TV rights: Sethi accused of partisanship

Former coach of army’s cricket team claims ‘incompetent’ PCB chief has ‘pets’ in the board.


Zulfiqar Baig July 27, 2013
Najam sethi. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD:


A former coach of the army’s cricket team on Friday accused Najam Sethi of plotting to transfer billions of rupees worth of broadcast rights to a channel of his choice.


Nadeem Suddle has challenged Sethi’s appointment in Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the Islamabad High Court and on his plea the court had annulled the elections of the board.

Suddle told Daily Express that Sethi was acting chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board but was dreaming of becoming its permanent chief -- though he knows little about cricket.

“Sethi is a paid employee of a media group. How can he prove himself to be unbiased in the auction for broadcasting rights?” asked Suddle.

Sethi wants the multi-billion TV rights deal for the channel of his choice, the former coach claimed.

Suddle said that Sethi had called him for a meeting. “Sethi asked me to help him run the affairs of PCB in a better manner. He wanted to become permanent chairman,” he said.



Suddle said that he advised Sethi to follow Supreme Court’s orders and hold elections and if he wanted to become PCB chairman then he should first win nomination from any of the zones and contest polls.

He also told Sethi that the constitution of the cricket board could not be changed.

“Sethi told me the prime minister has asked him to handle the affairs of PCB, however, he should stick what he is good at. Running PCB is not his game,” Suddle said.

He said that Sethi often refers to some birds in his talk show, he has kept such pets in the PCB too but they would fly away soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27th, 2013.

COMMENTS (10)

Uza Syed | 10 years ago | Reply

Is Najam Sethi really such a bad guy, I mean not trust worthy at all ?

rehan siddiqui | 10 years ago | Reply

Sethi never was a journalist. He became a so called journalist through proxy by bringing out a weekly from his/her wife's money and installed himself as editor. Has he ever worked as a sub-editor or a reporter in a newspaper? He like scores of so called anchors became journalists in Pakistan and these "generalists" have damaged the profession like our lawmakers armed with fake degrees. God help this country from such people. . .

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