By Syed Intikhab Ali
Who could have imagined that Pakistan cricket would once hear ‘No’ from Afghanistan and Bangladesh cricket bosses. That they would tell us they were not ready to play with Pakistan in Pakistan and if we wanted to play with them we should visit their country or play at a neutral venue.
PCB’s former chairman Zaka Ashraf says that bad governance in cricket has reached an alarming level and PM Nawaz Sharif’s intervention has become necessary.
Enough is enough. Those who were taught the game of cricket by Pakistan are now telling Pakistan that they will not come here. No doubt India has a lot of influence, but what is PCB doing to counter its designs?
Atif Mishal, the chairman of Afghanistan Cricket Board, has told PCB that they cannot play in Pakistan and it will be better to organize the series in UAE or in Afghanistan.
He declared that the relations between the two countries were not good enough for them to play in Pakistan.
The recent statements of PCB chairman show that he is not fit for the job. What need did he have to compare Imran Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq? Then he said Pakistan was ready to play with India in India
Bangladesh team’s visit to Pakistan has been due since 2015, but they have also said that Pakistan should play in Bangladesh.
And all this is happening at a time when our cricket board is headed by a person who was a diplomat by profession and was once our foreign secretary.
Then there is another who considers himself a statesman, great political scientist, editor, thinker and what not. So the question is: where are they using all their wisdom? What use is their genius to Pakistan cricket?
One day PCB chairman says Pakistan is ready to play with India in India although its board has signed an MOU to visit Pakistan. And the next day, the journalist cum cricket administrator contradicts the PCB chairman’s statement.
The chairman’s statements have been embarrassing PCB for many days. So what is the PCB’s policy to get international cricket in Pakistan restored and revive series with India.
It seems that both Babas are poles apart in their views on how to run Pakistan cricket. After each passing day Pakistan cricket is going down deeper and deeper and there is no one to save cricket from further destruction.
Zaka Ashraf, a former PCB chairman, termed the situation “terrible”. He said it was saddening to hear that Afghanistan and Bangladesh were dictating PCB.
“It is time PCB patron in chief Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took a bold decision and save cricket which brings the country’s people close to each other,” he said.
The former PCB boss said that when he was chairman he did not allow Pakistan players to participate in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). “They were requesting us to allow Pakistani players. Now they are dictating us.
“During my tenure the same Afghanistan cricket team had visited Pakistan and PCB organized various matches for them to help their cricket and make them a good cricket team.
Now they are saying that they cannot play here and are inviting Pakistan to Afghanistan where there has been a war for three decades,” said Zaka.
The recent statements of PCB chairman show that he is not fit for the job. What need did he have to compare Imran Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq? Then he said Pakistan was ready to play with India in India.
Najam Sethi has an impressive CV being a publisher, social reformer and even former caretaker chief minister of Punjab.
He has extraordinary abilities but unfortunately in cricket administration he has failed to prove himself.
He surrendered so much to India in 2014 and agreed on Big Three model, which deprived Pakistan of its due share in ICC’s profits.
And India did not visit Pakistan although he kept saying that he had agreed to the Big Three model only after India agreed to visit Pakistan. PCB is now talking of a World Eleven’s visit to Pakistan.
More than three months have passed since Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were sent back home on charges of their alleged connections with spot fixers but nothing has been proved so far.
They are still being put under pressure and threatened.
Zaka Ashraf says PCB’s constitution which was approved by ICC has been invalidated.
According to the new constitution PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has not much power.
Najam Sethi is enjoying all powers and is playing with Pakistan cricket. The first class structure has been destroyed, he said. “And international cricket is miles away from us,” he added.
He said that it is the strength of Pakistan’s natural cricket talent which is producing gifted players due to which Pakistan’s name is stable in the world of cricket.
“As far as PCB is concerned the situation is going from bad to worse. Only PM Nawaz Sharif’s initiative can save the game of cricket in Pakistan,” he stressed.