It was baffling for ardent cricket followers to learn through media reports that the PTI government has approved new constitution of the PCB. As reported in media the federal cabinet, which met in Islamabad with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair, also approved the restructuring of domestic cricket set-up.
The PCB, however, failed to issue any press release on this very important development which is astonishing.
This is the first time in the history of PCB that the approval of PCB constitution was on the agenda of federal cabinet meeting. Special Assistant of PM for Information Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan while announcing the decision to journalists would be happy because she herself was a passionate cricketer in her hey days at Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore.
We don’t know that if PCB had formed any committee to draft or present recommendations for the new constitution. A least media was not informed. We also don’t know that if original stakeholders of Pakistan cricket, district cricket associations, were consulted or taken on board or not. Everything was kept secret! The PCB and the PTI government did the same what Modi led BJP government did in India to quietly revoke Article-370 in the Indian constitution.
Constitution of Pakistan is framed by the National Assembly which is elected by the people. On similar grounds drafting of PCB constitution is the sole prerogative of district cricket associations which are original stakeholders of Pakistan cricket. How painful it is that a cricketer turned politician has blatantly ignored district cricket associations and chose an undemocratic way to frame the new constitution of the Board. Sadly the PCB Patron followed his disqualified predecessor Nawaz Sharif who had made amendments in Board’s constitution.
Prior to that the district cricket associations would draft the PCB constitution, Board’s legal advisor would give it legal cover and send to the law ministry for approval. After approval the ministry would notify it in the government Gazette. But this time a new method has been adopted only to satisfy the personal ego of PCB Patron who is wrongly meddling in every affair of Pakistan cricket.
The whole domestic format has been changed on his personal whim. The departments which looked after a large number of cricketers and made them world class have been forced to close their cricket teams but through an official letter they have been directed to sponsor or adopt six of the regional teams.
A person, who claims to be a double PhD in cricket and thinks it his birth right to indulge in every issue relating to the game, has ruined the career of many upcoming cricketers who earned their bread and butter from departmental cricket. Where in civilized countries the decisions are taken to please one and only one person? This is only possible in the new Pakistan! We have had enough of your personal ego Mr. Patron.
Imran Khan’s unnecessary interest in PCB affairs is a cause of concern for the sane cricket circles. His interference can endanger our membership in the ICC. Nobody in the PCB has ever dared to apprise the Patron about ICC’s warnings regarding government interference in cricket board affairs. Recently, the ICC has suspended the membership of Zimbabwean Cricket and its sword is also looming over the Sri Lankan Cricket Board.