PCB to discuss ICC rule with government

How we implement this reform will depend on our talks with the government: PCB

KARACHI:
Pakistan's cricket administrators will hold talks with the government on how to implement a ban by the sport's governing body on political appointments within the game, an official said Saturday.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), whose chairman Ijaz Butt was appointed by the president of the country, is directly hit by the ruling from the International Cricket Council (ICC) executive board on Thursday.

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will also be affected by the decision.

The ICC gave cricket boards 12 months to free themselves from governmental and political interference, with a further 12 month grace period to enact the changes before any sanctions would be considered.

PCB chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed, who along with Butt attended the five-day meeting in Hong Kong, told reporters on his return: "How we implement this reform will depend on our talks with the government."

Pakistan held discussions with arch-rivals India on the sidelines of the ICC meeting, he said.


"We have talked to India on February-March tour of 2012, and will hold negotiations with them to try to finalise that tour as soon as possible," said Ahmed.

Pakistan have four series with India due in the Future Tours Programmes from 2012 to 2020, he added.

"One is in 2012, 2013 and 2015, they (ICC) have given the slots but number of matches have not been decided," said Ahmed.

No major national team has toured Pakistan since gunman attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009, and Ahmed that "a number of boards were sympathetic with us" over the issue.

"They have assured us to try to tour Pakistan but that's linked to security situation in our country," he said.

Sri Lanka's sports ministry on Friday dissolved an interim committee running cricket affairs in the country, a day after promising it would abide by the new ICC reform.
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