Minister asks PCB boss to release pension of ailing Sarfraz

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to release the pension and arrears of ailing former Test cricketer Sarfraz Nawaz who is currently going through hard times and urgently needs financial assistance for his treatment.

‘The News’ has learnt from well-informed sources in the ministry that after receiving instructions from the top, Minister Ehsanur Rehman Mazari has written a letter to Chairman PCB’s Management Committee Najam Aziz Sethi to release all pending arrears and pension that are of utmost importance for his treatment.

“Sarfraz’s health condition is not good. He needs urgent financial support for his treatment,” the minister said in the letter. Sarfraz is engaged in a court case against Najam Sethi for the last seven years now. The PCB committee chairman has already called for unconditional apology from Sarfraz over what he had said in an interview.

Sarfraz is seriously ill with multiple health problems. He has been recently diagnosed with life threatening lungs collapse issue ‘lower lobe collapse with left hemidiaphragm elevation.’ 75-year old Sarfraz also has serious heart condition and has gone through the heart surgery twice besides having serious blood clotting issues.

The former Test cricketer has gone through leg surgery on February 18 and is now recovering at a hospital in London. When ‘The News’ approached Sarfraz on the condition set by Najam Sethi, he said that he was willing to apologise to Sethi.

“In this condition, I cannot afford any legal battle as I don’t know what would happen to me the next day. I have written a letter to Sethi almost a month back, saying that I am prepared to sign an unconditional apology note. However, it is reasonable to ask for a written confirmation from the PCB to release all my dues since attaining the age of 60.”

Sarfraz added that he was facing serious health issues and was not in a position for any confrontation. “I am really thankful to Mazari for writing a letter to the PCB Committee Chairman. I desperately need financial assistance for my treatment,” Sarfraz said while talking to ‘The News’ from London.

The ailing Test cricketer shifted to London primarily for his treatment almost seven years back. Since then, he has been pursuing his treatment with his state of his health getting worse with each passing day. Since Sarfraz cannot afford private treatment due to lack of finances, he has no option but to go through the UK laid down health procedures.