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World Cup flashbacks: When Pakistan chief selector Moin Khan was asked to go home after visiting casino in 2015

But the 2015 campaign started on a disastrous note as Misbah-ul-Haq's side lost their first two games - to India by 76 runs and to West Indies by 150 runs.

Moin Khan

Bengaluru, April 26: Pakistan were back in Australia and New Zealand in 2015 to relive the memory of 1992 when they had won their first World Cup under Imran Khan, the current prime minister of the country.

But the 2015 campaign started on a disastrous note as Misbah-ul-Haq's side lost their first two games - to India by 76 runs and to West Indies by 150 runs. The World Cup seemed to be going all wrong for the former champions.

If the on-field woes was not enough for the Asians, they had their share off it too. The side was left utterly embarrassed when its chief selector Moin Khan, a former wicket-keeper-batsman, who was part of the 1992 Wolrd Cup-winning squad, was found in a casino in Christchurch, New Zealand, a couple of days before the clash against Windies.

Moin was asked to return home once by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and asked to explain as to what made him visit the casino. Hearing about a player returning home from a foreign tour for breach of discipline is not new. But to see none other than the chief selector facing such an embarrassing situtation was unusual.

Moin, who played 69 Tests and 219 ODIs for Pakistan, defended saying he had gone to the casino to have lunch with his friends but it was not enough to convince the authorities.

PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan had said that team manager Naved Cheema would chair the tour selection committee with Misbah and the then head coach Waqar Younis. An investigation was also launched into the incident.

The incident was preceded by another controversy when as many as eight Pakistan players, including former captain Shahid Afridi, were reportedly fined for violating the team curfew ahead of their opening game against India in Adelaide.

It was alleged that the players were late by 45 minutes while coming back from dinner with friends. They were even warned that a repeat offence would see them losing their chance to play in the tournament.

Story first published: Friday, April 26, 2019, 16:25 [IST]
Other articles published on Apr 26, 2019