Outspoken Latif gets PCB notice, may resign soon

Pakistan's former captain Rashid Latif has decided to step down as wicketkeeping coach in the Pakistan Cricket Board after being issued a showcause notice for speaking about the raging spot-fixing and betting scandal on a television show.

Sources told PTI that Latif would be sending his resignation to the board shortly along with his response to the notice.

"Apparently the board has taken strong exception to Latif appearing on a popular sports talk show on Geo super channel in which he made some strong comments on the spot-fixing issue," one source disclosed.

"Latif has been asked in the notice issued by the board to explain how he appeared on the show without the permission of the board as he is a proper employee of the PCB," the source said.

The source said the board had asked Latif to also explain his comments that the PCB mishandled the whole issue. Latif said on the show that had PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt been responsible, he would have suspended the tainted trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir himself without waiting for the ICC to do this.

Latif also criticised the formation of the inquiry committee after the Australian tour and the people selected to sit on it.

"Latif is a straight forward person and he feels that if the board expects him to keep quiet just because he is working for them in a specialist cricketing position, he can't let this happen. Being a former captain and player, he has a duty towards Pakistan cricket," one source stated.

Incidentally, sources disclosed that Latif has also been offered the position of head coach with the Afghanistan cricket team and is seriously considering accepting the offer and helping the Afghans climb up the international cricket ladder.