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ICC ruling to end presidential appointment of PCB chairman

KARACHI: Pakistan cricket will not challenge the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) directive to member boards to free themselves from government interference within two years.

The ICC annual conference upheld a constitutional amendment last week to provide for the principle of free elections and the independence of member boards.

In Pakistan, the president is the chief patron of the board (PCB) and directly appoints the chairman.

“We have no intention of challenging the ICC ruling as it was approved by the general council in Hong Kong last week,” PCB Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmad told Reuters.

The PCB would soon meet with government officials to inform them about the ICC ruling.

“Once our chairman, Ijaz Butt, returns home later this month he will brief the chief patron on the changed scenario,” Ahmad added.

The ICC has given members a maximum of two years to reorganise their boards or face sanctions.

Ahmad said that after consulting legal advisors and meeting government official the PCB would start working on making the necessary amendments in its constitution to bring it in line with ICC requirements.

“It will take a few months but we also want to ensure this  process is completed without a hitch,” he added.

Last month, PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt called for an end to political interference in the board’s row with former captain Shahid Afridi, saying it was damaging the sport.

PPL WILL LAUNCH SOON....

Pakistan’s players have not been a part of the IPL since its inaugural season, but the PCB has plans to launch their own equivalent of the Twenty20 tournament, Sources in the PCB told that having failed in its bid to finalise the proposed Pakistan Premier League T20 competition on a much wider scale, the board had decided to work on a modified version.


"What is clear now is that the board is convinced it would serve no purpose for it even if the Pakistan Premier League was possible at a neutral venue," the source said.


"What is decided now is to work on a modified version of the PPL but it will only be held in Pakistan," he added.


The sources also revealed that the board would soon be speaking to some television broadcasters regarding the new idea.


"The plan is to launch the PPL in the country and convince a few overseas players to appear in it for franchise teams," the source said.


Stating that the Board has realised that because of the security situation in the country it would be next to impossible to get a wide range of overseas players to play in the PPL, the source, however admitted, "PCB is confident of attracting a few foreign players, mainly from Asian nations."

The source said that the success of the ongoing domestic super eights T20 tournament in Faisalabad was one reason for the new line of thinking.


"The eight regional teams in the competition have all been sponsored by private companies and the feeling is that the PCB can get more leading companies and banks to sponsor franchise teams even if a few overseas players are involved," the source said.


"Even if the PCB managed to launch its PPL in Dubai or some other neutral venue it realises now this will not help in anyway in convincing foreign teams to start touring Pakistan. The idea is now to work slowly but steadily on a premier league but in Pakistan," the source added.


The board, in the past, was close to launching the PPL with franchised teams in Dubai and had even invited bids from sports management companies to manage the event.


"There were even presentations made by some overseas companies on the proposed PPL but it didn't take off as everything boiled down to the continued refusal of other boards to send their players to Pakistan," explained the source

Sangakkara slams corrupt administration

Kumar Sangakkara has made an extraordinary, scathing attack on the "partisan cronies" at Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), who have blighted the sport in his country, and who led him to resign the captaincy after only two years in charge, following the World Cup final in April. Sangakkara was delivering the MCC Spirit of Cricket Lecture at Lord's.

In an hour-long speech that earned him a standing ovation, Sangakkara charted the unique history of cricket in his country, and called on SLC to root out its corrupt practices and recognise the huge role the sport now needs to play in promoting reconciliation at the end of a 30-year civil war.

Sangakkara pinpointed the country's most powerful moment of national unity - the World Cup final victory over Australia in 1996 - as the moment the sport's administration changed "from a volunteer-led organisation run by well-meaning men of integrity into a multimillion-dollar organisation that has been in turmoil ever since".

Sri Lanka's ongoing tour of England has been dogged by controversy ever since Sanath Jayasuriya, now an MP with the ruling UPFA party, was recalled at the age of 41 to play in the one-off Twenty20 and the first ODI at The Oval, despite having been out of the side for nearly two years. Without mentioning names, Sangakkara voiced his concern at the direction the sport in his country is now heading.

"Players from within the team itself became involved in power games within the board," he said. "Officials elected to power in this way in turn manipulated player loyalty to achieve their own ends. At times board politics would spill over into the team causing rift, ill feeling and distrust.

"Accountability and transparency in administration and credibility of conduct were lost in a mad power struggle that would leave Sri Lankan cricket with no consistent and clear administration. Presidents and elected executive committees would come and go; government-picked interim committees would be appointed and dissolved."

Last week, Sri Lanka's sports ministry dissolved SLC's interim committee, following allegations of financial mismanagement that left the co-hosts of the recent World Cup with a US$ 69 million bill. That announcement followed the ICC meeting in Hong Kong, at which a directive was issued, stating that cricket boards had to be free of political interference by June 2013, or face the prospect of sanctions.

"After 1996 the cricket board has been controlled and administered by a handful of well-meaning individuals either personally or by proxy, rotated in and out, depending on appointment or election," Sangakkara said. "Unfortunately to consolidate and perpetuate their power, they opened the door of the administration to partisan cronies that would lead to corruption and wanton waste of cricket board finances and resources.

"It was and still is confusing. Accusations of vote buying and rigging, player interference due to lobbying from each side and even violence at the AGMs, including the brandishing of weapons and ugly fist fights, have characterised cricket board elections for as long as I can remember.

"We have to aspire to better administration. The administration needs to adopt the same values enshrined by the team over the years: integrity, transparency, commitment and discipline.

"Unless the administration is capable of becoming more professional, forward-thinking and transparent then we risk alienating the common man. Indeed, this is already happening. Loyal fans are becoming increasingly disillusioned. This is very dangerous because it is not the administrators or players that sustain the game - it is the cricket-loving public. It is their passion that powers cricket and if they turn their backs on cricket then the whole system will come crashing down."

Crucially for the future of Sri Lanka, that public consists of supporters from both sides of the bloody civil war that was finally concluded last year. However, as has been seen by the numerous Tamil protestors who have made their presence known during the current Test and ODI series, there is a danger that the current state of the sport will breed disenchantment rather than foster unity.

"Cricket played a crucial role during the dark days of Sri Lanka's civil war, a period of enormous suffering for all communities," Sangakkara said. "But the conduct and performance of the team will have even greater importance as we enter a crucial period of reconciliation and recovery, an exciting period where all Sri Lankans aspire to peace and unity.

"It is also an exciting period for cricket where the reintegration of isolated communities in the north and east opens up new talent pools. The Spirit of Cricket can and should remain a guiding force for good within society, providing entertain and fun, but also a shining example to all of how we all should approach our lives."

Pakistan hopeful of inclusion in Champions League T20

While the country gets continuously snubbed by the Champions League organisers, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is still not giving up hope of participation in the coveted Twenty20 tournament.

Pakistan’s representation was missing once again when organisers announced a new format for this year’s event that will be competed among 10 teams later this year. Pakistan are the only major Test nation to miss out on taking part in the mega event.

However, the PCB Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmed was optimistic after having a discussion with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), he said.

“We had a discussion with the BCCI on the sidelines of the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting,” Ahmed told reporters on returning from the ICC annual conference. “Primarily we discussed playing a bilateral series with India. Once the ties revive, we’re confident we’ll be included in the Champions League.”

Ahmed further said that Pakistan and India are scheduled to play a series in February next year, for which discussions with the Indian board will soon be held.

PCB satisfied with outcome in Hong Kong

The ICC meeting saw some major decisions being taken, including giving a ruling that requires cricket boards to end government intervention in their operations.

The PCB, whose chairman is appointed by the country’s president who also happens to be the board’s patron-in-chief, is directly affected by this ruling but Ahmed seemed content with the outcome.

“We’re satisfied with the outcome and will be discussing the ruling with the government. We will give its output to the ICC, which has understood our viewpoint and has given us two years to implement the change.”

Ahmed also expressed his satisfaction that the proposal of doing away with the rotational policy of appointing ICC presidents was deferred.

No progress in reviving international cricket

However, the PCB failed to achieve any breakthrough in their attempts to revive international cricket in Pakistan. The country has not hosted international cricket since March 2009 following an attack on the Sri Lanka team.

“The revival of cricket depends on the security situation. The ICC has assured their support on hosting an event in 2018 subject to security.”

Govt and cricket

Just a day after the International Cricket Council (ICC) banned its member nations from making political appointments to national cricket boards, the Sri Lankans announced that they accepted the ruling and had disbanded an interim committee appointed by their government to run cricket in the island. But Pakistan, where a gentleman handpicked by the government is running a one-man show, is a different story. What a top Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official told the media after his return early on Saturday morning from Hong Kong which hosted the ICC moot shows the extent of government meddling in our cricket affairs. PCB’s Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmed made it clear that the Board would decide its course of action on the ICC ruling after discussing the issue with the government. “How we implement this reform will depend on our talks with the government,” Ahmed told reporters. However, the writing is on the wall for the PCB bigwigs. The ICC executive board has given cricket boards 12 months to implement free elections and another 12-month grace period before any sanctions would be considered against a member nation.

According to the ICC, the idea behind this move is to free cricket from undue influence and outright government meddling. The reform allows the ICC to suspend a member country in the event of government interference in the running of a national cricket board. Unsurprisingly, the ICC move has been welcomed by people like Imran Khan, the former Pakistan Test captain, who is a staunch critic of the current PCB set-up. Political meddling is certainly spoiling our cricket. PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt has been heavily criticised for his poor policies both at home and abroad. But he continues to weather all sorts of storms because he has the backing of President Zardari who, as the PCB’s chief patron, has the powers to hire or fire Board chiefs. Because of such direct political involvement, it is difficult to run Pakistan cricket in a transparent manner. There isn’t much accountability either. It is time our government learnt to separate sports from politics.

Bangladesh Cricket postpones national U-19 cricket team's tour to Pakistan

Pakistan cricket seems to have suffered yet another setback as the Bangladesh Cricket Board has decided to postpone a tour of its national Under-19 team to Pakistan.

The Bangladesh U-19 team was scheduled to tour Pakistan from later this month but a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said that they have got a request from their counterpart to postpone the series.

The official declined to give reasons for the BCB's decision but said the series could be played at a later date this year.

Sources in the board said the BCB's request could stem from security concerns about playing in Pakistan in present situation, although the Pakistan Football Federation hosted the Bangladesh team for a World Cup qualifying match in Lahore on Sunday.

The Bangladesh football officials had also initially asked the sport's world governing body to move their World Cup qualifying match against Pakistan from Lahore but their request was rejected despite their security concerns.

Bangladesh football team coach was fired for refusing to go to Pakistan.

Relations between the Pakistan and Bangladesh boards have not been at their best in recent times, particularly after BCB cancelled a tour by the Pakistan team to Bangladesh immediately after the militants attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March, 2009.

Later in a tit for tat response, Pakistan also sat on an invitation to play a series of one-day matches in Bangladesh.

Relations soured further when Pakistan accused Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka for not supporting it when the ICC decided to move the 2011 World Cup matches out of Pakistan on security grounds.

No foreign teams have toured Pakistan since March, 2009 when militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, killing six Pakistani policemen and a van driver and wounding five Sri Lankan players.

Since then the only foreign team to have visited Pakistan was Afghanistan, who played a One-day series against the Pakistan 'A' side recently.

The PCB official said the tour by the Bangladesh U-19 team had been finalised in a bid to allow junior players to prepare for next year's ICC youth World Cup. 

PCB should host T20, 50-over domestic leagues: Sohail

The resounding success of first super eights T20 tournament in Faisalabad has impressed Aamir Sohail and the former captain feels the board should organize a T20 and 50-over League in the smaller cities of the country until international cricket returns to Pakistan.

The Iqbal stadium in Faisalabad on Friday night was packed to the hilt with thousands more clamoring outside the stadium to get in for the final of the super eights tournament that saw the unfancied Rawalpindi Rams upset Karachi Dolphins.

The match also saw an eliminator over bowled in a T20 match in Pakistan to decide the winner for the first time. Both teams had tied on the final ball after Karachi set a stiff target of 165 but in the eliminator over, Rawalpindi scored 16 runs and Karachi were unable to match and lost both their batsmen.

"The way the people have poured into the stadium every day of this week long tournament shows just hungry the Pakistanis are for quality cricket," Sohail said.

"We have seen such a packed house and atmosphere after such a long time. I have no doubt that if the board organizes limited over cricket leagues all over the country it will be an instant success," Sohail added.

No foreign team has toured Pakistan since March, 2009 for security reasons after militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in which six Pakistani police and a van driver were killed.

Pakistan has been forced to relocate its next two "home" series against Sri Lanka and England also to Dubai and Abu Dhabi after both teams refused to play in Pakistan.