By Asif Suhail
Self-appointed Patron of Pakistan Cricket Board and a three time prime minister of the country has been disqualified through a historic and unprecedented verdict of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Now there is a dire need to form a JIT (Joint Investigation Team) to investigate into the affairs of PCB and disqualify those who were imposed upon Pakistan cricket only because of their closeness with the disqualified prime minister.
Sethi was lucky that he found people of his liking in the PCB. He patronized Subhan Ahmed and Zakir Khan among the tops. Both had served under various PCB bosses because of their sheer sycophancy
One such person which needs an immediate disqualification from the PCB is crafty Mr. Najam Aziz Sethi whose only contribution is to bring shame for Pakistan cricket. Cricket lovers, particularly the youth, need to know the past of this over-ambitious crazy guy.
Sethi has a history of shameful involvement in anti-state activities. In the mid 1970’s a young Sethi was associated with the Baloch insurgency against a democratically elected government. A video clip of a former COAS, viral on social media, can be produced to substantiate this.
When the PPP regime was toppled in a military coup in 1977, Sethi was arrested by the military government and later was released. Sethi was arrested in 1984 on alleged charge of trumped-up copyright. Later he got declaration of weekly ‘Friday Times’ in 1987. He started making fun of Nawaz Sharif’s poor English in ‘Ittefaq Nama’ in his weekly.
In early 1999, Sethi was a recognized journalist and was once again arrested during the second government of Nawaz Sharif. Surprisingly no journalist organization condemned his arrest.
Nevertheless, his foreign friends came for his rescue and no other than the World Bank president called Nawaz Sharif for Sethi’s release.
Sethi has made PCB a comfort zone for ordinary and tainted former cricketers
After the mushroom growth of private Satellite Channels in Pakistan Sethi joined as an anchor and through his blunt outbursts struck a bizarre deal with Nawaz Sharif.
As this is an old adage: ‘There is no permanent friend or enemy in politics’. Nawaz Sharif appointed him as the acting chairman of PCB.
Sethi was lucky that he found people of his liking in the PCB. He patronized Subhan Ahmed and Zakir Khan among the tops. Both had served under various PCB bosses because of their sheer sycophancy.
Naturally both were impressed by Sethi’s television image and above all his closeness with the so-called Patron of the PCB. A former PCB chairman Dr. Nasim Ashraf introduced and promoted a culture of corruption in the PCB and Sethi encouraged and patronized discarded and ordinary former cricketers and government officials in the Board. Sethi brought Aizad Syed, a businessman allegedly from his family, to head the National Cricket Academy.
Then Amjad Hussain Bhatti, a mediocre rather teeny official of the Punjab government, was inducted on deputation and appointed as Media Director, a job which does not match with his qualification and personality.
Usman Wahla, another non-degree holder, has become a personal bodyguard of Sethi who was found rescuing his boss from the frenzy crowd, outside The Oval cricket ground in London. The crowd was visibly angry over Sethi’s whimsical rants taking credit of staging PSL final in Lahore. Army staged the show and provided fool-proof security
Amjad, a thorough sycophant, has completed his three years deputation period and according to rules he must be sent back to his parent department in the Punjab government. But Sethi doesn’t follow any rule and Bhatti is still enjoying PCB perks without contributing anything of noteworthy in his last three plus years in over-crowded media department.
Haroon Rasheed, Salahuddin Sallu, Aizad Syed, Naila Bhatti, Amjad Bhatti and Usman Wahla are the glaring examples from the middle cadre who enjoy a heyday in the PCB despite of their continued failures and irreparable ineptness. Disgusting!
Sethi has made PCB a comfort zone for ordinary and tainted former cricketers.
Today Zakir Khan has no job in the PCB but drawing heavy salary and other perks regularly. Haroon Rasheed and Naila Bhatti are Sethi’s favourites, particularly Naila was among those PCB official who are doing jobs without a proper qualification.
Usman Wahla, another non-degree holder, has become a personal bodyguard of Sethi who was found rescuing his boss from the frenzy crowd, outside The Oval cricket ground in London. The crowd was visibly angry over Sethi’s whimsical rants taking credit of staging PSL final in Lahore. Army staged the show and provided fool-proof security.
Early in February this year Sethi brought a huge embarrassment for Pakistan cricket when during the PSL Event in UAE he publically declared that Khalid Latif and Sharjeel Khan have been found in spot/fancy-fixing and boasted about having substantial proofs against the cricketers.
He even went a step further and said that he knew it before the match. Still, the players were allowed to continue playing as according to Sethi he wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. Absurd! Sethi could have sent the cricketers back home on fitness ground to pre-empt spot/fancy-fixing incident.
Sethi’s childish approach made PCB a laughing stock in the comity of cricket playing nations. The PCB still carries this embarrassment! What Khalid and Sharjeel did or didn’t do is still up in the air even after prolonged hearing in the PCB’s appointed Tribunal. Both are innocent until they make a public confession of their involvement in fixing.
Only weeks before his disgraceful disqualification the outgoing Patron of the PCB had appointed Sethi as a member of the governing board.
Should we allow such a person of dubious character to head the PCB whose only agenda is to defame Pakistan cricket.
Under Shaharyar Sethi had vehemently advocated to make PSL a private limited company but after getting a fresh nod which can make him chairman of the Board he announced that the PSL would work under the PCB wings. What a smart twist!
Pakistan Supreme Court must take a serious view of the atrocious affairs of Pakistan cricket and form a JIT to conduct a ruthless investigation to streamline the Game of Gentleman in the country.