Akram urges domestic ACUs in all countries

Former captain Wasim Akram calls for domestic Anti-Corruption Units to be installed in all cricket-playing nations.

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has called for domestic Anti-Corruption Units (ACU) to be installed in all cricket-playing nations saying it should not only be confined to Pakistan.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is currently finalising the formation of an ACU for its domestic circuit after directives from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“Why only Pakistan, I ask,” Akram told The Express Tribune. “It should be formed in all cricket playing nations. The ICC is late on reacting on the match-fixing issue. It should’ve thought about forming ACUs five years ago.”

The former captain has stressed that the PCB should implement the new system immediately and effectively, a move that would greatly benefit Pakistan cricket.

“The PCB needs to educate the players and create awareness among them. The players and agents should go through the entire process. The system should’ve been implemented long ago but it’s never too late.”

‘Board’s in a mess’

Akram said that the warning by the ICC for the Pakistan board to put its administration in order within 30 days exemplifies that there was something structurally wrong with PCB’s handling of its matters.

“This has never happened in the past. The ICC warning shows there is something wrong in the PCB setup because it cannot give warnings to the board without due reasons.

“There is a lack of vision and leadership because of which PCB is in a complete mess. Nobody in the board knows what exactly is going on because of which the world is ridiculing us.”

President urged to intervene

The fast-bowler also said the PCB setup is in dire strait and in need of urgent improvements. He also asserted that the target cannot be achieved without the intervention of the president who is also the PCB’s patron-in-chief.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2010.