Karachi, Jan 9 (IANS) The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has banned senior Board officials from speaking to the media.

According to a PCB media release issued Friday, chairman Ijaz Butt has authorised Saleem Altaf, the Chief Operating Officer (COO), to make official statements on behalf of the board.

‘The PCB chairman has taken a very serious note of the statements being issued by various officials of the board on cricket as well as policy matters,’ the statement said.

‘He has issued strict instructions that in future no official of PCB will be authorised to issue statement of any nature to the print and electronic media with the exception of the spokesman who will be the COO,’ it added.

The statement also made clear that all PCB officials have been categorically told that prior permission from the management is necessary for appearing in any television programmes.

The PCB move comes after a series of controversies created by conflicting statements issued by senior PCB officials over issues ranging from the proposed home series against Sri Lanka to the selection criteria for the national team.

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