The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has terminated the contract of their national team coach Geoff Lawson. A spokesman for the board said on Friday that the former Australian Test pacer has been released from his contract and given three months' pay as compensation. The board also dismissed their chief operating officer, Shafqat Naghmi, and replaced him with Saleem Altaf. Altaf will now function as director general of the board with the additional powers of chief operating officer. "The decision to release Lawson and Naghmi was taken by the chairman," the spokesman said. "Lawson has been informed about the decision." Lawson had been hired by the PCB in August 2007 after the death of Bob Woolmer during the World Cup. His two-year contract was due to end in 2009. PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt had said on Monday that Lawson was ‘useless’ but that he would see out the remainder of his contract.
