Controversy: Sethi apologises to England cricket chief

Sources say Sethi apologised to the ECB Chairman Giles Clarke in a private email.

KARACHI:

The  former chief of Pakistan Cricket Board’s interim committee, Najam Sethi, has apologised to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief for falsely attributing remarks to him, Daily Express has learnt.

Sources said that Sethi apologised to the ECB Chairman Giles Clarke in a private email. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has already said that Sethi had lied about the Council’s January 9 full member session.

Speaking in a recent television programme, the former PCB official had said that if the ICC did not accept the ‘Big Three’ proposal, India, England and Australia would quit the game’s administrative body.

According to Sethi, Clarke had said in the Jan 9 meeting that since the three boards contributed more revenue to the ICC, they have a right to aspire for a ‘veto power’ in the Council.

When Sethi asked Clarke what if other cricketing nations did not accept the ‘undemocratic system’? “We will quit the ICC,” Sethi quoted Clarke as telling him in response. Sethi inferred that Clarke had, in fact, threatened that the three countries – which contribute 80% of revenue –would quit and the ICC would disintegrate.

Perhaps Sethi might have assumed that his comments on an Urdu-language news channel would not reach the ECB. However, a British website, pakpassion.net, posted an English translation of Sethi’s comments for its visitors.

Incensed by Sethi’s comments, the ECB lodged a strong protest. Taking notice of the ECB protest, the ICC issued a statement in which it rebutted Sethi’s remarks about the Jan 9 meeting.

When approached, the ECB director communication, Colin Gibson, confirmed the email exchanges between Sethi and Clarke but refused to reveal the content of the ‘private correspondence’.

Asked if Sethi has apologised to Clarke, Gibson said, “We do not deny it.” Sethi was unavailable for comment. Daily Express tried to reach him several times via cellphone, but he didn’t field the calls.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2014.