Pak team manager Yawar Saeed quits

Scandal-hit Pakistan cricket team's manager Yawar Saeed on Monday stepped down from his post just a week after returning from the torrid tour of England, which was marred by spot-fixing allegations.

Pakistan Cricket Board media manager Nadeem Sarwar reporters that Saeed, during his meeting with PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt, requested to be relieved of his duties as national team manager.

"The Chairman has accepted his request. The PCB will decide on a new manager later on for the forthcoming series against South Africa," Sarwar said.

Saeed, when contacted, declined to comment on his decision stating that he had done his duty as manager in England and that his agreement with the board was on a series to series basis.

"I have had a long discussion with the chairman and he understood my point of view," Saeed said.

Saeed and Butt are close friends and since Butt took over as Chairman in 2008, he has reposed faith in Saeed except for the tours to New Zealand and Australia early this year.

Saeed, who has come under fire for his handling of the team in the spot-fixing controversy in England, had himself indicated that he wanted to step down as manager after the tour as he was unable to handle the pressures of the job.

Sources said in all probability the board would now promote Shafqat Rana, who went as associate manager to England, in place of Saeed.

The board gave out no details of the meeting the chairman also had with the national selection committee.

Although the meeting was to pick the Pakistan A squad for a tour of the West Indies and the teams for the Asian Games but sources said the selectors discussed the availability of the suspended trio of Salman Butt, Muhammad Amir and Mohammad Asif for the forthcoming series against South Africa.

"Butt told the selectors that they should, for the time being, hold back announcing the senior team for the South Africa series as the board was expecting the Scotland Yard and prosecutor's office to come out with a decision on the suspended trio this week," one source said.

"The board is expecting the prosecutor's office to decide this week if there is enough evidence provided by the Scotland Yard to press charges against the three players who are alleged to have done spot fixing in the fourth Test against England at Lords late August," the source said.