Huge embarrassment for PCB as this coach suspended after molestation allegation
Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suspended one of its national level coaches after a player alleged that he molested her. Multan zone coach Nadeem Iqbal was a well-known fast bowler during his playing days and made his first-class debut for the same team with pace bowling great Waqar Younis. A PCB official confirmed that they have started an investigation into the matter to find out if Nadeem violated the terms of his job with the board.
“Obviously we can’t do any criminal investigation that the police have to do, but our investigation will reveal whether he has breached the terms of the contract with us,” the official said. The 50-year-old Nadeem, who played 80 first-class matches, was considered an even better bowler than Waqar in his heyday and took seven wickets in one match to bowl out the National Bank team for 20 in Karachi. In her complaint to the police, the victim has claimed that she had gone to Multan for PCB women’s trials a few years back when Nadeem was one of the coaches.
“He came close to me with the promise of picking me up for the women’s team and getting me a job on the board. But over time he kept on sexually abusing me and including his friends. He also videotaped me and later I kept blackmailing me,” she alleged in a video message.
In 2014, five young women cricketers accused the officials of the private Multan Cricket Club of sexual harassment. The cricketers told the media that the officials of a well-known cricket club affiliated with the district association demanded sex in exchange for selection in the team.
Last year, Pakistan’s Test leg-spinner Yasir Shah was also accused of sexually assaulting a young girl and later helping a friend to bully her. The complainant later dropped the charges against Yasir but the case against his friend is still pending in a court.