Shut down anti-corruption unit: Tauqir Zia

Former PCB chairman lashes out at the ICC following the spate of allegations against the Pakistan team and PCB.

LAHORE: Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Tauqir Zia has lashed out at the International Cricket Council (ICC) following the spate of fixing allegations against the Pakistan team and the sport’s governing body to handle the affairs in an effective manner.

“The ICC is covering up their incompetency by taking such hasty decisions,” said Zia. “They are merely relying on media reports hence the state of actions taken against Pakistan.”

The ICC’s Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) was set up in the year 2000 following a corruption crisis with the ICC claiming ‘cricket is a leader in the fight against corruption in sports’. However, with the revelations coming from British tabloids and not the ACSU, Zia has criticised the body’s effectiveness.

“The ICC should shut down its ACSU and start paying the tabloid to work for them. They’re making their decisions based on media reports released by The Sun and the News of the World and the unit which was set up to ensure the reputation and integrity has failed.

“They are covering up their inability by using Pakistan as a scapegoat. The team is coming under fire even if they win. The ICC is a neutral body and they should investigate both teams in such situations and not just pick on Pakistan. That really is unfair and they should behave with maturity.”

Pakistan reacted belatedly

The PCB on Saturday rejected as “sensationalism” the new allegations against its team which is under investigation for incidents during last month’s Test at Lord’s.  The PCB also said that it “regrets” that the ICC had appointed an inquiry into the latest allegations involving Friday’s third One-Day International against England which Pakistan won by 23 runs.

The PCB chairman termed it a conspiracy against the country in order to isolate it from international cricket following a shocking outburst against the ICC as well as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Zia, however, was of the opinion that such a stance should have been taken earlier and the PCB should have been more active when the allegations first surfaced.

“There are things that should have done in time and the PCB was slow to react. When they had to react aggressively, they didn’t but now when it’s a time for reconciliation they exhibited their aggression.”

The ECB has spoken of legal action that may be taken against the PCB chairman following his outburst and allegations against the England team.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2010.