Pakistan were ousted from the tournament after a humiliating defeat by minnows Ireland on March 17. Coach Bob Woolmer was found murdered in his hotel room the next day.

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) press release said 80 employees would be "relieved from their positions with severance pay" after a review of its management structure by external consultants.

"The decision to terminate their services was taken on corporate lines," PCB marketing director Ahsan Malik told this news agency.

PCB chief operating officer Shafqat Nagmi was quoted by state media as saying that the aim was to restructure the board "ensuring good governance and (the) right man for the right job."

"Some of the previous employees were not even known to their job description and they were not performing their duties to a level of satisfaction. Besides, they were not suitable in the new structure," he said.

Officials said those shown the door included two general managers plus others from lower tiers of the organisation.

The review of the PCB's staffing levels included a comparison with other cricket boards, including those in Australia and South Africa, Nagmi said.