Depoliticising boards: ‘PCB to avoid a standoff with the ICC’
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to avoid a confrontation with the International Cricket Council (ICC) with regards to the ban on government interference in cricket boards’ functioning.
The ICC set March 2013 as deadline for cricket boards to implement the plan– that will see the removal of all types of government interference – in its annual general meeting last year. While it has given a two-year time period, failure to do so will result in disaffiliation with the ICC, threatened the game’s governing body.
Meanwhile, it has been learnt reliably that the PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf, accompanied by the board’s chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed and legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi, discussed the matter with the ICC on the sidelines of its executive board meeting in Dubai over the weekend.
Recent reports have suggested that the issue may result in a conflict between the PCB and the ICC after President Asif Ali Zardari, who is also the country’s cricket board patron-in-chief, rejected the amendment. However, an official close to the case, while admitting it as a tough challenge for the PCB, ruled out chances of disagreement with the sport’s world governing body.
“It’s a complex issue,” the official told The Express Tribune. “At the moment, the PCB is also not 100% clear on what to do. It’s a situation like fixing a puzzle as things will be sorted out in order. But there are no chances of confrontation as the PCB will look to resolve the matter by taking the ICC into confidence. The matter was discussed cordially in the recent meeting.”
The official added that the ICC’s priority is to ensure that cricket boards are run in a democratic fashion.
“The ICC wants every official of the board to go through an electoral process. It has no major issues with the president being the patron-in-chief as it appreciates his role in promotion of the game.”
The official added that things are likely to get clearer in a few months — before the ICC annual conference takes place in June.
“The PCB still has some time left and hopefully things will be sorted out by then.”
Participation to increase from 2014
There was a welcome relief for associate members as the ICC has decided to increase the number of teams from 12 to 16 from the 2014 World Twenty20. The decision was approved after the ICC’s Executive Board meeting in Dubai with the body’s chief executive Haroon Lorgat hailing the development.
This year’s World Twenty20, to be played in Sri Lanka in September, will feature all the ten full members of the ICC. However, the number will increase to 16 for the next edition in 2014, scheduled to take place in Bangladesh, with six teams going through the qualifying phase. Meanwhile, the ICC board has endorsed the amendment according to which the role of its president will be altered and a new post of chairman will be created.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 17th, 2012.
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I think it will be better for Pakistan to avoid such Confrontation. PCB should take a bold step to implement what ICC has suggested for all the Boards.