him.
The allegations of fixing a domestic T20 match against the former Test player surfaced when Basit Ali, also an ex-Test cricketer, claimed while commentating in a tournament, that Ijaz had told him he had fixed a game while coaching Sialkot.
According to Ali, Ijaz had told him that Sialkot lost a game on purpose to oust another team from the knockout stage of the tournament.
Soon after Ali made the comments, the board fired Ijaz as regional coach and suspended him.
Now, the PCB official said a subsequent inquiry had found no evidence of fixing against Ijaz, who played two Tests and as many ODIs during a very brief international stint in the 90s.
"The board resumed giving coaching assignments of junior teams in domestic cricket to Ijaz two years back," he said.
The Pakistan team will be playing against Bangladesh, UAE and Hong Kong in the Karachi leg of the tournament from December 6 while India, Sri Lanka, Oman and Afghanistan play their matches in Colombo.
The Asian Cricket Council had to reschedule he tournament and organise it at two venues after India refused to tour Pakistan.
The semi-finals and final will be played in Colombo.
The Pakistani selectors have announced that discarded wicketkeeper-batsman, Muhammad Rizwan, will lead the squad which is a mixture of some seasoned players who have played for Pakistan and the top young performers of domestic cricket.
Pakistan Emerging squad: Sahibzada Farhan, Zeeshan Malik, Ali Imran, Hussain Talat, Saad Ali, Khushdil Shah, Saud Shakil, Muhammad Rizwan (captain, wicketkeeper), Ashiq Ali, Muhammad Asghar, Ghulam Mudassar, Sameen Gul, Musa Khan, Muhammad Ilyas, Suleman Shafqat.
Sri Lanka recall trio for two-Test tour of New Zealand
Batsmen Lahiru Thirimanne and Sadeera Samarawickrama have been recalled by Sri Lanka after a year out of the side for next month's two-Test series in New Zealand.
Top-order batsman Thirimanne played the last of his 29 Tests away to India in November 2017, the same series in which wicketkeeper-batsman Samarawickrama earned a fourth cap since making his debut earlier in the year.
Fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep, who has played 28 Tests, also returns to the squad, having spent more than a year on the sidelines due to injuries.
Dinesh Chandimal is back to lead the side after missing the last two Tests of the recent 3-0 home series loss against England with a groin strain.
Batsman Kaushal Silva was dropped for his poor displays against England, while off-spinner Akila Dananjaya has been kept out of the 17-man squad as he awaits the result of tests after being reported for a suspect bowling action.
The first Test starts at Wellington on Dec. 15, followed by the second at Christchurch on Dec. 26.
Squad: Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya De Silva, Angelo Mathews, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Danushka Gunathilaka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera.
