Pakistan manager summoned back to Lahore

Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed has left Sri Lanka amidst unconfirmed rumours that he has been sacked.

The 72-year-old manager checked out of the team hotel on Tuesday after reportedly being summoned back to Lahore.

The PCB refused to confirm the sacking on Tuesday. Khalid Butt, the PCB's media manager, was quoted by the Dawn newspaper as saying: "I have no knowledge about Yawar Saeed's removal as Pakistan team manager. As far as I know, there is no official announcement forthcoming from the cricket board."

Saeed, who had been appointed up until the 2003 World Cup, appears to be the second casualty following Pakistan's recent poor form. Coach Mudassar Nazar was released earlier this month.

Former manager Brigadier Khawaja Muhammad Nasir is tipped to replace Saeed. Nazir has filled the post on a number of occasions after being first appointed in 1984.

Pakistan are due to play three Test matches against Australia after the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy, the first of which will be played at Colombo. The final two games will be played at Sharjah.

They will be anxious to reverse a poor run that has seen them struggle in tri-series at Tangiers and Nairobi in August. They also failed during the ICC Champions Trophy, losing to Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the tournament curtain raiser.

However, the chances of Pakistan defeating the powerful Australians look slim after injuries to key batsmen Yousuf Youhana and Inzamam-ul-Haq. Wasim Akram and Saeed Anwar have both made themselves unavailable for the series.

South Africa-based Englishman Richard Pybus, Mudassar's successor as coach, left for Colombo via Dubai Tuesday night along with six players named in the Test squad Saturday.