Pakistan's chief selector Moin Khan returned home from Australia on Thursday and escaped an embarrassing situation at the airport, where a small group of protesters gathered to vent their anger with eggs and banners.
Recalled from Australia by the Pakistan Cricket Board for visiting a casino in Christchurch the night before the match against the West Indies, Moin slipped out of the Karachi international airport terminal building with a friend sans any baggage and drove away hurriedly.
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The former Pakistan captain preferred not to speak to the media waiting outside the terminal building but exchanged words with a youngster and a television channel reporter who tried to film him and asked for comments.
Appearing visibly shaken and tense, he avoided a group of youngsters gathered outside the terminal building with eggs to pelt him, even as they raised slogans against him.
One youngster, on learning that Moin had left the airport, broke eggs on his own head.
PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan told reporters in Lahore that he would be meeting with Moin soon to find out his version on the casino episode.
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Moin, who has held key positions in the PCB since last year, publicly apologised for his actions on Wednesday, saying he had gone only to have dinner with some friends at the Casino and it was a bad error of judgement on his part.
"I just went there to have some food but in hindsight it was a bad decision and I regret it now. But everyone knows my career and I will be giving my version to the board soon," Moin told Samaa channel.
"The PCB has called me back and I respect their decision, but I never knew my actions would have such serious repercussions," Moin added.
The former wicketkeeper-batsman’s motive of visiting the casino and his past has been attacked by some channels and former Test players such as Sarfaraz Nawaz, Abdul Qadir and Shahid Nazir.
While Nawaz on Thursday called for him to be blacklisted from Pakistan cricket, Nazir said the PCB should hold a judicial inquiry to find out the truth behind Moin going to the casino.
"The PCB should have a full scale inquiry. Moin was a great player but a failure in administration and as selector," Nazir said.
A sessions court in Lahore also ordered the Station House Officer of Islampura police station to submit a report whether action would be taken against Moin on legal grounds after an advocate submitted a petition in the court seeking action against the former captain.
Former Pakistan captain Aamir Sohail said Moin had chosen the wrong time to visit the casino and is paying the price for the blunder.
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Image: Moin Khan with Pakistan coach Waqar Younis (left) and captain Misbah-ul Haq on the eve of the World Cup match against India
Photograph: Vipin Pawar/Solaris Images
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