Misbah Ul Haq, Azhar Ali to be summoned by PCB after meeting with PM Imran Khan 

The meeting against board's policy decision with Imran didn't go down well with CEO Wasim Khan and chairman Ehsan Mani.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will summon national team's head coach and chief selector Misbah Ul Haq, as well as Test skipper Azhar Ali and experienced batsman Mohammad Hafeez, after their meeting with PM Imran Khan over a proposal to revoke the recent changes made to the domestic game.

Imran being the patron of chief of the PCB pushed forward his longstanding wish to see only six regional teams in the first-class game, abolishing departmental sides to strengthen the pipeline last winter. 

Read Also: Umar Gul wants departments to be revived in Pakistan domestic cricket 

The PCB contracted as many as 132 players as well, but the flip side of only fielding provincial teams was that the system lost many players who benefitted largely from the financial security that the departments provided them. 

In wake of the negative effects of the revamp, Misbah, along with Azhar and Hafeez, met Imran earlier this month after the UK trip in an effort to make him revisit the stance. 

However, the meeting didn't go down well with the PCB regime. It is understood, "board CEO Wasim Khan will meet with the three players on Monday (September 28) to convey the board’s displeasure and unhappiness over their move to approach Imran and speak out against a policy decision", states a PTI report. 

Interestingly, in the meeting mentioned above, not only Wasim, PCB's chairman Ehsan Mani was also present along with the players, who had their concerns rejected by Imran, emphasizing the need to give the new system enough time to bear the kind of results aspired. 

"Mani and Wasim were not happy with Misbah and the two other players going against a policy decision of the board in front of the Prime Minister and this will be conveyed to them", mentions the report. 

A source close to the development, however, said despite Mani and Wasim portraying otherwise, Misbah and the two players had pre-informed them about the meeting. 

“The trio had time and again made it clear to the board officials they were not in favour of the scrapping of departmental teams in domestic cricket," the source said. 

"How is it possible that the Prime Minister who is patron in chief of the board would agree to meet with Misbah and company without first the board being made aware of this and secondly how did the two senior PCB officials also attend the meeting?"