By Asif Sohail
It is an irony that Najam Sethi, a former caretaker chief minister of Punjab and tv anchor, who had supported BCCI on Big Three during the ICC meeting in return of six-bilateral series with India, is now trying to steal credit for its elimination.
Sosha of suing BCCI for not abiding by the MoU is another attempt from him to hoodwink the cricket-mad nation.
We all know that Zaka Ashraf, a former chairman of the PCB, had vehemently frustrated BCCI’s attempts to form Big Three within the ICC. “Zaka contested PCB’s case courageously in the ICC meetings”, a fact that even Geoffrey Boycott a former Test cricketer of England acknowledged in his book.
It is sad that later, amid a government manoeuvred decision, the Supreme Court de-seated Zaka and imposed controversial Najam Sethi on Pakistan cricket who since then, has missed no chance to destroy Pakistan cricket interests in the larger Indian interests.
Sethi didn’t waste time and obliged BCCI to pave the emergence of Big Three in 2014 in exchange of a promise from them to play six bilateral series with Pakistan – between 2015-2023. That promise was never honoured.
Sethi, instead of feeling “Kuch Haya Hoti Ha Kuch Sharam Hoti Ha”, has started beating drums to sue BCCI in an attempt to undermine the achievement of his boss for end of Big Three.
We all know that MoU are mere piece of papers and have no legal value until it contains a specific clause: “Either party that fails to implement the MoU could claim for compensation of its loss”.
If that kind of a clause is documented in the much trumpeted MoU then sending legal notice to the BCCI can embarrass the Indians otherwise this whole exercise would be Sethi’s another attempt to hoodwink the cricketer fans in Pakistan.
We have been observing the ongoing spot-fixing scandal against our cricketers.
He had publicly boastfully in February this year: “We have substantial proofs against Khalid Latif and Sharjeel Khan”. Butin last three months we have not observed any significant progress in the case, except constituting a Tribunal and cricketers visiting PCB and Courts with their lawyers. Where are the substantial proofs?
Soon after assuming his second stint in the PCB, Shaharyar started his homework. Through back door consultation he quietly gathered support from full members of the ICC on the revenue distribution system.
During the last ICC meeting in Dubai on the issue of Big Three, the BCCI lost 9-1 when representatives of all other nations favoured a change in the governance structure. The only support India got during voting on a new constitution was from Sri Lanka, that too only for the governance changes.
No one supported BCCI’s stance on the financial model according to which it wished to grab the big chunk of the ICC’s earnings. A great set back to BCCI and of course Sethi. Salute to Shaharyar and Shashank Manohar for freeing the ICC from the domination of BCCI.
The myth of BCCI, the so-called “Godfather” of international Cricket, was broken. Shaharyar’s firm determination and patience worked successfully. The BCCI was left isolated as an overwhelming majority of the full members of ICC outvoted its position on the new proposed constitution of ICC to abolish the infamous “Big Three” model.
An obvious frustrated BCCI indicated a possible boycott of the ICC Champions Trophy in June this year but soon sanity prevailed upon them because boycotting could have been a great financial loss or them.
Elimination of Big Three is the result of a well calculated and quite back door diplomacy by one and only Shaharyar Khan along with ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar. No other person can get its credit.
Since assuming power for a second time Shaharyar had made his intensions clear: “We want the Big Three governance system and revenue distribution formula abolished”, he had declared. Similarly Manohar also showed his intentions to finish Big Three.
He took a firm stand against making ICC an autocrat institution controlled by India, Australia and England. Being an Indian, it was a testing task for Manohar but he wholeheartedly put his weight behind making ICC a democratic institution.
The PCB Chairman Shaharyar has also praised Manohar for his fair and admirable role.